IMPROVEMENTS IN NAILING-MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, Patent Agent, of 38, Southampton
Buildings, London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN NAILING-MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by John Henry Foster, of Chicago, Illinois,
United States, Mechanic.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Morgan-Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th February 1881.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, Patent Agent, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London.
IMPROVEMENTS IN NAILING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by John
Henry Foster, of Chicago, Illinois, United States, Mechanic..
A machine embodying the improvements constituting my Invention is illustrated
in the Drawings as follows:-
Figure 1 represents a front elevation; Figure 2, a right hand side elevation;
Figure 3, a left hand side clevation; Figure 4, a vertical sectional elevation;
Figure 5, a longitudinal sectional elevation of the nail conducting tubes and nail
guiding plate; Figure 6 a plan view of the nail hopper with its cover removed;
Figure 7, a plan view of the nail hopper with its cover and guide plate removed;
Figure 8, an enlarged sectional view of the hopper setting die and conducting
tube; Figure 9, a plan view of a modification of the nail feeding plate; Figure 10,
a sectional elevation of the rear end of the hopper; Figure 11, a plan view of the
means for cutting off the feeding supply of nails; Figure 12, a sectional plan view
of the nail feeding channels, and Figure 13, an elevation partly in section of a
modified form of nail setting mechanism, of which Figure 14 is a sectional
elevation.
The Invention relates to that class of machines which operate to drive one or
many nails into work, sustained beneath a nail holding guiding die and a
reciprocating plunger or driver; and said Invention consists chiefly in an.
improved nail feeding mechanism, an improved nail guiding die, an improved
work support, and various constructions and combinations of parts too particularly
hereinafter set forth to need preliminary description.
In order to a ready understanding of the improvements effected, I will now
describe the structure and operation of the various mechanisms composing the
apparatus.

page_text: The work supporting bed is shown in the form of a table 20 that is secured to
the main frame or pedestal 21, which latter may be attached to a bed plate as 22,
or form part of a base that rises to a working height from the floor.
This table 20 is a flat plate having a guide arm or arms 23 extending through a
..recess or recesses 24 in the pedestal 21, so as to be capable of a vertical adjustment
therein, its various positions being secured by a cross plate or plates 25, which are
clamped upon the rear face of the pedestal by means of screws 26. The guide arm
or arms 23 are arranged to admit of the free passage through or past them of the
vertical shaft 27, upon which the nail feeding, work clamping, and nail driving
mechanisms are carried and operated.
The shaft 27 extends below the pedestal 21, and is provided with means which
sustain it in a raised position and accomplish its vertical reciprocations, such
means, as shown, being a connecting rod 28 hung to a foot treadle 29 that is
provided with a weight 30, whereby the said shaft is normally held upward and
may be depressed by a downward movement of said treadle.
The nail feeding mechanism is contained in a hopper 33 of rectangular form, that
is mounted so as to be vibrated upon pivots 9 by which it is attached to the side
arms 31, 32, of a carrying hub 34 that is fast to the shaft 27, its vibratory
movements being effected by means of rods 45, 46, which connect it with a
frame 60 that slides upon said shaft by means of slotted guide arms 61, 62, the
latter of which fits the recess 24 in the pedestal 21.
This hopper is provided internally with chutes 35 (as many in number as may
be required), which extend from a common receptacle 40 at its rear end, that
communicates with all the chutes forward to a point about central, where they
connect with the narrow slots 37 of a guide plate 36, which narrow slots 37
terminate at their forward ends in apertures 1 of a size to admit the passage of the
nail head, which apertures are situated over the openings in delivery tubes 38 that
extend from beneath said plate through the bottom of the hopper 33 and protrude
therefrom.
This plate 36 rests upon supports 42 that are provided with longitudinal
recesses 8, which continue the slots 37 vertically and terminate in said delivery
tubes 38.
Beneath this guide plate the hopper is provided at its front end with a
reservoir 39, which is connected with the receptacle 40 at the rear end of the
hopper by channels 41 beneath the guide plate, which are provided on each side of
the chutes 35 and on each side of the supports 42, which are continuations of the
bodies of the chutes 35.
The nails to be driven may occupy promiscuous positions in the reservoir 39 and
receptacle 40, and may slide from one to the other when the hopper is tipped
backward. The hopper is somewhat deeper at its forward end than at its rear end,
and at the latter portion it is provided with corrugations as 67, see Figure 10, the
raised parts of which intersect the channels 41, while the low parts terminate in
the rear of the chutes 35 and unite with their channels, thus forming a guiding
way that acts to straighten the nails as they move rearward, and thus arrange
them in position to securely enter the chutes, the channels in which start from the
surface of the bottom of the hopper and gradually rise to the plane of the guide
plate 36, and consequently the recesses 41 will readily guide the nails from the
reservoir 39 to the receptacle 40 when the hopper is tipped backward, as in
Figure 4, and the chutes will receive and guide nails from the receptacle 40 onto
the plate 36 when the hopper is tipped forward, as in Figure 8. Such nails as arc
guided onto said plate as last described, whether presented thereto head or point
foremost, will when their bodies are projected far enough to overlic a slot 37 be
supported by the flanges of their heads only, and consequently their shanks, which
are of less diameter than their heads, will gravitate through said slots and depend
within the recess 8. Each nail being thus suspended by the flanges of its head
resting upon the edges of plate 36 that form the channels 37, will in such position
slide downward until it is arrested or enters and descends in the tube 38.
As it is

page_text: requisite that only one nail at a time shall so descend, each slot 37 and recess 8 is
provided with a feed governing device to so limit their feeding movement. This
is provided by a laterally reciprocating feeding plate 50, which is seated beneath
the plate 36 in recesses cut for its reception in the supports 42. This plate 50 has
a delivery aperture 7 of a size suited to admit the passage of a nail head, and, is
also provided with recesses that proceed from said aperture 7 and terminate at the
rear edge of the plate, their shape being such as to form a zig zag channel 2, 3,
that provides a tongue 5 and a stop 6, see Figure 8.
The lateral reciprocations of the plate 50 are produced by means of a spring
seated lever 51, a slot in which embraces a pin 52 projecting from the plate,
which lever is vibrated by contact of its cam end 53 with the side of the arm 31.
Normally, or when the hopper is tipped forward, this plate 50 is held in the
position shown in Figure 0, with its stops 6 presented across the slots 37 and
recesses 8, and hence the shanks of all nails fed to and caused to depend in the
said slots and recesses rest against said stops, and such nails are thus prevented.
from moving far enough forward to have their heads freed from the slots 37 or to
enter their shanks into the tubes 38, but the shank of each foremost nail so
supported rests far enough forward to have the tongue 5 enter behind it when the
plate 50 moves laterally, and therefore as the hopper is tipped backward to engage
the cam 53 of the lever 51 with the arm 31, this lateral movement will be
produced in time to cause the tongue to pass behind such nail and separate it from
those in its rear, which nail will thereafter be retained in the channel 2 during the
lateral movement of the plate in one direction, and then in the channel 3, and pass
thence and be so guided as to finally be embraced by the aperture 7 as the return
movement of the plate is effected, that is, during the forward tipping movement of
the hopper. When thus embraced by the aperture 7 its head will also be within
the aperture 1, and being free from the support of the slot 37, said nail will
quickly gravitate through the tube 38 and be delivered therefrom.
As the rear-
ward tipping of the hopper inclines the guiding slots 37 of its plate 36, so that the
nails, free to move therein, all slide rearward, it is obvious that unless prevented
they would escape from said slots and return to the receptacle 40 of the hopper, by
which action the slots would be cleared and the regular feed of single nails could
not be accomplished. In order to prevent such defective action I have provided a
cut off at the rear ends of the slots 37, which consists of jaws 10 pivoted to the
supports 42 so as to vibrate beneath the plate 50, said jaws being pressed constantly
in one direction by springs 43, and moved in the other by means of a bar 44, that
slides in ways cut in the supports 42 and sides of the hopper, which bar has
shoulders bearing against one end of the jaws 10. This bar is reciprocated by
means of a lever 47, the bifurcated end of which embraces a pin 49 on the bar,
while its opposite end is pivoted to the plate 50.
When the hopper tips backward, as in Figure 4, and the tongue 5 moves to
retain the foremost nail, the bar 44 moves simultaneously to allow the springs 43
to press the jaws 10 across the recesses 8, and thus to sieze and arrest all the
remaining nails depending in said recesses and sliding in the slots 37 by means of
the suspending action of their flanged heads.
Thus such nails are not only prevented from sliding out of the slots 37, but by
reason of the clamping action of the spring jaws 10 are prevented from jumping
out of the same during any jarring action of the apparatus. When the hopper
again tips forward, as in Figure 8, and completes the release of the nails then
controlled by the zig zag channel in the plate 50, the jaws will so move as to clear
the recess for the admission of more nails guided thereto by the chutes 35, but the
nails already in the recesses and slots will descend toward the forward end of the
plate and then be arrested by the foremost one encountering the stop G.
Should the slot 37 become charged with nails to its fullest capacity, any.
additional nails directed to it will simply pass over the plate 50 and drop from its
forward edge into the reservoir 39.
At each forward vibration of the hopper therefore a nail will be delivered from

page_text: - each of the tubes 38. At this time, said tubes are carried over the mouths of
conveying tubes 48, which will carry such nails to the devices that direct them
into a position to be driven.
The mechanisms for setting or driving the nails consist of a nail guiding die
and a nail driver or setter. This nail driver is shown as a broad plate 54; it might
be a series of narrow drivers attached to the hub 34, while the nail guiding die
is secured to a reciprocating carrier 60 which is governed in its movements by its
guide arms. 61, 62, which slide upon the shaft 27, and its rear face which slides in
contact with the face of the pedestal 21.
This nail guiding die consists of back plate 55 and a front plate 56, which is
provided with recesses 4 (see Figure 5), in which the conducting tubes 48 rest.
These plates are supported so as to move upon rods 18, 19, that project from the
carrier 60, and are pressed toward each other by means of springs 10, 17, the
elastic power of which causes them to close together to receive a nail, as in
Figures 2 and 8, or to be forced open, as in Figures 3 and 4, when a nail is to be set
or driven by the descent of the driver 54. This setting die is of peculiar con-
struction. The lower portions of its plates 55, 56, are constructed so as to be closed
together in face contact, while their upper portions provide a cavity with
inclines 12, 13, in which the driving plate 54 may stand in its normal or raised
position, as in Figure 8. The plate 56 is provided with peculiar feeding channels
or ways extending the recesses 4 downward to guide a nail beneath the driver 54.
Thus they have a central guide channel or way 14 through which the shank of the
nail is free to move, and with laterally extended guide slots 15 into which the
flanged head of the nail is forced to travel. Both of these slots progressively
incline toward the inner face of the plate 56 as they descend, but the inclination of
the slot 15 is more gradual than that of the slot 14, so that the shank of the nail
may descend in the slot 15 a distance nearly equal to its length, and moves toward
the plate 55 gradually, while the head of the nail in descending moves more quickly
toward said plate, the result being that the vertical descent of the entire nail with
respect to its setting position, may be nearly accomplished before its final lateral
movement to the true setting position beneath the driver 54 is made, whereby when
the descending movement is nearly accomplished, the nail head which has the
greatest diameter will be vertically aligned with the shank, and the whole nail
may receive a lateral movement bodily into the setting position or beneath the
driver. When so moved by the peculiar form of the slots described it stands
suspended between the plates 55, 56, with its head resting against their inner faces,
its head being beneath the driver 54, and its point properly directed to be forced
from between said plates, thus standing in a position to be driven by the descending
movement of the driver, see Figure 8. As this driver descends it engages tlic
head of the nail and carries it downward, the head of the nail there being forced
against the inclines 12, 13, and thus spreading the plates 55, 56, to admit the
passage of the nail down into the material to be nailed."
The table 20 is adjusted so as to cause the box or other material to be nailed,
that is rested upon it, to present its upper portion in proper position beneath the
plates 55, 50, while the mechanisms stand as is shown in Figures 2 and 8, where-
upon by pressure exerted upon the treadle 29, the shaft 27, and the various parts
it carries descend until the plates 55, 56, rest upon the top of said box, and thus
clamp it by their superincumbent weight between their faces and the table, there
holding it stationary. The plates 55, 56, and their frame 60 are thereby arrested,
and no further movement of the shaft 27 will cause the hub 34 to descend, bringing
with it the hopper 33 and the driver 54, the former remaining in its forwardly
inclined position, until the latter moves through the die to engage the nails it holds,
spread its plates, and drive said nails into the box, during which setting or driving
action the arms 31, 32, fast to the hub 34, will draw down the rear end of the
hopper and tip up its forward end to cause the nails to move rearward in said
hopper. When the nails are driven and the treadle is released, the reverse motions
will ensue, that is, the driver 54 will move upward to allow the plates 55, 56, to

page_text: close, the hopper will tip forward to complete the feed of nails to the tubes 48, and
recharge the setting die, and the carrier 60 will move upward to raise the setting
die, and thereby release the nail work.
In order to determine the number of nails composing the row, to be driven, as
well as to determine their relative position,
I have devised a means of preventing their entrance into the slots 37, and also
constructed the tubes 48 so that they may be adjusted to guide the properly fed
nails into any desired nail receiving recess in the plate 56. The first effect is
produced by means of stop gates constructed so as to be adjusted in place, to shut
off.communication from the receptacle 40 to the chutes 35, or from the latter to the
slots 37 in the plate 36.
As a means carrying out this feature of the Invention, I have shown a stop
plate 68 that consists of a plate of metal bent so as to embrace a chute 35, and
rest upon the plate 36, and thus held present a wall, closing the channel in the
chute, thereby arresting any nails that may enter said channel, and preventing
their passage onto the plate.
"
The second effect is accomplished by mounting the tubes 48 in suspending
hangers as 59, so that they may be adjusted with their delivery ends entered into
any desired one of the receiving recesses 4 in the plate 50, see Figure 5.
To adapt the apparatus to drive nails in inclined oblique and other angles in the
material to be nailed, I modify the guide die by providing it with nail guiding
channels inclined to suit the direction to be given to the nail, and the driver is
constructed so that it may move laterally with the nail head after it is brought
into contact with it, and thus not distort it in the driving process. To insure this
lateral movement the nail driver is provided with properly inclined guide slots 57,
and horizontal guide slots 58, in which pins projecting from said driver play.
If it is desired to drive nails in oppositely inclined directions, as is desirable in
making wooden boxes, the driver will be divided into sections, as A, B, and each
section be adapted to move in the appropriate directions.
This feature of the improvements is of great importance, since by driving nails
in an inclined direction, lighter bodies may be used, and a great saving in cost
effected.
The driver may, instead of the plate form, consist of a suitable number of
separate drivers, each suited to the size of the nail to be driven, which drivers will
project from a head or plate as a common holder for them all, which in the
modification shown in Figure 13, would be provided with the means for imparting
a lateral movement to it, and consequently to each individual driver.
The work supporting table may be stationary or moveable and made convex,
concave, or of other shape to suit it for supporting any work, the lapped parts of
which it is desired to secure together, and when the nails are to be clinched such
will be used as are long enough to protrude through the work and have their ends
turned by contact with the metal table.
In box work a common difficult arises from the fact that the cover or bottom, or such
parts as are lapped over others, not being made accurately, protrude beyond the part
to which they are to be nailed. In that case, unless provision is made to accom-
modate that defective structure, the protruding edge will become the guide, and the
nails be driven parallel thereto without regard to the location of the receiving part
into which the nails must enter. I avoid this result by providing a bearing plate 70
that is secured to the pedestal 21, so as to be adjustable vertically thereon by slots
and set screws, as shown in any other common manner, so as to provide above its
upper face a recess 11 of proper size, into which the protruding part of the work
may enter, and thus enable its side, which is the part that determines the true
position for the nails, to be pressed against said plate 70. When this recess requires
to be deeper than the plate is thick, is may be extended by placing packing strips
behind said plate.
In some work when it is desired to use cut nails, the shanks of which are of
varying relative dimensions, and which are wider in one direction than the other,

page_text: it is necessary to modify the nail feeding plate 50, so that its tongue 5 shall have a
spring like action, as is shown in Figure 9, but which may be provided by various
constructions. When such spring tongue, the outer end of which is curved, is used,
it will by its elasticity surely enter behind the nail, engage the same, and insure the
successive feeding of single nails to the nail guiding die.
The nail cut off device by which the rearward movement of the partially fed
nails suspended in the guide slots of the feeding plate 31 is prevented from
resulting in their being detached from said slots, may be modified considerably so
long as the operation of the same is such as to act elastically in one direction to
prevent the escape of the nails rearward out of the slots, and positively in the
opposite direction to permit the nails to move forward in said slots. It may thus
be made in the form of a plunger spring seated so as to be pressed forward against
the rearward end of a row of nails suspended in a slot 37, and acting to hold the said
row forward as the hopper tips backward, and provided with actuating levers
operated by a cam or similar means to draw said plunger rearward when the hopper
is tipped forward.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,-
1st. A nailing apparatus consisting essentially of a work supporting table, a
reciprocating nail setting die, a nail driver reciprocating through said die, and a
nail feeding mechanism, the hopper or carrier of which is vibrated by the recipro-
cation of the nail driver to cause the feeding operation, all substantially as
described.
2nd. A nail feeding mechanism consisting of a slotted guide plate as 36, having
an aperture as 1, and a laterally reciprocating feeding plate as 50, having a tongue
as 5, channels as 2, 3, and aperture 7, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with the slotted guide plate as 36, having an aperture 1, a
laterally reciprocating feeding plate as 50, having tongue 5, channels 2, 3, and
aperture 7 of which a chute as 35, and a hopper, substantially as described.
4th. The combination with the hopper as 33 of guide plate 36 and chute 35,
whereby nail channels 41 connecting the reservoir 39 and receptacle 40 are provided,
substantially as described.
5th. The combination with the nail channels 41 and chutes 35 of the
corrugations as 67 of the hopper 33, whereby nails are straightened so as to lie in
a position to readily pass from the channels to the chutes, substantially as
described.
6th. The combination with a vibrating hopper as 33 and the slotted plate 36, of
an automatically operating controlling device that presses upon the nails in the
slot 37 when the hopper tips rearward to prevent displacement of said nails
contained in the said slot, substantially as described.
7th. The combination with a hopper as 33 and its slotted guide plates as 36 of
a spring seated jaw as 10 that automatically operates to press upon and hold nails
in the slot of said plate when the hopper tips rearward, substantially as described.
Sth. The combination with a hopper as 33, its slotted guide plate as 30, recessed
support 42, and spring seated jaw 10, substantially as described.
9th. The combination with a hopper as 33, its slotted guide plate as 36,
recessed support 42, spring seated jaw 10, and feeding plate 50, substantially as
described.
10th. The combination with the chute 35 of the stop gate, substantially as
described, for the purpose of preventing the feed of the nails to the setting position.
11th. A nail setting die consisting of spring seater plates as 55, 56, having their
inner faces cut away to provide a channel in which the driver 54 may descend
without spreading the plates and inwardly projecting inclines 12, 13, with which
said driver engages to force said plates apart, substantially as described.
12th. A conveying device whereby a nail is presented beneath the driver con-

page_text: sisting of a narrow inclined channel as 14 for the nail shank and a laterally extended
channel as 15 for the nail head, whereby the shank is carried forward faster than
the head, and the nail is brought into a vertical position as it enters beneath the
driver, substantially as described.
13th. The combination with the feeding recesses of a nail guiding die of nail
conveying tubes as 48 arranged so as to be moved from one to another of such
recesses, and thus convey nails to different setting points, substantially as
described.
14th. The combination with a work support and a nail driver of a nail guiding
die having inclined nail guiding channels for setting nails in angular position,
substantially as described.
15th. The combination with a work support,and a nail guiding channel of a nail
driver having means for moving it laterally during the driving operations,
substantially as described.
16th. The combination with a work support, a nail guiding die, and a nail driver,
of an adjustable plate as 70, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. MORGAN-BROWN.
(L.S.)