IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOE NAILS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Horsfall, of Armley, Leeds, in the County of
York, Smith, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HORSE-SHOE NAILS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 11th June 1878, and dated the 23rd February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Horsfall at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1878.
"
WILLIAM HORSFALL, of Armley, Leeds, in the County of York, Smith. IM-
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOE NAILS AND APPARATUS
PROVEMENTS
THEREFOR
"
My Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of horse-shoe
nails and apparatus therefor. I manufacture such nails of rods of suitable section
to form the largest parts of the heads of the nails. These rods I pass highly heated
between rolls, whose peripheries are of suitable shape to produce blanks of a con-
figuration at two opposite sides approximating to the ultimate form of head and
body or shank required. The requisite configuration of the other two sides of the
nails is given by passing the partially formed blanks through or between a second
pair of rolls having their axes at right angles to the axes of the first-mentioned
rolls, and having their peripheries (or one of them) suitably formed to considerably
elongate and taper the blanks, which leave the apparatus in a string or row, the
head of one blank joined to the point of another. These blanks have broader bodies
or shanks than the finished nails.
The first and second pairs of rolls are adjustable as required to produce various
lengths of nails.
The connected blanks after leaving the rolls are subjected to the action of an
acidulated bath to clear them of scale or other foreign substances, then they undergo
a flattening and stiffening operation, by either rolls or dies arranged for the purpose,
such rolls or dies being also provided with an arrangement for giving the required
Price Adl

page_text: bevil to the points. The blanks are finally passed or punched through a die, the
opening in which is of the exact required figure of the finished nail breadthwise; the
nails are thus produced pointed and polished ready for use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Horsfall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st August
1878.
"IM-
WILLIAM HORSFALL., of Armley, Leeds, in the County of York, Smith.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOE NAILS AND APPARATUS
THEREFOR
"
My Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of horse-shoe
nails and apparatus therefor, and relates to the production of such nails from
metal rods, which may be either in short lengths or in coils, and are of suitable
section to form the largest parts of the nails. For this purpose I arrange two pairs
of rolls with the axes of one pair at right angles to the axes of the other pair and
pass the rods in a highly heated state through or between the first pair, the
peripheries of which I make of suitable shape to produce on the metal rods blanks
whose configuration at two opposite sides shall approximate to the ultimate form of
head and body or shank required. After leaving these rolls the blanks are caused
to pass through or between the second pair of rolls which have their peripheries (or
one of them) so shaped as to give the required form to the heads, and at the same
time to considerably draw out or elongate and taper the shanks or bodies of the
blanks which leave the last-named rolls in a string or row, the head of one blank
joined to the point of another. These blanks have their bodies or shanks broader
by what is known as a "fin" on each side.
The first and second pairs of rolls are adjustable in their distance from each other
as required to produce various lengths of nails.
The blanks after leaving the rolls are subjected to the action of an acidulated bath
to clear them of "scale" or other foreign substances. In order to make the nails
stiff enough for driving into the "hoof" the blanks are next subjected to the operation
of a flattening, stiffening, and point bevilling apparatus, for which purpose an
ordinary punching press with a reciprocating motion may be used, being provided
with suitable dies for the purpose required. The blanks are finally passed through
a die, the opening in which is of the exact configuration of the finished nail breadth-
wise. The nails after being polished in the usual way are ready for use.
I now proceed to describe the machinery or apparatus embodying my improve-
ments and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, wherein the same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of the rolling machine; Fig. 2 is a side
elevation; Fig. is a back elevation; and Fig. 4 is a plan.
1 represents the bed and standards of the machine; 2, a sliding bracket or housing
for the first pair of rolls 3–3, which bracket or housing is adjustable in position by

page_text: the screw and handle 4; 5-5, are the housings for the second pair of rolls, each of
which is made in three parts 7-8-9 and 10-11-12, Fig. 3, Sheet 1.
The rolls which are shewn to an enlarged scale in Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet 2, receive
their motion from the driving pulleys 13, and suitable gearing 14 and 15; 16 and 17
are connecting gears for the top and bottom rolls 7-8-9 and 10-11-12. The
end of the bottom roll shaft at 18, and the shaft 19 for conveying motion to the
first pair of rolls 3-3, are provided with a system of change gearing as 20-21-22,
for producing the variable relative speeds of the first and second pairs of rolls, and
as required for the production of the various lengths of blanks. The rolls of the
first pair 3-3, have indentations 3a cut across their peripheries for partially forming
the nail heads edgewise, the intermediate parts 35 of such peripheries acting as
drawing rolls for the purpose of elongating and saving the material.
In the second pair of rolls the middle part 11 of the top roll is slightly engraved
to the back figure of a required nail head, and the middle portion 8 of the bottom
roll is engraved or sunk to the figure of the body or shank part of the required nails,
the recess forming the figure of the head being cut right across the periphery of the
said part 8. The supplementary parts 7-9 and 10-12 of the top and bottom rolls
are plain or blank rolls, and run with their peripheries close together, and are for
the purpose of preserving the engraved figures of the parts 8 and 11. The con-
figuration of the parts 8 and 11 is such as to purposely leave a slight "fin" pro-
jecting sideways from the body or shank, which fin is of use in the subsequent
operation of punching, to enable the operator to properly place the already formed
blanks upon the punching die; 20 and 21, Fig. 7, Sheet 2, are straightening or
setting, and stiffening and bevilling or pointing dies, which I now use to render the
nails sufficiently rigid for the proper driving of the same.
The blanks are next
punched through the die 22 by the punch 23, Fig. 8, these two last-named operations
being performed in an ordinary reciprocating press as before referred to. After the
punching operation the nails are next cleaned and any asperities removed by being
rumbled together in the usual manner, and thus made smooth and bright, ready for
market.
I would remark that in practice when making the smaller sizes of nails, one pair
of rolls is sufficient for forming the required blanks.
Having described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of carrying
the same into practical effect, I desire it to be understood that I do not claim
generally as of this Invention a rolling machine for the making of hot metal rods
into nails, and save and except as herein-after mentioned, I do not intend to claim
any of the mechanical parts of the apparatus herein-before shewn and described,
when taken separately and apart form the combination or application thereof, in
manner and for the purposes herein described, but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me under the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The manufacture of horse-shoe nails, substantially as herein-before described
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
2. The combination of parts constituting the improved machine constructed,
arranged, and operating, as shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3,
and 4 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Horsfall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM HORSFALL (L.S.)