IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FORGING HORSE- SHOE NAILS, SPIKES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FORGING HORSE-
SHOE NAILS, SPIKES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."--A communication from
abroad by Benjamin A. Mason; of Newport, in the State of Rhode Island
and United States of America.
Sealed the 18th June 1861, and dated the 5th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th March 1861.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FORGING HORSE-
SHOE NAILS, SPIKES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of forging machine, wherein
four dies or hammers arranged in two pairs are employed; the two hammers
of each pair-moving in opposite directions to strike on opposite sides of the rod
to be forged, and the two pairs working at right angles with each other, and
alternately, the faces of the four hammers being adapted to the form of the

page_text: article to be forged. These dies or hammers slide in two mortices made at
right angles, and crossing each other in a vertical plate or standard. The
better to guide the movements of the hammer blocks a guide rod projects
from the outer end of each, and the said rod is fitted to work in a hole of cor-
responding size in the vertical plate beyond the mortice in which the block
slides. The hammer blocks are all operated by a cam groove made in the
face of a wheel, which is mounted in the rear of the vertical plate on a hori-
zontal driving shaft fitted with a pulley for receiving a belt from a prime
motor. Projecting from the rear of each hammer block is a wrist pin or roller
which enters the cam groove. By giving rotation to the driving shaft the
cam groove will move the two hammer blocks constituting each pair simulta-
neously in opposite directions, and when moving one pair inwards it will move
the other pair outward, and vice versâ, so that the two constituting one pair
will strike towards each other as the two constituting the other pair are
receding. In front of the hammers a horizontal slide is provided for feeding
up the rod or bar of iron or other metal to be forged, a sufficient portion of
which projects beyond the end of the slide to produce the required article. By
gradually pushing forward the slide the end of the rod is gradually introduced
between and acted upon by the four hammers, which give to it the required
form. The slide is then drawn back and the forged nail or other article is cut
off from the rod by a vertically sliding cutter, which acts against a stationary
cutter attached to the same face of the standard in which the moveable
cutter works.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others

page_text: as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR FORGING HORSE-SHOE NAILS, SPIKES,
AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," being a communication from abroad, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
• NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates
to a novel arrangement of forging machine whereby four dies or hammers
arranged in two pairs are employed, the two hammers of each pair moving in
opposite directions to strike on opposite sides of the rod to be forged, and the
two pairs working at right angles with each other and alternately, the faces of
the four hammers being adapted to the form of the article to be forged.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1, is a longitudinal vertical section of
the machine; Fig. 2 is a cross vertical section, taken at the line A, a, of
Fig. 1; and Figures 3 and 4 are cross vertical sections, taken at the line B, 6,
of Fig. 1, and looking in opposite directions. The same letters indicate like
parts in all the Figures.
A is a vertical plate, standing on a firm base, and of sufficient strength to
resist the jars and concussions consequent on the working of the four hammers.
Through this plate there are two mortises a and b made at right angles, and cross-
ing each other, to form two pairs of ways for two sets of hammer blocks c, c,
and d, d, which work therein accurately but freely. The end face of each hammer
block must be made of the required form to suit the article to be wrought, or,
instead a die of the required form can be fitted and secured in a dovetail
or other suitably formed recess in the face of each hammer block. The better
to guide the movements of these hammer blocks a guide rod projects from the

page_text: outer, end of each, and is fitted to work in a hole of corresponding size in the
vertical plate A beyond the mortise in which the block slides. The haminer
blocks are all operated by a cam groove e made in the face of a wheel B,
which is mounted in the rear of the vertical plate on a horizontal driving
shaft C, which shaft carries a pulley for receiving a belt from any prime
motor. Projecting from the rear of each hammer block is a wrist pin or
roller f, which enters the cam groove e in the wheel B, which cam groove is
so formed as in its rotation to move each pair of hammer blocks simulta-
neously in opposite directions, that is, when moving one pair inwards it will
move the other pair outward, and vice versâ, the two blocks constituting one
pair, striking towards each other, as the two constituting the other pair are
receding from each other. The cam groove e is wider than the diameter of
the wrist pins or rollers f, that they may have sufficient play therein to strike
by the impulse given, and be enabled to rebound as in forging with a hand
hammer. In front of the series of hammers is a horizontal feeding slide g,
adapted to slide in a standard h. The upper surface of this slide has a
groove i, or is otherwise adapted to receive the rod or bar of iron or other
metal intended to be forged into nails, spikes, or other articles. The operative
puts the rod or bar to be forged in the groove of the slide 9, with a sufficient
portion of it to produce the required article projecting beyond the end of the
slide, and then by gradually pushing forward the slide the end of the rod is
gradually introduced between, and is acted upon by the four hammers, which
give to it the required form. The slide is then drawn back and the forged nail
or other article is cut off from the rod by a vertically sliding cutter j mounted
between suitable ways in the standard h, which cutter acts against a stationary
cutter, k, attached to the same face of the standard h, over which the moveable
cutter works: If desired the moveable cutter can be operated either by. the
attendant or it may be operated by power, and the machinery for throwing it
in and out of gear operated by the attendant; but as this forms no part of the
present Invention it is deemed unnecessary to describe or represent it. Although
a cam groove is described for working the hammer blocks, I do not wish to be
understood as limiting my claim to such mode of working them; as other and
equivalent modes may be substituted therefor:
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improved Machinery
for Forging Horse-shoe Nails, Spikes, and other like Articles," as communi-
cated to me from abroad, I wish it to be understood, that under the above
described Letters Patent, I claim the combination of the four hammers
arranged in pairs; the two constituting each pair being mounted to strike

page_text: simultaneously and in opposite directions, and the two pairs working at right
angles with each other or nearly so, substantially, as described and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Third day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)