IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hutchings Garey, of East Weymouth,
Massachusetts, United States of America, but at present residing
at Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
CUT NAILS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hutchings Garey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th June 1872.
I, JOHN HUTCHINGS GAREY, of East Weymouth, Massachusetts, United
5 States of America, but at present residing at Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the arrangements or combinations herein-after
O described of the parts of machinery for feeding and turning over the nail
plate or strip from which nails are to be cut in nail-cutting machinery.

page_text: The object of my said Invention is to communicate to the nail plate or
strip a motion similar to that given by the human hand in hand fed nail-
cutting machines.
The feeding and turning over mechanism of nail-cutting machinery
constructed according to my Invention effects the following motions of
the nail plate or strip:-After the cutting off of a nail blank from the
end of the strip the said strip is slightly withdrawn so as to be clear of
the cutters. It is then turned over or made to perform a semi-rotation,
after which it is again advanced between the cutters, and by the descent
of the moveable cutter another nail blank is cut from the end of the nail
.plate or strip.
The mechanism constructed according to my Invention for feeding
and turning over the nail plate or strip consists essentially of the following
parts: A hollow cylinder supported upon bearings and carried by brackets
on the bed of the machine is capable of performing a reciprocating
motion in the vertical plane in which its axis is situated. The said
reciprocating motion is given to the said hollow cylinder by means of a
connecting rod connecting it with an eccentric motion on the main
shaft. Within and supported by the said cylinder is a second hollow
cylinder capable of performing a rotary motion. This second cylinder
carries at its front end a pair of guides between which the nail plate
or strip passes to the cutters. These guides are carried by curved springs
which press them against the nail plate or strip. An alternating semi-
rotation is given to the inner cylinder by means of a rocking shaft
driven from the main shaft of the machine. An arm from the said
rocking shaft is connected by means of a connecting rod or link with a
toothed sector working in a vertical plane. The teeth of this toothed
sector engage with teeth on the inner or second hollow cylinder, and by
the motion of the said sector the required motion for turning over the nail
plate or strip is given at the required times to the second hollow cylinder.
The advance motion of the nail plate is effected as follows:-The said nail
plate is held by a pair of tongs, the nipper rod of which rests upon an
upright support and between the branches of a vertical fork turning
upon a centre. When the tongs rod is gripped by this fork the motion
of the said fork is communicated to the said tongs and nail plate. On
the support carrying the said fork is a slide connected with the back end
of the toothed sector described. By the motion of the sector a backward
and forward movement is given to the said slide. The said slide acting

page_text: upon another or inner slide presses it against the fork and causes its
branches to close upon and grip the rod of the nail plate tongs. At the
lower end of the fork is a nearly horizontal rod, which on the advance of
the hollow cylinder strikes against the frame of the machine and gives
the fork the required forward motion and advances the nail plate the
requisite distance between the cutters. After the cutting of a nail blank
the hollow cylinders retire, the slide is pushed back by the motion of
the sector, and the end of the rod of the nail plate tongs is no longer
gripped by the fork. The nail plate is turned over and the cylinders
again advance, the fork is made to grip the rod of the nail plate tongs,
and the nail plate is advanced again between the cutters. As the
cylinders commence their retiring motion they effect the withdrawal of
the nail plate from the cutters. The nail plate tongs are not rigidly
connected with the nipper rod, but are connected thereto by means of a
swivel joint, so that they may turn independently of the rod.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hutchings Garey in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 10th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Joun
HUTCHINGS GAREY, of East Weymouth, Massachusetts, United States
of America, but at present residing at Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Hutchings Garey, Her special license
that I, the said John Hutchings Garey, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Hutchings Garey, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS," upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said John Hutchings Garey, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 John Hutchings Garey, 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 thereof, that is to say:—
My Invention consists of the arrangements or combinations herein-
after described of the parts of machinery for feeding and turning over
the nail plate or strip from which nails are to be cut in nail-cutting
machinery.
The object of my said Invention is to communicate to the nail plato
or strip a motion similar to that given by the human hand in hand
fed nail-cutting machines.
The feeding and turning over mechanism of nail-cutting machinery
constructed according to my Invention effects the following motions
of the nail plate or strip:-After the cutting off of a nail blank from
the end of the strip the said strip is slightly withdrawn so as to be
clear of the cutters; it is then turned over or made to perform a semi-
rotation, after which it is again advanced between the cutters, and by
the descent of the moveable cutter another nail blank is cut from the
end of the nail plate or strip.
The mechanism constructed according to my Invention for feeding
and turning over the nail plate or strip consists essentially of the
following parts:-A hollow cylinder supported upon bearings and carried
by brackets on the bed of the machine is capable of performing a
reciprocating motion in the vertical plane in which its axis is situated.
The said reciprocating motion is given to the said hollow cylinder by
means of a connecting rod connecting it with an eccentric motion on
the main shaft. Within and supported by the said cylinder is a second
hollow cylinder capable of performing a rotary motion. This second
cylinder carries at its front end a pair of guides, between which the nail
plate or strip passes to the cutters. These guides are pressed against

page_text: the nail plate by a spring or springs. An alternating semi-rotation is
given to the inner cylinder by means of a rocking shaft driven from the
main shaft of the machine. An arm from the said rocking shaft is
connected by a connecting rod or link with a toothed sector working
in a vertical plane. The teeth of this toothed sector engage with teeth
on the inner or second hollow cylinder, and by the motion of the said
sector the required motion for turning over the nail plate or strip is
given at the required times to the second hollow cylinder.
The advance motion of the nail plate is effected as follows:-The said
nail plate is held by a pair of tongs, the nipper rod of which rests upon
an upright support and between the branches of a vertical fork turning
upon a centre. When the tongs' rod is gripped by this fork the motion
of the said fork is communicated to the said tongs and nail plate. On
the support carrying the said fork is a slide connected with the back
end of the toothed sector described. By the motion of the sector a
backward and forward movement is given to the said slide. The said
slide acting upon another or inner slide presses it against the fork and
causes its branches to close upon and grip the rod of the nail plate
tongs. At the lower end of the fork is a nearly horizontal rod, which
on the advance of the hollow cylinders strikes against the frame of the
machine and gives the fork the required forward motion, and advances
the nail plate the requisite distance between the cutters. After the
cutting of a nail blank the hollow cylinders retire, the slide is pushed
back by the motion of the sector, and the end of the rod of the nail
plate tongs is no longer gripped by the fork. The nail plate is turned
over, and the cylinders again advance, the fork is made to grip the rod
of the nail plate tongs, and the nail plate is advanced again between the
cutters. As the cylinders commence their retiring motion they effect
the withdrawal of the nail plate from the cutters. The nail plate tongs.
are not rigidly connected with the nipper rod, but are connected thereto
by means of a swivel joint so that they may turn independently of the
rod.
Having explained the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, and Figure 2 in plan the feeding
and turning over mechanism of a machine for the manufacture of cut
nails the parts of which are constructed and arranged according to my

page_text: invention. The other Figures represent detached parts of the same as
herein-after described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several
Figures of the Drawings.
The feeding and turning over mechanism is supported upon the table
a, a, the said table having a slight reciprocating motion in a vertical
plane given to it, the object of the said reciprocating motion being to
withdraw the nail plate from the cutters after a nail blank has been cut
from its end, and to advance the turned over nail plate to the cutters.
The said table a, a, is connected by the bracket b to the shaft c, turning
upon the pivots or centres d, d, carried by the fixed framing of the
machine. Fixed to the table a, and partaking of its reciprocating
motion is a hollow cylinder e, and within and supported by the said
cylinder e is a second hollow cylinder fcapable of performing a rotatory
motion therein. The fixed and rotary cylinders e, f, are shewn combined
detached from the machine partly in vertical section, and partly in
elevation in Figure 3, and partly in horizontal section, and partly in cleva-
tion in Figure 34, and the outer cylinder is shown separately in cross
section in Figure 4, and the inner cylinder is shown separately in
horizontal section in Figure 5. On the said inner or rotary cylinders is
a toothed wheel g, a portion of which projects from the cutaway side e
(see Figures 3 and 4) of the outer cylinder e. The outer cylinder e is
made in halves, the inner cylinder f being introduced therein by
removing the upper half cylinder. An alternating semi-rotation is
given to the inner cylinder f by means of the toothed sector h vibrating
on the centre h³, and having motion in a vertical plane, the teeth of the
said sector gearing with the toothed wheel g on the inner cylinder f.
Although I have represented a complete toothed wheel g on the peri-
phery of the cylinder fyet a portion only of a toothed wheel is necessary
for the transmission of the motion of the sector to the cylinder f.
The nail plate or strip i from which nail blanks are to be cut is fed
through a slot f³ in the nose piece f* of the rotary cylinder f, and also
through the pair of guides k, l, in front of the said cylinder f. These
guides h, k, are grooved on their inner face to receive the nail plate, and
are jointed at to the cylinders. The said guides are pressed together
so as to grip between them the nail plate i by the action of the curved
spring. The nail plate i is held by the pair of tongs 1, the nipper
rod m of which rests upon an upright support n and passes between the

page_text: branches of the vertical fork p. The said fork p is made to release the
nipper rod m during the turning over of the nail plate i, and to grip it
again and advance it between the cutters after the nail plate has been
turned over by the following arrangement of parts:-On the end of the
table a is a bed or support q, through which the branches of the fork p
pass, and in which they work. Working in the said bed q is a slider
connected by means of the link or connecting rods with the arm or
back end of the toothed sector h. By the motion of the said sector ha
backward and forward motion is given to the slider surrounding the
upper ends of the blades of the fork. p is an inner transverse slide t
which is acted upon by the first slide 7.
Figures 6 and 7 represent plans of the bed 7 and parts carried by it;
Figure 6 representing the fork p closed and the rod m gripped by it,
and Figure 7 representing the fork p opened and the rod m released.
Figure 8 represents an end elevation of the slide 9 and fork p, and
Figure 9 represents a side elevation of the fork p attached.
As the slide makes its backward motion the projection r² is removed
from off the projection of the said slide t, and the fork p opens by the
weight of the nipper rod m, as seen in Figure 7. As the slider makes its
advance motion the projection bears upon the projection of the slide t,
and the latter closes the fork p, as seen in Figure 6, and the rod mis
gripped by the said fork. The blades or branches of the fork p are jointed
together in the usual manner, and the said fork turns upon the pivots
or centres u, u, carried by the bed q (see the end elevation, Figure 8).
Fixed to the tail or lower end p² of the fork p is a nearly horizontal
rod (sec Figure 1), which on the advance of the table a and hollow
cylinders e, f, strikes against the frame wo of the machine and gives the
fork p which has gripped the rod m the required forward motion to
advance the nail plate i the requisite distance between the cutters x, y.
By means of the coiled spring the fork p is maintained in the position
represented in Figure 1 so long as the rod bears against the frame w.
When however the end of the rod is removed from the frame w by
the retiring of the table a, the spring by its contraction turns the
fork p on its centres and moves its gripping end to the right hand, as
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, in position to grip the nipper
rod m at a point further from the cutters than that at which it last
gripped it, and thereby on the advance motion of the fork effected by
the rod v to feed another length of nail plate between the cutters. The

page_text: reciprocating motion of the table a carrying the turning over and feeding
mechanism so as to withdraw the nail plate in the rotary cylinder f
from and advance it towards the cutters x, y, is effected from the
connecting rod 1, the said connecting rod 1 being secured to the arm a²
fixed on the table a. The connecting rod 1 is worked from an excentric
on the main shaft of the machine. The toothed sector h is worked so as
to give an alternating semi-rotation to the inner hollow cylinder f, and
thereby to turn over the nail plate i at the proper times by means of
the rocking shaft 2 turning on the centres at 3, 3. The said rocking
shaft is provided with two arms or cranks 4, 5 (best seen in dotted
lines in Figure 1). The arm 4 is connected to the connecting rod 6,
which has a reciprocating motion given to it from a crank pin carried by
a face plate on the back shaft of the machine, the said reciprocating
motion of the rod 6 giving the rocking motion to the shaft 2. The
.other arm 5 is connected by the connecting rod 7 to the toothed sector /
gearing with the wheel g, the connection being effected by a pin and
slot as represented. As the shaft 2 makes its rocking motion the
toothed sector his raised and lowered, oscillating on its centre h², and
an alternating semi-rotation is thus given to the inner cylinder ✓ and
nail plate. The action of the turning over and feeding mechanism of
the machine is as follows:-After the cutting of a nail blank from the
end of the nail plate i the table a and cylinders e, f, retire from the cutters
and withdraw the said nail plate from the said cutters. By the action of
the sector / upon the toothed wheel g of the inner cylinder f the nail
plate i is turned over. During the turning over of the nail plate the
slider retires by the action of the connecting rods of the sector h, and
operating upon the second slide t releases the jaws or branches of the
fork which
P
open by the weight of the nipper rod m. The rod mis
thereby released, the fork p at the same time being turned on its centres
by the action of the spring which draws the tail end p² of the said
fork towards the bracket b. As the turning over of the nail plate
progresses the fork p is again closed and made to grip the nipper rod m
at a point further from the cutters by the advance of the slide r operated
by the rods of the sector. The nail plate i having been turned over
the table a and cylinders e, f, again advance towards the cutters x, y,
and the horizontal rod v striking against the frame w gives the fork p
which has gripped the nipper rod m the required forward motion, and
the nail plate i is thereby advanced the required distance between the
.cutters x, y. The cutter x now descends and cuts off another nail blank

page_text: from the end of the plate i, when the several operations herein-before
described are repeated. In order to ensure that the nail plate i after
each semi-rotation of the inner cylinder f shall be returned to the same
position on the lower cutter y, I employ in combination with the
guides k, k, of the inner cylinder fa lateral guide 10 fixed on the bed.
of the machine. The said lateral guide 10 has the position with respect
to the cylinder guides k, k, seen in the plan, Figure 2. The inner face
of the nose end of the guide 10 is hollow or concave and inclined, and
the outer angles of the nose ends of the guides k, k, are rounded as.
represented. On the semi-rotation of the inner cylinder f to turn over
the nail plate i, the curved end of one of the guides k, k, bears against
the concave and inclined part at 11 of the lateral guide 10, and the
nail plate is thereby guided to the same position on the lower cutter.
The nail plate tongs are connected with the nipper rod m by means
of a swivel joint so that the said tongs I can turn independently of the
rod m.
l
This part of my Invention is illustrated in the enlarged views of the
said tongs and nipper rod and parts connected therewith represented
in Figures 10 to 17, both inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 10 representing the tongs and nipper rod in longitudinal section;
Figure 11, the same partly in elevation, and Figure 12 an external ele-
vation of the same. Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are parts of the same.
detached. is the nail plate tongs, and i is the nail plate held therein;
the jaws of the said tongs being maintained in their closed position upon
the nail plate by the metal band or ring 12; m is the nipper rod having
at its end a head m³. The inner end of the tongs is screwed internally,
and into the said screwed end a connecting piece 13 screws, the rear end
of the said connecting piece being tubular and screwed internally. The
hollow end of the connecting piece 13 receives the head m² of the nipper
rod m, the said head m² being confined in the said hollow end of the
connecting piece 13 by the tube 14, which is screwed into the hollow
end of the connecting piece in the manner represented in the Drawings.
By this arrangement the tongs are connected to the nipper rod m by a
joint which permits the said tongs to turn independently of the said
nipper rod. When the jointed tongs and nipper rod l, m, are employed
in conjunction with the machine represented in the accompanying
Drawings, the inner cylinder f can commence its semi-rotation to turn
over the nail plate before the nipper rod m is released without interfering

page_text: with the action of the machine, and should the releasing mechanism fail
to act no breakage of or injury to the machine takes place, the feeding
forward of the nail plate being only temporarily suspended.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in machinery
for the manufacture of cut nails,―
Firstly. The construction and combination or arrangement of the
parts of mechanism for turning over the nail plate or strip herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to
say, the combination of two hollow cylinders carried by a reciprocating
table or support, the inner cylinder carrying the nail plate or strip and
rotating within the outer cylinder, an alternating semi-rotation being
given to the said inner cylinder for turning over the nail plate at the
proper times by means of a toothed sector or quadrant gearing with teeth
or a toothed wheel on the periphery of the said inner cylinder, the parts
being constructed and combined and worked substantially as described
and illustrated.
Also, the combination with or adaptation to the nose end of the inner
rotary cylinder of a pair of grooved guides pressed together by a spring
or springs, through which guides the nail plate or strip passes to the
cutters, substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The construction and combination or arrangement of the
parts of mechanism for feeding the nail plate or strip to the cutters,
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, releasing and gripping the nipper rod of the nail plate
tongs, and giving an advance movement to the said rod so as to feed
forward the nail plate by means of a fork carried by the reciprocating
table of the machine, the said fork being opened and closed by the
action of slides operated from the toothed sector or quadrant of the
turning over mechanism, the retiring and advancing motions of the said
fork being effected by the operation of a spring and rod connected to the
tail end of the said fork, the said fork and the other parts of the feeding
mechanism being constructed and combined and worked substantially as
described and illustrated.

page_text: Lastly. The construction and combination of the parts of the nail
plate, tongs, and nipper rod herein-before described and illustrated in
he accompanying Drawings, that is to say, connecting the nail plate,
ongs, and nipper rod together by means of a swivel joint constructed as
lcscribed and illustrated, so that the said tongs may turn independently
of the said nipper rod.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hutchings Garey, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN HUTCHINGS GAREY. (L.S.)