Iм- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS AND TACKS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dean, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist, and John Horton, of Birmingham, aforesaid,
Tack Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MA-
Sealed the 21st November 1871, and dated the 2nd June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dean and John
Horton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 2nd June 1871.
We, JOHN DEAN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
5 Machinist, and JOHN HORTON, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Tack Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS AND TACKS,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the feeding mechanism of machinery for the
O manufacture of cut nails and tacks, and consists of the construction
and combination or arrangement of parts herein-after described for

page_text: feeding and turning over the nail plate or strip from which the nails
or tacks are to be made.
By constructing and arranging the feeding mechanism of the said
machinery according to our Invention, the following advantages among
others are secured :-1st, the feeder is readily adjusted to the position
of the cutters; 2nd, the feeder may readily be withdrawn from the
machine for adjusting or renewing the cutters and tools, and a fresh
nail plate or strip placed in the feeder without ungearing the said feeder
from the machine; 3rd, little scrap or waste is made, and the feeder
may be worked at a high speed; 4th, the whole of the feeding me-
chanism can be removed and replaced in working position with facility
and with little loss of time.
We construct and arrange the feeding mechanism according to our
Invention substantially in the following manner:-The feeder consists
of a tube supported in front of the machine, within which tube a feeding
rod slides. The inner end of the feeding rod is furnished with a clam or
holder, in which the nail plate or strip is placed. This clam consists of
a conical piece of metal fixed to the feeding rod, the said clam having a
longitudinal slot in its axis to receive the nail plate. The nail plate
passes through the slotted nose of the feeding tube to the cutters, the
said nail plate being fed to the cutters by the advance of the feeding rod
effected by a weighted cord connected to the end of the said rod. The
feeding tube has an alternating semi-rotation given to it, and the same
motion is imparted to the feeding rod and nail plate so as to turn over
the said nail plate at the proper times. The connecting together of the
feeding tube and rod is effected by a pin or stud on the rod working in a
longitudinal slot in the tube. The slot in the clam in which the nail
plate is held and the slots in the nose and body of the feeding tube are
situated in the same plane, so that on turning over the strip or nail plate
no strain is put on the said nail plate to twist it in the tube while being
fed. The feeding tube is supported near its inner or nose end by an
adjustable upright provided with an oblong eye or loop in which the
tube works, the said eye or loop bearing against a bush on the feeding
tube, and the said feeding tube is supported near its outer end by a
hollow pinion, through which the said tube passes. This hollow pinion
is supported upon an adjustable upright constructed as herein-after
described. In the interior of the hollow pinion is a bush, having a

page_text: longitudinal slot or key-way, into which a feather or key on the feeding
tube takes.
By sliding the feeding tube it may be engaged with or liberated from
the pinion. When the feather or key of the feeding tube is removed
from the key-way of the pinion the feeder is withdrawn from the cutters,
and a fresh strip may be introduced without stopping the machine or
ungearing the feeding mechanism. A fresh strip may, however, be
introduced without withdrawing the tube. An alternating semi-rotation
is given to the pinion, and its motion transmitted to the feeding tube,
feeding rod, and nail plate, and the said nail plate turned over at the
proper times by means of a sliding rack working in the adjustable
upright carrying the said pinion. A reciprocating motion is given to
the said rack by a lever worked by a rocking shaft. This motion is
transmitted to the rocking shaft described from a second rocking shaft
worked from the principal shaft of the machine. In addition to the
alternating semi-rotation of the feeding tube the said tube has a limited
longitudinal reciprocating motion, and its nose end has also a rising and
falling motion. The reciprocating motion described is for the purpose
of drawing the nail plate from the cutters during the turning over of the
said nail plate, so as to prevent the end of the strip being dragged or
bent as the cutter rises, and the rising motion of the feeding tube is for
the purpose of permitting of the turning over of the strip. These
motions are effected by a double-acting cam fixed on the feeding tube
near the upright at the nose end. The lifting motion of the feeding tube
is effected by the periphery of the cam bearing on a roller carried by the
upright, the cam being kept to its bearing by a spring pulling down
the feeding tube.
The roller described is adjustable to adjust the lift to the width of the
nail plate or strip to be turned over. By means of this arrangement in
combination with the looped upright the nail plate is turned over
centrally and lifted each time from the bottom cutter. The bending of
the nail plate during the turning over is thereby prevented. The
reciprocating motion of the feeding tube is effected by the face of the
cam, which is inclined, acting against the face of the oblong eye or loop
of the adjustable support. During the turning over of the nail plate
the advance of the nail plate in the feeding tube is prevented by a lever
pressed down by a spring acting against the feeding rod inside the said

page_text: feeding tube. A cross slot is made in the feeding tube, and the acting
part of the lever passes through the said slot and bears upon the feeding
rod. As the feeding tube rotates to turn over the nail plate the pressing
lever comes into action and prevents the advance of the feeding rod and
nail plate, but as soon as the turning-over motion is completed the
feeding rod is released and the nail plate again fed to the cutters. The
feeding rod is furnished with a swivel and hook, to which the weighted
cord is connected to permit of the rotation of the feeding rod with the
feeding tube. The adjustable upright carrying the hollow pinion and
sliding rack is supported in a trough-shaped bed, and the said bed is
fixed to a cylindrical rod sliding vertically, and capable of rotating in a
fixed hollow pillar. The parts described are furnished with set screws.
By these means the adjustable support can be arranged to adjust the
feeder to the height, angle, and position of the cutters of the machine.
The upright at the nose end of the feeding tube is also capable of a
vertical adjustment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Dean and John Horton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
DEAN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, and
JOHN HORTON, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Tack Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Dean and John Horton, Her
special licence that we, the said John Dean and John Horton, our exe-
cutors, dministrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Dean and John Horton, our 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 King-

page_text: dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF CUT NAILS AND TACKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said John Dean and John Horton, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said John Dean and John Horton,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:—
Our Invention relates to the feeding mechanism of machinery for the
manufacture of cut nails and tacks, and consists of the construction and
combination or arrangement of parts herein-after described for feeding
and turning over the nail plate or strip from which the nails or tacks are
to be made.
By constructing and arranging the feeding mechanism of the said
machinery according to our Invention the following advantages among
others are secured:-1st, the feeder is readily adjusted to the position of
the cutters; 2nd, the feeder may readily be withdrawn from the machine
for adjusting or renewing the cutters and tools, and a fresh nail plate or
strip placed in the feeder without ungearing the said feeder from the
machine; 3rd, little scrap or waste is made, and the feeder may be
worked at a high speed; 4th, the whole of the feeding mechanism can
be removed and replaced in working position with facility, and with
little loss of time.
We construct and arrange the feeding mechanism according to our
Invention substantially in the following manner :-The feeder consists of
a tube supported in front of the machine, within which tube a rod to
which the nail plate is connected slides. The nail plate is advanced to
the cutters by a weighted cord acting on the feeding rod. The feeding
tube and rod are connected together by a pin and slot, and are supported
in two adjustable supports, one at the nose end of the tube, and the
other near its outer end. The support at the nose end has an eye or

page_text: loop, and the support near the outer end a hollow pinion, through which
the tube passes and slides. The feeding tube is geared to the hollow
pinion by a key and key-way. An alternating semi-rotation is given to
the feeding tube and rod, so as to turn over the nail plate at the proper
times by the pinion described, a sliding rack worked from the main shaft
of the machine gearing with the said pinion. The feeding tube has a
limited longitudinal reciprocating motion given to it, and its nose end
has a rising and falling motion given to it by the operation of a double-
acting cam in addition to the semi-rotation described. The reciprocating
motion is for the purpose of drawing the nail plate from the cutters
during the turning over of the nail plate, and the rising motion is for
the purpose of permitting of the turning over of the nail plate. During
the turning over of the nail plate it is prevented from advancing to the
cutters by the action of a lever upon the feeding rod by which the nail
plate is carried. The adjustable upright carrying the hollow pinion and
sliding rack is supported in a trough-shaped bed, and the said bed is
fixed to a cylindrical rod sliding vertically, and capable of rotating in a
fixed hollow pillar. The parts described are furnished with set screws.
By these means the adjustable support can be arranged to adjust the
feeder to the height, angle, and position of the cutters of the machine.
The upright at the nose end of the feeding tube is also capable of a
vertical adjustment.
Having explained the nature of our Invention we 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 a machine for the manufacture
of cut nails or tacks provided with feeding mechanism constructed
according to our Invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of a portion
of the same, and Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent portions of the
feeding mechanism, and Figure 9 illustrates a modification thereof.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
The said feeding mechanism consists of a tube a supported in front
of the machine, the said tube a and parts carried by it having an
alternating semi-rotation given to them in the manner herein-after
described. Within the feeding tube a, and fitting it closely, is a second
tube b, having a rod in its interior. The said tube 6 and its internal rod

page_text: we will herein-after call the feeding rod. The second tube may be
dispensed with, and a central rod b, Figures 4 and 5, work within the
feeding tube a. The inner end of the feeding rod 6 is provided with a
clam or holder for the nail plate or strip f. This clam or holder
consists of a conical piece of metal fixed to the feed rod b, the said
clam having a longitudinal slot in its axis to receive the nail plate.
The nail plate held in the clam described passes through the slotted
nose a² of the feeding tube a to the cutters c, d; the moveable cutter c
is carried by the lever e as usual. The nail plate f is fed to the
cutters c, d, by the advance of the feeding rod b, effected by the
weighted cord g connected to the end of the feeding rod. The feeding
rod 6 is furnished with a swivel and hook at h, to which the weighted
cord g is connected, the said swivel permitting of the rotation of the
feeding rod 6 with the feeding tube a. The feeding rod 6 is connected
to and made to partake of the semi-rotation of the feeding tube a
without interfering with the sliding of the feeding rod 6 by means of a
peg or stud a³ on the feeding rod working in a longitudinal slot a* in
the feeding tube. The feeding tube a is supported near its nose end a³
by the adjustable upright i, and near the other end by the hollow
pinion and bushes or bearings 1, through which the said feeding tube a
passes. The upright is supported on the platform 3, and is capable
of a vertical adjustment by the screw and nuts represented. The said
upright i has an oblong loop or eye at top (see Figure 3), through
which the feeding tube a passes, the said looped part bearing against
a bush a³ on the feeding tube. The bearings 1, 1, between which the
hollow pinion k is situated are carried by the adjustable support m (best
seen in Figure 2). In the interior of the hollow pinion k is a bush k
provided with a longitudinal slot or key-way k³, into which a feather or
key k³ on the exterior of the feeding tube a takes.
A cross section of the hollow pinion with its key-way and the feeding
tube with its feather is represented in Figure 6. A side and end
elevation of the bush * is also represented in Figure 6. The bush k* is
connected to the pinion % by the feather k³, and the said bush is secured
between the bearings 1, 1, by a flange k at one end, and a collar " with
a screw pin at the other end. The key or feather ³ engaging in the key-
way of the bush of the pinion k has a little play in the said key-way,
and the said key or feather is pressed against and bound to the

page_text: feeding tube a by the screw collars &, &, so that the rotation of the
pinion is transmitted through the bush k and feather ³ to the said
tube a.
To introduce a fresh strip or nail plate into the clam of the
feeding rod 6 it is only necessary to remove the weighted cord g, and
withdraw the feeding rod 6 from the tube a, the strip or nail plate being
introduced without stopping the machine or ungearing the feeding
tube a from the pinion k. When it is wished to remove the feeding
tube a from the cutters and ungear it from the pinion k, the screw pins
of the collars are loosened. The feather k³ now passes to the bottom
of its key-way, and its pressure is removed from the feeding tube a.
The feeding tube a is thereby ungeared from the pinion k without
stopping the machine. An alternating semi-rotation is given to the
pinion k, and its motion transmitted to the feeding tube a, feeding rod 6,
and nail plate f, and the said nail plate turned over at the proper times
by the following arrangement of parts:-In the adjustable upright m is
a sliding rack n, the said rack working in a dovetail seat in the said
upright. A reciprocating motion is given to the rack n through the
connecting rod p jointed to the lower arm q2 on the rocking shaft r.
Motion is transmitted from the driving shafts of the machine to the
rocking shaft r, through the crank t, connecting rod t, rocking shaft #,
arms t³, connecting rod t³, and arm q, as will be understood by an exami-
nation of Figure 1. In addition to the alternating semi-rotation of the
feeding tube a, the said tube has a limited reciprocating motion, and its
nose end has also a rising and falling motion. The reciprocating motion
is for the purpose of drawing the nail plate f from the cutters c, d,
during the turning over of the nail plate, so as to prevent the end of the
said nail plate being dragged or bent as the moveable cutter rises, and the
rising motion of the feeding tube is for the purpose of permitting of
the turning over of the nail plate. These motions are effected by the
double-action cam u, u³, fixed on the feeding tube a.
This part of the mechanism is represented on a larger scale in front
elevation (partly in section) in Figure 3. The lifting motion of the
feeding tube a is effected by the part u of the cam bearing on a roller v
carried by the upright i. The cam is kept to its bearing on the roller v
by a spring (not shown in the Drawing) pulling down the feeding tube.
The roller is adjustable in the upright i by means of the screw nut v²,
to adjust the lift of the feeding tube to the width of the nail plate to

page_text: be turned over. As the feeding tube a is lifted it moves in the looped
upper end of the upright i. By this arrangement the nail plate fis
turned over centrally and lifted at each semi-rotation from the cutter d.
The bending of the nail plate during the turning over is thereby pre-
vented. The reciprocating motion of the feeding tube a is effected by
the inclined face u³ of the cam u, u², acting against the face of the
adjustable support i, , as seen in Figure 1. During the turning over
of the nail plate the advance of the said plate in the feeding tube is
prevented by means of a lever pressing on the feeding rod b. This
lever may be used at any convenient part of the feeding tube a, but
we have represented it in horizontal section in Figure 4 and side
elevation in Figure 5, applied to the extreme end of the feeding tube a.
In Figures 4 and 5 the feeding rod 6 works with little friction through
the hard metal bush 62 at the end of the tube a. The holding lever is
marked w, and is pressed down by the spring w³, the acting part w³ of
the said lever wo bearing with considerable force upon the feeding rod b.
On the end of the feeding tube a is a hard metal bush x, the part x³
of which constitutes a cam for lifting at the proper time the lever w
from the rod b. During the feeding forward of the nail plate f the
cam is in action, and by lifting the lever w removes all pressure from
the feeding rod, and the nail plate is fed forward without obstruction.
When, however, the feeding tube a commences to make its semi-rotation
to turn over the nail plate, the cam x², by the motion of the said feeding
tube, is removed from the lever w, which is now pressed down by its
spring, and its acting part to bearing on the feeding rod 6 prevents the
feeding forward of the nail plate. The lever w is provided with a
handle w³, by which the said lever may be thrown out of action when the
feeding rod 6 is required to be removed from the feeding tube a. The
bush 6 through which the feeding rod 6 works is removed by the clam
on the end of the said rod when the latter is withdrawn from the feeding
tube. When the fixing and releasing lever wo is combined with the
feeding arrangement, Figure 1, a cross slot is made in the feeding tube a
for the acting part w³ to pass through to press upon the feeding rod.
Instead of applying the pressure to the feeding rod during the turning
over of the nail plate to prevent the advance of the said plate, the
pressure may be applied to the nail plate itself. This arrangement is
represented in plan, partly in section in Figure 7, and front elevation in

page_text: Figure 8 of the Drawing, the nail plate being represented in the act of
being turned over. a² is the nose end of the feeding tube, and fis
the nail plate. The lever which presses upon the nail plate during the
turning over is marked 5, 5*; the said lever is connected to the bed of the
machine, and has motion in a vertical plane upon the joint 5"; the said
lever is pressed down by a spring 6. The part 5 of the lever bears upon
the edge of the nail plate ƒ during the turning-over process, and the
said plate is thereby prevented from advancing to the cutters. When
the nail plate has been turned over the bottom of the part 5* of the lever
is situated across and a little above the surface of the plate, so that the
said plate may be fed to the cutters without obstruction. By means of
the set screw 7* riding on the nose a³, the lever 5, 5*, may be adjusted
to bear upon the edge of the nail plate with the required pressure. The
adjustable support m of the feeding tube a has a cylindrical block y
at bottom, which is supported in the trough-shaped bed z. The said
support m may be fixed vertically or inclined to a vertical line by
moving the block y in the bed z, and fixing the said block by the set
screws 1, 1. The bed z is fixed to a cylindrical rod 2, sliding vertically
and capable of rotating in the fixed hollow pillar 2. After the height
and position of the rod 2 have been adjusted in the hollow pillar 2° the
said rod 2 is fixed by the set screw 3.
By the arrangement described of adjusting the upright i and support m
the feeder can readily be adjusted to the height, angle, and position of
the cutters of the machine.
The action of the feeder is as follows:-After the cutting of a nail or
tack from the end of the nail plate ƒ the motion of the sliding rack n
gives a semi-rotation to the feeding tube a and rod b, and turns over the
nail plate f. During this turning-over motion the end of the nail plate
is slightly withdrawn from the cutters by the action of the inclined
part of the double-acting cam u, u³, and the feeding tube lifted
vertically by the action of the part u of the said cam, the feeding for-
ward of the nail plate at the same time being prevented by the lever w,
which has been permitted to come into action by the removal from it of
the cam x (Figures 4 and 5). The nail plate having been turned over
the feeding tube a descends and is advanced towards the cutters, the
feeding rod is released from the lever w, and the nail plate again fed
to the cutters, when the operations described are repeated. Instead

page_text: of working the sliding rack n from a crank on the main shaft of the
machine a toothed wheel on the main shaft may gear with a second
toothed wheel, as illustrated in the diagram, Figure 9, where 7 is a
toothed wheel on the main shaft, and 8 the second toothed wheel in
gear therewith.
On the face of the wheel 8 is a crank pin to which the
connecting rod 9 is jointed. The motion is transmitted from the said
rod 9 to the sliding rack in the manner already described.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that
we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and
illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of our Invention; but we claim as our Invention of improvements in
the feeding mechanism of machinery for the manufacture of cut nails
and tacks,―
Firstly. The arrangement or combination of parts, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
for giving an alternating semi-rotation to the feeding tube and parts
connected therewith for the purpose of turning over the nail plate or
strip at the proper times.
Secondly. The arrangement or combination of parts, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
for giving a longitudinal reciprocating motion to the feeding tube for
the purpose of withdrawing the nail plate or strip from the cutters
during the turning over of the said nail plate or strip, and also for
giving a rising motion to the feeding tube for the purpose of permitting
of the turning over of the nail plate or strip.
Thirdly. The arrangements or combinations of parts, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
for fixing and releasing at the proper times the nail plate or strip, or
the feeding rod carrying the nail plate or strip.
Fourthly. The arrangement or combination of parts, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
for supporting the feeder at the nose and rear ends, whereby the said
feeder can be readily adjusted to the height, angle, and position of the
cutters of the machine.
Fifthly. The arrangement or combination of parts, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawinces for

page_text: the feeding rod with the feeding tube, and also for gearing the feeder
to and ungearing it from the hollow pinion, by which the alternating
semi-rotation is communicated to the feeder.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Dean and John Horton,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN DEAN.
(L.S.)
JOHN HORTON. (L.S.)