Improvements in the Method of and Means for Feeding Nailing and like Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 14th Mar.,
1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Feeding Nailing
and like Machines.
I ROBERT JOHN JONES of 67 Queen's Road, Bootle in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
-
This invention relates to a novel method of feeding by means of electricity,
nails and other metallic fastenings, to the nailing or other machines in which they
are used; and to apparatus for regulating and delivering nails or other metallic
fastenings in such manner as may be desirable or requisite in the feeding of this
class of machinery.
The words "nail" and "nails" are used for brevity sake as representative of
the fastenings that come within the scope of this invention.
The nail pickers-up and conveyors are made of metal preferably soft iron, they
are wound with coils of insulated wire, so that when an electric current is sent
through the wire, they become electro-magnets, and as such will pick up nails from
a box or other receptacle which contains them in bulk. The pickers-up are
attached to a yoke and this in its turn forms part of a suitable mechanical motion,
which when actuated carries the nails to any desired point. When the pickers-up
arrive at or near the point of delivery, the clectric current is stopped automatically
by a commutator or switch or other contact-breaker, and the nails drop off into or
on to a suitable receiver.
When it is requisite or desirable that the pickers-up should have a continuous
travel, and the current be not stopped at each delivery of nails, they are covered
with a sliding tube or casing, which covering is moved to the end at the time of
delivery, thereby pushing the nails off. This contrivance is also applicable where
permanent magnets are used.
For the purpose of bringing the nails to a proper position in the grooved nail
slides, I place at the head of the slides, or let them form part of them, V chutes
into which the nails drop from the pickers-up. Stops are placed in the slides, that
will allow the thickness of the head to pass under them, but not its diameter, 30
that, if a nail on leaving the V chute does not right itself, the head comes butt
against the stop, the check causes it to turn the right way, and it then slides along
head up.
For regulating the delivery of one or more nails at a time from the slides,
needles working alternately across the grooves in the slides are used.
For the purpose of indicating a block of nails in any part of the chutes or
slides, or insuring the slides not being filled above a certain point, I insert at the
places to be guarded, electric wires or connectors, these being insulated from the
slides and so placed, that a nail or nails resting there will make contact, and as a
result, ring a bell, shew a disc, or otherwise indicate the block, and at the same
time if desired, break the current to the electro-magnets and thus stop the feed.
As an additional or alternative method I so connect the wires of the indicating
or stop feed arrangement, with the electric wires working the electro-magnets, that
when a nail completes the circuit of the former, it short circuits the latter, and by
preventing the electric current reaching the coils, stops the feed.

page_text: The method of righting the nails and indicating a block, can be applied to
machines other than those fed by my electrical pickers up.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1895.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Feeding Nailing
and like Machines.
I ROBERT JOHN JONES of 67 Queen's Road Bootle in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to a novel method of feeding by means of electricity nails
and other metallic fastenings, to the nailing or other machines of that class in
which they are used, and to apparatus for picking-up conveying, regulating, and
delivering, nails or other metallic fastenings, in such manner, as may be desirable
or requisite, in the feeding of this class of machinery.
By the use of electricity in the form of electro-magnets, a natural law of a
definite character is brought into service, and unlike any mechanical contrivance,
it is positive, invariable, and instantaneous in its action. Electro-magnets have
also more extensive capabilities than permanent magnets, and the instantaniety
with which they gain or lose their power when the current is turned on or off-as
evidenced in an electric bell-places them under perfect control.
A many nailing machines have been introduced at different times, and in the
process of driving the nails, they have as a rule been successful, but in the feeding
part that is the taking of the nails from the bulk, and delivering them ready for
the hammers-they have oft times been cumbersome, complicated, costly and un-
reliable;
liable also to great wear and tear, and have taken considerable power to
work them.
By using electricity the apparatus needed is extremely simple, its first cost is
very small, the wear and tear is practically nothing, the cost of current used is
slight, whilst the power required is scarcely an appreciable quantity; added to this
is the fact, that it is absolutely reliable, and under perfect control at all times, and
can be worked in any position, and under any condition.
The invention will be best understood by referring to the accompanying
drawings, and the matter describing the same.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a box nailing machine, as is necessary
to illustrate the application of this invention.
Figure 2 is a front view taken when the conveyor is at the point of delivery,
shewing also, a portion of rod that extends across the machine, and acts as a stay,
as well as carrying the magnets, and receiving the return current. The nail box is
not shewn.
Figures 3, 34 and 3B are enlarged sections of the chute and nail slide, shewing
the nail stop in 3^, and in 3B the connector for preventing over filling.
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of that portion of swing frame, to which is
attached, the commutator or contact breaker.
Figures 5 and 5^ are enlarged views, shewing the mode of making and winding
the electro-magnets.
Figure 6 is a view of part of a nail slide to illustrate taking off magnet.
Figure 7 is a side view shewing pickers up suspended from a parallel motion,
and their capability to convey and deliver, through any portion of an arc.
Figure 8 is a rod, along which is run a flexible wire, which ends in suspended

page_text: magnet, this is intended to shew, the universal manner, in which electro-magnets
may be made to operate.
Figure 9 is a portion of the slide, of any ordinary non-electric nailing machine,
and shews the arrangement for signalling or indicating over feeding.
In the sheet of drawings, same letters indicate same parts throughout.
Nails are to be taken as meaning, any metallic fastenings that the invention is
applicable to, and the single term is used for brevity.
In order to enable any skilled mechanic to follow me, technicalities, electrical
and otherwise, are avoided but details are amplified in those parts, which involve
work, of a nature not yet of common knowledge.
In Figure 1, A is the box for containing nails in bulk, the box may be of hopper,
or other suitable form and so placed, that the picker-up will act until it secures the
last nail. The box is purposely shewn in front of machine in full view and under
control of attendant, this being a position not-so far as I know-previously.
obtainable, in connection with the feeding systems in use; from subsequent matter
it will be gathered, that the nail box may be placed in almost any part desired.
B is the V chute at the head of the grooved nail slide, and into this the nail drops
from the magnet, when current is stopped. C is the grooved nail slide. D is the
E is the
electro-magnet called for shortness the magnet, it is shewn also at D 1.
end piece of a light swing frame, that extends across the machine, and carries
the magnets required-which may be of any desired number-the frame is balanced
so that little power will move it, E 1 shews it in another position. F is the com-
mutator it is secured to E and moves with it, it can be set to suit any position for
delivery, and any amount of traverse, it is a simple method of making or breaking
contact or circuit; the body shewn white, is of ebonite or other non-conducting
material, and the black band partially encircling it, is of brass or other good
conducting material. G is a hard brass tongue or spring, that bears upon the
commutator, it is screwed to a piece of wood or other non-conductor.
supply wire, that carries the current to the machine. J is the wire connecting
commutator to magnet, and is the supply wire, it is also shewn at J 1 ;-metallic
rods or bars, may when the conditions render it desirable, be used instead of wires
to convey the current. K is the return wire from magnet, this can be attached in
any ready manner to any part of machine, and the return current will find a path
through the metal work of inachine, to any point that another wire may be attached
to for leading back to battery or elsewhere-see K 1. L is the stop in nail slide,
M is the connector
for turning a nail head up, if it presents itself head foremost.
II is the
for preventing overfilling, it is made of copper or other good conductor, and is
insulated from the slide where fixed, by a thin stratum of non-conducting material;
when a nail rests across from it to the opposite side, it acts as a contact maker.
N shews wire for short circuiting.
Figures 2. 3. 34. 3. and 4 are all parts of Figure 1 and the description already
given, will cover and explain those figures.
I now proceed to describe the manner, in which the various parts are brought
into operation, and the work they perform.
A supply of electricity is brought to the machine by means of the wire H, this
wire is attached to the brass spring G, which is thereby charged with electricity,
when the commutator F, is in the position shewn in Figure 1, the swing frame is
at E and no current can pass, and the machine is at rest.
To work the feed apparatus-the box A having been supplied with nails-the
swing frame E, is moved by any suitable contrivance or motion, until the magnet D
dips into the nails at A; as the swing frame moves forward from the position E¹
the commutator F moves with it, and the spring G as a consequence, bears upon the
brass band which partially encircles F, to this band is attached the wire J which
leads direct to the coils on the magnet, thus completing the supply of current, from
wire H to magnet D, the current after passing through the coils on magnet, returns
through wire K, which wire may be attached to any metallic part of machine.
The maguet D being in a charged condition when it is at A, it picks up a nail, and

page_text: the backward movement carries it to the head of the V chute; the current wheu
the magnet arrives at, or near this point; is broken, by reason of the insulated part
'of F, being in contact with the spring G, therefore the nail drops off into chute B,
thus there is at every traverse to and fro of the magnet, a nail picked up, conveyed
and delivered to the chute. When a nail is dropped into the V chute, it should
slide down until, arriving at the groove in nail slide, the shank falls into the groove,
and thereafter the nail slides head up, but should a nail not turn right way, but go
down head foremost, it will butt against stop L, shewn larger at 34-for this stop
will pass the thickness but not the face of the head; the shock when it butts
against L, will throw the shank through the groove and the nail will then slide
'down in a proper manner.
To prevent the nail slides being over filled the connector M is fixed at any
desired point, therefore when a nail or nails rest across as shewn at 3B connection
is made between the nail slide and the connector, to this connector is attached a
short wire N, this is led to nearest point of supply wire and coupled thereto, thus
forming a short circuit for electric current; it being well known that electricity
always takes the shortest path, it follows, that when M is connected to slide by
means of a uail laying across, the current will pass this way, and abandoning the
longer path through the coils on magnet, it leaves the magnet uncharged, thus
preventing it from picking up any more nails, until the contact is broken by the
nail moving away from connector M, when this takes place, the magnet coils again
become the path, and commence feeding as usual; it will be understood from the
description given of the whole process, that it is perfectly automatic.
For releasing nails from the slide, reciprocating needles, or any of the contrivances
in use may be employed; or, my plan hereafter described.
To make the electro-magnets, and test their capabilities proceed as follows:-
For the iron core, use a piece of the best Swedish charcoal iron-annealed till as
soft as possible-four and a half inches long, and about one eighth of an inch
diameter, one inch from each end put on a bobbin end or washer, which may be of
any non-conducting material gutta-percha being as convenient as any-see Figure 5,
you will then have a space between the two ends put on, of two and a half inches
long, in this space is wound four coils of wire,-when you have fixed the two ends,
wrap a thin piece of gummed paper on the iron core between them, then with a
needle, make a hole through one end, coming down close to core as shewn, from
the inside, push through about eight inches of the winding wire, this requires to
be twenty six guage silk covered, such as is used for electric bell magnets,-then
wind four layers of wire from end to end of the two and a half inch space--just as
you would wind a spool of thread, when the last layer reaches the starting end,
bind the wire with a thread, to prevent it un-coiling, then lay it in a slight nick as
shewn, and cut off at about eight inches long, then wind each of the two loose ends
on a small pencil then withdraw the pencil, and the wire ends will be formed as
flexible springs, which are less liable to injury than a straight wire. This magnet
is suitable for nails up to two and a half inches long, and you can test its lifting,
carrying, and discharging properties, by attaching the wires to the wires of an
electric battery or any other electrical supply. At Figure 54, is shewn a more
convenient method, in this case a bobbin made of ebonite, boxwood, or other non-
conducting material is used, it is turned as thin as possible in the shank, it is wound
as before described, and it can be slipped on and off the iron core as required; it
has the same power practically, as though the wire was wound direct on the
gummed paper encircling the iron core. The wire on these magnets, may be
covered with tape, gutta percha, or other suitable material, to protect them from
injury, and may if required as a revolving or other magnet working through the
nails in bulk, be iron-clad.
At Figure 6 is shewn, how an electro-magnet may be used for receiving the nails
from the slide, and placing them, where required in the tubes or other contrivance,
for leading them to the hammer part; in this case, the magnet is made of any
suitable shape, and can be moved by any motion that is found convenient. By

page_text: working opposite the outlet from slide an intermittent or continuous motion,
carrying alternately a magnet and an insulated part, a nail may be secured and
delivered, at each movement. This is applicable to any description of machine
in use.
The working of Figure 7 will be readily understood from the drawing, it is
shewn as one of the numerous mechanical movements that may be adopted; by
using this parallel motion, a nail may be picked up, and delivered, at any point or
points in an arc, the frame is very light, and can be balanced, so as to take a very
small power to move it.
Figure 8 is a rod and line, the line being a flexible wire such as is used for
hanging incandescent lamps, and the magnet is suspended at the end just as many
lamps are, when this magnet receives an electric supply, it will pick up a nail from
any position, and deliver to any other place it is swung to, and release the nail
when the current is stopped, this figure is intended to shew the universal manner
in which electro-maguets may be used, and not as having any practical working
value.
In Figure 9 is shewn, the method by which any machine of au ordinary character
may have attached to it, connectors and wires so that the attendant may have his
attention drawn to it when the nail slides are as full as desirable, or when there is
a block of nails at any point it is requisite to protect. It will be understood, that
if the two wires shewn are made part of an electric circuit, in which a bell, a disc,
or other indicator is fixed, and there is a connector M fixed as in Figure 1, and a
nail rests across as is shown in 3, this nail will act as contact maker, and be an
equivalent to a bell push, thereby completing the circuit, and causing the signal to
be given as required.
When it is requisite or desirable, that the magnets should have a continuous
travel, or the current be not stopped at the delivery of each nail, I use a sliding
tube or casing, that covers the magnet, the system will be understood without
drawing or detail, when I say that it is an adaptation of a telescopic sliding case,
such as is used in a telescopic pencil, the pencil representing the core of the
magnet; the sliding may be obtained, by any of the well known means to that
end, and it will be evident, that if a magnet picks up a nail, and the outer casing
is made to slide beyond the end of corc, it will push the nail off. This will be
found of service, in taking from motion at bottom of nail slides if it is continuous,
and it can be applied to machines using permanent magnets.
Though I have described the magnets, as pickers up from a box or other
receptacle, it will be clear that their use is not limited to this, but that they
can be used, to pick up a nail from any position, and deliver as and where
required.
•
With reference to the supply of electricity; where an electric supply is at hand
the current can be coupled to the wire on machine, or where storage batteries are
available, they can be used; but in some instances neither of these sources of
supply may be available, and in relation to this I would point out that the
intermittent current required to work these magnets is so exceedingly small that
a battery or batteries if on a large scale-such as is used for an electric bell, will
answer the purpose, using preferably those that are classed as "constant "batteries,
the cost of keeping these up is very small, and does not come up to an appreciable
amount; whilst they are not liable to any derangement or breakdown, as their
action is purely chemical. The battery can be put in any out of the way place, or
in a box under the machine; a piece of flexible or other wire, being all that is
required to connect up from any position.
I would have it understood, that in this Specification, the leading features of the
invention, have been more enlarged upon than have the details; therefore it must
be distinctly understood, that I do not confine myself to such details as are given,
as they may be varied in many ways and forms without departing from the invention
proper.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In nailing and other machines of that class, the use in the process of feeding,
of electro-magnets for the purpose of picking up, conveying, and delivering, as and
where required, the nails or other fasteners used in such machines; substantially as
.described.
2. In nailing and other machines of that class, the use of commutators, or other
automatic switches or contact breakers, for the purpose of stopping the current
that supplies the coils of the electro-magnets, when the magnets arrive at, or near
the point of delivery, so as to release the nails or other fasteners, substantially as
described.
3. In nailing and other machines of that class, using headed fasteners, the
insertion of a stop for righting the nails, substantially as described.
4. In nailing and other machines of that class, using headed fasteners, the
insertion in the grooved slide of a connector of copper, or other good conducting
material, at a point beyond which it is not desired to fill the slide with nails or
other fasteners, and to which connector a wire is attached, which is coupled to the
supply wire, so that when a nail is resting across the slide, at the point where the
connector is fitted, it short circuits the current, and during its lodgement there
prevents a supply of electricity reaching the magnets, thereby stopping the feed,
substantially as described.
5. In nailing and other machines of that class (non-electrical) the indicating of a
block or over filling in the slides, by placing a connector in the part to be protected,
and attaching to it an electric wire, and to the slide at some part another electric
wire, which wires form part of a circuit containing a bell or other indicator, so that
whilst a nail is resting across from connector to slide, it makes contact and causes
a bell to ring, or indicator to shew, substantially as described.
6. In nailing and other machines of that class, the use of a telescopic cover of a
suitable form, for wiping nails or other fasteners from off an electro or permanent
magnet, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1895.
KUBERT JOHN JUNES.