IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS, RIVETS, SPIKES, STAPLES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Taylor, of the City and County of Worcester, and
Henri Bianchi, of No. 8, Bushey Hill Road, in the County of Surrey,
Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF NAILS, RIVETS, SPIKES, STAPLES, AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES."
Sealed the 2nd March 1880, and dated the 6th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Taylor and Henri
Bianchi at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September
1879.
WILLIAM TAYLOR, of the City and County of Worcester, and HENRI BIANCHI, of
No. 8, Bushey Hill Road, in the County of Surrey, Machinists. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS, RIVETS, SPIKES, STAPLES, AND
OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
In constructing a machine according to our Invention for the manufacture of
nails, spikes, rivets, and other like articles, we mount a shaft horizontally in
bearings carried by a suitable frame, which shaft constitutes the driving shaft, and
carries a fly wheel, cams, and a pulley and crank by which the operating parts of
the machine are actuated, as hereinafter described. The wire, or rod, or bar from
which the nails or spikes are to be made passes between dies carried by the frame
of the machine, and is fed forward through the said dies by an arrangement similar
to that ordinarily used in nail making machines, the necessary reciprocatory motion
being taken from the crank on the driving shaft. The said dies are caused to
approach each other so as to grip the wire, rod, or bar when required by a lever
jointed to the frame of the machine, on which lever the lower die of the pair of
gripping dies rests, and is caused to approach the upper dies and grip the wire by
one of the cams aforesaid acting on its free end. The head is formed on the end of
the wire, rod, or bar projecting from the faces of the gripping dies by a bolt
(termed the heading bolt) which is capable of sliding towards or from the said dies
in guides in the frame of the machine, and is urged forward towards the said dies
by a spring, the tension of which may be readily increased or decreased by a screw,
and is withdrawn from the said dies by one of the cams on the driving shaft. The
length of wire on which the head has been formed is cut off, and the point of the
nail or spike is formed by tools sliding in guides affixed to the frame of the machine,
Don Q27

page_text: the tools being actuated by rods or slides worked by cams on the driving shaft, and
having inclines formed on them, by the action of which inclines the said tools are
caused to advance when required to point and cut off the nail or spike. Where
necessary springs are used to bring the different parts of the machine to their
normal position.
To provide for the ready adjustment of the gripping dies and other parts of the
machine requiring adjustment we use screws furnished with lock nuts.
The action of this machine is as follows:-The driving shaft being set in motion
the wire, rod, or bar from which the nails, rivets, or spikes are to be made is fed
between the gripping dies, the lower one of which is then caused to approach the
upper one, and hold the said wire, rod, or bar firmly by the action of the cam on
which the lever supporting the said lower die rests. The continued rotation of the
driving shaft then withdraws the cam from its engagement with the heading 'bolt,
which by the action of its spring is forcibly projected against the protruding end of
the wire, rod, or bar, thereby forming the head of the nail, spike, or rivet. The
heading bolt is then withdrawn by its cam, the dies are opened and the headed
wire, rod, or bar is fed forward the required distance, and by the advance of the
cutting tools the point of the nail or spike is formed, and the length of headed and
pointed wire, rod, or bar (which is now a completely formed nail, spike, or rivet) is
cut off.
These operations are repeated at each, revolution of the driving shaft, each
revolution completing the formation of one nail, spike, or rivet.
In order to adapt the machine herein before described to the manufacture of
staples, we remove the heading bolt or throw it out of gear with its cam, and we
secure to the frame of the machine standards which carry rotatory shafts which are
geared together, and to which motion is communicated from the driving shaft by a
band passing over the pulley thereon. One of the said shafts carries a crank plate
in which is an adjustable crank pin to which is jointed one end of a rod, the other
end of which is jointed to a sliding block working vertically in guides, the lower
end of which blocks is provided with a removeable nose piece, which when the
machine is in action passes down between two grooved rollers mounted horizontally
in bearings affixed to the frame of the machine in such a position relatively to the
gripping dies, that the wire feḍ through the said dies may pass over the said
rollers and rest in the grooves formed in them. These rollers or their bearings
are capable of adjustment for the purpose hereinafter described. This apparatus
acts as follows:-On the driving shaft being set in motion the wire is fed
forward between the dies, its projecting end lying in the grooves in the rollers;
the cutting off tools then advance and cut off the required length of wire, which
is then by the action of the nose piece carried by the sliding block pressed down
between the rollers, the said length of wire being thus formed into a staple and
ejected from the machine. In making staples we prefer to use cutting tools so
formed that the ends of the wire cut by them shall be of a chisel form, the points
being in a line with the axis of the wire.
Staples of different sizes may be manufactured in the same machine by setting
the adjustable grooved rollers the required distance apart, and securing in the
vertical sliding block a nose piece of corresponding size.
Our nail making machines may thus readily and at a slight expense be rendered
capable of doing work which hitherto has required two separate machines.
Our Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of triangular wire nails
made according to the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Francis Bianchi
and Robert Maxwell Fabris, bearing date the 25th of July, A.D. 1877, No. 2831,
and to the manufacture of spikes, as the points of the said nails can be more
perfectly formed in machines constructed according to our Invention than in any
other machines, and perfectly formed chisel pointed spikes can be manufactured in
our said machines at one operation, whereas two operations and two separate
machines bave heretofore been required in manufacturing such spikes.

page_text: -
The use of our Invention is also attended by the following advantages:-
Our machines are cheaper in construction and more efficient in action than
ordinary machines.
Nails may be made in machines constructed according to our Invention of larger
sizes than can be made in ordinary machines of corresponding size.
Owing to the simplicity of construction of our machines and the comparatively
slight amount of friction between the parts they are considerably less liable to
get out of order, and are subject to less wear and tear in working than ordinary
machines.
In our machines nails, spikes, and rivets are formed without waste, and a greater
number may be produced in a given time and with a given amount of power
than can be produced by ordinary machines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Taylor and Henri Bianchi in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th March 1880.
"
WILLIAM TAYLOR, of the City and County of Worcester, and HENRI BIANCHI, of
No. 8, Bushey Hill Road, in the County of Surrey, Machinists. IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS, RIVETS, SPIKES, STAPLES, AND
OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
In constructing a machine according to our Invention for the manufacture of
nails, spikes, rivets, and other like articles we mount a shaft horizontally in
bearings carried by a suitable frame, which shaft constitutes the driving shaft, and
carries a fly wheel, cams, and pulleys, by which the operating parts of the machine
are actuated, as hereinafter described. The wire, or rod, or bar from which the
nails, spikes, or rivets are to be made passes between dies carried by the frame of
the machine, and is fed forward through the said dies by rolls which are geared
together, and to which an intermittent rotatory motion is imparted by means of a
pawl and ratchet wheel mounted on the shaft carrying one of the said rolls, the
pawl being worked by a connecting rod jointed thereto and to an adjustable pin
carried by the crank plate on the driving shaft. When it is wished to form teeth
or serrations on the nail (in accordance with the Invention described in the Specifica-
tion of Letters Patent granted to Francis Bianchi and Robert Maxwell Fabris, and
bearing date the 25 July, A.D. 1877, No. 2831), we form grooves or teeth on
those parts of the rolls which grip the wire, so that while the wire is being fed
forward the said teeth or serrations are formed thereon. The lower die is caused
to approach the upper die so as to grip the wire, rod, or bar when required by a
lever jointed to the frame of the machine, to which lever the lower die of the pair
of gripping dies is jointed, the said lever being actuated by one of the cams afore-
said acting on the free end of the said lever. The head is formed on the end of the
wire, rod, or bar projecting from the faces of the gripping dies by a bolt (termed
the heading bolt), which is capable of sliding towards or from the said dies in
guides in the frame of the machine, and is urged forward towards the said dies by
a spring, the tension of which may be readily increased or decreased by a screw,
and is withdrawn from the said dies by one of the cams on the driving shaft. The
length of wire on which the head has been formed is cut off, and the point (in the
case of a nail or spike) is formed by tools sliding in guides affixed to the frame of
the machine, the tools being actuated by rods or slides worked by cams on the
driving shaft, and having inclines formed on them, by the action of which inclines
the said tools are caused to advance when required to point and cut off the nail or
spike. Where necessary springs are used to bring the different parts of the
machine to their normal positions. To provide for the ready adjustment of the
gripping dies and other parts of the machine requiring adjustment we use screws
furnished with lock nuts.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan, Figure 2 is an end elevation,
and Figure 3 is a vertical section (taken on the line 1, Figure 2) of a machine con-
structed according to our Invention; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 are details
hereinafter referred to. The same letters and figures of reference indicate the
same parts in each of the said Figures.
A is the bed plate of the machine, and a¹, a¹, are legs or standards formed on or
affixed thereto; B is the driving shaft mounted in bearings b', b', secured to the
bed plate A; 62, 63, are fast and loose pulleys; and b is the fly wheel carried by
the said shaft. The dies which hold the wire, rod, or bar, from which the nails,
spikes, or rivets are to be made, and the tools by which the points of the said nails,
spikes, or rivets are formed are mounted in recesses in a metal block (hereinafter
termed the tool holder), which is screwed to a standard a formed on the bed

page_text: plate A.
The said standard and tool holder, and dies, and tools are shown
separately (drawn to a larger scale) in elevation in Figure 5 and in vertical section
in Figure 6, the said section being taken on the tine 2, Figure 5; C. is the tool
holder affixed by screws c¹, c', to the standard a; D, D¹, are the upper and lower
dies which work in a vertical recess in the back of the tool holder C, and between
which the wire, rod, or bar passes as it is fed into the machine, and by which it is
gripped, as hereinafter described;. E, E, are the pointing tools which work in
horizontal recesses in the front of the tool holder, the said pointing tools being
withdrawn after action and held in the position shown in Figure 5 by the
springs e, e, which surround the said tools, and each of which bears at one end
against the one of the chamber in which it is placed; and at the other end
against a pines carried by the pointing tool which it surrounds. By this
arrangement the certain withdrawal of the tools is secured, and the damage
to the machine which frequently happens with the arrangement ordinarily
used is avoided; c³, c³, are plates screwed to the face of the tool holder
in order to keep the pointing tools in their places; d is a screw which
passes through the upper part. of the standard a³ and bears on the die D, by
which means the said die may be accurately adjusted in the required position.
F, F, are the rolls, by means of which the wire, rod, or.bar from which the nails,
spikes, or rivets are to be made is fed forward between the said dies, the said. rolls
being mounted on shafts f¹; 2, which work in bearings f³, f³, and are geared
together by toothed wheels f, ft. The roll F is formed in halves; and the opposed
faces of the said half rolls are chamfered or bevilled so as to form when brought
together a grooved roll, and teeth are formed on the chamfered or bevilled parts, as
shown in Figure 4, which is a full sized view of one of the said half rolls. These
teeth form teeth. or serrations on the wire, rod, or bar while it is being fed into the
machine. In order to accommodate wires, rods, or bars of different thickness, the
said half rolls are removed from their shafts and replaced by others of suitable size:
The rolls are prevented from turning independently. of their shafts by a groove and
feather arrangement. G is the ratchet wheel mounted on the shaft f¹; g' is the
pawl which engages with the said ratchet wheel; 2 is the connecting rod jointed
thereto, and 65 is a pulley on the driving shaft B, the face of which pulley carries
an adjustable pin 66, to which the other end of the connecting rod g² is jointed.
By this arrangement at each rotation of the driving shaft B the wire, rod, or bar is
fed through the dies D, D, the length of wire, rod, or bar so fed being regulated
by the distance at which the crank pin 66 is set from the centre of the shaft B.
H is the lever, to which the die D' is connected, and by which it is caused to
approach the die D; bis the cam on the shaft B, by which the said, lever is actuated,
and h, h², are pins which bear respectively on the underside of the die D! and on
the cam 67, and by which the action of the said parts may be adjusted.
I is the heading bolt mounted in guides i, ; is the spring. by which it. is
urged forward, and 68 is the cam on the shaft B by which it is withdrawn, the said
cam engaging with a lug on the underside of the said heading bolt; is is the
screw by which the tension of the spring is regulated, one limb of the said spring
resting in a fork i on the end of the screw 3.
J, J, J, J, are the slides by which the pointing tools are actuated. Figure 7 is
a plan, and Figure 8 is a section taken on the line 3, Figure 7, showing one of the
slides J and one of the slides J, and the part. of the machine in which they are
mounted; j, j, are the guides in which the slides J, J, are mounted, and 6º, 6º, aro
the cams on the shaft B by which they are actuated. The slides J, J', each of
which bear at one end against the projecting end of the pointing tools E, E, are
mounted in guides j', j'. The slides J, J, are provided with anti-friction rollers j², j,
which bear on the cams 6º, 6º, and with. springs j³, j³, which keep the said rollers
pressed against the cams, and with nose pieces (preferably of hardened steel) having.
inclined faces which bear against correspondingly inclined faces formed on the ends
of the slides J, J. By this arrangement at each rotation of the shaft B the slides
J, J, are caused to advance, and by a wedging action move forward.the slides J', J';.

page_text: which force the pointing tools E, E, towards each other, and sever the nail, spike,
or rivet from the wire, rod, or bar from which it has been formed, and (in the case
of nails and spikes) at the same time form the points thereof. If necessary a
"knocker off" arranged and worked in the ordinary manner may be used.
Figures 10 and 11 are full sized side and end views of the pointing tools E, E,
and Figure 12 is a section taken on the line 4, Figure 10, showing the form we
prefer to give to the acting parts of the said tools in order to form chisel points.
The action of this machine is as follows :-
The end of the wire, rod, or bar from which the nails, spikes, or rivets are to be
made is passed between the rolls F, FL, and the gripping dies D, D'. The shaft B
being then set in motion the cam 67 raises the lever H, and the die D¹ is thus
caused to approach the die D, and hold the wire, rod, or bar. The continued
rotation of the shaft B then withdraws the cam 68 from its engagement with the
heading bolt I, which by the action of the spring is forcibly projected against
the end of the wire, rod, or bar protruding from the faces of the dies D, D¹, thereby
forming the head of the nail, spike, or rivet. The heading bolt I is then withdrawn
by the cam 68, the die D¹ is lowered by the descent of the lever H, and the headed
wire, rod, or bar is fed forward the required distance by the rolls F, F¹, actuated
by the ratchet G and pawl g', connected to the crank pin 66 carried by the pulley 65
on the shaft B. The cams 6º, 6º, then cause the slides J, J, J, J1, to advance and
force the tools E, E, towards each other, thereby cutting off the length of headed
wire, rod, or bar, and (in the case of nails and spikes) at the same time forming the
point thereof. These operations are repeated at each revolution of the driving
shaft B, each revolution completing the formation of one nail, spike, or rivet.
In order to adapt the machine hereinbefore described to the manufacture of staples
we remove the gripping lever H and the heading bolt I and the dies D, D', and we
secure to the frame of the machine standards which carry rotatory shafts which are
geared together, and to which motion is communicated from the driving shaft by a
band passing over the pulley thereon. One of the said shafts carries a crank plate,
in which is an adjustable crank pin, to which is jointed one end of a rod, the other
end of which is jointed to a sliding block working vertically in guides, the lower
end of which block is provided with a removeable punch or nose piece which, when
the machine is in action, passes down between two grooved rolls mounted horizontally
in bearings affixed to the frame of the machine in such a position that the wire or
rod when fed into the machine may pass over the said rolls and rest in the grooves
formed in them. These rolls or their bearings are capable of adjustment for the
purpose herein after described.
Figure 13 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan and Figure 14 is an elevation
of this arrangement. Those parts of the said Figures which represent parts of the
machine herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 are marked
with corresponding letters and figures of reference.
K, K', K¹, are the standards secured to the bed plate A by bolts k¹, k¹; L, L¹, are
the rotatory shafts geared together by the bevil wheels 1, 1, and carried by the
said standards K, K₁; 2 is a pulley keyed on the shaft L', and 13 is the band which
passes over the pulley 65 on the shaft B and over the said pulley 12, by which
means motion is communicated to the shafts L, L', when the machine is in action;
M is the crank plate carried by the shaft L; m¹ is the crank pin thereon; N is the
sliding block which works in guides in the standard K and is connected to the
crank pin m³ by the rod m²; n¹ is the removeable punch or nose piece secured in a
recess in the block N by a screw n²; 0, 0, are the grooved rolls mounted in
bearings or brackets o¹, o', screwed to the bed plate A, the holes in the said
brackets carrying the pins on which the rolls work being slotted to allow of the
said rolls being set at different distances apart, according to the required size of the
staples. The said pins are secured, when adjusted to the required position, by
means of screw nuts o³, o².
The action of this apparatus is as follows:--On the driving shaft B being set in
motion the wire or rod from which the staples are to be made is fed forward into

page_text: the machine by the action of the feeding rolls F, F¹, the wire or rod so fed forward
lying in the grooves in the rolls O, O, the cutting off tools E, E, are then caused to
advance by the action of the cams 6º, 6º, and slides J, J, J1, J1, hereinbefore
described, and cut off the required length of wire or rod, which is then by the
action of the punch or nose piece n¹ pressed down between the rolls O, O, the said
length of wire or rod being thus formed into a staple and ejected from the machine,
the points of the said staples having been formed by the cutting off tools E, E, the
acting faces of which are so fashioned as to form at one action a point on the
length of wire being cut off and a point on the wire from which the said length is
being cut.
Figures 15 and 16 are side and end. views and Figure 17 is a section (taken on
the line 5, Figure 15) of a tool thus fashioned for forming chisel points, the said
tool being represented of the full size. In making staples we prefer to use cutting
tools of this form.
Staples of different sizes may be manufactured in the same machine by adjusting
or setting the grooved rolls O, O, the required distance apart and securing in the
sliding block n' a punch or nose piece of corresponding size.
Our nail making machines may thus readily and at a slight expense be rendered
capable of doing work which has hitherto required two separate machines.
Our Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of triangular wire nails
made according to the Specification of the Letters Patent herein before referred to,
and to the manufacture of spikes, as the points of the said nails and spikes can be
more perfectly formed in machines constructed according to our Invention than in
any other machines, and perfectly formed chisel pointed spikes can be manufactured
in our said machines at one operation, whereas two operations and two separate
machines have heretofore been required in manufacturing such spikes.
The use of our Invention is also attended by the following advantages:
Our machines are cheaper in construction and more efficient in action than
ordinary machines.
Nails may be made in machines constructed according to our Invention of larger
sizes than can be made in ordinary machines of corresponding size.
Owing to the simplicity of construction of our machines and the comparatively
slight amount of friction between the parts they are considerably less liable to get
out of order, and are subject to less wear and tear in working than ordinary
inachines.
In our machines, nails, spikes, and rivets, are formed without waste, and a
greater number may be produced in a given time and with a given amount of
power than can be produced by ordinary machines.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which it
is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to
the precise details herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, as they may be varied without departing from the nature of our said
Invention, but we claim as our said Invention,-
Firstly. The improvement herein before described in machines for the manu-
facture of nails, spikes, and rivets, that is to say, actuating the pointing tools by
means of slides having inclined or wedged shaped faces, the said slides being
worked by cams on the main shaft, essentially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The arrangement herein before described for withdrawing the cutting
and pointing tools of machines for the manufacture of nails, spikes, and rivets, that
is to say, arranging springs in connection with the said tools, essentially as herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Modifying the machine herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings in order to adapt it to the
manufacture of staples, that is to say, mounting above the bed plate a vertically
sliding block carrying a punch, to which block reciprocatory motion is imparted

page_text: from the main shaft of the machine, and arranging rolls below the said punch to
support the wire, rod, or bar while it is being beut into the form of a staple,
essentially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Taylor and Henri Bianchi, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM TAYLOR. (L.S.)
HENRI BIANCHI.
(LS.)