Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails and in Cut Nail Machines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails and in Cut Nail
Machines.
We JOHN WOODFALL HEWARD Chronometer Maker and JAMES LOCKWOOD
HEWARD Engineer both of 46 Spencer Street Clerkenwell in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS AND IN CUT NAIL MACHINES to be as follows:-
"
In the ordinary cut nail machine either called "American" or " turnover" or by
various names the shank or nail blank is cut off by a pair of blades (called top and
botttom cutter) and afterwards turned over in such a way as to head it by holding
the shank between two dies on the opposite sides to the sides formed by the
direction of the cut which is an ordinary method of heading cut nails in cut nail
machines.
Now as this has the effect of producing a head to the nail with a shoulder or
projection on two sides only it is not applicable to the manufacture of many sorts
of nails where the head is absolutely required to be shouldered (or countersunk
underneath) all round underneath or on all four sides of the nail. Such nails as
Deck head nails" Best Coopers Boat nails, Tram nails and many others require
this formation imperatively.
"
In order to attain this object we will now describe our improved method of
heading cut nails in American turnover and other machines so as to form a nail
square shaped in the shank under the head and with a shoulder on all four sides
under the head instead of half round and shoulder on two sides only.
Instead of a rabbet formed at right angles in the face of the lower die below,
bottom cutter we form an angular groove which coincides in its length with similar
grooves in the heading dies. As the nail is carried down in the ordinary manner.
to the edge of this groove a "nipper gauge" with an angular grooved jaw (instead
of a square or flat one as in the ordinary way) advances and by acting on the top
edge of the shank (instead of on the bottom edge as is usual). turns it over only
a quarter of the way (instead of at right angles) and causes it to lie in the angular
groove and be held there by the pressure of the angular shaped jaw of the nipper
gauge.
+T
The angular grooved heading dies which coincide with this groove now close on
the upper portion of the shank and the effect is that the nail shank is held as it

page_text: were in a square hole (placed diagonally) in such a way that the header exercises
a pressure upon the end of it so as to spread out the metal equally all round and
form a head to the nail having a shoulder equal in projection all round and
corresponding to the original shape of that part of the shank immediately under
the head.
In this last particular the head made in the ordinary way is deficient from the
fact that the heading dies only grasp the shank on two sides and in half round
grooves which compress the shank below the head into an oval section instead of
leaving it square as it was originally made or cut.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails and in Cut Nail
Machines.
We JOHN WOODFALL HEWARD Chronometer Maker and JAMES LOCKWOOD
HEWARD Engineer both of 46 Spencer Street Clerkenwell in the County of
Middlesex 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:-
"
In the ordinary cut nail machine either called "American or "turnover" or by
various names the shank or nail blank is cut off by a pair of blades (called top and
bottom cutter) and afterwards turned over in such a way as to head it by holding
the shank between two dies on the opposite sides to the sides formed by the
direction of the cut which is an ordinary method of heading cut nails in cut nail
machines.
Now as this has the effect of producing a head to the nail with a shoulder or
projection on two sides only it is not applicable to the manufacture of many sorts
of nails where the head is absolutely required to be shouldered (or countersunk
underneath) all round underneath or on all four sides of the nail. Such nails as
"Deck head nails" Best Coopers Boat nails, Tram nails and many others require
this formation imperatively.
In order to attain this object we will now describe our improved method of
heading cut nails in American turnover and other machines so as to form a nail
square shaped in the shank under the head and with a shoulder on all four sides
under the head instead of half round and-shoulder on two sides only.
Instead of a rabbet formed at right angles in the face of the lower die below
bottom cutter we form an angular groove which coincides in its length with
similar grooves in the heading dies. As the nail is carried down in the ordinary

page_text: Figure 10 improved heading dies J J holding shank without altering its square
shape and forming under pressure of header a shoulder all round instead of on two
sides only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The improved manufacture of cut nails by forming them with a shoulder on
all four sides substantially as described with reference to Figure 11 of the drawings
hereto annexed.
2. The improved arrangement and combined operations of the dies and tools
employed in the manufacture of cut nails formed with a shoulder on all four sides
substantially as described with reference to the drawings hereto annexed.