Improvements in Nail Making Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Nail Making Machines.
We, CHARLES MARCH, Manager to the Clyde Nail Company, Limited, of Newton
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and WILLIAM DICK Nail Maker to the said
Company do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows that is
to say:
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
certain parts of nail making machines.
In machines of the kinds to which our improvements are applicable the nails are
cut transversely from strips or long narrow plates of steel or wrought iron and the
necessary taper is obtained by presenting the strips at a slight angle to the cutters,
the strips being turned over or half round between each cut. Various arrangements
of automatic mechanism are used for turning over the strip and feeding it gradually
forward to the cutter. The strip which should be parallel to the lower fixed cutter,
has to be raised a little between each cut to allow of its being turned over, and with
existing apparatus, there is uncertainty in its taking its proper position after each
turn over so as to be quite parallel to the fixed cutter, whilst if it is not accurately
placed imperfect work is made. One of the present improvements consists in applying
an improved cam together with a fixed surface on which the cam bears, and a spring.
The cam is fixed on and encircles the tube or holder through which the strip is fed
and by means of which it is turned over; and this cam is made with flat surfaces on
opposite sides of it, each flat surface extending equally and to a sufficient extent on
both sides of the point directly under the middle of the strip when horizontal. The
fixed bearing surface is made of at least equal extent with the flat surface of the cam
so that there is no tendency to rock and the holder or feeder is made to bring the cam
quickly to its bearing after each turn-over by a spring acting on it through an arm or
lever. The improvement is applicable with various kinds of feeding mechanism.
Another improvement is applicable in connection with the dies which (in some
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page_text: machines) operate to form the head on each blank immediately on its being cut from
the strip. When the cutter severs the blank, the blank descending slightly is held by.
a gripper which by the present Invention bears upwards on the under side of the nail
and holds it against a slight lip or projection on the inner face of a stationary piece.
When the heading operation has been effected the gripper moves not downwards but
backwards and, exerting a rubbing action on the underside of the nail, insures the
With this
withdrawl of the nail from the dies which shape the head and neck.
arrangement the dies may be shaped to produce a well formed neck. The movements
of the gripper are obtained by means of cams on the main shaft and by springs acting
through suitable levers or connections. Instead of the gripper both holding and
moving out the nail, a separate finger or detail may be used for the latter purpose, or
a spur on the gripper may be arranged to do it.
Dated this Twenty third day of May 1887.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Nail Making Machines.
We, CHARLES MARCH, Manager to the Clyde Nail Company, Limited of Newton,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and WILLIAM DICK, Nail Maker to the said
Company, 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, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
certain parts of nail making machines.
In machines of the kinds to which our improvements are applicable the nails are
cut transversely from strips or long narrow plates of steel or wrought iron; and the
necessary taper is obtained by presenting the strips at a slight angle to the cutters,
Various arrangements
the strips being turned over or half round between each cut.
of automatic mechanism are used for turning over the strip, and feeding it gradually
forward to the cutter. The strip which should be parallel to the lower fixed cutter,
has to be raised a little between each cut to allow of its being turned over, and with
existing apparatus there is uncertainty in its taking its proper position after each turn
over so as to be quite parallel to the fixed cutter, whilst if it is not accurately placed,
imperfect work is made. One of the present improvements consists in applying an
improved cam together with a fixed surface on which the cam bears, and a spring.
Another improvement is applicable in connection with the dies which (in some
machines) operate to form the head on each blank immediately on its being cut from
the strip; and the object is to insure the proper withdrawal of the nail from the dies.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of perforining the same may
be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to bo
hereinafter referred to and representing our improved devices.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a plan and figure, 2, is a side elevation, whilst figure, 3,
is a transverse section showing our improved device for feeding and turning over the
strip of metal from which the nail blanks are to be cut. Figures, 4, and 5, are a plan
and a sectional side elevation of a nail making machine as provided with our other
improved device, figure, 6, being a vertical section of the machine, and figures, 7, to 10,
enlarged views of details. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The mechanism shown in figures, 1, 2, and 3, comprises a feed tube, 11, through
which the metal strip, 12, is fed, and by which it is presented to the cutters of the nail
making machine, the tube turning the strip over or half round between each cut. The
feed tube, 11, is near its upper and outer end held in a rocking bearing, 13, and it is
turned by means of a ring of bevil teeth, 14, fixed or formed on it, and acted on by a
toothed arc, 15, carried by a bellcrank, 16, which is moved by a cam or other suitable
part on the machine. On the feed tube, 11, there is fixed a cam, 17, which is of the
improved form best seen in figure, 3, being made with flat surfaces on opposite sides
of it, each flat surface extending equally and to a sufficient extent on both sides of the

page_text: point directly under the middle of the strip, 12, when horizontal.. The fixed bearing
surface which is formed on an arm, 18, carrying the outer bearing, 13, is made of at
least equal extent or width with the flat surface of the cam, 17, so that there is no
tendency to rock, and the feed tube, 11, is made to bring the cam, 17, quickly to its
bearing after each turn-over by a spring, 19, acting on it through an arm or lever, 20.
This lever, 20, which has the spring, 19, attached to one end of it has its other end
centered on a fixed stud, 21, whilst its middle part is made with a semicircular cavity
to bear down on the feed tube, 11. The improvement is applicable with various kinds
of nail-strip feeding mechanism.
In the mechanism shown in figures, 4, to 10, the main operating parts are the same
as in a well known variety of nail making machine. In figure, 7, a nail blank, 22, is
shown in section as having been just severed from the strip, 12, by the descent of the
moving cutter, 23, down past the stationary cutter consisting of three pieces, 24, 25, 26,
shown separately in side elevation in figures, 8, 9, 10, and of which the middle one, 25,
is shown in figure, 7. When the cutter, 23, severs the blank, 22, the blank descending
slightly is held by a gripper, 27, which according to our Invention is made to bear
upwards on the underside of the blank, and holds it up against a slight lip or
projection, 28, on the inner face of the stationary cutter piece, 25. When the heading
operation has been effected (by the massive laterally-acting lever, 29) the gripper, 27,
moves, not downwards but backwards, the cutter, 23, and back holder or gauge, 30,
being by that time raised out of the way, and the gripper exerting a rubbing action
on the underside of the nail, 22, insures its withdrawal from the dies which shape the
head and neck. With this arrangement the dies may be shaped to produce a well
formed neck. The gripper, 27, is a nearly horizontal lever, carried on a centre, 31,
on the bedframe of the machine at the left-hand side; and the lever projects over the
side and has a spring, 32, attached to its outer end tending to lower that end and raise
the inner acting end. The acting end of the gripper lever, 27, is lowered at the proper
time to allow the nail blank, 22, to get under the projection, 28, its outer end being
raised for this purpose by a lever, 33, which is acted on by a cam, 34, on the main
shaft, 35 and the gripper lever, 27, is moved backwards at the proper time by a blade
spring, 36, connected to it by a rod, 37, another rod, 38, moved by a cam, 39, on the
shaft, 35, moving it forwards when required.
Instead of the gripper lever, 27, both holding and moving out the nail, a separate
finger or detail may be used for the latter operation; or a spur on the gripper lever
may be arranged to do it.
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-In the feed apparatus of nail making machines, combining with the turn-over
mechanism a spring holding arm or lever together with an improved cam and 4
bearing surface for the cam substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
figures, 1, 2, and 3, of the drawings.
2-In nail making machines in which dies operate on the head and neck of the
nail blank immediately after it has been severed from the strip of metal, arranging
the gripper or an additional finger to move back in contact with the nail in order to 1
free it from the dies substantially as herein before described.
Dated this Twenty-second day of February 1888.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.