IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS, TACKS, AND BRADS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ashford, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS, TACKS, AND BRADS."
Sealed the 10th March 1874, and dated the 10th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ashford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th December 1873.
I, THOMAS ASHFORD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE. MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS, TACKS,
AND BRADS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My Invention refers to improved mechanism for feeding and turning
over the strips or rods from which the nails or tacks are to be cut, the
object of the improvements being to provide a self-acting feed and turn-
over motion for nail cutting machines, and thus dispense with hand
turning.

page_text: Upon the ordinary main shaft is mounted a small toothed pinion
engaging with a larger cog wheel supported from the framework of the
machine. To the larger cog wheel is attached a crank and horizontal
slide rod which is connected to a slide upon the feeding frame. In the
slide is a standard carrying a pin or centre to receive a cam roller for
working in an inclined slot or cam groove cut in the face of a barrel
which is secured upon a horizontal feed and turn-over tube placed
parallel to the horizontal slide rod before mentioned. In the end of
the feed and turn-over tube near the cutters of the machine are fitted
two adjustable guides having each a slit which meeting together form
a nose piece through which the strip or rod passes to the cutters.
To hold the feed or turn-over tube down to its work during the cutting
process I form upon the main shaft a cam operating a lever suitably
supported and extending from the top of the cam down to a second
lever attached to the feeding frame, crossing over the feed and turn-
over tube and being capable of adjustment by means of a set screw,
the cam operating on the levers during the action of the cutters, and to
slightly lift the feed or turn-over tube after each blank is cut I employ
a suitable spring attached to the under side of the feed and turn-over
tube and to the feeding frame. At the top end of the feeding frame is
a guard secured to a slide bar of suitable length, and I form a feed slide
working on the slide bar and divided into two chambers, one carrying a
single pulley and the other two pullies. This slide is for passing the
strip or rod down the feed and turn-over tube, for which purpose one
end of the strip or rod is placed in a pair of clamps having two jaws to
each clamp, with slits cut therein. The clamps are attached by a loose
joint to a rod or shaft, causing the clamps to move with an universal action;
at the other end of the rod are two collars attached to the feed slide, and
underneath one of the chambers in the slide I attach a weighted chain
or rope passing over a pulley underneath the feeding frame.
In working the improved parts of the nail cutting machine a strip
or rod is first fixed into the clamps, which with the strip or rod are then
inserted into the feed and turn-over tube, the free end of the clamp rod
or feed shaft being held in a chamber in the feed slide between the two.
collars; the weighted chain or rope will cause the strip or rod to pass
down the feed and turn-over tube, the end of the strip or rod appearing
through the nose piece and resting on the bottom cutter ready for the
descent of the top cutter, the nose piece end of the feed and turn-over

page_text: tube being held down upon and released from the bottom cutțer as
already described. The main shaft being set in motion and the larger
cog wheel revolving will actuate the crank and slide rod to and fro and
with it the slide and cam roller, which working in the cam groove or slot.
of the barrel of the feed and turnover tube will cause it to perform a
half revolution upon its axis, and then back again with each to-and-fro
movement of the slide and rod; a blank is thus cut from the strip or
rod at each turn-over, and the reverse side of the strip or rod is presented
to the cutters for every cut. By the continuous pressure of the weighted
chain and rope the feed slide feeds forward the strip or rod up to the
cutting line and when the whole of the strip or rod is consumed the feed
slide and feed shaft is slid back by hand on the slide bar, and a fresh strip
or rod inserted in the clamps. In connection with the ordinary guage I
arrange on the other side of the strip or rod being cut a spring lever for
bearing against and to keep the strip or rod up to the guage.
The remaining
onovations of shanking
heading
and finishing tha
filed by the said Thomas Ashford in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 10th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ASHFORD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Ashford, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Ashford, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Ashford, my 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

page_text: expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS, TACKS, AND BRADS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Ashford, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Thomas Ashford, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 :—
My Invention refers to improved mechanism for feeding and turning
over the strips or rods from which the nails or tacks are to be cut, the
object of the improvements being to provide a self-acting feed and turn-
over motion for nail cutting machines, and thus dispense with hand
turning.
The object and nature of my improvements will be more readily
understood by referring to the Drawings hereunto annexed, reference
being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan as seen from above,
of the improved machinery for making cut nails, tacks, or brads.
Upon an ordinary main shaft (a) is mounted a small toothed pinion
(b) engaging with a larger cog wheel (c) supported from the framework
(d) of the machine; to the larger cog wheel (c) is attached an ordinary
crank and slide rod (e) which I connect to a slide (f) upon the feeding
frame (9); attached to the slide (f) is a horizontal cross arm (h) carrying.
a pin or centre (h¹) which has upon it a cam roller working in an incline
slot (2) or cam groove cut in the face of a barrel (/) which is secured
upon and works with an ordinary horizontal feed and turn-over tube (7)
placed parallel to the horizontal slide rod (e) before mentioned.
The incline slot or cam groove (i) of the barrel (k) I prefer to form
with a rest as at (¹) Figure 1, at each end of the slot, that is to say, a
portion of the slot is cut parallel with the barrel (%) in the direction

page_text: of its length so as keep the barrel (%) stationary, momentarily for the
action of the cutters of the machine in cutting a blank.
Instead of the incline slot (i) I sometimes employ a raised worm or
thread upon the barrel (k), as seen at (m), Figure 3, and to work the
raised thread (m) I form a forked lever, Figure 4, attached to the slide
(ƒ), Figure 2, in place of the horizontal cross arm (h), or as shewn in
detached plan and elevation, Figures 5 and 6; instead of the forked lever
Figure 4, I may use a lever (n) working on a pin or centre (o), the
end of the lever (n) being attached to the crank and slide rod (e) with
an universal joint, the raised worm or thread (m) being actuated by
adjustable forks (p).
In the end of the feed and turn-over tube (7) near to the cutters (")
of the machine are fitted adjustable guides, shewn detached from the
machine in Figures 7 and 8; the arrangement shewn in Figure 7 consists
of a pair of guides (s) and (s¹) attached to the sides of the feed and turn-
over tube (7) and adjustable to varying widths of the rods or strips by
the screw pins (s²), (s³). The guides (s) and (8¹) have each a slit (t)
which meeting together as in the closed view form a nose piece through
which the strip or rod passes to the cutters. In Figure 8 the guides
(v, v¹,) are represented fitted in the end of the feed and turn-over tube (7)
and capable of expanding as required on either side to suit the strip or
rod, the end of the feed or turn-over tube (7) being slit on each side.
To hold the feed and turn-over tube (7) down to its work during the
cutting process, I form upon the main shaft (a) a cam (w) operating
a lever (a) suitably supported and extending from the top of the cam
(w) to a second lever (¹), attached to the feeding frame (9), crossing
over the feed and turn-over tube (1) and capable of adjustment by means
of a set screw; the cam (w) operating on the levers (x) and (x¹) during
the action of the cutters (7), and to slightly lift the feed and turn-over
tube (1) after each blank is cut. I employ a suitable spring (y) attached
to a hinged lever and arm (y¹) connected to a bracket from the feeding
frame (9), the arm (y¹) bearing upon and pressing upwards the under
side of the feed and turn-over tube (7), the end of the spring (y) being
attached to the floor or bed of the machine. As shewn in Fig. 9, instead
of forming the lever (x) in two parts with a slot and pins for adjustment
I sometimes employ an adjustable screw (A) and screw nuts (B).
At the top end of the feeding frame (g) is a guard (C) secured to a
slide bar (D) of suitable length upon which is mounted a feed slide (E)

page_text: working on the slide bar (D), the feed slide (E) having a suitable hole
for one end of the slide bar (D) to enter. (F) is a feed rod for passing
the strip or rod down the feed and turn-over tube (7) for which purpose
one end of the strip or rod is placed in a pair of clamps (G), Fig. 10,
forming two jaws with slits cut therein, and which are connected by a
loose or universal joint to the feed rod (F); upon the other end of the
feed rod (F) is fitted a collar (H) bearing against a lug (I) on the feed
slide (E), the end of the feed rod (F) passing through the lug (I).
working on the slide bar (D), the feed slide (E) having a suitable hole
for one end of the slide bar (D) to enter. (F) is a feed rod for passing
the strip or rod down the feed and turn-over tube (7) for which purpose
one end of the strip or rod is placed in a pair of clamps (G), Fig. 10,
forming two jaws with slits cut therein, and which are connected by a
loose or universal joint to the feed rod (F); upon the other end of the
feed rod (F) is fitted a collar (H) bearing against a lug (I) on the feed
slide (E), the end of the feed rod (F) passing through the lug (I).
Upon the under side of the feed slide (E) I attach an ordinary
weighted chain or rope passing over a pulley (L) under the feeding frame 1
(9), the object of the weighted chain or rope being to keep the feed rod
(F) up to its work.
In connection with the ordinary guage I arrange on the other side of
the strip or rod being cut a spring lever (M), Figure 2, with an adjust-.
able pin (N) for bearing against and to keep the strip or rod up to the 1
guage.
In working the improved parts of the machine a strip or rod is first
put into the clamps (G), which with the strip or rod are then inserted
into the feed and turn-over tube (1), the free end of the feed rod (F) to
which the clamps (G) are connected being held in the lug (I) of the 2
feed slide (E); the weighted chain or rope causing the feed rod (F) and
the strip or rod to pass down the feed and turn-over tube (1), the end of
the strip or rod appearing through the nose piece, Fig. 7 or 8, and resting
on the bottom cutter ready for the descent of the top cutter, the nose
piece end of the feed and turn-over tube (7) being held down upon and 2
released from the bottom cutter as already described. The main shaft
(a) being set in motion and the larger cog wheel (c) revolving will
actuate the crank and slide rod (e) to and fro, and with it the slide (ƒ)
and cam roller, which working in the incline slot (i) or cam groove of
the barrel (%) of the feed and turn-over tube will cause the feed and a
turn-over tube (1) to perform a half revolution upon its axis and then
back again with each to-and-fro movement of the crank and slide rod
(e); a blank is thus cut from the strip or rod at each turn-over, and the
reverse side of the strip or rod is presented to the cutters for every
cut. By the continuous pressure of the weighted chain or rope (K) the a
feed slide (E) feeds forward the strip or rod up to the cutting line, and
when the whole of the strip or rod is consumed the feed slide (E) and

page_text: feed rod F is slid back by hand on the slide bar (D), and a fresh strip
or rod inserted in the clamps (G).
The remaining operations of shanking, heading, and finishing the
nails, tacks, or brads, are performed by other parts of the machine in the
ordinary way.
Having thus described the object and nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I claim the
following parts of the within described machinery and arranged for the
several purposes specified, namely,-
The slide (f), the cross arm (h), the pin or centre (h¹), the cam roller
in the incline slot (i) and barrel (k) forming the improvements in the
turn-over arrangement of the machine.
I also claim the modifications consisting of the worm or thread (m)
on the barrel (k), Figure 3, the forked lever, Figure 4, and the lever (n)
with adjustable forks (p), Figures 5 and 6.
I also claim the guides or nose pieces for the passage of the strip or
rod to the cutters shewn in Figures 7 and 8.
I also claim the cam (W), Fig. 1, the levers (x, x¹), the spring (y), the
arm (y), and the adjustable screw (A), and nuts (B), Fig. 9, for keeping
the turn-over tube down upon the bottom cutter.
I also claim the guard (C), feed slide (E), feed rod (F) with the clamps
(G), Fig. 10, to regulate the feeding operation of the machine.
I also claim the spring lever (M), Figure 2, with the regulating pin
(N) for facilitating the guage.
And generally, I claim the several improvements in machinery for the
manufacture of cut nails, tacks, and brads, substantially in manner as
herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ashford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.