Abstract: An explosively driven nail having a head which carries a solid explosive propellent charge. A Zener diode in the form of a thin film of material functions as a primer and is attached to and overlies at least a portion of the exposed end surface of the explosive propellant charge. The primer is electrically detonated.

Abstract: A nail forming machine having a rotary transport ring for receiving axially elongate cut wire nail blanks and transporting the nail blanks to and through a forming station with the axes of the nail blanks carried by the transport ring disposed in axially parallel alignment with the axis of rotation of the transport ring. A clamping ring is supported for rotation within the transport ring. Radially outwardly open clamping recesses formed in the peripheral surface of the clamping ring cooperate with associated radially inwardly open nail receiving recesses in the inner peripheral surface of the transport ring to clamp a nail blank therebetween as the nail blank is conveyed through a forming station by the transport ring. A circumaxial series of reciprocally moveable forming plungers are supported for rotation with the clamping ring.

Abstract: A nail making machine having a capstan for delivering wire to feed rolls which intermittently advance an end portion of the wire to a first workstation where a pointed nail blank is formed and severed from the wire. An indexing wheel conveys successively formed nail blanks to a diametrically opposed second workstation where each blank is headed. Finished nails are delivered by the indexing wheel to a track in collated side-by-side relation to each other where a cleaning operation is performed.

Abstract: A flying shear for use in a wire cutting-off machine has a cutter head reciprocated along an axis parallel to the path of wire feed. A knife equipped cutoff slide carried by the head moves perpendicular to the path of wire feed and, in cooperation with a cutoff bushing carried by the head, cuts the wire while the head moves in the same direction as the wire to produce a clean cut with little or no marring of the wire surface. The head and the slide are driven by a common drive mechanism, using a single eccentrically driven lever, located entirely above the cutoff bushing to minimize the possibility of its becoming fouled by metal particles and other debris at the cutting zone.

Abstract: A machine for processing a continuous strand of wire includes a wire accumulator tower which has a double capstan for advancing the strand, a festoon assembly for accumulating a supply of wire, and a pay-off/take-up spool mechanism which includes means for positioning a spool relative to an output shaft, and a manually operated dog clutch for drivingly engaging the spool with the output shaft. The capstans, the festoon assembly, and the spool mechanism are arranged in vertical relationship to each other on an upright frame. The accumulator tower may be operated in either a wire pay-off or take-up mode.

Abstract: A frictional coupling adjusting mechanism for a double block accumulator including means for limiting the rate at which the coupling force may be increased after a predetermined force is reached, and also limiting the total coupling force that may be applied.

Abstract: The disclosed wire spooler is adapted for use in winding wire onto a spool and may be used with various kinds of spools, including the type having at least one tapered end flange, so that the traversing guide, which guides the wire onto the spool during the winding, has to move with strokes of increasing length as the spool fills with wire. The necessary increases in the traversing guide strokes are brought about by a means establishing end limits at each of which the direction of movement of the traversing guide is reversed, and by a means for widening such end limits as the total rotation of the spool increases. A pulse generator and a pair of interconnected units, each including a counter, a reference number store and a comparator, operating on a reversing mechanism, are specifically disclosed as the spool rotation measuring means, the end limit establishing means and end limit widening means.