MR. J. C. DYER ON SEVERAL MECHANICAL INVENTIONS. 253 



XVII. Notes on the Origin of several Mechanical Inventions, 

 and their subsequent application to different purposes. — 

 Part III. By J. C. Dyer, Esq., V.P. 



Bead February 6th, 1866. 



On Nail-making by Machinery. 



Until the early part of the present century, the use of 

 wood in the construction of dwelling-houses and other 

 buildings was very general in America. This caused a 

 great consumption of nails, which were mostly imported 

 from England, for the high price of labour among iron- 

 workers prevented domestic nail-making, unless a more 

 summary method could be devised for making them than 

 by the hammer and anvil, which was then the general 

 practice. In this state of the trade many attempts had 

 been made to substitute machinery for the hand- working, 

 to supply the home market for nails. 



The kind of nails without heads, called " brads," had 

 long been made by cutting angular slips from the ends of 

 hoop-iron plates, so that the new process to be discovered 

 was that of forming the nail-heads by uniting the process 

 of cutting the slips with one for pressing, in forming the 

 heads of nails, and to effect these two operations by con- 

 tinuous movements from a driving-shaft. A machine was 

 constructed for this purpose and patented in America by 

 Mr. J. Odiorne about the year 1806. Shortly after, a patent 

 was also obtained by Mr. Jacob Perkins for his nail-making 

 machine, which differed widely in its construction from 

 the former, and effected the like purpose by completing 

 the nails in one course of rotative action. At the time of 

 obtaining those two patents, it was held doubtful as to 

 which of the parties had first succeeded in putting his 

 machine into practical operation ; and since the forms and. 



