Disclosed is a toenail having a generally triangular shaped head and one or more shanks. The head has two wood bearing surfaces which are typically formed at right angles to each other and a third head surface adapted to be driven, typically by a hammer. The shanks extend from the wood bearing surfaces preferably in a direction perpendicular to and away from the head surface. The shanks are preferably formed as an integral extension of the head thus providing a very rigid fastener for joining the intersecting faces of two boards such as a vertical stud and a horizontal plate. The shanks are positioned and sized so that when the tips of the shanks are registered to the intersecting faces of the intersecting boards, the wood bearing surfaces are parallel to their opposed intersecting board surfaces. Thus, when the shanks of the toenail are driven into the intersecting boards, the bearing surfaces driven into flush engagement with the surfaces of the intersecting boards, thereby providing a superior, very rigid attachment between said boards.

This invention is related to nails, particularly the type for joining 
intersecting boards along their intersecting surfaces. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Nails are widely used to join two pieces of material and are available in 
various forms. Nails essentially comprise two portions, a head and a 
shank. Heretofore the head of a nail, as well as the head portion of 
similar fasteners such as staples, has been intended merely to provide a 
surface by which the shank is driven into the typically wooden surface. 
One fastening task which has been particularly vexatious is the nailing of 
a vertical stud to a horizontal plate, called toenailing. In the usual 
manner the carpenter drives a standard nail into the face of the stud at 
an angle so that it passes through a portion of the stud and into the 
plate. This has several drawbacks, including a tendency of the stud to 
kick out at its plate abutting end. This occurs because the entire driving 
force is against the stud until the nail has passed through the stud and 
has begun entering the plate. To counteract the tendency to kick out, the 
carpenter often must brace the other side of the stud with his foot. Such 
a procedure is quite cumbersome. Further, especially among the less adept, 
toenailing in the usual fashion often causes the stud to split, thus 
drastically reducing the strength of the joint. The common toenailed 
joint, even if properly done, is quite weak especially with regard to 
bending stresses. 
The prior art discloses several multi-shanked fasteners. The fastener shown 
in U.S. Pat No. 1,774,867, has a plurality of shanks extending from a 
common head. Another fastening device shown in U.S. Pat No. 3,011,226, has 
a plurality of upwardly extending shanks for securing the coplanar sides 
of intersecting boards. However, neither of the above two patents disclose 
a device which is at all suitable for toenailing intersecting boards. The 
first mentioned patent discloses a wallboard tack or staple, the head of 
which lacks the strength or rigidity for toenailing a stud to a plate. The 
second mentioned patent discloses a gusset plate and therefore is suitable 
only for joining coplanar surfaces of two intersecting members, not 
intersecting boards along their intersecting surfaces. 
Other U.S. Patents which may be of interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,520,231 
and 2,569,532. 
Although problems resulting from toenailing boards using standard nails 
have been well recognized, a superior means for toenailing intersecting 
boards has not heretofore been available. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention solves the problems of the prior art by providing a 
toenail which is easy to use, cheap to produce, and provides an 
extraordinarily rigid joint. 
The toenail of the invention has a generally triangularly shaped head and 
preferably two or more shanks. The head has two wood bearing surfaces 
which are typically formed at right angles to each other and a third head 
surface adapted to be driven, typically by a hammer. The shanks extend 
from the wood bearing surfaces preferably in a direction perpendicular to 
and away from the head surface. The shanks are typically formed as 
integral extensions of the head thus providing a very rigid fastener for 
joining the intersecting faces of two boards, such as a vertical stud and 
a horizontal plate. The shanks are positioned and sized so that when the 
tips of the shanks are registered to the intersecting faces of the 
intersecting boards, the wood bearing surfaces are parallel to their 
opposed intersecting board surfaces. Therefore, when the shanks of the 
toenail are driven into the intersecting boards, the bearing surfaces are 
driven into flush, abutting engagement with the surfaces of the 
intersecting boards, thereby providing a very rigid attachment between 
said boards. 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a toenail having a 
triangularly shaped head, the head having two wood bearing surfaces for 
engaging the intersecting surfaces of intersecting boards. This aspect of 
the invention provides a toenail which is extremely stiff thus producing a 
superior, very rigid toenailed joint. 
Another object of the invention is the provision of one or more shanks, 
preferably two or more, extending from the wood bearing surfaces of the 
toenail at an angle which is normal to the head surface. Therefore, when 
the toenail is driven by a hammer striking the head surface, the shanks 
are driven into the wood by forces parallel to their central axes. 
Further, in the preferred embodiment the toenail is provided with a shank 
extending from each woodbearing surfaces so that tendency for the stud to 
kick out is greatly reduced because the driving force is directed into 
both the stud and the plate and the tips of the shanks enter both boards 
at approximately the same time. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a toenail which is 
self-aligning in use. This object is accomplished preferably by providing 
three shanks, one shank extending from each wood bearing surface and a 
third shank extending from the intersection of the two wood bearing 
surfaces. The length of the shanks are then chosen so that when the 
toenail is registered to the intersecting surfaces with the center shank 
at or close to the intersecting surfaces, the wood bearing surfaces are 
parallel to their respective board surface. This self-aligning aspect 
makes the toenail easier to use, allows truer alignment of the toenail and 
also reduces the tendency of the stud to kick out since typically two or 
three shanks engage the plate. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear 
from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been 
set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Turning now to the figures, generally toenail 2 has a triangularly shaped 
head 4 and shanks 6, 8 and 10. 
The head and shanks are typically formed from a single sheet of material, 
such as by punching from sheet metal stock and thus can be manufactured 
cheaply. Head 4 is a generally triangularly shaped member having a head 
surface 12 and wood engaging surfaces 14, 16. Head surface 12 may be flat 
or it may have some other configuration. In the preferred embodiment 
surface 12 has a raised hammer engaging portion 13 disposed centrally 
along surface 12. For the purposes of this application, the toenail will 
be described with reference to a generally vertical stud A abutting a 
generally horizontal plate B as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. However, the 
invention is suitable for use in other situations where two intersecting 
boards are to be joined. Surfaces 14, 16 are generally perpendicular for 
abutting engagement with the perpendicular intersecting faces C and D of 
stud A and plate B respectively. Flats 18, 20 join surfaces 12 and 14 and 
surfaces 12 and 16, respectively. The thickness of head 4, and therefore 
the width of surfaces 12-20, is sufficient to ensure that the head is 
stiff enough to resist bending moments imparted to the head through the 
shanks by the stud and the plate. For example, a toenail of the invention 
made from 1/16 inch thick cold rolled steel with wood bearing surfaces 4 
and 16 approximately one inch long has proven satisfactory. 
Shank 6 extends from point 22 generally where the bearing surfaces would 
intersect. Shanks 8 and 10 extend from bearing surfaces 14 and 16 near 
flats 18 and 20, respectively. Shanks 8 and 10 preferably have barbs 24 
formed at their distal end. The barbs help to ensure the secure anchoring 
of the shanks within the stud and the plate. Tips 26, 28 and 30 of shanks 
6, 8 and 10 respectively are aligned so that the line of intersection 32 
of tips 26 and 28 is parallel to bearing surface 14 and line of 
intersection 34 is parallel to bearing surface 16. This facilitates proper 
alignment of the toenail prior to being driven into the stud and the plate 
as discussed below. 
Although the use of the disclosed toenail should now be apparent, it will 
be briefly described with particular reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2A 
shows the tips and the shanks of the toenail registered to surfaces of the 
stud and plate. It should be noted that bearing surfaces 14 and 16 are 
parallel to intersecting stud face C and plate face D, respectively. The 
shanks of the toenail are then driven into the stud and plate typically by 
a hammer, until the bearing surfaces abut the surfaces of the stud and 
plate as shown in FIG. 2B. It should be apparent that forces on the stud 
in direction of arrow 36 are effectively resisted by the shanks imbedded 
within the wood with head 4 acting as a tensive element. Forces in the 
direction of arrow 38 are effectively resisted by the wood bearing 
surfaces producing compressive stresses on head 4. Since the head is 
relatively thick, it can resist buckling and this provides substantial 
resistance to the applied compressive forces. If desired additional 
toenails may be used to more even securely anchor the stud. They may be 
used on the same side, or on adjacent or opposite sides or a combination 
thereof. 
Although in the disclosed preferred embodiment three shanks are included in 
the toenail, more or fewer shanks may be employed. If only shanks 8 and 10 
are used, the toenail will lose the self-aligning aspect provided by shank 
6. Regardless of the number of shanks employed, it is still desired that 
when the toenail is registered at the joint with surfaces 14 and 16 
parallel to the board surfaces, that the tips of the shanks be touching 
the board surfaces. This touching of the tips to the board surfaces 
insures that when the toenail is driven into the boards, both shanks 
simultaneously enter the respective board. Any tendency for the toenail to 
cock and be driven in skewed is thereby reduced. In certain situations it 
may be desired that a single shank be used. Although much of the tensive 
holding ability, discussed above as the toenail's resistance to forces in 
the direction of arrow 36, is lost, the compressive strength will remain. 
The best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention has been 
herein shown and described, however, it will be apparent that modification 
and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be 
the subject of the invention.