PICTURE NAILS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, RICHARD COLLARD of 33B Regent Place, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Stamper, Piercer, &c. do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
PICTURE NAILS, to be as follows:-
By the Title Picture Nails, I mean a Nail that is used to support a Picture.
The Drawings herewith shew a Picture Nail. No. 1, I name the Ornamental
Adjustable Head of said Picture Nail. The view is the back of said Head.
No. 2, I name the Spike of said Picture Nail. The said Ornamental Adjustable
Head, Figure 1, is composed of three parts, which I will name as follows,
The aforesaid Front a, is an Ornamental Front, such as are usualy used in
Picture Nails, and may be made of China, Glass, Metal, or any other suitable
material.
The aforesaid inner Back b, is made of metal, or any other suitable material, and
has a hole, in it or through it.
The aforesaid outer Back c, is made of metal, and is formed Dish shape, having
a ledge around it, about midway between top and bottom. It also has a piece cut
out of it, which forms a gap, extending from the ledge to a little beyond the
centre of the bottom. The letter d is near the said gap, to join the aforesaid parts
a, b, c, together.
I place the inner Back b inside the outer Back c, the inner Back b resting on the
ledge of the outer Back c. I then place the Front a onto the inner Back b, in the
outer Back c, and turn the upper edge of the outer Back cover, onto the Front a,
that securely fastens the parts a, b, c, together, and forms the Ornamental Adjustable
Head of a Picture Nail, Figure 1.
To use some kinds of Fronts, I shall turn the outer edge of the Front a over
onto the outer Back c, instead of turning the outer Back c onto the Front a, as
above described.
The Spike, Figure 2, is made of metal, and is similar in shape to an ordinary
Nail, having a lateral projecting fixed Head.
Now by looking through the Gap d, in the outer Back c, it will be seen that
a Cell, or Space, is formed between the inner Back band the outer Back c

page_text: That Cell, or Space, is to receive the Fixed Head of the Spike, Figure 2.
So that to adjust the Ornamental Head, Figure 1, on to the Spike, Figure 2, it is
only necessary to place the Fixed Head of the Spike, Figure 2, inside the wide part
of the Gap d, Figure 1, and force it along the said Gap d. When it arrives at the
narrow end of the said Gap d, the Front of the fixed Head of the said Spike, will
sink into the hole, in the inner Back b. The said inner Back b pressing against
the front of the said Fixed Head, and the inside of the bottom of the outer Back c
pressing against the back of the said Fixed Head.
Thus, the Ornamental Adjustable Head, Figure 1, will be securely held onto the
Fixed Head of the Spike, Figure 2, although it can be easily and rapidly taken off
or put on.
One of the objects of my said Invention is to make an Ornamental Nail that
will afford security to the Picture, and by this said Invention I believe that object
is accomplished, for if in cleaning or moving the Picture, the Ornamental
Adjustable Head should get knocked off the Spike, the Picture Cord or Chain
cannot slip off the Spike, as the Spike itself has a Fixed Lateral Projecting Head,
Dato Joe of M., 1001

page_text: d is a Gap in the outer Back.
I make said parts a, b, c, by means of dies, or tools that are known in the trade
as press tools, that is tools worked in a press. The lower tool has a hole through it
the shape of the blank desired. The upper tool is the shape of the blank and will,
fit in the hole in the lower tool, so by placing a piece of metal on the lower tool
and causing the upper tool to descend, a blank is cut, although for some Heads.
I shall cast, or mould the Fronts.
The aforesaid Front a is an ornamental Front, such as are usually used in Picture,
Nails, and may be made of China, Glass, Metal, or any other suitable material.
If as is often the case the Front a has a glass or china ornament in the centre, the
surrounding part being metal, I call them one, that is to say if the Front is
composed of several parts I call them collectively the Front a.
I make said Front a in the following manner, I take a piece of metal out of
which I cut a circular blank. I place said blank on a die which has the desired
form and pattern, and by striking it with an upper die, the blank is raised dome
shape and ornamented as shewn Drawing near the Letter a.
The inner Back b is made of metal or any other suitable material, and has a hole
in it, or through it, at or near its centre. When the Ornamental Adjustable Head
is complete, this hole which may be a quarter of an inch or thereabout in diameter,
is for the purpose of receiving the front part of the Fixed Head of the Spike,
Figure 2, and thus help to hold the Ornamental Adjustable Head Fig 1, and the
Spike Fig. 2 together. The said inner Back I make by preference of thin metal,
with a hole in it. I make it in the following manner. I take a piece of metal out
of which I cut a circular, blank. I place said blank on a die which has a concave

page_text: hole in its centre, about a quarter of an inch diameter and about an eigth of an
inch deep. I strike it with an upper die which fits the lower die and thus form
the concave hole in the blank, as shewn Drawing Letter b.
I will here explain that in carrying out my said Invention, a circular blank for
the inner Back is not absolutely necessary, as an oblong blank would do nearly
as well.
The outer Back c is made of metal, and is formed Dish shape, having a ledge
around it, about midway between top and bottom. This ledge may be about an
eighth of an inch wide, and is formed by making the bottom half of the dish of
less diameter than the upper or open half. The object of this ledge is for the inner
Back to rest upon, and thus divide the outer. Back c into two compartments.
The upper or open compartment is to receive the Front a. The bottom compart-
ment is to receive the Fixed Head of the Spike, Figure 2. The said bottom
compartment has a Gap in it, extending from the ledge, down the side, and to
a little distance beyond the centre of the bottom. This Gap is large enough at the
side to admit the Fixed Head of the Spike in a lateral direction, but in the bottom
the Gap is only a little wider than the shank of the Spike.
I make said outer Back c in the following manner, I take a piece of metal, out
of which I cut a circular blank. I place the blank on a die, said die having an
impression in its face the form of the outer Back c. I strike it with an upper die
which fits the lower die, and thus raise it into the described form. I then place it
on a lower tool, which has a bole through it of the desired form, and by the descent
of an upper tool, cut a picce out of it which forms the Gap. The outer Back is
shewn Drawing c. d is the Gap in it.
To join the aforesaid parts a, b, c, together, I place the inner Back b inside the
outer Back c, the inuer Back b resting on the ledge of the outer Back c. I then
place the Front a, onto the inner Back b, in the outer Back c, and turn the
upper edge of the outer Back cover onto the Front a, that securely fastens the
parts a, b, c, together, and forms the Ornamental Adjustable Head of a Picture
Nail, Figure 1.
To use some kinds of Fronts, where I think the upper edge of the outer Back
being turned onto the Front would mar the effect of the pattern, I shall turn the
outer edge of the Front a over onto the outer Back c, instead of turning the outer
Back c onto the Front a, as above described.
And for some cast Fronts, such as those with scallopd, or odd shaped outside
edges, I shall cast an annular rib at the back of said Fronts, and turn the upper
edge of the outer Back c onto that rib, and thus join the parts a, b, c, together.
The Spike, Figure 2, is made of metal, and is similar in shape to an ordinary
headed Nail, having a lateral projecting fixed Head. I make said Spike in the
following manner. I cut rods of metal into pieces of the length required, point one
end of them, and head the other end with dies.
Now by looking through the Gap d, in the outer Back c, it will be seen that
a cell, or space, is formed between the inner Back b and the outer Back c. That
cell or space is to receive the Fixed Head of the Spike, Figure 2.
So that to adjust the Ornamental Head Fig. 1, onto the Spike Fig 2, it is only
necessary to place the Fixed Head of the Spike Fig. 2 inside the wide part of the
Gap d, Fig. 1, and force it along the said Gap d. To this pressure the inner Back b,
and the outer Back c, will each yield, and when it arrives at the narrow end of the
said Gap d, the front of the Fixed Head of the said Spike will sink into the hole
in the inner Back b, the said inner Back b pressing against the front of the said
Fixed Head, and the inside of the bottom of the outer Back c pressing against the
back of the said Fixed Head. Thus the Ornamental Adjustable Head Fig 1 will
be securely held onto the Fixed Head of the Spike Fig 2, although it can be easily,
and rapidly, taken off, or put on.
The Objects of my said Invention are
1st To make an Ornamental Nail that will afford security to the Picture, and
hy this soid T
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page_text: moving the Picture, the Ornamental Adjustable Head should get knocked off the
Spike, the Picture Cord or Chain cannot slip off the Spike, as the Spike itself has
a Fixed lateral projecting Head.
2nd To make an Ornamental Head that can be easily, rapidly, and securely
adjusted onto the Spike, after the Spike has been driven into a wall, and by this
Invention I believe that object is accomplished, for if by the blows of the
hammer this Spike should get damaged, as all descriptions of Spikes do, more or
less, still the Ornamental Head can be properly adjusted, as the holding powers of
its inner Back and outer Back are copious and elastic.
1 am well aware that Picture Nails consisting of an Ornamental Adjustable Head
and a Spike, have long been in use. Some of the Adjustable Heads being composed
of an Ornamental Front, which is usually made of China, or part Metal and part
China, and a thin Metal Back, others being one piece of Cast Metal, with a China
centre.
The one most in use has a hole containing a thread or worm in the centre of the
back of the Ornamenntal Head, the Spike which is headless, having a thread or
worm around one end of it, which will engage with the thread in the Ornamental
Head. Now in driving this Spike, it frequently occurs that the thread on the
Spike becomes so damaged that the Ornamental Head cannot be securely screwed
onto the Spike.
Another Nail is in use which has a tube projecting out from the Back of the
Ornamental Head. In this tube a tine is formed, projecting inwards. The Spike
which is headless, has a notch near one end, so that when the tube is forced on the
Spike, the time of the tube will catch in the notch in the Spike, and thus hold head
and Spike together. This I believe is not reliable.
Another Nail has been tried which has a circular hole and a small slot in the
Back of the Ornamental Head. This orifice resembles a small key hole. There is
a small flange on the Spike, in a line with the Spike, so that the Spike somewhat
resembles a key. The Head and Spike are connected by placing the key in the
key hole and turning the Head slightly. I believe this Spike cannot be driven
without spoiling it.
I do not believe that any Person has ever prior to my said Invention made an
Adjustable Head to be used in combination with a Headed Spike.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st In the Ornamental Adjustable Head of a Picture Nail, the inner Back b, as
described and for the purpose specified.
2nd In the Ornamental Adjustable Head of a Picture Nail, the outer Back c
having a ledge around it, about midway between top and bottom, and a Gap in it,
extending from the ledge, down the side, and to a little distance beyond the centre
of the bottom, as described and for the purpose specified.
3rd The Ornamental Adjustable Head of a Picture Nail, consisting of the inner
Back b, and the outer Back c, in combination with an Ornamental Front, as
described.
4th The combination in a Picture Nail of an Ornamental Adjustable Head, and
a Headed Spike, substantially as described.