New or Improved Method of Closing or Fastening Parcels, Cases, Barrels, and the like, and Nails or Fastening Devices to be Used in Connection therewith.
Year: 1888

page_text: New or Improved Method of Closing or Fastening Parcels, Cases,
Barrels, and the like, and Nails or Fastening Devices to be Used
in Connection therewith.
A communication. from abroad by WILHELM LERCH, of Kwasnei, and MARIE
GELINEK, of Komotau, in the Kingdom of Bohemia, Paper Manufacturers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for: Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The present invention relates to closing or fastening packages of various descriptions,
(for example, such as paper wrappers for enveloping solid objects such as. sugar;
packing cases, barrels, etcetera). A special kind of nail is preferably used, which
admits of any tampering that may have taken place in the said packages, etcetera,
being at once detected. The improved fastening cannot be tampered with, as the
loosening of the nail will, at once, be noticed, owing to the description of tack or nail
employed. They are constructed as follows:-
:-
The body of the nail is made of a comparatively hard metal or wire, whilst the head
is formed of a softer material, preferably. lead, this head can be afterwards formed into
a lead stamp.
On the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 represents a fastening pin or nail of this kind. The shank a is of
hard material, preferably metal. is the head made of softer metal, preferably
lead. By driving this nail into parts of material, which are in contact, and which
are to be joined or nailed together, the head, which is of the softer metal, is flattened,
and assumes the shape shown in Figure 2. For the purpose of security, and detecting
at once any tampering of the package that has taken place, a sign may be. punched or
impressed in the upper face of the flattened head, it is then impossible for the nail

page_text: connection to be loosened, without the head of the nail becoming injured at the same
time. If the head is seized by a grasping tool, such as a pair of pinchers, for the
purpose of pulling the nail out, the form of the head will infallibly be altered; in
most cases the head, which is made of softer metal, will even be broken off. Even if
it were possible to pull out the nail without the head getting injured, it could not be
driven in again without the head being knocked out of shape, and the sign impressed
thereon injured, thus affording an evident proof that the nail has been pulled out, and
again driven in. The nails can be used for the most varied purposes, they can be
employed more especially where packages are closed by means of nails, so that the
removal of the nails and their subsequent replacement may be at once detected. This
mode of nailing cannot therefore be tampered with.
Figure 3 shews a plan of a nailhead, with a number impressed thereon. Instead
of a number, a sign, letter, trademark etcetera could be used.
Figure 4, shows, as an example, a sugar loaf in which the wrapping paper is not
held together by means of string as was hitherto the practice, but by nails of the kind
herein before described, driven into the sugar loaf. The heads, may have impressed on
them the trademark of the manufacturer.
Figure 5 shows a part of a case nailed together by means of the nails, the heads of
which would show at once whether any unauthorized attempt had been made to
remove the nails, or to subsequently replace them.
Figure 6 shows part of a barrel, the bottom of which is connected to the staves by
means of the nails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improved metallic nails, in which the head is constructed of metal softer
than that of the shank, so that the head is flattened when the nail is driven into an
object, the said head being provided on its upper surface with a mark or sign
impressed thereon, which becomes visibly altered if the nail is removed or replaced,
substantially as described.
2. The method of fastening parcels, packing cases, barrels, and the like, substantially
as and for the purpose herein described.
Dated th: 2011 1
*11000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.