Improvements in Tacks and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 12th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tacks and the like.
I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, of Hotel Hunnewell, Newton, in the County of
Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:-
This invention has for its object to rovide a tack adapted to be driven in the
usual manner, which shall possess an ornamental head free from liability to rust or to
change its color by wear or corrosion. The invention consists in a tack comprising a
head, a shank having a penetrating point, and a casing enclosing the head and
imparting an ornamental finish thereto, said casing being of a material which is plastic
when heated and is characterized by a resistance to wear, rust, or corrosion, and
percussion, so that the casing is adapted to be molded or formed in any desired
shape upon the tack-head, and to withstand the blows of a hammer when the tack
is being driven, the casing entirely covering the exposed metal portion of the
tack.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-
Figure 1 represents a top plan view of my improved tack.
Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same.
b
In carrying out my invention, I take a metal tack having a penetrating or pointed
shank a, and a head a integral therewith, and apply to said head a casing b
composed of a non-oxidizable, non-corrosive, and percussion-resisting material, which is
capable of being rendered plastic by heat, becomes a hard and rigid covering and
extension or enlargement of the head when cold, and is proof against injury by
atmospheric action and moisture. The best material known to me for this purpose
is celluloid. I take a blank of the said material, and by the aid of dies or other
suitable means, mold the casing 6 upon the head a' in such manner that the casing
entirely covers the outer surface and margin of the head and projects under the head,
so that the casing is securely anchored to the head, and constitutes a rigid
enlargement thereof. In practice, I prefer to use a tack which has the under side of
its head bevelled, as indicated in Figure 2, so that when the shank of the tack is
inserted in an orifice which it closely fits, in a die-plate, the margin of the head will be
raised sufficiently above the said die-plate to permit the plastic material to flow or be
pressed inwardly between the under side of the head and the die-plate. The material
of the casing being rendered plastic by heat, I subject it to pressure between two
suitable dies, one of which is or may be the plate above mentioned, which receives the
shank of the tack and has a top face which molds the under side of the casing, while
the other die molds the margin and top of the casing. The casing thus applied, when

page_text: made of celluloid, when hardened by the cooling of the material, is sufficiently tough
and rigid to resist the percussive blows of the hammer which drives the tack, is
non-corrosive, so that its color is not affected by any exposure of the tack to moisture,
or to abrasion or friction, so that the tack may be used for various purposes, such as
fastening upholstering material to parts of carriages, without liability to rust and
without liability of presenting a metallic surface which is liable to change color by
reason of wear, oxidation, etc. The rigidity of the material when cold makes the casing
effective as an enlargement of the head, giving it a strong hold on cloth and other
rupturable materials into which the tack is driven, while the resistance of the
material to atmospheric action and to moisture renders the casing very durable.
It is obvious that the described improvement may be applied to any fastening
device analogous to a tack, such as a drive-screw, or a nail.
It will be observed that the head a¹ constitutes a solid support or foundation
for all parts of the casing & that are exposed to the action of a hainner in driving the
tack.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
As an article of manufacture, a fastening device of the character specified, comprising
a head, a penetrating point, and a casing enclosing the head and composed of a material
such as celluloid, which is plastic when heated and is characterized by resistance to
corrosion, wear, and percussion, whereby the casing is adapted to be molded
or formed in any desired shape, and to withstand the blows required to drive
the tack.
Dated this 28th day of September 1896
ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.