Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
I, HEDLEY LIVINGSTONE WADDELL BUTTON, of Mutual Chambers, Brisbane Street,
Launceston, in the Colony of Tasmania, Stationer, 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 relates to the construction of the points of wire and other nails.
Its main object is to provide a nail which will not be so liable to split the wood
as is the case with nails having the ordinary tapering or chisel-shaped points.
It consists essentially in making the points of wire and other nails with a reverse
V-shaped cutting edge as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire nail constructed according to this invention,
but drawn to an exaggerated scale in order to better illustrate its construction.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same nail at right angles to that shewn in
Figure 1.
A represents the reverse V-shaped cutting edge with which the points of nails
constructed according to this invention are formed, said cutting edge being, hy
preference, made as shown with its two sides at about right angles to each other,
though it will be readily understood that this angle can be modified within certain
limits if found desirable.
The effect of forming this reverse V-shaped cutting edge on the end of the nail is
to bifurcate it and form, as it were, two separate points B, the outer edges of which
are parallel with the shank or body of the nail. These points are, as indicated in
Figure 2, bevelled off slightly as indicated at C in order to strengthen them, and
increase their penetrating power when the nail enters the wood.
I have found in practice that a nail constructed with a point having a reverse
V-shaped cutting edge as above described is-when driven across the grain--not so
liable to split the wood into which it is driven, the reason being that the reverse
V-shaped cutting edge draws the fibres together and cuts cleanly through them
instead of wedging them apart as is the case with ordinary nails.
An additional advantage arises from the fact that the ends of the fibres which have
been cut are liberated at the apex of the cutting edge thereby increasing the friction
to a maximum whilst diminishing the tendency to split to a minimum. In
consequence of this effect the ends of the fibres which have been cut are forced
downwards and apparently act as a number of pawls which grip the nail and thus
ensure its taking a tighter hold in the wood.

page_text: An obvious modification of my invention can be used on the larger sizes of nails
and would consist in forming the cutting point with two or even more of these
reverse V-shaped cutting edges, but the outer cutting edges of the V or V's must
extend to the extreme diameter of the nail in order to avoid the slightest tendency
to wedging.
The machines at present used for the manufacture of wire nails can be utilized
for the manufacture of my improved nail, the only alterations which would be required
being in the shape of the dies or stamps used for shaping or forming the points and
for cutting off the nails from the lengths of wire fed into the machines.
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 I do
not claim broadly a nail having its pointed end formed with a reverse V-shaped
cutting edge, but what I claim is :-
A nail having its pointed end formed with a reverse V-shaped cutting edge the
lower ends of the two points made thereby being slightly bevelled off substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this Thirteenth day of December One thousand eight hundred and ninety-