An Improvement in Nails.
Year: 1892

page_text: te of Application, 14th May, 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
COMILLIE DI MUITIVATION,
An Improvement in Nails.
I, THOMAS DURRANS, of Upper Baker Street, in the County of London,
Architect, 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 an improvement in doubled-ended nails used for fencing,
protective, joining and other purposes.
In such nails, as hitherto made, the oppositely disposed ends have been arranged-
in the same axial line from an intermediate shoulder or part, necessitating the use
of a correspondingly formed punch or instrument for driving the first-entering end
of the nail into position; or, such oppositely disposed ends have been arranged in
parallel axial planes, in some cases necessitating the use of a correspondingly
formed punch or instrument for driving the first-entering end of the nail into
position, and in other cases presenting a head above the first-entering end of the
nail for enabling it to be hammered into position.
In such latter class of nails, it is found that, owing to the parallelism and con-
tiguity of the plane in which the outer protecting or second entering end of the
nail is situated relatively to that in which the first-entering. end thereof is situated,
there is a difficulty in hammering the first-entering end of the nail straight into the
wood or other material in which it is driven, owing to an insufficient clearance
for the natural curving movement of the hammer as swung by the arm and hand;
the hammer being almost as liable to descend onto the top of the second-entering
end of the nail maud to injure it, or onto the edge of the said head, owing to the
effort made to avoid hitting the nail on the second-entering end, as it is to descend
onto the head in alignment with the axis of the first-entering end of the nail,
below it.
The special object of this invention is to avoid such defect, and to provide an
ample clearance for the manipulation of the hammer, and to this end the invention
consists essentially in making the nail with the said first-entering end and second-
entering or protecting end in planes occupying an angular relation to each other,
preferably between from about 120° to about 150°; though not necessarily within such
limits; which attains the further advantage of materially strengthening the junction
of the oppositely disposed ends of the nail, rendering the same less liable to be broken
in use.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, of the accompanying drawings, represent three forms of nails
embodying the present improvement.
The improved nails are specially serviceable for fencing or protective purposes,
in which use the part 5, will be left projecting above the top edge of the fence 6, or
sideways from a pole 6, the climbing of which it is sought to prevent, after the
part 7, of the nail has been driven thereinto at right angles by hammering onto its
head 8.
The part 5, I prefer to dispose at an angle of about 135°, to the part 7. It may
be made of a straight formation, vide Fig. 1;-or of a curved or horn-like formation,
vide Fig. 2; or of a spiked formation, vide Fig. 3; or of any combination of any
such forms or of others analogous thereto, depending upon the intended use of the
nail.
The part 7, may be driven skew-wise into the fence, pole or flooring-board 6,
vide Fig. 4, and in such case, if the part 5, be made of a straight formation, as
represented in such figure and in Fig. 1, the nail may be used for dowelling
purposes, a second board 6* or the like being driven onto the second-entering end 5,
of the nail.

page_text: Any of the improved nails may be so driven, skew-wise, into the part 6, so as to
leave the protecting end 5, at about right angles thereto, and when so driven they
will be most difficult to withdraw or to force further into the wood.
The improved nails may be cast or stamped out, and the under part of the
junction part 9, may be formed with a chisel-edge to facilitate its entering into the
part 6.
The angular disposition of the parts 5, 7, materially strengthens the nail at the
junction 9, of such parts compared with such nails as hitherto made.
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 :-
The formation of double-ended nails with their oppositely disposed ends at an
angular relation to each other, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 14th day of May 1892.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.