IMPROVEMENTS IN SPIKES, NAILS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN ARTICLES USED FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Emil Bennett, of Sheffield, in the West Riding of
the County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPIKES, NAILS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN ARTICLES USED FOR
SIMILAR PURPOSES.”
Sealed the 28th May 1878, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and
T
Le 1ST
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Emil Bennett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1877.
JOHN EMIL BENNETT, of Sheffield, in the West Riding of the County of York,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPIKES, NAILS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND
IN ARTICLES USED FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to spikes, nails, and the like articles, and to such articles
as are used for the purpose of attaching or fixing one substance to another, wherein
the implements used for attachment are driven into some substance capable of being
compressed.
This Invention consists in so forming the spike (or nail or such like article), as
that when it is driven into a substance capable of compression the said spike will
open outward from the centre and portions of it take opposite or different
directions.
The said spike (or nail or such like article) can be so made as that when it is
driven into a substance capable of compression, the stem or shank will open out in
two or more directions, and so compress the substance, into or through which it is
driven, that the said spike will have a firmer hold of the said substance than spikes
which are at present in use are capable of.
In carrying my Invention in effect the spike (or nail or such like article) can be
so made that the shank of the said spike will be split from the point to the head,
or from the point to near the head; or split so far from the point towards the head
as is necessary or desirable, and the points can be rounded off from the centre
outwards, or sharpened or so made as that when they meet with resistance on

page_text: being driven, the two, three, or other suitable number of points (as the case may
be), will each take opposite or different directions, and so form a firmer fastening
than would be the case if the shank or stem was solid from the point to the
head.
The improved spikes (or nails or such like articles) can be made of iron or other
suitable material, and can be used in the same or somewhat in the same manner as
those now in use, that is to say, by driving them directly into wood or other
substance capable of compression, or by first making a hole of a depth to corre-
spond or nearly to correspond to the length of solid shank under the head, or
otherwise so used as that the portions of the shank of the spike may spread out-
wards from the centre when and as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Emil Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th May
1878.
"
JOHN EMIL BENNETT, of Sheffield, in the West Riding of the County of York,
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN SPIKES, NAILS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND
IN ARTICLES USED FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES."
This Invention consists in so forming the spike, nail, or other similar article, or
article used for a similar purpose, as that when it is driven into wood, or driven
into any substance capable of being compressed by it, the said spike, nail, or other
similar article will open outwards from the centre, and portions of it take different
directions.
In carrying this Invention into effect the spike, nail, or other similar article will
be so made as that the shank or stem will be solid in its upper end only, that is to
say, it will be slit or separated into two, three, four, or any other suitable number
of parts. From the point, a suitable distance up the shank, each of the said parts
of the lower end of the shank or stem will be so chamferred, bevilled; or rounded
off from its point towards the centre of the shank or stem (that is to say, on the
internal surface, or the surface nearest the longitudinal centre of the shank or stem)
as that when the said spike is driven into wood or driven into any substance
capable of being compressed by it, the parts of the shank or stem of the spike will;
by reason of their being so bevilled or rounded at and from their points, take
different directions. The directions which the parts of the stem take, will be
governed by the angle, bevil, or curve given to the internal faces of the parts of
the stem at and from their points.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
Fig. 1 shows a spike, the stem of which is divided in two parts, or which has
two prongs, and which is ready for use.
Fig. 2 shows a spike of the same kind as that shown in Fig. 1, as it appears
after having been driven into a piece of wood.
Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of the stem of a spike similar to the one shown
in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.
2
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page_text: Fig. 4 shows a transverse section of the stem of a spike constructed according to
this Invention, the stem being divided into three parts.
Fig. 5 shows a transverse section of the stem of a spike constructed according to
this Invention, the stem being divided into four parts.
From the foregoing description, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings,
it will be seen that according to this Invention, spikes, nails, or other like articles
can be made, the stems of which will and can be divided, so that when they are
driven into wood or other substance capable of compression, the parts of the
divided stems will take two, three, four, or more directions, according to the
variations in the construction of the same, and by these means the spikes, nails, and
other similar articles will be held firm in the substances into which they are
driven.
Having particularly ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and made it
clear by description and Drawings in what manner the same is to be or may be
carried into effect, I claim as novel and original, and as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of spikes,
nails, or other similar articles, or articles used for similar purposes, in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before specified, and substantially as illustrated by the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Emil Bennett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
0
BITT DENNTA
JOHN EMIL BENNETT,
(LAN.)