Improvements in the Construction of Nails, Spikes, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Nails, Spikes, and the like.
I, LUDWIG WURZBURG, of 4 Fenchurch Buildings, in the City of London,
Merchant, 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 object of this invention is to provide means by the use of which a consignee
can readily ascertain whether a box or case has been tampered with in transit. The
enormous quantity of merchandise plundered by carriers, ships' crews, dock
labourers and other unprincipled persons renders it absolutely necessary to adopt
some means of ascertaining at sight whether the case or box has been tampered
with.
With this object I provide a nail so constructed that when driven into a packing
or other casc or box it cannot be withdrawn therefrom without damaging or breaking
the nail, or without snapping or breaking a thread or wire connecting two such
nails together.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 2 are front and side clevations, and Figures 3 and 4 are top and
bottom plans of a nail constructed in accordance with this invention.
Figure 5 is a section on the line C D Figure 1 and Figure 6 is a section on the
line A B Figure 2.
Figure 7 shews a section of a case with one of my nails driven therein and
Figure 8 shews in a section at right angles to Figure 7 the same nail when
clinched.
Similar letters of reference are used to denote the same or corresponding parts in
all the figures.
The nails etc. constructed in accordance with this invention may be made of any
suitable cross section, preferably of an angled shape, and are provided with a flat
head with a flange E projecting at one side only; the other sides of the head being
perfectly flush with the shank. In a direction parallel to the direction of the
Hange, the point of the nail is centrally split or bifurcated for a convenient distance
up from the bottom as shewn at F Figures 1 and 5, and through each of the bifurcated
ends G one or more holes or apertures H are made or formed right through the
metal parallel with the cut or slit F.
Nails so made are driven crosswise into the edges of the box or case, as shewn in
Figure 7, so as to pass through the side and top or bottom, or through adjacent
sides. The bifurcated ends of the nails are then opened out and flattened down at
right angles, or clinched into the box or case so as to be as nearly flush therewith
as is practicable with no jagged edges. Before such clinching, cords, strings, wires
or the like J are or may be passed through the holes or apertures G in one nail
and also through the holes or apertures in an adjacent nail of the same construction.
the ends of the cords, wires, or the like being drawn tight and knotted or otherwise
secured together, so that the clinched-down parts of the nail cannot be raised with-
out breaking or snapping such cords, wires or the like. Should an attempt be made
to drive or draw the nail out by its head a blow on the flange E thereof will
probably break the said flange off, at any rate it will be practically impossible to
draw the nail out by means of such flange. As an additional security if required
the head may have impressed or stamped thereon a cypher, initial, or other trade
mark, which will be injured by any tool used to draw out the nail by the head.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
The construction and use of a nail, spike, or the like with a flat head flanged on
one side only, with the point of the nail centrally split or bifurcated, as shewn at F,
parallel to the direction of the flange on the head, and with one or more holes or
apertures H in each bifurcated end G parallel to the cut or slit F substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Datad this 6th dor of June 1801
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.