Improvements in Nails, and Railway and other Spikes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 16th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
.Improvements in Nails, and Railway and other Spikes.
I, CHARLES EDWARD CRAMP of 10 Denzil Terrace Westcombe Hill Blackheath
London S.E. Accountants Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
Nails and spikes of any suitable metal or alloy, of round, square, or any other sec-
tion, with any suitable head are made with a shank divided longitudinally into two or
more legs or fangs, the bottom of each leg or fang having an inside downward and
outward straight bevel or taper, and an outside concave bevel or taper which meet
and form a cutting edge at the outer and lower parts of the bevels.
The outside surface of the legs or fangs is also tapered downwardly and inwardly to
the innermost part of the concave bevel beforementioned.
The result of driving nails or spikes of the form herein described is that the legs or
fangs are spread and bent outwardly in sharp curves in the heart of the wood into
which they are driven, and the point at which the curvature or bending commences
can be regulated by making holes to any desired depth.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1897.
improvements in Nails, and Railway and other Spikes.
I, CHARLES EDWARD CRAMP, of 10 Denzil Terrace, Westcombe Hill, Blackheath, S.E.
Accountant's Clerk, 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 :-
My invention relates to nails and railway and other spikes having divided shanks
and has for its object to so construct or form the same that upon being driven into the
wood or similar substance the divided portions will be spread and bent outwardly
in a semi-circular manner in the substance of the said wood.
According to my invention I provide a nail or spike of any suitable metal or alloy
and of round square or other appropriate form in cross section, the shank thereof
being split or divided longitudinally into two or more portions, each of which is
bevelled at its extremity upon its inner face. Each of the aforesaid portions is also
reduced in thickness at the part just above the said bevelled extremities in such a
manner that the portions are rendered capable of easily bending outward when the
nail or spike is driven into the wood.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show in elevation various forms of my improved nail or spike
I Duin Q37
.

page_text: Figure 4 shews a section of a railway chair and sleeper with a spike such as that set
forth in Figure 1 placed in position ready for driving.
Figure 5 shews the said spike when fully driven into the sleeper.
Figure 6 shews in section a fragment of a wooden beam into which a nail of the
kind shown in Figure 3 has been driven..
Like letters of reference designate similar parts in the various figures.
A is the head of the nail or spike, is the shank with divided portions 61 62. These
portions are reduced in thickness or weakened by being tapered for part of their
length as shewn at c c and have a concave taper at d d.which forms with the straight
bevels e e the cutting edges ƒ ƒ.
By forming the divided portions of the shank as above set forth they are caused to
spread out and bend in a semi-circular manner in opposite directions as the nail or
spike is being driven into the wood thereby assuming the position shewn in
Figures 5 and 6.
It will be understood that the head of the nail or spike may be of any suitable form
and that in driving the said nail or spike into the wood the point at which-the curva-
ture or bending commences may be regulated by boring the hole for the reception of
the nail to a greater or less depth as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention. and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A nail or spike having a shank divided longitudinally into two or more portions
each of which is bevelled at its extremity and is reduced in thickness substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
2. A nail or spike constructed substantially as described with respect to one or
other of the forms illustrated in the drawings and for the purpose specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.