IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW-NAILS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW-NAILS," A communication from abroad by the
American Screw Company (Incorporated), of Providence, Rhode Island,
United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th January 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW-NAILS." A com-
munication from abroad by the American Screw Company (Incorporated), of
Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
A screw-nail constructed according to this Invention possesses the following
features or characteristics, which, when all are present in a nail, combine to render
the whole an article of greater utility than any previous nail of the general class
to which it belongs. The said nail has a slotted head, or a head to which a screw-
driver or equivalent tool can be applied for turning the said nail axially; it also
has a shank composed partly of threaded or serrated longitudinal sections, and
partly of longitudinal sections without threads or serrations, the said plain sections
being at a less radial distance from the axis of the nail than the said threaded
sections, and it also has a sharpened or driving end.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 represents on an enlarged scale a portion of a longitudinally grooved
rod.
Figure 2 shews the same on a smaller scale provided with a spiral or screw
thread.
Figure 3 represents a screw-nail made from such a rod,
Figure 4 shows a portion of another form of rod, and
Figure 5 represents a screw nail made from such rod.
In Figures 1 and 4 of the Drawing I have shewn sections of rolled rods of the
forms which I prefer to use in making my improved screw-nail. The surface of
these rods is formed with longitudinal convex sections a and longitudinal concave
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page_text: sections b. The precise form, however, of the rod shewn is not material, as the
number of the convex sections relatively to the concave sections may be varied,
and the sections which are shown as concave may be flat planes or V-shaped.
I prefer, however, to use rods which are rolled with the concave sections shown,
as thereby the least amount of material can be employed for the shank, and bo
accompanied with the greatest amount of stiffness as the incident of the rolled
grooves or sections.
Having selected a rod of this character of suitable size and form for the intended
screw-nail, I cut upon the longitudinal convex sections a a screw thread as shown,
and afterwards form the head c on the rod in a heading machine, such as is
employed for heading screw-blanks, and also form the end into a driving point by
the usual machinery for such purpose. The nick in the head or other device for
enabling the screw-nail to be turned axially is also made by the machinery
ordinarily employed. If preferred, the rods before they are screw threaded may be
headed, nicked, and pointed.
Although I have shown the thread as of the variety known as the "ratchet-
thread," and consisting of sections of a continuous spiral, it will be within the scope
of my Invention if the longitudinal convex surfaces of the nail shank are not
provided with sections of one or more regular convoluted threads, but are formed
with serrations not constituting sections of spirals, for the reason that one important
advantage which my improved screw-nail affords will be equally secured in case
the convex surfaces a be simply serrated like the sides or corners of some shoe-nails
in common use in the market. The advantage referred to is this:-A screw-nail
when driven into wood must, to a large extent, tear away the fibres of the wood
which lie in the path of the serrated or screw threaded surface of the nail. In my
improved nail, from the circumstance that I furnish it with a head which enables
the nail-to-be-turned-axially-after it has been driven home by a hammer, it follows
that the screw threads or the serrations made upon the convex longitudinal sections
of the shank will, after the nail has been given a partial revolution with a screw-
driver or equivalent tool applied to the head, enter the untorn fibres of the wood
which have been in the operation of the driving of the nail forced hard against the
plain longitudinal sections b of the nail-shank, and thus my screw-nail which can
be driven with a hammer as easily as a common cast or wrought nail can be made
to hold in sound wood nearly as firmly as if it were a full threaded screw, and
driven home by a screw-driver. I prefer however to make sections of regular
convoluted threads upon the convex portions of the shank, as shown in the
Drawing, for the reason that the nail can then if desired be unscrewed from its
hold in the wood like an ordinary screw.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
A screw-nail provided with a head so formed that the nail can be turned axially
with a screw-driver or equivalent tool, a pointed or driving end, and a shank com-
posed partly of threaded or serrated longitudinal sections, and partly of longitudinal
sections without threads or serrations, which latter sections are at a less radial
distance from the axis of the nail than the said threaded sections, substantially as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
On thich hand and night in