Lath and Plaster Walls and Elsewhere.
Year: 1888

page_text: Articles on Lath and Plaster Walls and Elsewhere.
We, BRAMAH JOSEPH DIPLOCK, LEWIS BOSWELL INMAN HAMILTON and ST. CLAIR
KELBURN MULHOLLAND STOBART all of Penryn in the County of Cornwall Granite
Merchants 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 :-
Our invention has for its object to obviate the difficulty hitherto experienced in
hanging pictures ornaments and other articles on walls made of lath and plaster or
otherwise constructed so as to afford but a weak holdfast to a nail or hook when
driven therein owing to the fragile nature of the materials of which the wall is
composed.
Such invention consists of a hook having a straight shank terminating in a curved
or other suitably shaped prong or fang furnished with a sharp point-The hook shank
and fang are ali formed in one piece so that there are no nails to work loose as now
so frequently occurs more particularly when the article fixed to or suspended from
the wall is of considerable weight-In such cases the downward pressure exercised on
the nail by the weight very often draws the nail or nails out of the wall and the
picture or other article falls down thus frequently sustaining damage and causing
injury to other items in its immediate vicinity.
This danger and inconvenience is effectually obviated by our invention-As shewn
in the accompanying drawings the prong or fang bends or curves downwards from
the shoulder of the shank so that the greater the weight of the article which is
suspended from or supported by the hook the firmer the grip of the fang in the wall
and assuming the latter to be of lath and plaster the lath wherein the fang of the hook
is embedded would have to be first pulled out through the plaster before the
downward pressure exercised by the dependent weight on the hook could draw out
such fang.
The hook may be formed with two or more shanks each furnished with a fang or
prong the shanks being connected and strengthened by one or more braces or cross
ties or by a plate-This compound form of our improved nail hook is suitable for
very heavy weights as the auxiliary shanks spread over a larger area of the surface of
the wall while the additional fangs strengthen the grip of the hook therein.

page_text: parts.
accompanying drawings sunat ters of reference indicate corresponding
Fig. 1 shows a view in side elevation of one of our improved nail hooks with a
curved prong or fang.
Fig. 2 shews a view in front elevation thereof.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew similar views of one of our improved nail hooks in the compound
form herein before described.
Fig. 5 shows a portion of a lath and plaster wall with one of our improved nail
hooks fixed therein.
In these several figures a is the hook-b the shank-c the fang or prong with
point de brace or cross tie or plate-f the plaster-g. h the laths and upright
battens.
With an ordinary nail if the shaded portion i in Fig.
very slight downward pressure would suffice to draw out the
with our improved nail hook this is rendered impossible.
were to crumble away a
nail but it is clear that
Our invention combines the essential advantages of great simplicity utility and
security while it is not unsightly in appearance and can be fixed with the utmost
facility.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
An improved nail hook consisting of a hook furnished with one or more shanks
each provided with a curved or other suitably shaped prong or fang having a sharp
point and when the hook is formed with multiple shanks connecting and strengthening
such shanks by means of suitable braces or cross ties or a plate or plates all substan-
tially in the manner hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1888.
ELT & Co.,
33, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London,
Agents for the Applicants.