An Improved Block to Facilitate the Driving and Withdrawal of Nails.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan.. 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Block to Facilitate the Driving and Withdrawal
of Nails.
I, FRANCIS ULRICH, of 14 Ringplatz, Budweis, Bohemia in the Empire of
Austria, Black-lead Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a block composed of material which may be readily
separated or compressed, for placing between the heads of nails and the articles
into which such nails are to be driven; its object is to cause the nails to drive
perfectly straight and also to allow of the ready withdrawal of same.
In order to effect this, the block must be of such strength in the longitudinal
direction that it may be pressed or forced against the article to be nailed, without
in any way mutilating or deforming the latter; in the horizontal direction, however,
the material composing the block must allow of a ready separation or compression
by the pincer-jaws, in order that the latter may find ready access underneath the
head of the nail and thus allow an easy withdrawal of the latter, without in any
way injuring or mutilating the nailed article.
These blocks are preferably made of paste board or papier-maché, their
thickness being adapted to the size of the pincer jaws, in order that the latter
have ready access to the nail. The blocks may be either round, polygonal,
or of any other shape and are preferably provided with a hole for receiving
the nail.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 shows a nail inserted in the block and ready for being driven in the
parts A, B.
Figs. 2 & 3 show the nail driven in and the application of pincers for with-
drawing same.
The point of the nail N is first inserted in the hole of the block S (Fig. 1) the
latter being then placed on the parts where the nail is to be driven. In so doing it
is only necessary that the person driving in the nail holds the block S with his
fingers, and not the nail as hitherto customary; the nail thus guided by the hole in
the block is kept perpendicular and may be driven perfectly straight into the object
i.e. a crooked or slanting driving of the nail cannot take place.
This block offers the further advantage that in withdrawing a nail securing two
parts, for instance A, B, in the accompanying drawing, the jaws of the pincers
are placed on the block S, as shown in Fig. 2, and then nipped so as to pierce
the latter (Fig. 3), without, however, coming in direct contact with the nail N.
The jaws of the pincer therefore cannot be notched or otherwise injured by the
pressure exerted, and the nail is withdrawn without in any way injuring the nailed
article.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
A block of pasteboard, papier-maché or other similar material, for placing
between the heads of nails and the objects to be nailed, and provided with a hole

page_text: for receiving and guiding the nails, as and for the purposes herein described and
shown in the drawing.
Dated this 26th day of January 1895
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.