US3250308A

US3250308A - Tack holder and setting tool

Info

Publication number: US3250308A
Application number: US382216A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph J F March
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-07-13
Filing date: 1964-07-13
Publication date: 1966-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-10

Description

y 1966 J. J. F. MARCH 3,250,308

TACK HOLDER AND SETTING TOOL Filed July 13, 1964 VENTOR.

Jose h JMavdn 3,250,308 TACK HOLDER AND SETTING TOOL Joseph J. F. March, 82 Windsor St., Waterbury, Conn.

Filed July 13, 1964, Ser. No. 382,216 3 Claims. (Cl. 145-46) This invention relates to tack packages, and more particularly to dispenser and applicator type packages or holders for tacks and like articles.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved package of tacks which is especially low in cost, comprising an economical-to-fabricate holder structure which may be easily and quickly loaded or filled with tacks or similar articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tack package as above set forth, which serves the multiple purpose of holding or storing the tacks as a.

merchandise packet, dispensing the tacks one by one, and constituting an applicator to facilitate both the placement and setting of the tacks.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved tack package as characterized, which is convenient to use, and which keeps the tacks in an orderly placement or arrangement at all times prior to their being put into use, even when the holder is being utilized to apply a tack to a supporting surface.

Yet another feature of the invention resides in the small size and compactness of the package of tacks as provided by the invention.

Other features and advantages reside in the simplicity of the package of tacks, and the ability to enable a onehand application of the tacks to be eifected, as well as the elimination of broken finger nails and sore fingers which heretofore attended the use of thumb tacks.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference are used to designate like components throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the improved package of tacks as provided by the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the package of tacks, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation illustrating the method of using the tack package as an applicator, for the purpose of easily setting a thumb tack to a supporting surface.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation illustrating the method of using the tack package as a dispenser and placement device, prior to the actual setting of the tack pictured in FIG. 4.

As shown, the improved package of tacks, which constitutes a new article of merchandise, comprises essentially in combination an elongate resilient tubular holder and applicator structure which is designated generally by the numeral 10, said structure being formed of any suitable material whereby it has resilience and at least a moderate amount of strength and rigidity. The tubular structure may, for instance, be fabricated of sheet metal strip which is rolled into a tube, or else it may be fabricated of plastic substance such as polyethylene, polypropylene or other suitable plastic formulation.

Regardless of the type of material of which it is made, the tubular structure 10 is so constituted as to have an elongate, narrow slit 12 extending lengthwise and preferably disposed longitudinally so as to be parallel with the axis of the structure. The tubular structure 10 also has a bias which tends to force together the edges of the slit 12, tending to eifect a closing of the same.

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In accordance with the invention, the novel holder and applicator structure 10 is filled with a row of tacks 14, arranged with portions of the heads thereof in overlapping relation, the tacks being disposed in a regular formation as clearly indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Such formation arranges the tacks so that the shank 16 extends into the tubular structure 10 between the opposite edges of the slit 12 in an oblique direction with respect to the axis of the structure. Portions of the heads 18 of the tacks are thus disposed in such a manner that they may readily overlap each other, as clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, thereby elfecting an extremely compact and yet, simple, easily handled disposition of a quantity of tacks.

Due to the bias of the tubular structure 10, the opposite edges of the slit 12 frictionally seize and grip the shanks 16 of the tacks, retaining the latter in their given arrangement on the holder. Where the material, of which the tubular structure 10 is constituted, is of a yieldable nature, the force of the gripping action is such that small indentations will be formed in the opposite edges of the slit 12 at the places where the shanks 16 are disposed. By the use of a slightly yielding substance such as resilient and yielda'ble plastic, the formation of such indentations results in each and every one of the shanks 16 of the tacks being frictionally gripped as a consequence of the continual force exerted along the entire length of the tubular structure 10, and this is an important feature of the invention.

The tubular structure 10 may be made in any desired length to hold the required number of tacks. If made of sheet metal it may be fabricated by well known forming tools and procedures, the same being true if made of plastic substance. An extrustion process is especially suitable, when forming the structure 10 of plastic, as will be readily understood.

In accordance with the invention, the ends of the structure 10 are cut obliquely, whereby there is provided an end portion 20 (hereinafter termed a hollow bottom Wall portion) especially suited for use as an applicator, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and a slit end portion 21 (hereinafter termed a hollow top wall portion) especially suited as a dispensing and placement means, as in FIG. 5. The end or hollow bottom wall portion 20, located obliquely opposite the slit 12, projects axially beyond the remainder of the tubular structure to constitute a press-down tool or face for forcing tacks into a supporting surface, indicated at 22 in FIG. 4. Prior to this operation, the tacks are dispensed and temporarily placed in a simple manner by sliding them to the end or hollow top wall portion 21 and setting the points with direct finger pressure, as seen in FIG. 5. Where the tubular structure is made by a continuous extrusion process, the oblique cutting of the extruded tubing will automatically form the two obliquely cut ends of the structure as will be appreciated.

The tubular structure 10 may be easily and quickly loaded by suitable automatic tack handling equipment, to provide the overlapping arrangement of tacks in a straight row as clearly shown inFIGS. l and 2. It will be understood that the end tacks of the row may be readily removed for use by merely applying the required finger pressure to the tack heads, as for example the head 18 of the rightmost tack in FIGS. 1 and 2. p

It will now be understood from the foregoing that there has been provided by the invention an extremely simple, low cost package of tacks constituting a new article of merchandise, which is effective in holding the tacks in place and in enabling the same to be easily dispensed and put into use. The cost of the holder itself and the assembly of the tacks to the same represents a negligible cost, whereby the holder may constitute a throw-away item after all of the tacks have been placed into use. The

3 operation of removing and applying the tacks is facilitated by the holder, and there is eliminated the likelihood of broken finger nails, bruised fingers, etc. Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims, and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

I claim: 1. A new article of merchandise comprising, in combination:

(a) an elongate resilient tubular holder and applicator structure having a generally straight bore and an elongate narrow slit extending lengthwise along said bore and completely through one end of the holder, which constitutes the discharge end thereof,

(b) a plurality of tacks disposed in a row along said structure and carried thereby with their heads outside the structure, said tacks having shanks extending through the said slit and frictionally gripped by the edges thereof to releasably retain the tacks on the structure,

(0) the other end of the tubular structure having an edge disposed at an acute angle with respect to the lengthwise dimension of the holder, and including a hollow bottom wall portion constituting a partial continuation of the tubular structure and which is located obliquely opposite the said slit, said bottom Wall portion projecting axially beyond the remainder of the structure to constitute a hollow press-down tool for receiving tack heads partially in the bore of the tubular structure and for forcing tacks into final position in a supporting surface,

(d) said tubular structure having at said one end a slitted top wall portion which constitutes a partial continuation of the tubular structure and which projects axially beyond the remainder of the structure and constitutes a dispenser and placement device for temporarily setting tacks in place and in initial position on a supporting surface by direct finger pressure,

(e) said one end having an edge which is also disposed at an acute angle with respect to the lengthwise dimension of the holder and which effects the said axial projection of the slitted top wall portion, said angled disposition of the edge of said one end resulting in a clearance by which said slitted top wall portion may be brought close to a surface to which a tack is to be applied.

2. The new article as defined in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the applicator structure is constituted of yieldable plastic substance,

(b) the edges of the slit at the shanks of the tacks being slightly indented due to the bias of the structure in a direction tending to close the slit, thereby to minimize undesired slippage of the tacks from the holder.

3. The new article as defined in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the holder and applicator structure comprises a cylindrical tube .having a diameter roughly equal to the diameter of the heads of the tacks.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,369,420 2/ 192l Gillespie 227--63 3,064,457 .1 1 1962 Vanden Boom et a1.

FOREIGN PATENTS 18,427 1889 Great Britain. 290,135 11/1931 Italy.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, JR., Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A NEW ARTICLE OF MERCHANDISE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN ELONGATED RESILIENT TUBULAR HOLDER AND APPLICATOR STRUCTURE HAVING A GENERALLY STRAIGHT BORE AND AN ELONGATE NARROW SLIT EXTENDING LENGTHWISW ALONG SAID BORE AND COMPLETELY THROUGH ONE END OF THE HOLDER, WHICH CONSTITUTES THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF, (B) A PLURALITY OF TRACKS DISPOSED IN A ROW ALONG SAID STRUCTURE AND CARRIED THEREBY WITH THEIR HEADS OUTSIDE THE STRUCTURE, SAID TRACKS HAVING SHANKS EXTENDING THROUGH THE SAID SLIT AND FRICTIONALLY GRIPPED BY THE EDGES THEREOF TO RELEASABLY RETAIN THE TRACKS ON THE STRUCTURE, (C) THE OTHER END OF THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE HAVING AN EDGE DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTHWISE DIMENSION OF THE HOLDER, AND INCLUDING A HOLLOW BOTTOM WALL PORTION CONSTITUTING A PARTIAL CONTINUATION OF THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE AND WHICH IS LOCATED OBLIQUELY OPPOSITE THE SAID SLIT, SAID BOTTOM WALL PORTION PROJECTING AXIALLY BEYOND THE REMAINDER OF THE STRUCTURE TO CONSTITUTE A HOLLOW PRESS-DOWN TOOL FOR RECEIVING TACK HEADS PARTIALLY IN THE BORE OF THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE AND FOR FORCING TACKS INTO FINAL POSITION IN A SUPPORTING SURFACE, (D) SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE HAVING AT SAID ONE END A SLITTED TOP WALL PORTION WHICH CONSTITUTES A PARTIAL CONTINUATION OF THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE AND WHICH PROJECTS AXIALLY BEYOND THE REMAINDER OF THE STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTES A DISAPENSER AND PLACEMENT DEVICE FOR TEMPRARILY SETTING TRACKS IN PLACE AND IN INITIAL POSITION ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE BY DIRECT FINGER PRESSURE, (E) SAID ONE END HAVING AN EDGE WIHICH IS ALOS DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTHWISE DIMENSION OF THE HOLDER AND AWHICH EFFECTS THE SAID AXIAL PROJECTION OF THE SLITTED TOP WALL PORTION, SAID ANGLED DISPOSITION OF THE EDGE OF SAID ONE END RESULTING IN A CLEARANCE BY WHICH SAID LITTED TOP WALL PORTION MAY BE BROUHT CLOSE TO A SURFACE TO WHICH A TACK IS TO BE APPLIED.