US3919903A - Nail holder - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed for holding nails and tacks while hammering them. The apparatus includes pivoted handles for applying pressure, and movable fingers for holding the nails and through which the pressure is applied to the nails.

Description

llnited States Patent [191 McAlister Nov. 18, 1975 1 NAIL HOLDER [76] Inventor: Edgar O. McAlister, 9810 E.

Broadway, Tucson, Ariz. 85710 [22] Filed: May 6, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 467,111

[52] US. Cl. .Q 81/419 [51] Int. Cl. B25B 7/02 [58] Field of Search 81/418, 419, 5.1 R; 294/3, 294/28, DIG. 2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 463,563 11/1891 Williamson 81/419 938,376 10/1909 Friday 8l/4l8 3,040,420 6/1962 Kulp 81/418 X 3,484,924 12/1969 Dahl 81/5.1 R

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 364,026 3/1922 Germany Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-11. Gordon Shields [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus is disclosed for holding nails and tacks while hammering them. The apparatus includes pivoted handles for applying pressure. and movable fingers for holding the nails and through which the pressure is applied to the nails.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18,1975 SheetlofZ 3,919,903

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet2 0f2 3,919,903

NAIL HOLDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to nail and tack holders and, more particularly, to nail and tack holders including handles for applying pressure to hold the tacks or nails while the tacks or nails are being hammered.

2. Description of the Prior Art For all practical purposes, professional carpenters appear to not have problems in holding nails while hammering the nails. However, for amateur carpenters and/or do-it-yourself weekend carpenters, the holding of nails while hammering them can present substantial problems to the nails, to the fingers holding the nails, and to the work into which the nails are to be driven. And it is known that even professional carpenters sometimes have problems holding nails while hammering them, especially in holding nails while nailing into knotty wood. The problem with knotty wood is the tendency of nails to bend. However, if a nail is held properly and guided appropriately over a considerable portion of its length while being driven into work, the problem of bending may be substantially alleviated.

The holding of tacks is another problem which involves everyone, whether they be professional carpenters or upholsterers or whether they be weekend or home do-it-yourself workers. One particular problem with tacks arises when they are driven into hard wood during the upholstering or reupholstering of furniture. The inherent hardness of the wood results in either the tack bending or the tack being driven at an angle into the wood. Another problem virtually inherent with tacks is that the tacks are generally quite short compared to the size of a mans fingers. That is, a man with sizable fingers has virtually no room to hold the tack while it is being driven.

Prior art apparatus have been developed or have been used for the appropriate holding of nails and tacks. Commonly this is done by using a pair of pliers to at least get the nail or tack started. However, pliers generally include serrations on the jaws which are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handles. These serrations, while handy to hold the nails originally, must at all times be parallel with the longitudinal axis of the nails. Accordingly, as the nail is driven into the work, the hand holding the pliers and the nail must at all times be perpendicular to the nail. This becomes a substantial problem if the pliers is used to hold a tack, since the tack has a very short length. Therefore, the ordinary pliers is not satisfactory.

For many applications, pliers are simply not satisfactory for holding nails or tacks. Moreover, many pliers have jaws which are too thick for holding most tacks'.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention comprises nail holder apparatus which includes pliers-like grips having a pair of side plates disposed substantially 90 from the longitudinal axis of the grips and movable fingers secured to the side plates.

Among the objects of the present invention are the following:

To provide new and useful nail holding apparatus;

To provide new and useful nail holding apparatus having movable fingers for exerting a clamping pres sure on the nails;

2 To provide new and useful apparatus for holding nails at more than one location on each nail; and

To provide new and useful apparatus for holding nails and tacks to prevent their bending while being hammered into work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the apparatus of the present invention showing the apparatus in a work environment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of the present invention shown holding a nail.

FIG. 3 is a vertical view of the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGS. l-4 illustrating certain features of the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 5 taken generally along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a vertical view of a portion of apparatus embodying the present invention illustrating an alternate embodiment thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 is an isometric view of apparatus embodying the present invention in a use environment. It discloses nail or tack holding apparatus 10 being held by a users handle 2 with a hammer 6 poised above a tack 8 by the apparatus. The apparatus includes a pair of handles 12 and 14 secured together at a pivot point by a pin or bolt 16. Each of the handles includes a side plate extending upwardly substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal or long axis of the handles. The handle 12 thus includes a side plate 18 extending upwardly distally from the pivot point at the pin or bolt 16, and the handle 14 includes a side plate 20 extending upwardly, again substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal or long axis of the handle, and distally from the pivot point of the handles at the bolt 16. The side plates 18 and 20 comprise, or correspond to, jaws of pliers in that inwardly directed pressure on the handles 12 and 14 cause the side plates or jaws to move together or towards each other with some degree of force.

Each of the side plates 18 and 20 carries a pair of fingers, with fingers 22 and 24 extending outwardly from the side plate 18, and fingers 26 and 28 being carried by, and thus secured to, side plate 20. The fingers extend outwardly from the side plate, and thus away from the handles 12 and 14. The fingers are movably secured to the side plates by a pair of rivets. The fingers are disposed in a superimposed position with respect to each other on each side plate, and each pair on one side plate is substantially parallel to the pair on the other side plate. Each finger is secured by a single rivet, which allows each finger to move independently of the other fingers. When a pair of fingers, or one finger from each side plate, is acting together to hold a nail or a tack, the fingers comprising the pair will generally move together.

The fingers 22, 24, and 26, 28 are disposed on the inside of the respective side plates 18 and 20, and accordingly are in contact with each other when an inwardly directed force, such as produced by a human hand, is placed on the handles 12 and 14. The fingers are thus able to grasp and hold tacks and nails regardless of the size or diameter of the tacks or nails. The pressure required to be exerted by a user of the apparatus is not great since no clamping pressure is required. Rather, pressure sufficient only to hold the nail or tack in place is required.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hand 2, or the plane of the hand, of the user is disposed generally parallel to the work, or to the plane of the work, into which the tack 8 is to be driven; That is, the tack is held by the apparatus 10 substantially perpendicular to the hand 2 of the user, and to the longitudinal axis of the respective handles l2 and 14. Or, to describe it in another way, a plane defined by the handles 12 and 14, which is generally parallel to the hand 2, is perpendicular to the plates 18 and and to the longitudinal axis of the tack 8, or of a nail, if substituted for the tack. Thus the apparatus may be disposed very close to the work into which a nail or tack is to be driven without interference by the hand of the user. Accordingly, the apparatus 10 may be held quite close, and substantially parallel, to any work without interference due to the proximity of the hand and of the apparatus 10, to the work itself. Moreover, as also illustrated in FIG. 1, the hand 2 is a safe distance away from the hammer 6 which is shown disposed above the head of tack 8. Thus the possibility or probability of injury to the hand by a misdirected blow from a hammer is extremely remote. Even if the hammer were to miss the tack or nail, or to glance off the head of a tack or nail, there would be little possibility or likelihood of injury to the hand since such misdirected blow would impinge upon the fingers of the apparatus, which are movably secured to the side plates. The fingers, thus movable, would absorb any blow and would prevent a major portion of the force of the blow from being transmitted through the apparatus 10 to the fingers or the hand of the user.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating the holding of a nail 9 by the apparatus 10. The handles 12 and 14 are disposed substantially parallel to each other, and the side plates 18 and 20 extend upwardly generally perpendicular to the handles, or to -a plane connecting the handles. Fingers 22 and 24 extend outwardly from the side plate 18, and are secured to the side plate by a pair of rivets 23 and 25, respectively. The finger 22 is disposed above the finger 24, and both are movable with respect to the side plate 18.

The side plates are extensions of the handles, and the respective handles and side plates are secured together about a pivot point defined by bolt 16 extending through and connecting both of the handles. As an inwardly directed force is applied to squeeze the two handles 12 and 14 together, the force is transmitted through the pivot point to the side plates and to the respective fingers extending from the side plates. This results in a squeezing action against nail 9. With the fingers 22 and 24 movable on side plate 18, and their parallel counterpart fingers similarly movable on side plate 20, as the nail 9 is driven into its designated work, the fingers will pivot or move on the side plates so as to maintain a grip on the nail. Thus, the fingers grip the nail, but the nail is also movable within the fingers and the fingers are mbvable on the sideplat es. In this manner, the user may maintain a constant orientation of the apparatus 10 with respect to the work, but the nail, gripped by the fingers of the apparatus 10, will move with respect to the fingers, and the apparatus and the fingers may also move with respect to the side plates and the handles.

4 When a nail, such as nail 9 or a tack 8 (see FIG. 1) is initially held or gripped by the fingers, the fingers on each side plate will preferably be spread apart from each other so as to allow the nail or tack to be held in two places by the fingers. This type of holding arrangement gives more stability to the nail or tack and helps to prevent the possibility or likelihood of the nail or tack being bent upon initial nailing or pounding from a hammer.

If desired, upper finger 22 may include a bend 30 therein. The purpose of the bend is simply to allow more flexibility in the holding of the nail or pin by the fingers. With a bend in the upper fingers, such as bend 30 in upper finger 22, as the nail or tack is pounded and driven into its designated work, the outer portions of the upper fingers will be more nearly parallel to the lower fingers as the nail is driven into its respective work and as the fingers move closer together.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, upper finger 22 includes an outer portion 31 extending relatively upwardly from bend 30. The term upwardly is used to denote the relative direction of the outer portion of the finger 22 with respect to inner portion 35 of the finger 22 between the pivot point of the finger about rivet 23 and the bend 30. As also illustrated in FIG. 2, the outer portion 31 of the upper finger 22 is disposed generally parallel to lower finger 24, when the two fingers are disposed adjacent each other.

FIG. 3 is a vertical view of the apparatus 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. While FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a vertical view of the apparatus ofFIG. 2 with the nail 9 held between the fingers of the apparatus. When a squeezing force is applied to the handles 12 and 14 the force is transmitted to the side plates 18 and 20, which function substantially like jaws of pliers. The side plates in turn transmit the force through their fingers, of which only upper fingers 22 and 26 are shown in the vertical view of FIG. 3. The handles 12 and 14 are secured together about a pivot point by a bolt 16. The handles pivot about the bolt. The fingers 22 and 26 are secured to the side plates 18 and 20, respectively, by rivets 23 and 27. The rivets do not clamp the fingers tightly to the side plates, and the fingers are accordingly movable about the rivets. Since the fingers are movable with respect to the side plates, as the nail 9 is driven into its designated work, the fingers move downwardly with the nail and they also move relative to the nail to maintain a grip on the nail and yet to allow the nail to move downwardly into the work in a straight line, or as desired by the user of the apparatus.

The upper fingers 22 and 26 each include a bend 30 and 32, respectively, which separates the outer portions 31 and 33 of the fingers, respectively, from inner portions 35 and 37, respectively.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged 'view of a portion of the apparatus 10 illustrating the sequential movement of the fingers as the nail 9 is driven into work. In the upper position,'nail 9a is shown disposed on work 4 and is gripped by fingers 22 and 24. Note that the fingers are spread apart so as to grip the nail 9a in two locations, the upper location being adjacent the head of the nail, and the lower location being adjacent the work 4. Accordingly, the apparatus 10 is holding the nail 9a substantially securely to prevent the nail from moving and also to prevent the nail from bending in the course of its downward movement. As the nail is driven downward to the position shown in phantom and as designated by reference numeral 9b, the fingers 22 and 24 pivot about their respective rivets 23 and 25 on side plate 18. There is, of course, a corresponding pivoting of fingers 26 and 28, not shown in FIG. 4. The fingers'26 and 28 are substantially parallel to the fingers22 and 24. If desired, the fingers 26 and 28 could be disposed other than par allel to the fingers 22 and 24. As the nail 9 is driven into the work 4, the fingers move downwardly with the nail, and also move relative to the nail to allow the nail to maintain its downward direction and at the same time to allow the handles and side plates of the apparatus 10 to maintain a constant orientation relative to the work 4. Thus, the fingers move with respect to both the nail and to the side plates and handle.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the apparatus l0, illustrating the use of leaf-type springs disposed between the fingers and the side plates to maintain a spring bias between the fingers and the side plates. The spring bias is used to prevent the fingers from flopping or moving too freely, but yet allows them to move as required by either the user of the apparatus or by the motion of the nail or tack to which they are applied.

The jaws 18 and 20 are shown, with upper fingers 22 and 26 secured thereto by a pair of rivets 23 and 27, respectively. The fingers 22 and 26 are divided into outer and inner portions 31, 35, and 33, 37, respectively, by the bends 30 and 32. The fingers 22 and 26 are disposed between the side plates 18 and 20 by the rivets 23 and 27. A leaf spring 40 is disposed between the side plate 18 and the finger 22, and another leaf spring 42 is disposed between the side plate 20 and the finger 26. The springs exert a bias between the side plates and the fingers to bias the fingers inwardly, towards each other, and away from the side plates. The rivets extend through the springs and secure both the springs and the fingers to the side plates.

FIG. 6 is a view of the apparatus of FlG. 5 taken generally along line 66 of FIG. 5. The view comprises a front sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 5 illustrating the relationship between the figures of the apparatus 10 and the springs 40 and 42 used to bias the springs. FIG. 6 discloses the side plates 18 and 20 with the fingers 22, 24, and 26, 28 shown in partial section in accordance with line 66 of FIG. 5.

Fingers 22 and 24 are secured to side plate 18 by rivets 23 and 25, respectively. Fingers 26 and 28 are secured by rivets 27 and 29, respectively, to side plate 20. A single spring 40 is disposed between side plate 18 and the fingers 22 and 24. The spring, typically of the leaf spring type, is held in place between the side plate and the fingers by the rivets 23 and which also secure the fingers to the side plates. Similarly, a single leaf-type spring 42 is disposed between side plate 20 and the fingers 26 and 28 and is held in such position by the rivets 27 and 29. It has been stated previously that the springs exert a bias between the side plates and the fingers to assist the fingers in maintaining whatever orientation they are placed in. The springs do not exert such a strong bias as to prevent the fingers from moving; neither do they present a problem to the user of the nail holding apparatus. The fingers are thus able to move freely and yet the springs exert sufficient bias to allow .the fingers to maintain whatever orientation is desired by the user of the apparatus. It is obvious that other types of springs may be used in place of the two leaf springs. For example, individual springs could be used with each finger and such springs could be of any appropriate design.

FIG. 7 is a vertical view of a portion of apparatus embodying the present invention which illustrates an alternate embodiment. The alternate embodiment includes divergenttips on the fingers.

FIG. 7 discloses nail holding apparatus which includes a pair of side plates or jaws 118 and 120, each of which is an extension of a pair of handles secured together about a pivot point, substantially the same as apparatus 10, illustrated above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-6. The side plates 118 and 120 each carry a pair of fingers, of which only upper fingers 122 and 126 are shown in FIG. 7. Upper finger 122 is secured to side plate 118 by a rivet 123. A spring 140 is disposed between the finger and the side plate and is held in position by the rivet 123. Upper finger 126 is secured to side plate 120 by a rivet 127, and a spring 142 is disposed between the side plate and the finger. Both fingers 122 and 126 are disposed on the inside of their respective side plates 118 and 120.

Finger 122 includes an inner portion 124 through which rivet 123 extends and an outer portion 125. The inner and outer portions are separated or are defined by a bend 130. Similarly, finger 126 includes an inner portion 128 and an outer portion 129 separated or defined by a bend 131. The outer portions and 129 are substantially the same as the outer portions 31 and 33 as discussed above in conjunction with the apparatus 10. That is, the outer portions 125 and 129 extend upwardly from their respective bends 130 and 131 for the purposes above enumerated.

The outer portions 125 and 129 of the fingers include divergent tips 134 and 136, respectively. The divergent tips 134 and 136 extend away from the longitudinal axis of the fingers 122 and 126, but, if desired, may continue the upward orientation of the outer portions 125 and 129 to which they are secured. The purpose of the divergent portions 134 and 136 is to allow a user of the apparatus 100 to more easily orient a nail or a tack between the fingers. The divergent portions or tips thus serve as guides or funnels into which the nails or tacks may be urged for final displacement between the fingers for holding. If desired, the divergent tips may be oriented in a different angle with respect to the upwardly extending orientation of the outer portions 125 and 129. That is, if desired, there may be a double bend in each finger rather than the single bend along the axis of the fingers in addition to the divergent orientation of the outer tip of each finger.

While only the upper fingers 120 and 126 of the nail holding apparatus 100 are shown in the vertical view of FIG. 7, the lower fingers also preferably include the diverging tips substantially parallel to the diverging tips 134 and 136. However, the lower fingers, similar to the lower fingers of the embodiment of FIGS. l-6, do not include a bend but are substantially straight axially.

While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operative requirements without departing from those principles. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention. This specification and the appended claims have been prepared in accordance with the applicable patent laws 8 relative to the other fingers, for holding a member therebetween in response to an inwardly directed force on the handles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the finger means include spring means to bias the finger means with respect to the side plates.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the finger means include divergent tips for guiding the members held by the finger means.

Claims (3)

1. Holding apparatus, comprising in combination: a first handle having a first side plate secured thereto; a second handle having a second side plate secured thereto, said first and second handles secured together and movable relative to each other; finger means, comprising a plurality of fingers pivotally secured to the first and to the second side plates and each finger movable on the side plates relative to the other fingers, for holding a member therebetween in response to an inwardly directed force on the handles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the finger means include spring means to bias the finger means with respect to the side plates.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the finger means include divergent tips for guiding the members held by the finger means.

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