US464961A - Sidewalk-nail - Google Patents

Description

J. W. DICKINSON. slDEwALK NAIL.

- N0.46'4,961, PatentedDe0.15,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES V. DICKINSON, OF MILXVAUKEE, XVISCONSIN.

SlDEWALK-NAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,961, dated December 15, 1891..

Application filed July 9, 1891. Serial No. 398,899. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. DICKINSON, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Sidewalk-Nails, of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

It is common to construct sidewalks of plank, which are cut of suitable length and are laid upon and transversely of stringers placed in and parallel with the line of the walk, the plank being secured to the stringers by nails or spikes driven through them into the stringers or bed-pieces. This method of securing the planks on the bed-pieces is objectionable, because the top surface of the planks soon wears away under the continual use of the sidewalk, and the heads of the nails then protrude upwardly therefrom in a manner very inconvenient and unsatisfactory to pedestrians.

The object of my invention is to provide means for securing the plank of a sidewalk to the supportingstringers or bed-pieces in a more satisfactory manner and by the use of a device that will not project above the surface of the plank when it is slightly worn; and my invention consists in a nail of peculiar construction adapted for this purpose.

In the drawings, Figure l'is alongitudinal vertical section of a fragment of astringer or bed-piece of a sidewalk and a corresponding vertical section of fragments of two adjoining planks with which my device is shown in the relation thereto which it has when in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved nail.

A is the stringer or bed-piece, on which the planks B B of the sidewalk are laid.

My improved device consists of a piece of steel wire so bent as to form a main shank O, a'loop D at the top of the shank O, and a lesser shank or arm E in connection with a nail F, constructed of wire in the form now in common use. The shank 0, arm E, and the common nail F are all sharpened or pointed at their extremities, whereby they are adapted to be driven into wood. The common nail F is provided with a head F at its other extremity. The loop D is of such size as to permit the shank of the nail F to pass movably therethrough, but not large enough to permit the passage of the head F, which, when the common nail is driven to its seat in the wood, bears against the walls of the loop.

The plank of a sidewalk are laid and secured in place by my sidewalk-nail as follows: The shank (J is driven into the stringer or bed-piece A in such manner that the arm E extends above the stringer and parallel thereto at a distance therefrom, and the common nail F being removed from or being out of the sidewalk-nail the plank B is laid on the stringers and its edge is placed against the shank C on that side of it opposite the arm E. The common nail F is then inserted. in the loop D and driven into the edge of the plank into the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be noticed that the bend of the wire to form this loop is such as to bring said loop in a plane at right angles to the plane of arm E, so that when nail F is inserted therethrough it will run in the same direction as arm E. The plank B is then laid on the stringers in front of the arm E, and the plank is driven or forced laterally toward the shank C, whereby the arm E is driven into the'edge of the plank to the position and in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The two planks are forced or driven firmly together, so as to countersink or embed the shank G and the loop 1) in the abutting edges of the planks. Thereupon in continuing the laying of planks these sidewalk-nails, with the common nail F removed therefrom, aredriven into the stringers close alongside the outer edge of the lastlaid plank. The common nail is then driven into the plank through the loop, and another plank is laid in front of the arms E and forced up against the shanks 0, driving the arms E into the newly-laid plank. In a sidewalk thus laid the nails are so inserted and embedded in the wood as to be entirely inclosed and protected thereby from water, snow, and ice, whereby the liability of the nails to rust or corrode is reduced to a minimum and no aperture is formed in the top surface of the planks through which water can enter, so that the decay of the planks around nailholes usually in sidewalks laid with nails in the common form is obviated.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'pieee of metal or wire'having a shank, an

arm at right angles thereto, and a loop at the junction of the shank with the arm, said loop being on a plane at right angles to the latter, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAHES W. DICKINSON. Witnesses:

O. T. BENEDICT, ANNA V. FAUST.

Images