EXPANDING NAIL

• US 3,645,163 A
• Filed: 10/14/1969
• Issued: 02/29/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry L. Byland
• Original Assignee: Henry L. Byland
• Inventors: Byland, Henry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsons, Jr., Marion
• Application Number:
  US04/866,190
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 85/5,8.3,13,21,23,26,30,31,80
• US Class Current: 411/448
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 15/04 with spreading shaft dowels with a drive-nail deflected by an inclined surface in the dowel body F16B13/085
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/921 Multiple-pronged nail, spike or tack

Abstract

An expanding nail which is split longitudinally from the tip end thereof to form two shank halves which squeeze together when the nail is driven through a member and expand to anchor the nail to the member. In a preferred embodiment, the shank halves have inner faces which slant inwardly from the tip end to bases of the shank halves to provide sufficient thickness of material in the shank at the bases of the shank halves to withstand flexure. The tips of the shank halves have outwardly slanting surfaces which act to squeeze the tip together when the nail is driven, and the shank halves have barbs spaced along the length thereof to receive material between the barbs so that the barbs catch on the material and hold the nail firmly in place. The nail is particularly suitable for attaching wallboard such as gypsum board to metal studs in building construction.

Claims

1. A nail especially suitable for securing a relatively easily penetrable member such as wallboard to a relatively harder sheet metal support such as a stud, comprising:

a shank having relatively flat sides and opposite narrow edges, with a member-retaining head at one end of the shank and a sharp penetrating point at the extremity of an opposite end portion of the shank and of a hardness adapted to be readily driven into an imperforate sheet metal support to pierce a hole therein for the nail shank;

nail-anchoring barbs along an edge of the shank adapted to interlock with an edge defining the nail-pierced hole;

said shank edge and barbs being on a portion of the shank partially longitudinally separated and normally spread a limited distance from an adjacent portion of the shank and said portions being resiliently deflectable relative to one another to facilitate piercing of the sheet metal support during driving of the nail, followed by resilient biasing of the barbed portion toward said shank edge to assure thorough interlocking of a barb with the hole edge;

slanting cam surfaces on said opposite end portion leading from said narrow edges to said point; and

slanting lead-in surfaces on said opposite end portion leading from said flat sides to said point.

2. A nail according to claim 1, said shank portions comprising shank halves separated by a slot extending from a solid portion of the shank adjacent to said head to and through said tip, and the halves being movable toward one another during driving of the nail to provide a substantially single point toward which said cam and lead-in surfaces taper to facilitate piercing of the sheet metal support.

3. A nail according to claim 1, in combination with the penetrable member lying against a sheet metal support such as a stud, the nail being driven into the member and support to an extent wherein engagement of the barb with the hole edge holds the head countersunk within an outer face surface of the member.

4. A nail especially suitable for securing a relatively easily penetrable member such as wallboard to a relatively harder sheet metal support such as a stud, comprising:

a shank having relatively flat sides and opposite narrow edges, with a member-retaining head at one end of the shank and a sharp penEtrating point at the extremity of an opposite end portion of the shank and of a hardness adapted to be readily driven into an imperforate sheet metal support to pierce a hole therein for the nail shank;

nail-anchoring barbs along an edge of the shank adapted to interlock with an edge defining the nail-pierced hole;

said shank edge and barbs being on a portion of the shank partially longitudinally separated and normally spread a limited distance from an adjacent portion of the shank and said portions being resiliently deflectable relative to one another to facilitate piercing of the sheet metal support during driving of the nail, followed by resilient biasing of the barbed portion toward said shank edge to assure thorough interlocking of a barb with the hole edge;

slanting cam surfaces on said opposite end portion leading from said narrow edges to said point;

slanting lead-in surfaces on said opposite end portion leading from said flat sides to said point; and

a tapered neck of substantial length connecting said shank with said head and joining the head adjacent to its rim.

5. A nail according to claim 4, in which said head has a circular perimeter defined by said rim and said neck is frustoconical.

6. A nail according to claim 4, wherein said head is flat-sided in alignment with said relatively flat sides of the shank.