Connector plate for wood joints

Claim 1

A CONNECTOR PLATE COMPRISING A RIGID, FLAT METAL PLATE HAVING IDENTICAL PAIRS OF PARALLEL ROWS OF SPACED APART SPIKES, EACH OF WHICH IS STRUCK OUT OF THE PLATE AND BENT PERPENDICULAR THERETO, WITH THE SPIKES IN EACH ROW BEING IDENTICAL TO ONE ANOTHER AND BEING IDENTICAL TO BUT OPPOSITELY FORMED RELATIVELY TO THE SPIKES IN THE OTHER ROW OF ITS PAIR; EACH SPIKE BEING IN THE FORM OF AN ARROW-LIKE SHAPE HAVING A WIDENED BASE WITH ONE END INTEGRAL WITH THAT PLATE AND A NARROWED SHANK INTEGRAL WITH AND CENTRALLY EXTENDING FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF THE BASE TO FORM A RELATIVELY SHARP PAIR OF SHOULDERS ON SAID OPPOSITE END OF THE BASE, AND THE SHANK TERMINATING IN A BLUNT POINTED, BARBED HEAD, HAVING THEREON OUTWARDLY EXTENDING EARS FORMING AN ABRUPT SHOULDER FACING SAID BASE AND SPACED THEREFROM, EACH SAID SPIKE BEING TRANSVERSELY CURVED IN CROSS-SECTION AND INCLUDING IN THE CONCAVE FACE THEREOF A GROOVE-LIKE FLUTE EXTENDING FROM SAID HEAD TO SAID WIDENED BASE, WITH SAID FLUTES IN THE SPIKES IN ON ROW OPENING TOWARD THE FLUTES IN THE SPIKES IN THE OTHER ROW OF ITS PAIR; A SECOND PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY, OUTWARDLY EXTENDING EARS FORMED ON EACH OF SAID SPIKE SHANKS AND LOCATED APPROXIMATELY MID-WAY BETWEEN THE JUNCTIONS OF THE SHANK OF THE SPIKE WITH ITS BASE AND HEAD RESPECTIVELY, SAID EARS FORMING AN ABRUPT SHOULDER FACING SAID BASE AND SAID GROOVELIKE FLUTE TERMINATING IN SAID BASE IN A GROOVE-LIKE FLUTE EXTENDING ACROSS SAID BASE AT A LOCATION SPACED ABOVE THE PLANE OF SAID PLATE; THE SPIKES IN ONE ROW BEING STAGGERED RELATIVE TO THE SPIKES IN THE OTHER ROW OF ITS PAIR SO THAT EACH OF THE SPIKES IS APPROXIMATELY EQUALLY SPACED FROM THE NEXT ADJACENT SPIKES IN ITS OWN ROW AND IN THE OTHER ROW OF ITS PAIR.