Nail having wedge spreadable legs

Claim 2

A sheet metal nail comprising a body and a separate head, said body including a pair of substantially rigid legs having generally U-shaped portions, each of said U-shaped portions having reinforcing flanges extending therefrom, bridge means integrally connected to one end of each of said legs and spacing said legs a predetermined distance apart, said head including an upper planar portion having spaced opposed T-shaped openings therein, wedge means connected to the under portion of said head and extending downwardly generally normal thereto, said wedge means having downwardly and outwardly inclined sides in alignment with portions of said openings, the sides of said wedge means being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between said legs at said bridge means, said T-shaped openings slidably receiving the legs of said body, the U-shaped portions of said legs slidably receiving the side edges of said wedge means, and cooperating means on said wedge means and said legs for maintaining said head in spaced relationship to said bridge means until the nail is driven, whereby movement of said body through the openings of said head causes the wedge means to spread the legs apart.

Claim 3

A sheet metal nail comprising a body and a separate head, said body including a pair of substantially rigid legs having generally U-shaped portions, each of said U-shaped portions having reinforcing flanges extending therefrom, bridge means integrally connected to one end of each of said legs and spacing said legs a predetermined distance apart, said head including an upper planar portion having spaced opposed T-shaped openings therein, wedge means connected to the under portion of said head and extending downwardly generally normal thereto, said wedge means having downwardly and outwardly inclined sides in alignment with portions of said openings, the sides of said wedge means being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between said legs at said bridge means, said T-shaped openings slidably receiving the legs of said body, the U-shaped portions of said legs slidably receiving the side edges of said wedge means, and cooperating means on said wedge means and said legs for maintaining said head in spaced relationship to said bridge means until the nail is driven, whereby movement of said body through the openings of said head causes the wedge means to spread the legs apart.

Claim 4

A sheet metal nail comprising a body and a separate head, said body including a pair of substantially rigid legs having generally U-shaped portions, each of said U-shaped portions having reinforcing flanges extending therefrom, bridge means integrally connected to one end of each of said legs and spacing said legs a predetermined distance apart, said head including an upper planar portion having spaced opposed T-shaped openings therein, wedge means connected to the under portion of said head and extending downwardly generally normal thereto, said wedge means having downwardly and outwardly inclined sides in alignment with portions of said openings, the sides of said wedge means being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between said legs at said bridge means, said T-shaped openings slidably receiving the legs of said body, the U-shaped portions of said legs slidably receiving the side edges of said wedge means, and cooperating means on said wedge means and said legs for maintaining said head in spaced relationship to said bridge means until the nail is driven, whereby movement of said body through the openings of said head causes the wedge means to spread the legs apart.

Claim 5

A fastener constructed of sheet metal for attaching a covering material to a hardenable semi-plastic building material comprising a body member and a head member, said body member including a pair of rigid substantially non-bendable legs having opposed generally U-shaped portions, bridge means connecting one end of each of said legs together in spaced relationship, said head member including an upper generally flat portion having spaced leg receiving openings, an elongated wedge member carried by said upper portion and extending downwardly generally normal thereto, said wedge member being disposed in alignment with at least portions of said openings and having opposite ends spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between said legs at said bridge means, said opposite ends of said wedge member being received within the U-shaped portions of said legs for guiding said legs during relative movement, and cooperating means on said wedge member and the other ends of said legs for maintaining said head member in assembled relationship with said body member and spaced from said bridge means until the fastener is driven, whereby when the fastener is driven said wedge member and the other ends of said legs penetrate the semi-plastic material until said upper portion of said head member engages the material and said cooperating means is released so that said wedge member causes the legs to spread apart from each other upon further penetration into the material.

Claim 6

A fastener constructed of sheet metal for attaching a covering material to a hardenable semi-plastic building material comprising a body member and a head member, said body member including a pair of rigid substantially non-bendable legs having opposed generally U-shaped portions, bridge means connecting one end of each of said legs together in spaced relationship, said head member including an upper generally flat portion having spaced leg receiving openings, an elongated wedge member carried by said upper portion and extending downwardly generally normal thereto, said wedge member being disposed in alignment with at least portions of said openings and having opposite ends spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between said legs at said bridge means, said opposite ends of said wedge member being received within the U-shaped portions of said legs for guiding said legs during relative movement, and cooperating means on said wedge member and the other ends of said legs for maintaining said head member in assembled relationship with said body member and spaced from said bridge means until the fastener is driven, whereby when the fastener is driven said wedge member and the other ends of said legs penetrate the semi-plastic material until said upper portion of said head member engages the material and said cooperating means is released so that said wedge member causes the legs to spread apart from each other upon further penetration into the material.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 2 in which said cooperating means on said wedge member and the other ends of said legs includes at least one opening extending through said wedge member and a dimple extending inwardly from at least one of said legs and selectively receivable within the opening of said wedge member.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 2 in which said cooperating means on said wedge member and the other ends of said legs includes outwardly extending tangs at opposite ends of said wedge member in a position to engage said other ends of said legs until said upper portion of said head member engages the material whereupon said other ends of said legs override said tangs.

Claim 9

The structure of claim 2 in which said upper portion of said head member is of generally circular configuration.