US2550549A - Thumbtack - Google Patents

Description

April 24, 1951 c. B. GOODSTEIN 2,550,549

THUMBTACK Filed Sept. 26, 1945 INVENTOR Czafleg Goodsein' ATTORNEY I Patented Apr. 24, 1951 us n o sTAT PAT ENT o I 'IAQKv Qharles B. Qgqdsfig NW EQQIB QQN- Y- ggl'iflgaeion September 26, 1945'; Serial No. 618,731

1 Qlaim.

This invention relates to thumb tacks.

An object of this invention is to provide a thumb tack provided with a head and an integral, rigid offset from said headand having a slightly inclined lip at its end so that a finger nail may be inserted under the lip and the thumb tack lifted, thereby permitting easy removal of the thumb tack without necessity for the use of an instrument and without danger of injury to the finger nail.

Another object of this invention is to provide a thumb tack provided with a head having a pair of prongs, and an offset handle extending from the head and between the prongs, to permit the thumb tack to be pried loose by inserting a finger nail beneath the handle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a strong and durable thumb tack of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which shall be easy to manipulate, and yet practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a blank from which the thumb tack is made;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the finished thumb tack;

Fig. 2a is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2a2a of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a thumb tack showing the manner of lifting the thumb tack;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a blank for making a thumb tack embodying the invention and illustrating a modified construction; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the thumb tack made from the blank shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 designates a thumb tack embodying the invention. Said thumb tack may be made from a blank H of sheet metal having the outline shown in Fig. 1. The blank has a semi-circular edge 12 and extending therefrom are converging edges l3. Interconnecting the edges I3 is a smaller semi-circular edge M. The thumb tack l0 made from the blank II is shaped somewhat concavely so that the edges thereof are curved downwardly except for the tip end l5 adjacent the edge M. The thumb tack l0 thus has a head I! from which there extends an integral offset rigid portion or handle l8. At the outer end of the handle 18 is an upwardly turned lip IS. The thumb tack is provided with an integral downwardly extending prong 20 substantially at the center of the head [1. punched directly from the stock of the blank II. The blank is thus formed with a V-shaped slit 2 I, and the metal therebetween pushed downwardly to form the downwardly extending central prong.

Ordinary thumb tacks, when pressed into wood or to other material, are difficult to remove. If they are removed with the finger nails, the fingers are often injured. Due to the leverage provided by the handle IS, a finger nail may be inserted beneath the upturned lip l4 and the thumb tack gently and easily lifted.

In Fig. 4 is shown a blank 3|]- from which may be made a thumb tack 3| embodying the invention and illustrating a modified construction. The blank 30 comprises a portion similar to blank II. From opposite sides of the head, however, are oppositely extending integral prongs 3 I. The blank 30 may be shaped similar to the thumb tack Ill, thus being pressed into rounded shape with the edges sloping downwardly except at the lip 33 which is inclined upwardly. The prongs 32 may be turned to the position shown in Fig. 5 at right angles to the main body of the thumb tack 3|. The thumb tack is thus provided with two prongs so as to prevent movement of a sheet which is tacked thereby to a back board. Here, likewise the offset integral stiff handle provided a leverage for easily prying the thumb tack oiT without necessity for an instrument and without danger of injury to the fingers.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A thumb tack formed as a unit of stiff sheet The prong 20 may be.

metal and comprising a body elongated longitudinally and being wide at its front end and tapered in width towards its rear end, the said front end edge of the body being arcuate for its full width and at its ends merging into the front ends of the side edges of the body, a triangular prong cut from the forward portion of said body transversely thereof in rearwardly spaced relation to its front end and being bent downwardly across its attached end, the said attached end being located midway the width of the body and having its width disposed longitudinally of the body, and the rear end portion of the body being bent upwardly and forming a lip extending rearwardly at an upward incline whereby a finger nail may be engaged under the lip and the thumb tack tilted upwardly during removal.

CHARLES E. GOODSTEIN.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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