Pre-plated spline formed fastener and method for making same

Abstract

A method for making a plated spline nail includes plating an elongated wire with a corrosion resistant material, passing the wire through a forming machine having rollers configured with protrusions formed thereon and extending outwardly therefrom to form grooves in the wire. cutting the wire to a desired length and forming a head, and a point on the wire to form the nail. The nail may have ring shanks formed therein after the head and point are formed. A lubricant may be applied to the nail and/or the forming machine prior to forming the ring shanks and/or prior to passing the wire through the forming machine to form the grooves in the wire. A nail formed by pre-plating the wire, and a nail formed by the method are also disclosed.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A nail comprising:
 a head;   a point;   a shank extending from the head to the point and having a circumference, an outer diameter, and a longitudinal axis, and defining an outer periphery;   an odd number of smooth, substantially identical semi-circular grooves formed in the shank and extending straight, longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the shank, the grooves each defining a nadir; and   a corrosion-resistant coating on the nail, the corrosion-resistant coating being a zinc or zinc-based metallic material,   wherein no two nadirs are diametrically opposed to one another such that no two grooves are 180 degrees opposed to one another, wherein the grooves are configured to reduce an amount of material needed to create the nail and provide areas of increased work hardening of the nail an intersection of the outer periphery and each of the plurality of grooves, and wherein the amount of material needed to create the nail is reduced by about six percent as compared to a non-grooved nail having a shank outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the shank of the nail and the bending yield strength is reduced by about three percent as compared to a non-grooved nail having a shank outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the shank of the nail.   
     
     
         10 . The nail of  claim 9  wherein the coating is a plating of zinc or a zinc-based material. 
     
     
         11 . The nail of  claim 9  wherein the grooves are disposed asymmetrically about the circumference of the shank. 
     
     
         12 . The nail of  claim 9  including ring shanks formed in the shank. 
     
     
         13 . A pre-plated spline formed nail formed by pre-plating a wire with a zinc or zinc-based material and subsequently passing the wire through a forming machine having rollers configured with protrusions formed thereon and extending outwardly therefrom to form a plurality of asymmetric, longitudinally or substantially longitudinally extending grooves in the wire, cutting the wire to a desired length and forming a head, and a point on the wire to form the nail. 
     
     
         14 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 13  including forming ring shanks on the nail. 
     
     
         15 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 13  including applying a lubricant to the wire and/or the forming machine prior to passing the wire through the forming machine to form grooves in the wire. 
     
     
         16 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 14  including applying a lubricant to the nail prior to forming the ring shanks on the nails. 
     
     
         17 . The nail of  claim 9 , wherein the grooves are substantially fully semi-circular in shape. 
     
     
         18 . The nail of  claim 9 , wherein the nail has a substantially fully rounded head. 
     
     
         19 . The nail of  claim 9 , wherein the nail includes nine grooves, the grooves being substantially equally spaced from one another. 
     
     
         20 . The nail of  claim 9 , wherein the corrosion-resistant is 5% aluminum/95% zinc. 
     
     
         21 . The nail of  claim 9 , wherein the corrosion-resistant is 10% aluminum/90% zinc. 
     
     
         22 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 13 , wherein the grooves are substantially fully semi-circular in shape. 
     
     
         23 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 13 , wherein the nail has a substantially fully rounded head. 
     
     
         24 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 13 , wherein the nail includes nine grooves, the grooves being substantially equally spaced from one another. 
     
     
         25 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 13 , wherein the corrosion-resistant is 5% aluminum/95% zinc. 
     
     
         26 . The pre-plated spline formed nail of  claim 13 , wherein the corrosion-resistant is 10% aluminum/90% zinc.