Today in Wheeling History: March 19--Edgar K. Day Jr., Wheeling inventor and Whitaker-Glessner Company employee, was granted U.S. Patent No. 1260154A for his innovative screw design (1918).
Edgar Kinsey Day Jr. was born on May 6, 1884, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Edgar Kinsey and Clara Happy Day. A lifelong resident of Wheeling, Day established himself as a prolific inventor with numerous patents to his name, particularly in the field of construction and metal working. One notable invention was a specialized screw designed specifically for attaching sheet metal plates.
Day's patented screw, granted on March 19, 1918, featured a unique tapered body with a spiral thread of specific design. The screw's innovative features included a neck of reduced diameter between the body and head, and a thread with one wall positioned radially to the body and another wall inclined toward the head. This design enabled the screw to puncture metal plates without requiring pre-drilling, securely fastening overlapped metal sheets together without loosening over time.
Day worked for the Whitaker-Glessner Company of Wheeling, which later became part of Wheeling Steel Corporation. Beyond this patent, Day held at least nine other patents, including designs for structural members, roofing plates, and conductor pipe hangers.
Day lived at 123 Columbia Avenue in the Elm Grove neighborhood. He was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church and Bates Lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He died on March 28, 1966, at the age of 81, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling.
To learn more: Google Patents (https://tinyurl.com/2p97e5yz), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/44995h6t), Wheeling Sunday News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/3bu8aahs) (https://tinyurl.com/3v36exd5)
Photo credits: U.S. Patent Office, Wheeling Sunday News-Register, Google Maps
Edgar Kinsey Day Jr. was born on May 6, 1884, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Edgar Kinsey and Clara Happy Day. A lifelong resident of Wheeling, Day established himself as a prolific inventor with numerous patents to his name, particularly in the field of construction and metal working. One notable invention was a specialized screw designed specifically for attaching sheet metal plates.
Day's patented screw, granted on March 19, 1918, featured a unique tapered body with a spiral thread of specific design. The screw's innovative features included a neck of reduced diameter between the body and head, and a thread with one wall positioned radially to the body and another wall inclined toward the head. This design enabled the screw to puncture metal plates without requiring pre-drilling, securely fastening overlapped metal sheets together without loosening over time.
Day worked for the Whitaker-Glessner Company of Wheeling, which later became part of Wheeling Steel Corporation. Beyond this patent, Day held at least nine other patents, including designs for structural members, roofing plates, and conductor pipe hangers.
Day lived at 123 Columbia Avenue in the Elm Grove neighborhood. He was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church and Bates Lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He died on March 28, 1966, at the age of 81, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling.
To learn more: Google Patents (https://tinyurl.com/2p97e5yz), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/44995h6t), Wheeling Sunday News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/3bu8aahs) (https://tinyurl.com/3v36exd5)
Photo credits: U.S. Patent Office, Wheeling Sunday News-Register, Google Maps
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