Abstract: An assembly for automatically compensating variations of the spacing between first and second structural members due to manufacturing and/or mounting tolerances. The assembly comprises a bolt, a nut and a compensation sleeve. The compensation sleeve has left-handed external threads adapted to be threadingly engaged with mating left-handed internal threads of the nut, and a clamping portion adapted to be connected to the nut via frictional drag and rotatable relative to the bolt when said frictional drag has been overcome, such that the bolt when being rotated causes the compensation sleeve to rotate so as to be unthreaded from the nut. When the compensation sleeve has engaged the first structural member, the frictional drag will be overcome, and the bolt can be threadingly engaged with right-handed internal threads of the nut or the compensation sleeve for clamping the first and second structural members together.

Abstract: A joining assembly for mounting a fastening element to an external surface of a structural member of deformable material. The structural member is provided at its external surface with one or a plurality of joining projections engaging into respective recesses of a joining flange of said fastening element. The joining projections are provided at their free ends with upset beads obtained by material deformation of the joining projections and positively fixing the associated joining projection to the joining flange.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotating a fastening element comprising a polygonal section such as a hexagonal nut or bolt from an arbitrary angular position to a predetermined angular position. The apparatus comprises a base member having a pocket for receiving the fastening element so as to freely rotatable therein, and a pair of positioning slides arranged on opposite sides of said pocket so as to be displaceable in parallel and opposite directions. The positioning slides have parallel positioning surfaces facing each other and provided with arcuate recesses arranged so that opposite corners of the fastening element when in its arbitrary position project thereinto. When the positioning slides are displaced in opposite directions, the walls of the recesses cooperate with the projecting corners of the fastening element so as to rotate the fastening element from its arbitrary angular position to the predetermined angular position.