Abstract: A plastic fastener, for example, a one-piece plastic rivet having a head and a bifurcated oval shank and expander means capable of axial movement within a tapered bore traversing the head and shank. Each portion of the shank has a longitudinally disposed radial relief means that provides a buckle or hinge section having generally uniform radial thickness which opens into the tapered bore to provide pairs of edges falling on the surface of the bore which, when the edges are contacted by the expander means, may cause the shank portions to be moved radially and to be expanded circumferentially as well. Positive locking means are also provided for restricting movement of the expander means after driving it into the shank bore.

Abstract: A socket for use in a ball and socket joint comprising a bearing basket having a bearing seat to accommodate the pivot ball with a resilient interlocking element to retain the pivot ball in the bearing seat and a displacement member positively locking the resilient element after the ball has been seated.

Abstract: A plastic fastener, for example, a one-piece plastic rivet, having a head and a bifurcated oval shank and expander means capable of axial movement within a tapered bore traversing the head and shank. Each portion of the shank has a longitudinally disposed radial relief means that provides a buckle or hinge section having generally uniform radial thickness which opens into the tapered bore to provide pairs of edges falling on the frusto-conical surface of the bore which, when the edges are contacted by the expander means, will cause the shank portions to be moved radially and to be expanded circumferentially as well.

Abstract: A one-piece plastic screw grommet for use in a polygonally apertured panel. The shank of the grommet is complimentary to the aperture with which it is used and includes a plurality of posts positioned in the corners of the aperture with the posts carrying web-like spring members that support and co-act with legs positioned medially between adjacent posts. Each leg includes a transversely concave inner surface forming a segment of the bore with the concave surface falling substantially on the pitch diameter of the screw with which it is associated. The posts, legs, and spring members are supported at opposite ends by the head and a free end element, with the end element closing the bore and the head sealing against the panel.

Abstract: A container control mechanism for use in certain types of package forming machines which produce packages of a plurality of containers. The certain package forming machines are those where three or more rows of containers are continuously delivered through the machine, and in which the machine applies a strip of carrier stock circumferentially about the upper end of each of the containers. The containers in rank and file with the applied carrier stock are delivered to a cutting mechanism adjacent the output end of the machine where the stock is severed between certain predetermined ranks to form individual packages of a predetermined plurality of ranks of the containers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a binding clip which comprises an elastic filamentous portion approximately in the shape of the Greek letter ".OMEGA." (omega) and head portions possessed of mutually engageable means attached one each to the extremities of said filamentous portion. After a linear article has been encircled by the filamentous portion of said binding clip, the head portion thereof is brought into inseparable engagement by winding the head portion for thereby twisting the ends parts of the filamentous portion around each other and coupling the mutually engageable means with each other.

Abstract: The invention concerns corner posts for use with card blanks to form stacking trays, especially suited to transporting garden produce. Corner posts of the invention are elongated elements of substantially right triangular cross-sectional shape having a widest face and two narrower faces, said widest face being formed with two longitudinally extending slots, said slots each having two parallel sides and a base and opening onto said widest face, said sides of one of said slots extending in planes perpendicular to said sides of the other of said slots, and each of said slots having an abutment surface extending in a plane at right angles to said sides and said base and constituting an end to said respective slot, each slot further including an undercut adjacent its said opening to provide a shoulder facing said base of said slot, said slot having a width substantially twice that of said opening of said slot at points between said shoulder and said base.

Abstract: This invention provides a plastic screw grommet which comprises in combination a flange head, a leg having a polygonal (tetragonal) section and perpendicularly extending downwardly from the underside of the said flange head, depressions formed centrally on the sides of the said leg in the surface layer thereof, rigid engaging projections are joined throughout their length and formed to rise from the bottoms of the said depressions, a screw aperture extends inwardly from the topside of the flange head along the axis of the leg and grooves extend radially from the inner wall of the said screw aperture to a point adjacent the corners of said leg.

Abstract: A one-piece plastic strain relief grommet which comprises a female member having a flanged U-shaped head end face and a chamber for accommodating a stretched electrical conductor means, a male member adapted to fit within the chamber of the female member for distortion and locking engagement of said conductor therewith, and a connecting means for connecting said two members in the form of a unitary set. The two members remain in the form of a unitary set connected by the connecting without accidental separation from each other until the grommet is put to actual use.

Abstract: A multipiece, preassembled washer unit incorporating an upper washer and a lower conical washer with a ring gauge interposed between the outer marginal surfaces of the washers so that the gauge is clamped between the superimposed washers upon compression of the unit to a predetermined amount. The clamping of the gauge being indicative of a predetermined accurate tension level in the joint. The ring gauge including means to accurately size itself and thereby accommodate and/or minimize errors due to tolerances in cold headed clamping members.

Abstract: The method includes positioning a plurality of rotary milling saw stations about a path of travel for successive screw blanks. Two longitudinally overlapping fluting cuts are made on each side of each blank to configure a drilling point. The blanks are rotated about their axis a predetermined amount, during travel between work stations, to expose the appropriate peripheral surface of the blank to the appropriate work station. The method and apparatus described in the invention is capable of producing a drill screw with relatively long flutes behind the cutting edges while not appreciably weakening the point structure. The turret carrying the blanks is intermittently indexed in timed relationship with the activation of the milling saw, the work stations and means to clamp the blanks at the work stations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pinching clip which comprises a pair of pinching arms interconnected through the medium of a hinge portion, an elastic brace disposed astraddle said hinge portion and joined at the opposed extremities thereof with the rear sides of said pinching arms, and damping pieces disposed one behind each said pinching arm in such a way that when the two pinching arms are closed by virtue of the pressure exerted thereon by the finger tips, the otherwise possible sudden closing motion of the clip will be retarded. When the clip is closed, the damping pieces disposed on the rear sides of the pinching arms produce an action of retarding the movement of finger tips, with the result that otherwise possible sudden closing motion of the clip is retarded when the clip changes form from its opened state into its closed state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plastic screw grommet, comprising a flange head containing a through hole for insertion of a screw at the center thereof, a pair of insertion leg members perpendicularly extending downwardly from the undersurface of said flange head opposite each other with reference to said through hole and having engaging projections formed one each on the outer surfaces thereof, a pair of leaves adapted to avoid restraining the movement of said leg members and stretched one each to integrally connect the opposed edges of the leg members so as to form a substantially cylindrical enclosure in conjunction with the leg members, whereby the leading end of a screw driven through said flange head is wrapped in said cylindrical enclosure.

Abstract: A keyboard shift and shift lock and release mechanism consisting of two shift keyswitches and one shift lock keyswitch is provided by the interaction of cams molded on the actuating plungers of the keyswitches and a slide member on each keyswitch which carries a cam follower pin and is constructed so as to move along a straight line relative to its associated housing upon actuation of the associated plunger. The two shift keyswitches have one type of cam and the slide members for these two switches are coupled together by a removable metal rod while the shift lock keyswitch has a second type of cam and its slide member interacts with the slide member of one of the shift keyswitches which is positioned adjacent to it.

Abstract: A multipackage of a group of bottles and a bag-like or bundling device. The group of bottles are arranged in two adjacent rows and in transverse ranks perpendicular to the rows. The bag-like device is formed from a thin flexible material and essentially comprises three elements, a band portion that securely encircles the sidewall peripheral surface of the group of bottles, a bottom wall that is integrally connected between the lower edges of at least two sidewalls of the device, and an upper portion that comprises a gathered and secured arrangement of at least a pair of flaps integrally connected to the upper ends of two opposed sidewalls of the device. The gathered and secured flaps are arranged to form tensioned truss elements that extend diagonally from opposite corners of the group of bottles. The securement of the tensioned truss elements is substantially at the height of the bottle caps of the group of bottles and substantially midway between the bottles of the center rank of bottles.

Abstract: A shipping carton construction comprising a closed carton containing a plurality of containers. The containers upstand in the carton in side-by-side abutting positions and are arranged in groups with a packaging device for each group. The packaging device is formed from a resilient deformable plastics sheet material in the shape of a plurality of bands arranged in two adjacent rows. The bands are circumferentially applied about the individual containers to separate and cushion the individual containers in a spaced-apart relationship so that in transport and handling, containers having a high finish are not scratched or marred.

Abstract: Sensors, or transducers, which utilize elongated magnetically saturable tubes with sense lines that run through the tubes for simultaneous sensing of a plurality of parameters are disclosed. One version involves a single sensing element which has a first pair of diametrically disposed magnetic poles responsive to one condition that is positioned adjacent to one end of the tube and a second pair of diametrically disposed magnets responsive to another condition that is positioned adjacent to the other end of the tube. Another version involves two elements which have temperature vs. inductance characteristics which intersect, and a pair of diametrically disposed magnets responsive to another condition positioned adjacent the two elements.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plastic cord clamp which comprises a pair of opposed arcuate holding members having the lower ends thereof connected with each other through an intervening thin-walled hinge portion to form a roundly bent main clamp body, said hinges portion being flexible to the extent of allowing said opposed holding members to diverge or converge freely about said hinge portion as the fulcrum, mutually engageable pawls formed one each at the upper ends of said pair of holding members and a pair of leg members formed one each at the lower ends of said pair of holding members and adapted to protrude outwardly therefrom tangentially to the clamp body in opposite directions, whereby said two leg members converge when said upper ends of holding members are opened to admit a cord between the two holding members and the leg members diverge and come into fast engagement with the edges of matching perforations bored in a holder plate when said engaging pawls are closed in on the admitted cord and brought into mutual

Abstract: A catch comprising a plunger member and a guide member, the plunger member being able to reciprocate in the guide member, with a nose of the plunger member extending out of the guide member, each of the members being a single moulding of a plastics material, one or both members including one or more tongues which extend primarily in the direction of relative reciprocation of the members and are resiliently flexible transversely to that direction, each tongue engaging a cam or a tongue on the other member in such a manner that forces act on the tongues having components parallel to the direction of relative reciprocation of the members, in the sense which urges the members towards a limit of relative reciprocation at which the extension of the nose out of the guide member is greatest, and if the nose is displaced into the guide member and released, then the plunger member returns to the said limit.

Abstract: An adjustable end cap for moldings formed of an element of a plastic material comprising a first portion intended to be inserted in a molding end and a second portion forming an abutment with said first portion and intended to project from the molding end. The first portion has a member for anchoring the plastic element in a hole provided in a wall to which said molding is to be applied and between said member and said second portion of the plastic element an yieldable section is provided which permits relative movements between said anchoring member and said second portion.