Abstract: A fastener includes a threaded shank with a driving head on one end and a washer of resiliently yieldable material encircling the shank and disposed beneath the head to be compressed between the latter and a workpiece as the shank is driven into the workpiece. The head includes a skirt engaging the washer, the underside of the skirt being concave and being formed with an annular rib. As the washer is compressed, the rib exerts a downward force and produces a sealing circle between the washer and the workpiece. At the same time, the inner side of the rib forces the washer downwardly and inwardly to form a seal around the shank. The outer side of the rib forces the washer downwardly and outwardly against a flange on the periphery of the skirt, the flange trapping and retaining the washer in the space defined by the underside of the skirt.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved door latch assembly having a rotatable member which is transparent or translucent and to which a door knob structure is coupled. The member is rotatably mounted between a pair of support plates, and the member has a roller on the outer periphery thereof. A number of pivotally mounted links on one of the support plates operates to move a latch bolt into its retracted position when the roller moves in either direction under the influence of the rotation of the member by turning a door knob element of the door structure. The various links cooperate with each other to cause immediate movement of the latch bolt upon rotation of the member, yet the links are not visible from a position exteriorly of the door in which the latch assembly is mounted.

Abstract: A fastener for use in porous granular or other easily penetratable material includes as a first element a guide element in the form of a flat plate having opposite faces and at least one guide slot which is open along the opposite faces of the plate and which has an open end at an edge of the plate, the slot being at least partially curved along its length. The fastener also includes a material-gripping element in the form of a blade which has a width greater than the thickness of the plate and which is insertable into the slot, the blade having opposite sides which are engaged by and guided by opposite edges of the slot along the entire length of the blade when the blade is inserted into the slot. The blade is deformed by the edges of the slot so as to correspond to the shape of the slot.

Abstract: A latch device for a hinged door including a resiliently flexible latch bar secured to the door and having a free portion extending along the inside of the door to an end portion, near the door edge, which engages a catch by means of the bending and straightening of the latch bar. Preferred embodiments include a stop bar similar to the latch bar, but extending beyond the opposite door edge to engage another catch to hold the door open. The latch and stop bars are preferably a single bar with two free portions at its opposite ends. The catches have bearing surfaces which distort the bar as the door swings to prepare it to snap into locking engagement with the catches. Access to the latch bar, to allow unlatching, is provided through the door.

Abstract: The disclosed invention comprises a molded plastic holding device 10 having an axially extending inner space 11 to receive a profiled bolt, especially a sawtooth bolt. The inner space 11 has a plurality of guide stays OR ribs 3 distributed about its circumference and running in the axial direction to engage the bolt in the lengthwise direction. There is also arranged in the inner space 11 at a location prior to the guide stays 3, in the push-in direction A of the bolt, a profile guide zone 1 with spring finger elements 2. The profiled guide zone 1 is defined by radially resilient and deflectable corrugated shell parts (13 to 18) which carry the spring finger elements 2.

Abstract: A fastening assembly for use in attaching articles to soft materials such as gypsum based and light weight concrete roofing. The assembly includes an anchoring element which has a high thread and an axial bore in one end. The thread has an included angle of less than 45.degree. and terminates in a sharp edge at the free end of the anchoring element. A headed screw is driven into the bore and becomes fixed to the anchoring element. A flange is integrally molded and frangibly connected to the bored end of the anchoring element, and becomes a washer upon breaking away therefrom.

Abstract: A reversible latch bolt and lock bolt assembly, where the latch bolt has a spring mounted latch bolt member with a slanted contact face. The latch bolt member can be rotated 180.degree. about its horizontal lengthwise axis to position the slanted contact face in either of two orientations. An outer cover plate can be rotated about its vertical center axis to properly receive the latch bolt in either of two positions. Thus, the same latch bolt and lock bolt assembly can be utilized in a door which opens in either an inside or an outside direction. Further, the operating knobs and push buttons are made reversible so that the assembly can be arranged in four different positional combinations.

Abstract: The in-place tensioning washer apparatus mounts about a stud to be tensioned. The apparatus has an upper portion, a lower portion, and an expanding torus positioned therebetween. With the stud threaded into the workpiece, the washer is slid onto the stud and a nut is threaded hand tight onto the stud. Pressurization of the torus then forces the upper portion of the apparatus away from the lower portion, putting the stud in tension. Shims are inserted into the gap between the upper and lower portions caused by pressurization of the torus. The torus is then depressurized and the shims maintain the gap between the upper and lower portions, thereby maintaining the stud in tension. To relax the stress in the stud, the torus is repressurized to force the upper and lower portions of the washer apart, freeing the shims for removal. Depressurization of the torus then relaxes the stress in the stud.

Abstract: A connector of the nut-and-bolt type with a bolt that has an external thread and/or a nut that has an internal thread. The connector has a locking device that provides a moment of friction that counteracts the unscrewing moment. The pitch of the external thread differs from that of the internal thread. The external thread is screwed far enough into the internal thread or vice versa for the moment of friction of the locking device to result, once the flank clearance between the two threads has been completely occupied and exceeded, from the forces that occur during resilient deformation.

Abstract: A decorative capped wheel nut for holding a wheel on a motor vehicle where the capped wheel nut is exposed to view and to the environment. The nut has first and second ends, the first end to engage the wheel of the automobile, and a circumferential edge intermediate the first and second ends. The cap includes a side section to cover the sides of the nut insert and a top section, joined to the side section, to cover the second end of the nut insert. The opposite end of the side section terminates in a free edge, flare or flange which contacts the circumferential edge of the nut insert. The cap and nut insert are welded together at the contact between the circumferential edge of the nut insert and the free edge of the cap.

Abstract: A pin and wedge combination for connecting together adjoining lattice bridge panels (M) is characterised in that the pin (P) has a plurality of diametric slots (S) spaced along its axis and with ends which overlap in the general direction of the axis. Additionally, the wedge (W) is curved and resiliently deformable in a plane perpendicular to its depth whereby the wedge is insertable by deformation into any selected one of the slots (S) and thereafter resiliently engages spaced points of the sides of that slot so as to be self-retaining therein.

Abstract: A fastening clip for use in wooden deck construction and the like comprises a rectangular strip of galvanized steel having a stamped-out central portion forming a perpendicular shank terminating in a parallel arrowhead-like end for piercing the edge of a wooden plank. Nailing or screwing holes are provided in the strip on either side of stamped-out portion.

Abstract: A self-locking fastener having a bearing surface comprising a plurality of sets of serrations arranged to penetrate a workpiece such that while a resistance to the loosening of the fastener from the workpiece is created the marring of the workpiece surface is minimized. Use of the fastener is particularly advantageous if the workpiece consists of soft materials such as cast-aluminum or non-heat treated carbon steels. Each set of serration, when viewed as a profile, includes a downwardly inclined surface, a relatively deeper serration and a relatively shallower intermediate serration. The intermediate serration controls the depth of the penetration into a workpiece.

Abstract: A final closing device for a closure member on a vehicle is disclosed. The closure member, which may be swingably, slidably or otherwise mounted for movement between open and closed positions on a vehicle body member, includes a latch bolt movable between latched and unlatched positions. The final closing device includes a striker support plate mounted on the body member for rotational movement about an axis perpendicular to such plate, a striker carried by the striker support plate and projecting therefrom at a position eccentrically offset from the axis, means carried by the body member and connected to the striker support plate for rotating the striker support plate, and means coupled to the rotating means and constructed and arranged to preclude reverse rotation of the striker plate for preventing unintended opening of the closure member when high opening forces are applied thereto.

Abstract: A hitch pin assembly is provided for locking equipment, such as a crossbar, to a tractor. The hitch pin comprises a locking pin having a head and a pivoted pull ring serving as the locking mechanism. A spring loaded rod including a keeper notch is retained coaxially within the locking pin. An access slot in the pin is provided in alignment with the notch to allow receipt of the ring as it swings toward the pin for locking. The spring loaded rod is retracted into the locking pin, allowing the keeper notch to capture the pull ring. The rod is then released and the pull ring is securely locked in a positive fashion in position. Pressing the rod back into the pin releases the ring to pivot outwardly from the keeper notch so that the locking pin can be removed.

Abstract: An inside handle device for a vehicle comprises a bracket, a handle disposed inside the bracket, a locking knob disposed inside the handle, and a single hinge pin for rotatably pivoting the handle and the locking knob inside both side portions of the bracket. The hinge pin has a circumferential groove formed therein. One of the bracket, handle and locking knob has elastic pawls projecting toward the hinge pin which are engaged in the groove of the hinge pin to prevent the hinge pin from shifting axially. Each elastic pawl has notches at its root portion to allow easy elastic deformation thereof. Around the hinge pin is disposed a torsion spring whose one end is locked on the bracket with the other end on the handle.

Abstract: This automatic double-action casement bolt comprises a pair of locking bars urged by resilient return means to a locking or bolting position in which the bars engage corresponding keepers, these bars being retracted from the keepers and moved to their unbolting position by a set of angular levers fulcrumed at their vertices on the casement bolt casing, each angular lever being connected through one arm to one of the sliding bars, each angular lever comprising, at the end of its other arm, a notch engageable by a catch of at least one control rod movable in a direction across the bars and formed integrally with an operating and control handle urged by other resilient means to its inoperative position, the notch of the other arm of each angular lever being formed in the edge of this arm so as to provide an open clearance of which the bottom constitutes a striking edge adapted, when the casement bolt is unbolted, to co-operate with the catch of the control rod.

Abstract: A wall fastener comprising a hollow conical member, a cylindrical sleeve member disposed substantially within the conical member, an anchoring member attached to the sleeve member for engaging the inner surface of a hollow wall and a rotatable threaded member extending through aligned openings in the conical member, sleeve member and anchoring member for tightly securing the fastener to the wall. The anchoring member is comprised of a central housing and a plurality of resilient curved feet flared outwardly from the housing. The feet are bendable toward the axis of the threaded member to allow the anchoring member to be inserted through a hole in the wall. When the anchoring member has cleaned the hole, the feet are spring-biased to return to the outwardly flared position to engage the inner surface of the wall.

Abstract: A fastener for releasably securing an object to a panel having a hole therethrough comprises a screw having a screw head attached to the object and having a threaded screw shank insertable through the hole in the panel. The fastener further comprises a flexible resilient plastic push-on/screw-off nut having a bore therethrough which is slidably mountable onto the threaded screw shank into engagement with the panel. The nut has a resilient flexible concave nut head which operates to seal the panel hole and has a nut shank defining two resilient flexible legs, each of which has internal nut threads for engaging the threaded screw shank. The nut also comprises webs, each connected between the nut head and the outer side of a leg, which operate to force the nut threads tightly against the screw thread in locking engagement when the nut head is forced against the panel. The nut is removable from the screw by rotation in a conventional manner.

Abstract: A self lubricating nut having a central cavity for insertion of a bolt, a lubricant passage through said nut which opens into an internal bored circumferential gland, and at least one internal bored axial gland which crosses said circumferential gland.