Patents Examined by Gary Estremsky
  • Patent number: 9695852
    Abstract: A floating fastener mounting structure includes a mounting socket having an annular bottom stop flange and mounting portion extending around a bottom end of a center hole thereof, a locking member including a shank inserted through center hole, a mounting head located at the top end of shank and suspending above center hole and an expanded locking end tip located at the bottom end of shank and movable in and out of the bottom end of center hole, a spring member mounted around shank and stopped between mounting socket and locking member, a cap member fastened to mounting head and having an outer diameter not larger than outer diameter of annular bottom stop flange and defining an accommodation chamber for accommodating a part of the mounting socket and a part of the mounting head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: HANWIT PRECISION INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Ying-Chih Tseng
  • Patent number: 9689415
    Abstract: A hollow screw and related process of making is provided, wherein the hollow screw is formed from a generally circular corrosion resistant stainless steel disk cut from flat roll stock. The hollow screw includes a head and an elongated and hollow shaft having a wall thickness between about 0.2 to about 0.7 millimeters extending therefrom and defining a shank portion and a threaded portion having a plurality of threads thereon with a rotational drive mechanism configured to facilitate tightening via the threads. The process involves annealing to soften the stamped hollow screw, followed by thread rolling, and then age hardening the hollow screw. As such, the resultant hollow screw is relatively lightweight, about 50% the mass of a solid core screw made from the same material, with a sufficient thread strength to meet most aerospace applications and contributes to important aircraft fuel economy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 9689417
    Abstract: A washer includes a domed central portion with a central opening establishing a longitudinal axis, a base wall extending in a direction radially outwardly from the axis, and an extension wall extending in a direction radially outwardly and axially away from the base wall. The washer also includes a curled radially outer periphery with a peripheral wall extending radially outwardly from the extension wall and in a direction axially away from the extension wall back toward the base wall. A fastener assembly includes the washer and a fastener having a shank extending through the central opening of the central portion. A fastener arrangement includes the fastener assembly and an object to which the fastener assembly is fastened. A product, and a related method, include a panel carried by an underlying support structure to which the shank of the fastener assembly is coupled, with the curled radially outer periphery engaging the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Inventors: Robert E. Stewart, Nicholas Strumbos
  • Patent number: 9683593
    Abstract: A step bolt connector and bolt assembly creates steps on a structure for accommodating a worker's boot. A first threaded bore is formed in a cylindrical end of a step bolt connector and this first threaded bore is threaded onto an exposed bolt on a structure. A sight hole extends from the exterior of the connector to the inward end of the first threaded bore for visually checking to see if the bolt is adequately attached in the first bore. A recess is formed in the cylindrical end and the recess is dimensioned to fit over fastening nut on the exposed bolt on the structure. When the first threaded bore is screwed onto the exposed bolts on the structure, the recess at least partially surrounds shields and protects the fastening nut on the exposed end of the bolt. A second threaded bore is formed in a second end (a truncated conical end) of the connector, and a step bolt is secured in the second threaded bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Allfasteners USA, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Strange, Bruce A. Carmichael
  • Patent number: 9683596
    Abstract: A nut fastener is provided for locking the nut to prevent inadvertent loosening of the nut. The nut fastener is particularly useful for tightening a wheel onto an axle. The nut fastener includes a nut, a collar and a retaining ring. The nut is unlocked by pushing on an engagement surface of the collar or by riding ratchet teeth over each other. When the collar is released, the collar locks against the nut to resist rotation of the nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignees: MacLean-Fogg Company, Stemco LP
    Inventors: Mark W. Hughes, Daniel T. Jimenez
  • Patent number: 9683592
    Abstract: A wooden screw may include a shank, a threaded segment, a screw head, a tapered portion and a stem portion. The shank diameter is smaller than the horizontal distance defined as a distance between two opposite ends of the tapered edges, while the width defined as a distance between two symmetric rear portions of blades is between the shank diameter and the horizontal distance, so a drill hole on the wooden material is not contacted with the shank during the screwing process, and the wooden screw also can reduce the friction and provide a complete mechanism for wood chips in accommodation and expulsion. Also, because the diameter of the drill hole is smaller than the horizontal distance, the tapered edges on the threaded segment are much easier to be screwed into wooden material. Therefore, the bonding strength between the wooden screw and the wooden material is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignees: Masterpiece Hardware Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Rick Wang
  • Patent number: 9677584
    Abstract: A fixing screw structure for adjusting a fixing procedure used for fixing a panel to a casing, including a screw, an elastomer and a fixing frame. The screw includes a threaded portion and a tapered portion, and passes through the panel, and the threaded portion is screwed on the casing. The elastomer is annular and disposed around the screw, and has a taper hole corresponding to the tapered portion. The fixing frame is a hollow tube, and is fixed on the panel and positioned around the elastomer. When the screw is screwed, the tapered portion abuts the inner wall of the taper hole and the elastomer is expanded outwardly to fitly abut the inner wall of the fixing frame. The instant disclosure transforms the longitudinal screwing force into a transverse expanding force to fix the panel, thereby eliminating the cumulative tolerance of the casing and the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: NEXTRONICS ENGINEERING CORP.
    Inventors: Hou-An Su, Yu-Liang Shao
  • Patent number: 9670946
    Abstract: A screwed assembly consists of at least one pre-punched, upper and an unpunched, lower component, an intermediate layer arranged in between, and a plurality of self-drilling fastening screws which are introduced via a pre-punch hole in the upper component and screwed to the unpunched component with the interposition of the intermediate layer. In order to effectively prevent in a simple manner any still uncured intermediate layer material from flowing out of the upper component surface when the fastening screws are screwed in, the pre-punches in the upper component are designed as blind holes which are closed by a thin-walled web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Robert Duenisch, Benjamin Koch, Norbert Wendland, Peter Hirsch, Helmut Gottmann, Dieter Rapp, Thomas Klawunn
  • Patent number: 9664225
    Abstract: A device for pre-assembly of a pin-shaped device in a through-hole of a structural element, including a cylinder barrel-shaped sleeve, a plurality of first holding elements disposed at an inner side of the sleeve and projecting inwards, and second holding elements projecting outwards from both ends of the sleeve and being elastically deformable, such that upon insertion of the fastening device into the through-hole, the second holding elements can perform an evasive movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Adi Szczukowski, Benjamin Raeth, Bruno Da Rocha
  • Patent number: 9651079
    Abstract: A fastener includes a shank having a point at a first end and a second, head end. One or more prolate cross-section regions is formed in the shank. Prolate cross-section regions may be formed in a threaded section and/or a thread free section of the fastener. Each prolate cross-section may have a polar diameter greater than the cylindrical diameter of the region in which it is formed and an equatorial diameter smaller than the corresponding cylindrical diameter of the region in which it is formed. Two generally adjacent prolate cross-section regions have cross-sections offset with respect to each other by an angle between zero and ninety-degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SIMPSON STRONG-TIE COMPANY, INC.
    Inventor: Jeremy Scott Park
  • Patent number: 9644668
    Abstract: A fastener for locking two or more sheet sections together comprises a shaft tapered at one end and having a driving head at the other end with a relatively coarse thread running from the tapered end towards the head and a relatively fine thread between the coarse thread and the head. The fine thread has a pitch which is approximately equal to the thickness of the sheet sections and extends from the head for from two to six threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: WAMLEZ PTY LTD.
    Inventor: Warren Taylor
  • Patent number: 9644659
    Abstract: A joint fastening system employs a lock bolt having a pull stem and locking threads inserted through a bore in a joint having fay sealant between layers. A collar is received over the pull stem to engage the threads, the collar producing tension on the threads to generate clamp force sufficient for fay sealant squeeze out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Mark A. Woods, John A. Davies, Gregory J. Shish, Kwok Tung Chan, Eric M. Avakian, Dan Day, Omar J. Pacheo Agosto
  • Patent number: 9644660
    Abstract: An assembly improving, lower mass fastener head that is easier to handle and reduces the amount of material that is required in manufacturing the fastener comprises three lugs at multiples of 60 degrees around an axis of a threaded body. Those portions of a hex head that are not necessary for application and transmission of torque, nor necessary to resist axial loading, nor necessary to axially stabilize the fastener head within current driving tooling may be removed. Compatibility with existing hex head tools is maintained while improving handling of the fastener by an assembler and reducing material used in the fastener head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: MATHREAD INC.
    Inventor: Michael Garver
  • Patent number: 9636529
    Abstract: A mounting device and method of mounting an automatic stovetop fire suppressor are provided herein. Stovetop fires are a well-known residential and commercial hazard. Common parts are utilized across the stovetop fire suppressors employed in different stovetop configurations, reducing inventory count. The mount design can be automated for greater efficiency of time and labor and may provide increased production or throughput. A magnet is attached at the factory for the vent hood product, eliminating the need for such assembly by an end user. This attachment also alleviates loss or misplacement of the magnet during unpacking or installation. A threaded insert is staked to the fire suppressor can and affords reliable retention of the magnet to the fires suppressor can. The present designs enables formation of a consistent vent area in the fire suppressor can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: WilliamsRDM, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W Murray
  • Patent number: 9631658
    Abstract: An improved pull-up bolt assembly adapted to be used for supporting a high-weight structure to a hinge component using an opening or recess in the high-weight structure, the bolt assembly having a pull-up bolt member, a nut component, a tapered member, and an expandable friction member, where the improvement includes one or more threads helically disposed about the expandable friction member, the one or more threads each having a height, a width and a helical angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Universal Hinge Corporation
    Inventor: Edward A. DePietro
  • Patent number: 9624956
    Abstract: Bulging portions elastically coming into contact with an inner peripheral surface of a fixation hole of a panel member are formed on an outer peripheral surface of a shaft portion of a waterproof clip made of an elastic material, thereby sealing a space between these surfaces by elasticity of the bulging portions to obtain a waterproof function, and firmly fixing the shaft portion to the panel member by friction force between the inner peripheral surface and the bulging portions. The clip requires no special seal member, thereby reducing the number of parts and assembly steps. Each bulging portion is formed narrower toward the front side in the insertion direction of the shaft portion, thereby easily press fitting the shaft portion into the fixation hole while improving waterproofness and airtightness by sufficiently compressing the bulging portions. The clip can surely fix an interior material to the panel member with excellent sealability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Nifco Inc.
    Inventors: Keita Ishizaka, Mamoru Ishii, Yohei Nagahori
  • Patent number: 9618030
    Abstract: The present invention is a lock nut which fastens to enable a downstream bent portion of a spiral coil spring to be a stopper point so that the diameter of the spiral coil spring is extended overall, and which unfastens to release the downstream bent portion from the stopper point and enable an upstream bent portion of the spiral coil spring to be a stopper point so that the diameter of the spiral coil spring is extended overall, thus enabling the lock nut to be easily fasten without sacrificing elastic fastening forces of the conventional lock nut, preventing the lock nut from easily unfastening by unintentional external force, and enabling the lock nut to unfasten only by intentional external force. The above described operation can be performed without increasing manufacturing cost, and the lock nut can be manufactured to be disposable in order to achieve preventing accidents in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: KUMSAN E&C CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Han-baek Cho
  • Patent number: 9618029
    Abstract: A cap for use in covering a portion of a fastener protruding from a surface is provided. The portion includes threads. The cap includes an interior, a base that at least partially delimits the interior, a threaded receptacle on the interior configured to threadably engage the portion of the fastener, and a seal coupled to the base to engage the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michael Scott Cameron, Blaine Knight Rawdon
  • Patent number: 9610661
    Abstract: A fastener for a vehicle lamp assembly has an adjustable stud and grommet. Positioning grooves on the stud interact with positioning fingers on the grommet in a ratcheting fashion to allow more accurate alignment of the lamp assembly prior to securing the lamp assembly to a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Burton Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: John Burton
  • Patent number: 9610904
    Abstract: A one piece push-in fastener for insertion through a hole includes a head, and an elongate shank extending from the head and terminating in a tip. The fastener also includes a shoulder spaced from the head and extending radially outward from the shank, and a plurality of spaced ribs extending radially outward from the shank and disposed along a length of the shank between the shoulder and the tip. A diameter of the head is greater than a diameter of the shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: David R. Huelke