Abstract: A fastener includes a post and a clip. The post is formed with a head and an elongated shank extending therefrom, longitudinally spaced and radially extending ribs being formed at the free end of the shank. The clip is formed with an opening for receiving the shank, a forward split collar section generally surrounding said opening, a resilient center section, and a pair of wings extending rearwardly, from the center section. When the wings are squeezed together, the shoulder sections separate for slipping over and around the free end portion of the post as the shank is received into the opening in the clip. When the wings are released, the shoulder sections resiliently return toward one another to engage the shank between two adjacent ribs for interlocking engagement between the clip and the post.

Abstract: A device for securing a floor mat to the floor carpet of an automobile, comprising a base plate with an aperture that is positioned on top of a hole in an automobile floor carpet and two leg members attached to the base plate near the aperture and extending downward through the hole. The leg members are foldable at intermediate portions thereof such that the intermediate portions can move apart from each other. A connecting section is attached to the bottom ends of the two leg members to connect them together. A post having at least one prong is mounted on the connecting section and extends upward toward the base plate such that when the leg members are folded, at least a portion of the post extends through the aperture in the base plate and the hole in the carpet. The post also has means for maintaining the leg members in a folded state so that the post extends through the aperture in the base plate. The invention also comprises means for detachably engaging the post with a floor mat.

Abstract: Threaded device (18) useful in a bracket (10) for mounting electrical components. The device (18) has a flat spring element (25) with two pressed tongues (20) with adjacent free ends. The tongues carry half nuts (45) with threaded half circular openings which are adjacent, so as to substantially define a threaded opening. A screw may be passed axially into the threaded opening so as to press the half nuts (45) apart against the bias of the tongues (20), without rotating the screw. On subsequent rotation of the screw, the half nuts (45) are drawn together by spring bias of the tongues (20) to enable the screw to threadedly engage the half nuts (45).

Abstract: An automatic fastening or closing device operating by moving past a dead point and comprising a base portion to which are pivotally connected arcuate tongues themselves pivotally connected by hinges to lugs and comprising each one an outwards projecting portion to form a bearing point allowing the lugs to assume a position remote from each other, i.e. an open locking position, the device being applicable to the fastening and to the locking in blind relationship of a box-like or channel-shaped part onto any support or member whatsoever.

Abstract: A tapping screw engages a member to be engaged with a base plate made of metal by tapping a burring hole formed on the base plate. The tapping screw includes a main body having a shank and a head formed at a base end of the shank. A reduced diameter shank portion extends from a fore end portion of the shank of the main body, and has a taper angle .theta. of 9.degree. to 14.degree. and a substantially rounded triangle shaped cross-section. Recesses having no thread are formed at three faces of the reduced diameter shank portion so that a circumferential width of each recess is gradually reduced toward a tip end of the reduced diameter shank portion. Each recess is formed by a steep face facing a screwing direction of the tapping screw and a gentle face oppositely facing the steep face to form a groove.

Abstract: A pre-tensioning device is used with a fastening element for fastening pieces together, the fastening element having a tightening element movable longitudinally along a first region thereof, which fastening element is to be subjected to a pre-tensioning expansion. The device comprises a locking piece fixedly attachable to the first region of the fastening element and extending over the tightening element; the tightening element being movable with respect to a piece to be fastened independently of the locking piece; and an annular sleeve made of a shape memory metal and positioned between the locking piece and the piece which is to be fastened to another piece, whereby when the annular sleeve is heated it undergoes an expansion due to a phase transformation and forces the locking piece upwards such that the fastening element is stretched and the tightening element can be tightened against the piece to be fastened.

Abstract: A flanged wheel fastener includes a fastener body having a threaded portion, a load-bearing surface, an out-of-round surface and a flange situated between the load-bearing surface and the out-of-round surface. A cap is disposed over the out-of-round surface and the flange, and an edge portion of the cap is bent around the flange to retain the cap on the fastener body. All portions of the cap are spaced axially away from all portions of the bearing-surface, and the cap is free of welding or adhesive attachment to the fastener body.

Abstract: A spreading anchor including an anchor rod (2) having a stem (12) provided at its front end, when viewed in a setting direction, with a cone (3) widening outwardly towards its free end and a longitudinally displaceable sleeve (4) pushed over the anchor rod (2) and having at a front end (8) cutting tabs (5) which are provided with cutters, are separated from each other by gaps, extend from a plastic hinge (11) toward the cone (3), and are spread radially upon sliding of the sleeve (4) over the cone (3), the sections of the cutting tabs (5), which extend from free ends thereof in a direction toward the plastic hinge (11), having an outer surface (6) remote from the cone (3) and formed at least in their cutting region thereof as a substantially toroidal surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a countersunk head screw with an even number of ribs with countersinking blades on the underside of the screw head and projecting therefrom. Every other rib has a step at its end towards the screw shaft formed by shortening the rib concerned in relation to each adjacent rib.

Abstract: A lightweight, two piece adjustable attachment device provides simple installation into a part, develops robust strength, and enables alignment of a retaining screw or bolt axis with the longitudinal axis of a threaded mounting hole, despite part to mount misalignment caused by tolerance build-up in a complex assembly. The adjustable attachment device is designed to provide sufficient overlap on each side of the part of the edges of the circular receiving aperture that the adjustable attachment device is able to withstand great force without pulling out of the part. The adjustable attachment device includes a fastener receiving slot that extends across the adjustable attachment device. The adjustable attachment device is installed into a circular receiving aperture in a part to be assembled onto a larger assembly.

Abstract: A drive-in housing for mounting a latch assembly in a bore formed in a door comprises two identical housing parts each having a slot therein. When the housing parts are brought together they form an opening for receiving a bolt casing of the latch assembly. Tabs on the casing are captured in the slots as the housing parts are moved normal to the axis of the casing. Movement of the casing relative to the housing parts is then limited by direct engagement of the housing parts with the tabs. The housing parts each have two abutment surfaces facing in a circumferential direction, the abutment surfaces of one housing part having a projection and a recess, respectively, for mating with a corresponding recess and projection on the abutment surfaces of the other housing part. The housing parts, when brought together, form a faceplate having an opening therein for accommodating a bolt.

Abstract: A nut for a spoke of a spoked wheel includes an elongated, hollow, internally threaded body having flattened side faces and which progresses to an enlarged head portion along a rounded collar that permits self-alignment of the nut in a spoke hole of a wheel rim when the spoke is tensioned by the nut.

Abstract: A direct tension indicating and maintaining washer has a first surface having at least one protuberance formed thereon and a second surface having at least one indentation formed therein opposite the protuberance. The inner diameter of the direct tension indicating and maintaining washer has an inner diameter wall meeting the second surface at an inner diameter edge. The outer diameter has an outer diameter wall meeting the second surface at an outer diameter edge. The inner diameter edge and the outer diameter edge lie in different planes. This causes the flattened direct tension indicating and maintaining washer to exert force against a bolt and maintain bolt tension. An alternative direct tension indicating and maintaining washer includes indicating material positioned in the indentation and a channel formed in the second surface leading from the indentation to the outside diameter of the direct tension indicating washer.

Abstract: A cross-recessed head screw has in its head a tool engagement recess including first releasing surfaces which are adapted to be engaged with generally flat front edges of an end of a cross-headed tip screwdriver and have the function of moving the screwdriver backward when the screwdriver is turned in the reverse direction for loosening the screw. The tool engagement recess further has second releasing surfaces each contiguous to a corresponding one of the first releasing surfaces and serve to guide the backward movement of the screwdriver as the latter is turned in the screw-loosening reverse direction. By virtue of engagement between the first releasing surfaces and the front edges of the screwdriver, the reverse rotation of the screwdriver produces only a small friction torque which is quite insufficient to cause rotation of the screw in the screw-loosening direction.

Abstract: A threaded fastener having an elongated threaded shaft portion, an enlarged head portion connected in axial alignment to said shaft portion, and a plurality of longitudinal grooves positioned circumferentially around said head portion. The fastener has a longitudinal axis, and the grooves are positioned parallel to this axis. The grooves engage the shaft portion adjacent the head, such that the grooves extend completely from the free end of the head to the point where the shaft is connected to the head. The grooves preferably extend radially toward the longitudinal axis to a depth equal to the outer diameter of the threaded shaft.

Abstract: A self-tapping, blind setting bolt rivet assembly capable of permanently fastening one or more sheet metal work pieces or the like together while also providing a hollow cylindrical threaded bolt head onto which a nut may be affixed to a means to removably attach other work pieces, components or the like. The rivet assembly comprises a rivet body having a hollow tubular sleeve and a threaded stud separated by an enlarged flattened head. The rivet body surrounds a mandrel comprising a shank which is terminated in a screw tip. This screw tip punctures, spreads, and self-taps an aperture in the work pieces through which the rivet sleeve passes. The mandrel's shank may have a weakened area of reduced diameter adjacent to the screw tip which allows detachment of shaft following application of sufficient axial force to the shank. This application of force sets the rivet by causing a tapered shoulder section of the mandrel to deform the rivet sleeve.

Abstract: An improved blind rivet assembly is disclosed, in which a plastics cylinder is moulded along a pulling stem of a long break mandrel. On setting the mandrel is broken within the cylinder providing the cylinder with an additional degree of shear strength, allowing the cylinder to be used as a support.

Abstract: A plastic fastener for securely and reliably fastening a cover plate to a rack cabinet includes a fastener part and a pin. The fastener part has a pierced shaft which includes tabs or similar appendages and two spaced flange-like collars. The fastener part is inserted in a hole in a rack cabinet and the pin is then inserted in the pierced shaft of the fastener part, which forces the tabs to spread outward from the fastener part to fix the fastener part in the hole. The cover plate is then pushed between the two flange-like collars.

Abstract: A non-removable screw nut fastener assembly for affixation to a threaded bolt member comprising a nut member with a round substantially smooth exterior surface having a peripheral snap ring groove, a cap member having one closed end and an interior surface having a peripheral snap ring groove, the cap member being of such size as to fit closely but loosely over the nut member when the nut is fastened to the bolt member substantially enclosing and prevent turning of the nut and a snap ring resting untensioned partly within each of the peripheral grooves to prevent removal of the cap member.

Abstract: A fastener is formed from carbon steel wire so as to have an elongate shank defining an axis, an enlarged head formed at one end of the shank, and a generally pointed tip formed at the other end of the shank. The shank has a ringed portion formed with annular grooves defining annular rings and with helical grooves intersecting the annular grooves and defining helical ribs. The fastener is heat-treated, zinc-plated, and chromate-coated. Substantially all of the shank or of the fastener, as a whole, is further coated with a polymeric material to resist corrosion, to improve ease of driving the fastener, and to increase holding power of the fastener when driven through a wood, plywood, or plasterboard workpiece and then through a steel framing member. Substantially all of the shank or of the fastener, as a whole, may be thus coated with the polymeric material. The polymeric material softens and flows upon penetration and rehardens.