Abstract: A mounting arrangement including a window actuator mounting bracket for mounting on a vehicle inner door panel. The inner door panel is formed to include rear and front pairs of openings having L-shaped slots extending therefrom. The mounting device, having one of the power window motor or manual actuator mounted thereon, has outwardly extending L-shaped mounting lugs formed thereon. Bolts are threadedly mounted through the latter for sliding cooperation with the L-shaped slots of the inner door panel prior to being tightened thereon.

Abstract: An improved one-piece plastic bracket for supporting a sealer block of heat expandable reinforcement material on the substructure of a vehicle. The sealer block is adapted, upon being heated during an assembly line operation, to form a closed cell foam stiffener bridging a tolerance varying space between the substructure and an exterior panel. The one-piece bracket provides an initial function of readily supporting the sealer block in a snap-action manner on the vehicle substructure. Additionally, the bracket is operative to precisely guide the heat activated sealer into a predetermined foamed-in-place configuration wherein it sealingly bonds to both the substructure and the opposed inner surface of the panel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement for attaching a plastic panel to an automotive body metal substructure enabling controlled distortion free thermal expansion and contraction of the plastic panel relative to a metal substructure. The attaching arrangement comprises a plastic adjustable mounting block sized for initial insertion in an associated wide slot portion of a keyhole-shaped expansion and contraction slot. The block has a central abutment portion depending from an upper plate portion including lateral extending wings providing with the plate opposed grooves adapted to slidably engage a narrow trailing slot portion of the keyhole-shaped slot upon the blocks subsequent longitudinal rearward movement.

Abstract: The present invention provides an arrangement for attaching a flexible elastomeric panel integrally formed with one or more female connectors to an automotive body support surface having one or more associated male connectors in a blind assembly connection. Each female connector comprises a cutting-tooth shaped notch molded in an attaching flange of the panel while the male connector comprises a elongated stem projecting from the support surface. The elongated stem includes a backing plate positioned in parallel spaced relation to the support surface defining a layered gap therebetween. The panel flange is moved into flush contact with the support surface enabling the support flange to be received in a layer-like gap with the stem adapted to be received in a lean-in passage of the female connector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved arrangement for attaching a plastic panel and metal mounting strip sub-assembly to an automotive body metal substructure enabling controlled distortion free thermal expansion and contraction of the plastic panel relative to the mounting strip. The attaching arrangement comprises a metal spacing washer having a tubular sleeve portion formed with an integral frusto-conical spring flange. The washer sleeve portion free end extends through an elongated slot in the mounting strip and an aligned circular opening in the panel. A blind breakstem rivet is inserted through the washer bore and upon being set applies a predetermined axial clamping force biasing the washer flange into contact with the mounting strip. The rivet head undersurface may be provided with an annular locking ring adapted to engage the plastic panel out surface.

Abstract: A vehicle door outside handle housing is mounted in a door panel rectangular opening such that the housing peripheral lip flange portion is in flush contact with the panel outboard surface with the housing main portion inserted in the panel opening. A central hub extends inboard from the housing main portion with its principal axis aligned on the geometric center of the opening. The hub is formed with an external thread for engagement by the internally threaded lead-in collar portion of a piloted nut. A bent spring rod retainer in its unrestrained state is assembled between the inboard surface of the panel and the undersurface of the nut driving head. The spring rod retainer includes a looped central eye formation defining a semi-circular eyelet that is self-aligned on the hub axis and telescopically receives the nut collar. Upon threaded engagement the piloted nut captures the retainer and the housing in the panel opening.

Abstract: A power driven screw driver self-gripping composite bit in the form of a pair of mirror image halved elements united at a common oblique interface providing a square end driver for reception in a screw head formed with a combined socket that accepts both a square end bit and a cross-point bit. Each halved element driver portion defines a trapezoidal cross section having major and minor parallel exterior side surfaces, a complete side surface extending at right angles to its major and minor surfaces, and a diagonal-like interface. The composite bit holder resiliently biases the halved elements interfaces into coextensive flush contact normally defining a square end driver.

Abstract: An arrangement for mounting a window glass sheet to a liftplate movable within a vehicle door. A plastic spacer bushing, having a through bore formed with an internal left-hand thread, is sandwiched between the glass sheet and the liftplate. A retainer assembly includes a plastic capped retainer, having an external left-hand threaded stem portion, and a metal T-nut. The T-nut head portion is concentrically anchored to the retainer cap portion with the T-nut tubular portion, having a right-hand internally threaded bore, telescopically received within the stem portion bore. The retainer stem portion is inserted through a hole in the glass sheet and is formed with its left-hand external thread engaging the bushing bore internal left-hand thread. The liftplate is secured to the glass sheet by a bolt having a right-hand threaded stem passed through a liftplate aperture for engagement with the T-nut internally threaded tubular portion.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement and method of manufacture for clamping synthetic resin panels to a workpiece such as a vehicle metal substructure. A composite joint pad has a plate-like metal bushing pre-molded therein. The bushing comprises a raised central embossment having an exposed portion terminating in an arcuate sectioned rim extremity positioned a predetermined distance outwardly from the bonding face of the pad. Upon the bushing exposed embossment being received in a panel aperture, the pad's face is bonded to a panel mating surface with the rim flush with an adjacent surrounding surface of the panel. This enables the pad's arcuate sectioned rim to be clampingly attached to the substructure by means of a threaded fastener being overdriven in the bushing stem without causing stress on the panel.

Abstract: A fastening arrangement for first and second plate members whereby the plates are permanently interlocked in a flush manner. The first plate member has an open loop depending strap portion pierced therefrom adapted to be engaged in an elongated frusto-conical sectioned raised slot in the second plate member. The parts are of predetermined dimensional relationship such that upon upper and lower die members flattening the depending strap portion engaged in the raised elongated slot the plate members are permanently interlocked in a flush manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvements in a self-bonding fastener and to a novel method of curing the bonding material during assembly line fabrication of sheet metal products. The fastener includes a headed self-threading screw member having its head undersurface formed with an annular axially extending lip. An upper portion of the screw thread is precoated with a thermo-setting adhesive which, when heated, will uniformly bond the fastener to a sheet metal plate. As the fastener is threaded through an undersized hole in a sheet metal member, such as an automobile body, the adhesive reliquifies and is stripped from the screw thread. The adhesive is then re-deposited uniformly to completely fill a closed chamber defined between the head undersurface and the opposed sheet metal surface sealed on its periphery by the annular lip which defines the axial dimension of the adhesive thickness.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fastener assembly for application to a support panel to receive a threaded bolt extending through a passage in the support panel. A sheet metal element body portion has means for threadably engaging the bolt. The sheet metal element is formed with an integral attaching ramp portion of a size to pass through an open loop strap struck from a pierced transversely extending slot in the support panel. A V-shaped cut-out in said ramp portion defines a spring arm struck therefrom terminating in a downwardly bent tongue. The ramp portion has a pair of stop shoulders operative to engage the strap transversely facing walls thereby aligning the body thread engaging means with the support panel passage upon the tongue being snapped into interlocking relation with the slot.

Abstract: A coupling for inner and outer telescoping shafts comprises a one-piece sheetmetal clip having a sleeve portion slidably received on the outer shaft. A resilient leg portion extends longitudinally from the sleeve portion and is provided at its free end with an inwardly projecting locking hub and an outwardly projecting internally threaded collar. In its collapsed retained mode the locking hub extends through an aperture in the outer tubular shaft and flexes the leg portion biasing the inner shaft into frictional retained engagement with the outer shaft. Upon the shafts being axially moved to an extended locked mode the hub is snapped into an inner shaft blind bore. This aligns an inner shaft through bore with opposed holes in the outer shaft and the collar for threaded reception of a through bolt.

Abstract: A clinch nut having a projecting rectangular pilot and opposed laterally extending flanges. The side edges of the pilot are inclined inwardly from the pilot end face and the flanges have opposed projecting abutment portions extending laterally from the inclined pilot faces to an edge spaced from the side faces of the flanges. The method includes punching a rectangular opening in a panel to receive the nut pilot and ramming the nut abutment portions against the panel to deform the panel beneath the inclined pilot side faces. The nut and nut ram-die are configured to fully seat the nut and fill the spaces beneath the pilot side faces.

Abstract: A protective flexible trim molding strip for attachment to an automotive body fascia panel. A plurality of metal gromments, each in the form of an eyelet tubular sleeve, having their outer circular head flanges cemented in a recess on the back of the molding strip. A retaining metal disc is received on each sleeve free end by means of a centrally located hole of a predetermined diameter for close contact with the sleeve outer diameter. The sleeve free end is compressed by a suitable tool applying a transverse pinching force. This force laterally expands the sleeve providing a bulbous portion capturing the disc to retain the plastic strip on body panels of varying thickness while obviating dimpling of the strip.

Abstract: Windshield wiper coupling, including a tubular member having a threaded portion extending through a hole in an automotive vehicle structural part. A rotatable member extends through the tubular member and is connected at opposite ends to the wiper and to an actuating assembly. A washer surrounds a threaded portion of the tubular member and is and has a deformable finger in a slot in the threaded portion. A nut deforms the deformable portion when tightened on the threaded portion.