Abstract: A two-part fastening device for fastening two panels together is provided with a rotatable drum (16) with at least one camming surface and a pin (10) with a head (14) formed to engage with the camming surface. The pin (10) is secured in one panel to be fastened and the rotatable drum positioned in the other panel. The head (14) of the pin is passed into the drum member which is then rotated so that the camming surface acts to pull the head of the pin inwardly, thus drawing the two panels together. The head (14) of the pin is provided with protrusions (22) which cooperate with the rotatable drum so that locking engagement of the fastening device can be achieved.

Abstract: A fixing device is described which comprises a resilient pin 10 having a leading end portion 18 comprising a single resiliently deflectable limb and is inclined relative to the pin axis. The pin 10 is used to fasten two panels together by inserting it through one panel into a bore in the other panel, this insertion being made possible by resilient deflection of the limb decreasing the inclination thereof such that the pin 10 has a substantially axial configuration. The leading end portion 18 of the pin 10 is provided with an engagement element 20 which extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pin axis and is arranged to engage in a hole 38 provided in the other panel by virtue of the resilience of the pin 10 tending to cause release of the deflection of the limb such that it resumes its undeflected configuration.

Abstract: An angle-drive screw is provided which has a screwdriver recess in its head, the side-walls of the recess being undercut by the provision of a number of bores extending transversely through the screw head and connecting with the screwdriver recess. The screw may be formed by a casting or moulding process.

Abstract: A securing device is provided which comprises a fastening element and a tightening member, the device being suitable for fastening furniture panels together. Features are incorporated in the fastening element which improve the quality of the joint which can be achieved between two panels. These include forming helically extending ribs on the leading end of the fastening element which enable it to be pushed into a bore in a member to be fastened, while turning it through a small angle to provide some resistance to axial forces tending to pull the fastening element out. Other features are fins which act to stop the insertion of the fastening element at a predetermined depth and which engage with the second panel to inhibit rotation of the fastening element, the fins being arranged in such a way that they disappear into the second panel allowing the two panels to come into full contact with one another when the joint is secured.

Abstract: A device for securing furniture panels at right angles to each other includes a holding member including a plug portion which is positioned in a recess in a major surface of the first panel. The plug has a front wall which is exposed at one edge of the panel and positioned substantially flush with the panel edge. A chamber extends perpendicular to the edge of the panel through the full length of the plug from a first opening in the front wall to a second opening opposite the front wall. The chamber retains a screw within the body of the plug. A top wall of the plug is exposed at the major surface of the panel and has an opening extending into the body portion of the plug to enable tighening of a screw to engage a second, substantially perpendicular, second panel and draw the second panel toward the edge of the first panel. The screw can be inserted either through the top opening or through an opening opposite the front wall of the plug prior to insertion of the plug into the panel recess.

Abstract: A drawer slide arrangement for smoothly sliding a drawer in and out of a cabinet comprises a runner firstly adapted to be secured to at least one side of a cabinet and including an end-stop 44 and a steering wall 58. The arrangement further comprising a retaining guide 32 adapted to be mounted on the complementary side of the drawer and projecting into a groove 20 on the drawer side. In use, the retaining guide 32 co-operates with the end-stop 44, to prevent accidental removal of the drawer, and with the steering wall 58, to substantially limit transverse movement of the drawer relative to the cabinet.

Abstract: A turntable element (10) is disclosed which comprises a substantially flat bearing holder (16) and a plurality of bearing members (22) which are rotatably engaged in respective apertures (24) extending inwardly towards the center of rotation of the turntable element (10) from the outer edge of the bearing holder (16). The bearing members (22) are rotatably engaged in their apertures (24) by cooperating retaining portions (28,30,34) on the bearing holder (16) and bearing members (22). A method of making such a turntable element (10) with the bearing holder (16) and bearing members (22) formed as an integral body is also disclosed. In the method the bearing members (22) are linked to the bearing holder (16) by frangible portions (36) which are broken by forcibly displacing the bearing members (22) to bring them into their rotatable engagement with the bearing holder (16).

Abstract: A device suitable for use in firmly fixing one member (10), to another member (12) in a relatively adjustable position, comprising a retaining part (2) fixable to said one member and a retained part (4) in use retained by, yet movable relative to, said retaining part, the retained part being adapted to be secured to the other member and to become substantially immovable relative to the retaining part when said securement is tightened, characterized in that the retained and retaining parts are formed as one piece but are breakable apart (6) to permit said relative movement.

Abstract: A device for securing furniture panels at right angles to each other includes a holding member including a plug portion which is positioned in a recess in a major surface of a first panel. The plug has a front wall which is exposed at one edge of the panel and positioned substantially flush with the panel edge. A chamber extends perpendicular to the edge of the panel through the full length of the plug from a first opening in the front wall to a second opening opposite the front wall. The chamber retains a screw within the body of the plug. A top wall of the plug is exposed at the major surface of the panel and has an opening extending into the body portion of the plug to enable tightening of a screw to engage a second, substantially perpendicular, second panel and draw the second panel toward the edge of the first panel. The screw can be inserted either through the top opening or through an opening opposite the front wall of the plug prior to insertion of the plug into the panel recess.

Abstract: A joining device for joining panels at right angles to each other comprises an element having a head and a shank secured into one of the panels with the head and part of the shank projecting from an edge thereof. A plug-like body portion or holding member is fitted in a recess in a major surface of the other panel. The plug-like member has an end face exposed to the major panel surface with an opening extending axially therein from the end face to receive and surround the head. An inward projection is located within the opening. A securing member is located within the body portion adjacent the opening, and includes a shoulder-forming portion positioned within the body portion to form a shoulder on the other side of the opening relative to the projection. The distance between the shoulder-forming portion and the projection is less than the diameter of the head.

Abstract: A fixing device 30 is provided for securing two members, one of which is formed with a groove, together in a predetermined angular relationship. The device includes two limbs 32,34 having respective free ends 36,46 located at the same end 49 of the device, the limbs being arranged to act as levers which, when pushed towards each other at a predetermined position, cause the free ends 36,46 to move apart to engage walls of the groove. The device 30 also advantageously includes a necked slot 50 for receiving, for example, a screw, for securement to the one planar surface, which necked slot co-operates with the screw such that the screw will push the limbs together in order to effect said engagement as the screw secures the device to the ungrooved member.

Abstract: A shelf support (10) for supporting a shelf perpendicular to a cabinet wall is disclosed. The shelf support comprises a body portion (20) provided with a post (32) by which the shelf support can be secured to the cabinet wall with the back of the body portion against the wall, a ledge member (12) projecting from the front of the body portion (20) for supporting the edge portion of a shelf, and an upper portion (16) carried by the body portion and having a shelf-engaging edge (18) which projects outwardly from the front of the body portion and is spaced from the ledge by substantially the thickness of the shelf whereby the shelf can be supported on the ledge and engaged from above by the shelf-engaging edge (18). The body portion (20) includes two limbs (22, 24) which support the upper portion (16) at its lateral extremeties, and the upper portion includes a V-shaped part which provides the shelf-engaging edge (18).

Abstract: There is described a substantially cylindrical screw grommet capable of accepting a threaded fastener driven obliquely with respect to the axis of the grommet, the exterior surface of the grommet being formed with axial rows of spaced barbs, the rows being separated by flutes, and the grommet being further formed with a bore which has a first cylindrical portion intermediate the length of the grommet, a first tapered portion connecting the first cylindrical portion to a second cylindrical portion of smaller diameter, and a second tapered portion of the bore diverging from the second cylindrical portion and terminating at one end of the grommet.

Abstract: A tamperproof shackle seal, of the kind including a plug, at one end of a strap, which is self-locking within a socket at the other end of the strap, is capable of use immediately after being integrally moulded in a plastics material, without the need for subsequent manufacturing operations, by virtue of forming a recess set in the wall of the socket into which a barb projecting laterally outwards from the plug is snapped, during use, the plug being formed throughout its length to be of substantially similar transverse cross-section to the socket, and there preferably being a tortuous path presented by ribs/grooves on the plug interengaging with grooves/ribs of complementary shape on the socket, thereby hampering any attempts to release the seal without causing visible damage.

Abstract: A valve for regulating the flow of fluid in a motor vehicle heater system, the valve having a housing with coaxial inlet and outlet ports and a quadrantal closure member pivotally mounted in the housing for movement between open and closed positions, the closure member having an aperture coinciding with the outlet port when the closure member is in the open position and a thin flexible portion covering the outlet port when the valve member is in the closed position.

Abstract: The invention concerns a child-proof door catch device which requires a sequence of unconnected manipulations to operate the mechanism opening a door. The mechanism includes a housing and operating and latching elements, the operating and latching elements being normally held apart by a biasing means. When the correct sequence of manipulations is performed on the operating element, the latching element is caused to disengage from a striker plate to allow the door to be opened.

Abstract: The invention concerns a furniture connector assembly including a plug, a fastener, and a grommet, the plug being a substantially cylindrical component and having at least one flat side face, a spigot extending radially and obliquely from the side face and being penetrated by a bore, and the grommet comprising a substantially cylindrical shank having a locating surface at one of its ends, and being further formed with a bore extending through the shank, the bore being inclined to the axis of the shank, the fastener passing, in use, through the bore in the plug and extending into the bore in the grommet.

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: A one-piece plastics fastener for securing to a support a wire whose ends are not available, the fastener comprising an axially-extending shank having a head formed at one end, the entire length of the shank and an adjacent portion of the head being bifurcated by a common slot, and the head further containing a transversely-extending passage which opens along one side to said slot and at each end to opposed sides of the head, whereby a central length of the wire can be passed through the slot and into the passage before anchoring the shank to the support.

Abstract: Tamperproof shackle seals formed as one-piece plastics mouldings and including, inter alia, the following features: a plug portion of non-circular outline for co-operation with a mating countersunk portion of the socket mouth to prevent effective insertion of a blade; a stop formed on the strap near the plug to limit the effective length of the strap when used with a padlock hasp; respective webs extending along the lengths of resilient fingers in the socket and connecting them either to the adjacent socket wall, or to those fingers disposed adjacently thereto on either side; to prevent free movement of the resilient fingers; and a filler for the plastics material which presents a barrier to heat re-sealing after tampering.