Abstract: A panel fastener including a stud assembly and a receptacle assembly for receiving the stud assembly therein. Both the stud assembly and the receptacle assembly include mating locking teeth and a movable pin permitting the teeth to be locked together without rotation or applying torque to the teeth preventing rotation of the same and for disengaging the teeth also without rotating or applying torque to the same.

Abstract: A manually operable tool for installing blind anchor nuts by pulling an internally threaded part of the nut into a body part of the nut to expand the latter. The tool includes a body member having a bore extending therethrough, an anvil at one end of the bore for engaging the body part of an anchor nut, the anvil surrounding an aperture aligned with the bore, and a grip by means of which an operator can hold the body member to prevent rotation thereof about the bore. A mandrel, which may be changed without the need for external tooling, is positioned in the aperture in the anvil, the mandrel having an externally threaded portion extending outwardly of the anvil and a socket facing into the bore. A shaft is rotatable and reciprocable in the bore of the body member which shaft is provided at one end with a key which fits into the socket on the mandrel in driving engagement therewith, the key being interchangeable without the need for external tooling.

Abstract: A latching mechanism having a latch member and a pin assembly mounted on the latch member. The pin assembly includes a first sleeve member secured at one end to the latch member, a second sleeve member secured to the other end of the first sleeve member and having an opening therein and a third sleeve member slidably mounted on the second sleeve member and normally biased in a direction encircling the opening in the second sleeve member. A pin is slidably mounted within the first sleeve member and extends into the second sleeve member and detent means are associated with both the pin and the second sleeve member for selectively preventing the third sleeve member from moving into a position encircling the opening and for releasing the third sleeve member for movement to a position encircling the opening. A locking flange having a floating ring therein is provided for receiving the pin assembly in locking engagement therewith.

Abstract: A rotatable locking mechanism is provided for releasably securing relatively rotatable members, such as a member which is rotatably positionable with respect to a support member. A releasable ball detent locking assembly is mounted in one of the members for cooperating with selectively disposed indentations in the other member. In one of the embodiments, the detent assembly is mounted within the rotatable member and is provided with a manually actuated release mechanism for selectively positioning such member at one or more predetermined angular relationships with respect to the support member. In the locked condition, the ball detents are caused to protrude from the rotatable member and seat within the indentations formed on the support member. To free the rotatable member, the release mechanism is manually operated to retract the ball detents to a generally recessed or flush relationship with respect to a surrounding wall portion of the rotatable member.