Abstract: An expansion screw structure contains an anchor for mating with a screw. The anchor includes a first segment and a second segment which have a central axis, and a shank. The anchor further includes a head which has a slot. The shank includes a first threaded section, multiple cutouts, a decreasingly conical tip, a second threaded section, a slit, a first support foot, a second support foot. The slit has a first part, a second part, and a third part. The second part has a first raised portion, the second part has a second raised portion, and the third part has a connection section and a thin coupling strap. The thin coupling strap has a first thickness, the connection section has a second thickness, and the first thickness of the coupling strap is ? of the second thickness of the connection section.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of limiting at least one degree of movement between a superior vertebrae and an inferior vertebrae of a patient includes advancing a distal end of a stabilization device into a pedicle of the inferior vertebrae. A proximal portion of the stabilization device is positioned such that the proximal portion limits at least one degree of movement between a superior vertebrae and an inferior vertebrae by contacting a surface of the superior vertebrae.

Abstract: An anchoring device for insertion in a hole provided in a structure such as a wall (hollow or solid) comprises proximal and distal sections. The proximal section includes a head defining an aperture for receiving a fastener, and the distal section includes a pair of expandable wings displaceable between collapsed and expanded positions. Each wing is biased towards its expanded position such that the wings can engage the structural material delimiting the hole or a distal surface of the structure. The distal section comprises, proximally of the wings, a variable-length flexible portion for allowing the wings to engage the distal surface of the structure for various structure thicknesses. The distal section comprises, distally of the wings, a tip section adapted to spread outwardly when engaged by the fastener. The proximal section comprises a pair of legs each having a toothed rack for engaging the structural material.

Abstract: A structure securely attaches a component to an opening portion in a plate-shaped member without stripping or turning over the member. Each of a pair of mount members includes a first engagement portion engaged with a rear surface of the plate-shaped member and a second engagement portion engaged with the component. The component includes projecting portions to be fitted between the mount members, thus the component can be fixed against coming off by engagement of the second engagement portion and the component. The projecting portions inhibit the mount members engaged with the opening portion from moving, thereby preventing the mount members from coming off the opening portion. Since the fitting member is fitted between the second engagement portions, the fitting member inhibits the second engagement portions from moving to come closer to each other, and from disengagement from the component, thereby more securely preventing the component from coming off.

Abstract: In a structure, which securely attaches a component to an opening portion in a plate-shaped member without stripping or turning over the plate-shaped member, each of a pair of mount members includes a first engagement portion engaged with a rear surface side of the plate-shaped member and a second engagement portion engaged with the component. The component includes projecting portions to be fitted between the mount members to enable fixing against coming off by engagement of the second engagement portion and the component. The projecting portions inhibit the mount members from moving so as not to come off the opening portion. Since the second engagement portion is formed from the multiple step portions engageable with the component, engagement with the component may be done even if plate thickness of the plate-shaped member varies, enabling fixing without backlash and improving versatility to the plate-shaped member having different plate thickness.

Abstract: An anchor for a pedicle screw having an anchor body comprising a proximal end, a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a distal end, and a through-hole through the anchor body from the proximal end to the distal end. The through-hole defines a long axis of the anchor, and is provided with undersized female threads in the proximal portion and a reduced inner diameter in the distal portion. The reduced inner diameter causes expansion of at least the distal portion of the anchor body when a screw is inserted into the through-hole. The anchor is further provided with a plurality of ridges on an exterior surface of the anchor body, the ridges configured to reduce the likelihood of pullout when the anchor is inserted into a vertebra and a screw is inserted into the through-hole.

Abstract: An anchor stud includes a stud portion including a body portion having a first end that extends to a second end though an intermediate portion. A wedge member is operatively coupled to the second end of the stud portion. The wedge member includes a body having a generally frustoconical profile and is formed from a material having a Vickers hardness greater than about 220 HV. A sleeve element is positioned on the stud portion at the second end adjacent the wedge member. The sleeve element is formed from a material having a Vickers hardness greater than about 220 HV.

Abstract: An anchor stud includes a stud portion including a body portion having a first end that extends to a second end though an intermediate portion. A wedge member is operatively coupled to the second end of the stud portion. The wedge member includes a body having a generally frustoconical profile and is formed from a material having a Vickers hardness of between about 218 HV and about 290 HV. A sleeve element is positioned on the stud portion at the second end adjacent the wedge member. The sleeve element is formed from a material having a Vickers hardness of between about 218 HV and about 290 HV.

Abstract: The invention relates to a connection element, in particular a plate nut, comprising a base body for attachment of an arbitrary component to a metallic planar object, in particular to a sheet metal. According to the invention, the base body comprises a securement portion the cross-sectional geometry of which deviates from a circular shape, the securement portion being at least partially positively receivable in a deformation in the sheet metal. The base body is, by means of a holding device, secured in the deformation against dropping out. In an alternative embodiment of the connection element, wherein unilateral accessibility to the sheet metal is sufficient, the holding device is formed by bead portions in a shaft area of the base body, which are plastically deformed into a bead by pull-out of a threaded bolt that is screwed into a thread portion.

Abstract: An anchor bolt for use in a hole in a base material is provided and includes a stud, a sleeve disposed about the stud and a retainer nut, disposed in operable communication with the stud and having a dimension measured from a central axis of the hole that is at least as large as a corresponding dimension of the hole.

Abstract: A retainer apparatus and method for replacing a damaged first aperture thread in a base material, the apparatus includes a first annular element having a threaded inner surface and a frictional outer surface that are co-axial to one another, the outer surface having a slip fit with a second aperture in the base material. Also included is a second annular element including a void and a frictional outer periphery that has a slip fit with the second aperture, the second annular element includes a channel from the void to the outer periphery. The first and second annular elements are adjacent to one another within the second aperture. Further included is a drive element that has a partial interference fit with the channel, wherein the drive element is operational to drive the outer periphery into the second aperture thereby retaining the first annular element in the second aperture.

Abstract: This invention provides a fastener (20) that is adapted to be mounted in a hole provided in a wall (not shown). The improved fastener comprises: an elongated tubular body (21) having a first end (23) and a second end (24), having an outwardly-extending flange (25) adjacent the first end, having an intermediate portion (27), and having a distal marginal end portion (37) adjacent the second end, the body also having an abutment surface (32) facing toward the second end; and a member (22) adapted to be inserted into the body through the second end, the member having an abutment surface (40) adapted to bear against the body abutment surface, and having an outer polygonal surface (41); and wherein the body marginal end portion (37) is adapted to be plastically deformed about the member to hold the member within the body.

Abstract: A blind fastener (11) for installation in a thermoplastic workpiece, which blind fastener has a leading end face (21) which is substantially flat and non-abrasive and without drilling teeth, so that when the leading end face of the fastener is held in contact with the near face of the thermoplastic workpiece (22) and heat and pressure are applied to the contacted area of the workpiece by means of the leading end of the fastener, the fastener progressively forms a hole through the thermoplastic workpiece in which hole it can then be installed.

Abstract: A blind fastener for securing a plurality of workpieces is disclosed. The blind fastener comprises several components, a core bolt, a body sleeve member and a buckle sleeve member. The core bolt includes a tool engaging portion to engage the head of a driver on a installation tool. The buckle sleeve member has a buckle portion designed to create a bulb fastening the workpieces together. In some embodiments, a the buckle portion is locally annealed to promote formation of a blind side bulb. A nose assembly with a matching anti-rotation engagement to the head of the body sleeve member is also disclosed.

Abstract: A self-anchoring fastening device for installation in supports for hanging pipes wires or other articles in ceilings is shaped for a socket to drive the device for an easy installation process. The device comprises a collapsible anchoring portion having radially expanding anchoring strips, which will not pull out of a hole drilled in a support. A drill drills a hole in a support and an expandable anchor is inserted through the hole. Threads internal to the expandable anchor cooperate with threads on a screw inserted therein to collapse the expandable anchor, providing anchoring strips over the hole such that the expandable anchor cannot be pulled out of the hole. A threaded portion of the base of the screw is suitable for attaching the article to be hung. The base may be a swivel head type. The drill may be on the expendable anchor assembly.

Abstract: The current invention is directed to a three piece blind fastener comprising a mandrel 40, a tubular body portion of 10 and a radially extending flange 14, wherein the cylindrical body 10 is mounted on an elongate stem 42 of the mandrel so as to extend co-axially about a central axis of such blind fastener, and the mandrel having a mandrel head in operative engagement with a tail end of the body for transmitting force there to during setting of the fastener, wherein the radially extending flange is separate from and held in crimped engagement with the body portion at or towards a front end of the tubular body so as to be axially remote from the tail end of such body.

Abstract: A blind rivet (1) includes a rivet body (3) having a rivet body flange (2) integrally formed therewith, and a mandrel (5) passing through the rivet body and protrudes from the rivet body flange. The mandrel (5) has a large diameter head (6) at the end of the rivet body on the opposite side of the rivet body flange. An external thread portion (13) is provided in a region of the mandrel adjacent to the rivet body flange (2). A sleeve (14) is formed separately from the mandrel (5) and the rivet body (3), and is disposed adjacent to the rivet body flange (2). The sleeve (14) includes a sleeve flange (15) for sandwiching a second attachment member (22) between the sleeve flange and a first attachment member (21), and a deformable swageable portion (17) to be deformed radially in a region of the external thread portion, so as to form an internal thread portion (33) in the inner surface thereof. The rivet body (3) and the mandrel (5) are retained as attached to the first attachment member.

Abstract: A decorative cap and wheel nut or bolt insert, and a method of assembling them. The insert is coated and/or plated and includes a hex-shaped section and a section having a circular cylindrical outer surface. A cap includes a hex cross-section segment and a circular cylindrical cross-section segment. The hex cross-section segment of the cap slips easily over the hex section of the insert while the circular cylindrical cross-section segment has a smaller ID than the OD of the circular cylindrical insert section whereby an interference fit is formed between them when the insert is press fit into the cap.

Abstract: A self-anchoring fastening device for installation in supports for hanging pipes wires or other articles in ceilings is shaped for a socket to drive the device for an easy installation process. The device comprises a collapsible anchoring portion having radially expanding anchoring strips, which will not pull out of a hole drilled in a support. A drill drills a hole in a support and an expandable anchor is inserted through the hole. Threads internal to the expandable anchor cooperate with threads on a screw inserted therein to collapse the expandable anchor, providing anchoring strips over the hole such that the expandable anchor cannot be pulled out of the hole. A threaded portion of the base of the screw is suitable for attaching the article to be hung. The base may be a swivel head type. The drill may be on the expendable anchor assembly.

Abstract: A joining assembly for joining a pair of structural members, comprises a bolt having a thread and a nut-like blind rivet adapted to be inserted into mounting holes of the structural members and to be threadingly engaged to each other. One of the mounting holes is made of resiliently deformable material and comprises a base member including a bore for receiving the thread of the bolt and having an outside provided with a plurality of threads which are similar in number to the corners of the polygonal mounting hole, such that when the bolt is threadingly engaged into the bore of the blind rivet the base member is folded whereby the threads have parts of their flanks pressed against one of the structural members.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tacking rivet for fastening work pieces together which have aligned apertures therethrough. The tacking rivet includes a head portion and an elongated sleeve portion extending from the head portion. Both the head portion and the sleeve portion have openings therethrough which are in alignment with one another. The tacking rivet further includes a plurality of rib portions positioned on an outer surface of the sleeve portion which are capable of engaging with walls of the apertures of the work pieces when the sleeve portion is expanded within the apertures of the work pieces. Because the rib portions engage with the walls of the apertures of the work pieces, the tacking rivet will not rotate within the apertures during a drilling operation to remove the tacking rivet from the apertures prior to the installation of a permanent fastener to fasten the work pieces together.

Abstract: An anchor for boards is provide which comprises a socket including a tubular portion, a plurality of split pieces integral with the tubular portion and having intermediate portions slightly bent outwardly, the socket being integrally provided with a flange at one end thereof and a nut member at the other end thereof, and a screw inserted into the socket and threaded into the nut member. The split pieces have their outer peripheral surfaces covered with a resilient member. Also, a method for manufacturing the anchor is provided.

Abstract: An anchor for boards is provided which comprises a socket including a tubular portion, a plurality of split pieces integral with the tubular portion and having their intermediate portion slightly bent outwardly, the socket being integrally provided with a flange at one end thereof and a nut member at the other end thereof, and a screw inserted into the socket and threaded into the nut member. The split pieces have their outer peripheral surfaces covered with a resilient member. Also, a method for manufacturing the anchor is provided.

Abstract: An anchoring device (10) comprises a resilient sleeve (16) for receiving an elongate member, such as a bolt (18), and first and second stoppers (20,21) for location on the bolt at respective ends of the sleeve. Movement of the stoppers (20,21) towards one another causes the sleeve (16) to expand radially. The inner first stopper (20) may engage one of the bolt head (22) and nut (24) to resist relative rotation thereof. Alternatively, the inner first stopper may be threaded.

Abstract: A drive-in dowel formed as a sleeve (2, 22) provided with a load application element (3, 23) and having a front section formed of a plurality of expansion elements separated from each other by longitudinal slots, with each of the plurality of expansion elements being formed of a trailing expansion tab (8, 28) and a leading expansion tab (9, 29) separated by a flexible transitional region (6, 26) and forming with each other an angle (.alpha.) from about 100.degree. to about 160.degree., with a front end of the leading tab being located closer to a sleeve longitudinal axis (A) than the flexible transitional region (6, 26); and with the sleeve being provided with a plurality of chisel-like cutters (10) on outer surfaces of respective flexible transition regions (6; 26) which substantially do not project beyond the outer diameter of the sleeve.

Abstract: In general a torque controlled blind bolt for securing workpieces is shown and which blind bolt has a core pin with a blind side head and a plurality of threads and a nut adapted to be threaded onto the pin threads; the blind bolt which has a main sleeve structure and an expandable blind side sleeve structure is set by torque applied between the pin and nut which causes the expandable sleeve to be expanded by the pin head and to thereby form a load bearing blind head; the blind fastener includes a grip adjuster structure which defines a cavity having a depth selected to define the grip range of the fastener with the grip cavity generally located externally of the workpieces; an anti-rotation structure is formed between the pin head and the expandable sleeve structure to inhibit relative rotation in response to the torque applied between the nut and the pin.

Abstract: A blind fastener having a body, a core bolt, a nut and a sleeve. The core bolt passes through an axial bore of the body and includes an externally threaded portion at an inner end thereof. The nut has an enlarged head, a reduced diameter stem and a threaded bore for engaging the threaded portion of the core bolt. The sleeve is located between the enlarged head of the core bolt and a conically shaped inner portion of the body. An inner end portion of the sleeve is fixed to the stem of the nut. In a preferred embodiment, the inner end portion of the sleeve is crimped to the nut and has a thickness sufficient to engage the nut across the full width of an annular shoulder of the nut during setting of the fastener.

Abstract: A wall plug type fastener comprises an elongate anchor body having arm members extending radially from the anchor body. Brace members provide support for the anchor body and permit distribution of load forces applied to the anchor. Anti-rotational flanges extending along the anchor body secure the fastener against rotational displacement when installed in a drywall. The anchor body defines a first axial void in alignment with a satellite body defining a second axial void spaced from and coaxial with the anchor axial void.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a sleeve portion and an engagement portion which are spaced apart but which are interconnected by two flexible strut members, each of which includes short and long arms. A screw can be inserted through a central bore in the sleeve portion so that its end engages a bore in the engagement portion to initially hold the engagement portion in a fixed position relative to the sleeve portion and thereby resist flexing movement of the strut members. Upon subsequent tightening of the screw, the sleeve and engagement portions are caused to move together, thereby flexing the strut members outwardly.

Abstract: A plastic hollow wall anchor having folding arms for insertion within a limited diameter aperture in a substrate such as a wall. The arms, adjacent their overlapping attachment areas, are configured to provide a "sharp knife edge" intersection, whereby a spacing between the attached arms, during folding and aperture insertion, is substantially eliminated. The load bearing arms are concomitantly thickened and thereby strengthened within the limited dimension afforded by the aperture. Alternatively, the overall dimensions of the anchor are reduced, while maintaining the load bearing arm dimensions, thereby enabling the use of a smaller diameter for the insertion aperture without decrease in anchor holding strength.

Abstract: An anchor element is provided with a body of bonded particulate material, e.g. a sleeve of silicate bonded sands. The element is received in a borehole with the sleeve adjacent the blind end. When a compressive force is applied between the ends of the body, the particles move closer together to form an annulus of compacted particulate material bridging the element and the wall of the borehole.

Abstract: A plastic straddling or expansion plug having a closed plug neck and a closed plug foot both with a longitudinal aperture into which a screw can cut a thread. The plug includes a shank having a thin plug jacket on which a two-flight helix is integrally formed. In the region between the helices, the plug jacket is provided with longitudinal slits. On the outside of the helix, further ribs are provided which each extend over a 180.degree. arc and are integrally formed with the helix, alternating in orientation by a 90.degree. angle. The plug neck includes flange lugs oriented in the shape of a cross and adapted to be folded over.

Abstract: A screw anchor including a four-legged compressible shank whose normal shape is diamond-like, the front legs of the shank being joined together by a front apex hinge, the rear legs being joined to the front legs by side apex hinges. The rear legs terminate in feet whose adjacent soles normally assume the form of an inverted V-inlet. A socket whose bore lies in axial registration with a hole in the front apex of the shank is secured by a pair of normally outstretched resilient webs to the respective rear legs. To install the anchor, its side apex hinges are manually compressed to collapse the shank into a tongue which is then inserted through a hole drilled in the wall until the socket is seated therein and the shank which is now behind the wall resumes its diamond-like shape. Then a screw for holding the fixture against the wall is inserted in the socket bore and turned therein until its tip is intercepted by the inlet which is dilated thereby to admit the screw.

Abstract: A metal blind rivet assembly having a plurality of ribs with flutes between them located about the circumference of the barrel of the rivet sleeve. The ribs are arranged in a helix and at an angle so that during the setting operation a twisting motion takes place to scrape the workpiece so that contaminants such as dirt or varnish are removed to provide electrical contact with the workpiece.

Abstract: A sleeve anchor for use in a pre-drilled hole in concrete, masonry and the like includes a bolt with threaded outer end for receiving an internally threaded pressure member, e.g., a nut. The inner end defines a shank terminating in a head of diameter greater than the shank. The head has a tapered wedge-forming shoulder adjoining the shank. A sleeve is disposed concentrically upon the bolt and includes a collar extending along a threaded portion of the bolt at its upper outer end is disposed for receiving longitudinal pressure toward the inner end of the bolt generated by tightening of the nut. An inner portion of the collar is of petalform configuration, having three petals extending along the shank in closely-spaced side-by-side relationship. The petals are joined at proximal ends to the collar by respective pillars each of narrow arcuate extent, providing windows between the pillars of greater arcuate extent.

Abstract: A device for fixing members to panels, or joining panels, which has a body moulded from a resilient plastic, comprising a head part and a tail part joined by strip-like connectors which distort when the tail part is pulled towards the head part, and including outwardly deflected wings displaceable inwards to allow the fixing device to be applied.