Bulged Portion Including Bend Line Or Reduced Section Patents (Class 411/38)
  • Patent number: 5312215
    Abstract: A plug is suitable for use in preformed blind holes in rigid and soft material and also holes in sheet form material. The plug comprises a head portion joined to a tail portion by four identical legs, all having flexing points towards their ends and in a central portion, the radial thickness of the legs increasing towards the central portion, so that the outer diameter of that portion is greater than the diameter of the tail portion and the head portion, and the transverse thickness of the legs decreasing towards the central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventor: Robert P. Anquetin
  • Patent number: 5275518
    Abstract: A plastic fastener for mounting a hand rail to a thin wall such as a tub or shower wall is provided for which comprises a rigid anchor bar having a substantially flat bearing surface to engage a back surface of the wall and which has an arcuate length for installation in narrow spaces. The plastic fastener is molded in a flat condition and comprises a fastening head integrally connected to the anchor bar by a flexible strap. The anchor bar has a transverse slot to define a rigid block and an interconnecting flexible hinge. The plastic fastener includes a bolt adapted to extend through an opening in the fastening head and to be threaded into an opening in the anchor bar as the plastic fastener is bent about the flexible hinge to form a fastener assembly. The fastener assembly is mounted to the wall so that the anchor bar is inserted through an opening in the wall to extend behind the wall as the fastening head is maintained within the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Assignee: C. D. Sparling Company
    Inventor: Torbett B. Guenther
  • Patent number: 5252013
    Abstract: A self-plugging blind rivet, of the kind comprising a tubular body having a head and a shank which is deformed by means of a headed stem which is disposed in the body and pulled so as to form a blind head and, if necessary, to cause the shank to bulb so as to grip workpieces of lesser thickness than the maximum for which the rivet is designed, is so shaped and dimensioned as to avoid the need for a crimping or hardening operation to be performed on the shank. Thus the shank is made of uniform hardness, and has a waist and a tail portion, the waist being of reduced external diameter compared with the tail portion, and the tail portion having a length B and an external diameter D which are related to satisfy the expressionB=mD+nwhereinB is the length in millimeters, of the tail portion;D is the external diameter, in millimeters, of the tail portion;n is a length, in millimeters, of from 2.15 to 2.73 millimeters, andm is a number from 0.373 to 0.527 inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Avdel Systems Limited
    Inventors: Laurence A. Browne, Keith Denham, Raymond D. Lacey
  • Patent number: 5248231
    Abstract: A self-plugging blind rivet 10 comprises a tubular body 14 having a preformed head 34 at one end, and in the bore 36 of which a headed stem 12 is disposed. The stem 12 projects from the head 34 end of the body 14, and the head 18 of the stem 12 is substantially enclosed by a region 42 of the body 14 remote from the preformed head 34. The head 18 of the stem 12 abuts a shoulder 44 provided by a region 43 of the body 14 in which the diameter of the bore 36 is reduced and the wall is thickened. Axially spaced apart annular grooves 46, 48 in the external surface of the body 14 define between them a portion 50 which will collapse to form a blind head when the body 14 is compressed axially by pulling the stem 12 while supporting the preformed head 34. Finally, the stem head 18 may be pulled into the reduced diameter region 40 of the bore 36 and thereby cause the blind head to be reshaped and forced into compressive engagement with work being fastened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Assignee: Avdel System Limited
    Inventors: Keith Denham, Laurence A. Browne
  • Patent number: 5207750
    Abstract: An insertable moldable ratchet rivet assembly of a unitary construction for securing a plurality of panels together includes a drive-pin insert of a unique construction to facilitate the pull-up operation with a reduced amount of force and to form slots in the shank of a rivet housing. The drive-pin insert includes a body portion having a plurality of segments which are spaced apart from each other to form recessed flattened surfaces therebetween. Each of the flattened surfaces is provided with a plurality of lengthwise-spaced horizontal teeth. The rivet housing includes a head flange and a shank. The rivet shank is formed of a plurality of shank wall portions extending substantially from the rear surface of the rivet head flange. The plurality of shank wall portions are spaced apart from each other to provide slots therebetween which are formed by the plurality of segments on the body portion of the drive-pin insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: George M. Rapata
  • Patent number: 5205688
    Abstract: A fastening device in the form of a plug and a screw is adapted for installation in a blind bore of a thick wall or in a through hole in a thin wall. The plug is formed as an elongated body having a central longitudinal hole. The body has inner and outer end portions and two parallel slots extending longitudinally between the end portions to define four legs arranged circumferentially around the body. The legs diverge from the end portions to form an increasing diameter for the body which reaches a maximum at the center of the body. When the plug is inserted into a blind bore the legs are displaced inwardly to reduce the size of the central longitudinal hole so that when the screw is inserted into the plug, the screw will exert force on the legs to press the legs against the wall with strong radial forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Thorsman & Co Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Inge Sundstrom
  • Patent number: 5135340
    Abstract: A fastener for blind installation where only one side of a workpiece is accessible for installation of the fastener. The fastener utilizes two methods of deformation on its blind side. The fastener has a tubular body made of a ductile material with a head at one end. A separate expander nut is made of a harder material and adapted with internal screw threads. The expander is engaged by a threaded pulling mandrel attached which protrudes through the tubular fastener to be installed. The pulling mandrel engages the expander by means of the screw thread and pulls it onto the tubular sleeve which then fails in columnar buckling to form a substantial bulge and foot print on the blind side of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Hi-Shear Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis D. Stinson
  • Patent number: 5122019
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for mounting a flat wall covering on an uneven existing surface or studs. A screw is provided with a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion near the head. At one end of the threaded portion is a flat annular plateau, perpendicular to the axis of the screw. A support nut, with an attached bearing surface, is threaded onto the screw, up to the flat plateau, at which point the bearing surface will contact the wall covering. The screw can then be rotated without axial displacement of the support nut or the wall covering with respect to the screw. However, the screw and the wall covering will move axially with respect to the existing surface. A plurality of these devices can be used and adjusted independently to create a flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Inventor: Douglas Unger
  • Patent number: 5120169
    Abstract: A blind insert having a compressible plastic bushing having a flange at one end which merges into a first cylindrical portion and a second reduced diameter cylindrical portion at the other end. A metallic end cap is secured on the free end of the plastic bushing and is spaced from the first cylindrical portion and the dimension of the first and second cylindrical portions are selected so that as a screw is inserted into the fastener the first cylindrical portion will bulge outwardly and rearwardly to extend over the open end of the cap to forcefully center the cap to prevent tearing of the bushing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: Emhart Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas R. Russo
  • Patent number: 5078561
    Abstract: A universally self-aligned expandable nut including a head and a body moldable in a simple mold having a straight-line open and close action. The head includes an enlarged flange having a central opening through which a screw can pass. The body includes a shank connected to the flange having individual upper walls separated by axially extending upper slots and inner and outer surfaces parallel to a longitudinal axis defining a shank cavity. The upper walls have distal ends establishing a first fold line. The body also has individual tapered wall sections separated by axially extending lower slots aligned with the upper slots. The tapered walls each have an upper end connected to the distal end of an adjacent upper wall section, a lower end, and an inner surface that coacts with inner surfaces of adjacent lower walls to define a lower cavity. The lower wall inner surfaces terminate at a medial portion between the upper and lower ends establishing a second fold line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Illinois Tools Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Burnell Wollar, Richard J. Schwind
  • Patent number: 5074726
    Abstract: A blind fastener that is installed from one side only of a hole in a plate structure wherein the blind fastener has a tubular body with a head and a sleeve loosely journaled in the central bore of the tubular body. The sleeve has an upper portion that is retained within the central bore and a lower portion larger in diameter than the upper portion presenting a shoulder that abuttingly engages the annular end of the tubular body. The sleeve is retained in position on the fastener by tabs extending from the tubular body through slots in the lower portion and extend radially to limit the axial movement of the sleeve. The central bore of the sleeve is threaded to receive a fastening bolt as well as the draw rod that effects the upsetting of the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich Company
    Inventors: Thomas S. Betchel, James D. MacGregor, Ronald W. Phillips, II, James R. Shackelford
  • Patent number: 5051048
    Abstract: A blind one piece expansible fastener which has a tubular body with an annular flanged head portion at one end thereof. The upper portion of the tubular body which extends from the flanged head portion has a constant wall thickness. The intermediate tubular portion of the fastener which can be upset has its wall thickness increasing towards the lower portion, which lower portion is internally threaded. The intermediate portion is buckled radially outwardly against an apertured work to secure the fastener thereto. The exterior diameter of the tubular body is of a constant diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich Company
    Inventor: Charles G. Maddox
  • Patent number: 5044849
    Abstract: A two part screw anchor which is interconnected by capturing a pin on the receiving bore of a cap in an arcuate slot on the received cylinder of a collapsible part. The collapsible part is metal and the cap (and hence pin) are plastic so that by pushing the collapsible part away from the installed cap the pin will be severed and the two parts can be separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Emhart Inc.
    Inventor: David E. Starke
  • Patent number: 5030050
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blind riveting member of the type comprising a tubular sleeve (1) and a mandrel (2) passing through said sleeve. The stem portion (5) of the tubular sleeve (1) comprises successively along its length, a first articulation zone (5a), an inclined portion (5b), a second articulation zone (5c) and an end portion (5d). These zones or portions are arranged in such a manner that the sleeve is subjected to a double folding during setting of the rivet which causes the inclined portion to expand and fold back upon itself toward the materials being assembled, forming a continuous rest surface at the periphery of the hole which contains the riveting member. The invention is applied in particular for assembling fragile materials such as composite materials. It permits providing a good vibration resistant holding for these materials without risk of damaging the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: Ste. Ateliers de la Haute Garonne et Auriol & Cie.
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Auriol, Philippe Bornes
  • Patent number: 4993901
    Abstract: A plastic over-center hollow wall anchor having increased strength without increase in thickness of load bearing members and necessitation of a larger insertion aperture. The bending motion stress on the load bearing arms, which causes the weakening or failure mode of the anchor, is substantially retarded by the inclusion of a small reinforcing boss across the bending area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Mechanical Plastics Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas W. McSherry, Nathaniel H. Garfield
  • Patent number: 4988247
    Abstract: A self-plugging blind rivet comprises a tubular shell shank having a preformed radially enlarged head at one end a region of increased diameter and hardness at the tail end, adjacent the head of the stem. The rivet is formed by compressing the stem and a plain cylindrical shell in a die having a portion of enlarged bore diameter at the tail end region, whereby the shell is expanded into the enlarged bore portion with resulting work hardening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Inventor: Frederick A. Summerlin
  • Patent number: 4986710
    Abstract: A screw anchor formed from a stamped blank. The nut has inner, outer and intermediate layers which are folded prior to rolling the nut into its final form. The inner and outer layers have a common edge and the inner layer tapers inwardly from the ends of the common edge. The formed nut exhibits tremendous strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: Emhart Inc.
    Inventor: Kerry M. Kovarik
  • Patent number: 4968198
    Abstract: A blind fastener is disclosed. The fastener comprises a tubular nut, a buckling sleeve and a mandrel. The buckling sleeve on one of its ends has a bearing face radially overhanging a facing restraint face of the tubular nut, and a tapered surface which deforms upon threaded drawing of the mandrel through the nut to approach the shape of a plane normal to the axis of the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Inventor: Lloyd S. Binns
  • Patent number: 4958971
    Abstract: A breakstem blind rivet comprises a deformable tubular shell 11 of aluminium alloy having a bore 12 inside it. A stem 13 of low-carbon steel is a close fit within the bore, extending along the bore and having a head 14 adjacent the tail end 15 of the shell. The outside of the shell is formed with at least three zones 27, 28, 29 of modified strength spaced apart along its length, these zones being in the form of shallow grooves rolled into the surface. The spacing between each zone 27, 28, 29 and the next progressively decreases as the distance along the shell from the tail end 15 increases. Alternatively the grooves may be formed by a turning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1990
    Assignee: Avdel Limited
    Inventors: Raymond D. Lacey, William D. Bradley
  • Patent number: 4950115
    Abstract: A blind fastener for fastening workpieces of a crushable or composite material and which provides a blind head having a large bearing area against the adjacent blind side of the workpieces and having a main sleeve with a tapered nose and an expandable sleeve with the expandable sleeve having a primary section and a secondary section with the secondary section having a wall of reduced cross-sectional area and of a lower hardness and/or material strength than the primary section such that after the secondary section has moved past and been expanded over the tapered nose the leading end of the primary section will substantially not move radially inwardly as it is moved over the tapered nose and at a preselected axial or column load the secondary section will substantially fold or collapse to form the blind head with a large bearing area while the primary section will substantially not buckle whereby the pin can provide a visual and/or measurable indication that the fastener has been installed in a proper grip co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Huck Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Shahriar M. Sadri
  • Patent number: 4920618
    Abstract: A clip for securing a first member to a second member includes a flange portion having an opening, an inserting portion, a pawl portion provided upon the inserting portion so as to be engageable with the flange portion and the second member, and a plurality of foldable coupling portions for connecting the inserting portion with the flange portion. The inserting portion is inserted through the first member in a first direction, then back downwardly into the opening of the flange portion and finally through the second member in a second direction, thereby securing the first member to the second member. When the inserting portion is inserted into the opening of the flange portion, the pawl portion engages the flange portion to retain the flange portion in engagement with the undersurface of the first member. When the inserting portion is further inserted through the second member, the pawl portion engages the second portion member so as to clamp the second member in cooperation with the flange portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Nifco, Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Iguchi
  • Patent number: 4900205
    Abstract: A blind fastener for fastening workpieces of a crushable or composite material and which provides a blind head having a large bearing area against the adjacent blind side of the workpieces and having a main sleeve and an expandable sleeve with the expandable sleeve having a reduced section or secondary portion at its leading end adapted to be severed from the remainder or primary portion of the expandable sleeve at a preselected axial or column load at which buckling has been initiated with the severed reduced section portion being substantially folded or collapsed to form the blind head with a large bearing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1990
    Assignee: Huck Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Shahriar M. Sadri
  • Patent number: 4877362
    Abstract: A composite blind plastic rivet having a ductile plastic sheath fully covering the blind head on the rivet to preclude protrusion of fibers upon formation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: Microdot Inc.
    Inventors: Imre Berecz, Dennis Schultz, Dennis L. Hinton
  • Patent number: 4875815
    Abstract: A blind fastener that is installed from one side only of a hole in a plate structure wherein the blind fastener has a tubular body with a head portion and a sleeve journaled in the tubular body. The tubular body has a plurality of slits that extend longitudinally therealong to facilitate an upsetting or a buckling action wherein the fastener is secured to the plate structure between the buckled portion of the tubular body and the head. The sleeve has a threaded upper portion and flanged end portion that abuttingly engages the tubular body to effect the buckling force thereon. The sleeve is connected to the tubular body to ensure a fluid tight fit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich Company
    Inventor: Ronald W. Phillips, II
  • Patent number: 4869629
    Abstract: A collapsible fastener and method of making same for joining workpieces which fastener can be fabricated with a single machining operation aside from thread tapping. The fastener comprises a forged sleeve defined by cylindrical exterior and interior surfaces. The sleeve has a head at one end for bearing against one surface of the workpieces, internally threaded tail, and a shank extending between the head and the tail. A plurality of extruded grooves on the exterior surface of the shank are parallel to the axis of the sleeve. An extruded notch in each groove is at substantially the same distance from the head. When a mandrel is extended through the head and the shank and is threaded into the tail, by turning the mandrel the tail may be drawn toward the head whereby the shank splits into strips which fold at the notches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: Textron Inc.
    Inventor: James W. Witzigman
  • Patent number: 4832548
    Abstract: A blind fastener assembly suitable for use in joint assemblies including advanced composite material workpieces. The blind fastener assembly includes a core pin having an enlarged head, an expander having a head and a tapered nose portion and being mounted to the core pin, and a frangible sleeve mounted to the core pin between the enlarged head and the expander. The blind fastener assembly is insertable through aligned holes in the workpieces so that the head of the expander abuts the accessible side of the workpiece. Relative longitudinal movement of the core pin and the expander nut causes the sleeve to expand over the tapered nose and to break into two pieces, one of the two pieces expanding over the other of the two pieces to provide a large bearing surface on the blind side of the workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: SPS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Burton C. Strobel
  • Patent number: 4828439
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Louis N. Giannuzzi
  • Patent number: 4826372
    Abstract: A pull-type blind fastener has a pin slideable through a tubular selectively annealed sleeve, the pin having a pin head permanently bonded to a blind side end of the sleeve, a hollow rivet head formed on the opposite end of the sleeve, and a raised abutment on the rivet head engageable by a conventional rivet setting tool. The rivet head collapses under the differential pulling force applied by the setting tool to a condition of reduced aperture for engaging a stop shoulder on the pin thus limiting axial pin travel at a flush breaking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Victor Pastushin
    Inventor: James W. Kendall
  • Patent number: 4815906
    Abstract: A blind rivet assembly is disclosed. The rivet assembly comprises a mandrel, a rivet body, a buckle sleeve, an expanding wrinkle sleeve, a pressure sleeve and a locking collar. The sleeves, rivet body and collar are slideably disposed about the mandrel with said buckle sleeve disposed adjacent one end of the body, and the mandrel extending through the body and beyond the other end thereof. The buckle sleeve has a generally cylindrical configuration such that when subjected to a pulling force, the sleeve buckles outwardly from the mandrel, slides about the rivet body and engages a workpiece. The wrinkle sleeve has a generally cylindrical, but longitudinally corrugated configuration, such that as the mandrel proceeds through the rivet body, the wrinkle sleeve expands radially and helps create an interference fit between the rivet body and an opening in the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Inventor: Lloyd S. Binns
  • Patent number: 4810141
    Abstract: A blind fastener is disclosed comprised of a rivet having an axial internally threaded bore and a threaded pin to be received within the threaded bore of the rivet. The rivet has a head at one end thereof, and preferably a chamfered bore at the other end thereof. The rivet is provided with a plurality of cuts in the outer wall of the rivet, extending axially along the wall of the rivet and forming zones of weakness in the rivet wall. The threaded pin has an outwardly protruding portion, preferably bell-shaped, and a head at the other end of the pin, such as a square head, for threading the pin through the rivet. When the pin is threaded into the rivet, the protruding bell-shaped end portion thereof is received within the chamfered bore of the rivet. The rivet-pin assembly is positioned in a hole of parts to be fastened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Gilles Rainville
  • Patent number: 4789285
    Abstract: A plastic plug for anchoring objects in support structures comprises an expansible portion and an elongated neck having a head portion with a flange for supporting an object being secured to the support structure. The elongated neck is formed of two spaced expansible legs and has an elliptical cross-section which merges into circles at two end portions thereof. The expansible portions of the legs are provided with longitudinal grooves which form a widening of the longitudinal bore in the head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Assignee: Artur Fischer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Artur Fischer
  • Patent number: 4776737
    Abstract: A re-usable two-piece fastener for releasably clamping two workpieces together comprises an expandable hollow plastic body for receiving an axially insertable and rotatable screw made of plastic or metal. The body comprises a slotted outwardly expandable shank having a head or flange at its outer end and a bore extending entirely through the body. The screw comprises a threaded shank having a head at its outer end. The body bore comprises an outer end portion of the same diameter as the threaded screw shank, an intermediate thread-engaging member having an aperture of the same diameter as the root diameter of the screw shank and sloped at the same pitch as the screw thread, and an inner end portion. The thread-engaging member may be integral with the body or may take the form of a metal insert. The inner end portion of the body bore may be of the same or larger diameter than the screw thread or may be of smaller diameter so that the screw thread can self-tap thereinto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Phillips Plastics Corporation
    Inventor: Burnell Wollar
  • Patent number: 4752168
    Abstract: An expansion dowel assembly includes an axially elongated dowel member with a flange at one end and arms extending from the flange to a junction member at the other end. By applying a force at the junction member and pulling it toward the flange, the arms can be buckled or displaced radially outwardly and collapsed in the axial direction. An abutment member is provided in the dowel for limiting the extent of axial collapsibility. The abutment member can be an axially extending sleeve member or an enlarged diameter part of a force applying member extending through the dowel member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hanno Richter
  • Patent number: 4740123
    Abstract: A two-piece fastener comprises a screw and a plastic nut for releasably securing together two apertured panels. The screw comprises a screw head and a threaded screw shank insertable in the aperture of one panel. The nut comprises a nut head, a nut shank insertable in the aperture of the other panel, and a bore extending through both the nut head and nut shank to receive the screw shank. The nut shank has an expandable portion, a screw-engaging portion, and a common wall therebetween. The bore has an unthreaded bore region through the nut head and through expandable nut shank portion, an intermediate bore region through the common wall and in a part of the screw-engaging nut shank portion, and a threaded bore region through the screw-engaging nut shank portion. The expandable nut shank portion comprises a plurality of thin, flexible, resilient walls, each connected between the common wall and the nut head. Each flexible wall has a parabolically shaped recess on its inner surface along which it can bend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: Phillips Plastics Corporation
    Inventors: Burnell Wollar, Richard J. Schwind
  • Patent number: 4696610
    Abstract: A blind fastener of the type wherein a cylindrical stem or mandrel pulled within a tubular sleeve or rivet body to cause legs formed in the latter to collapse outwardly into engagement with the blind side of a work piece. Such legs are formed in the rivet body by providing longitudinal cuts or slots, and each of such legs is deformed or crimped inwardly to provide an offset condition which virtually insures proper and effective outwardly collapsing of all of the legs, substantially simultaneously. The stem is further provided with a portion for engaging such legs at their respective offset locations to insure hole-filling and strong, firm setting of the collapsed legs against the work piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Inventor: Jewel L. Wright
  • Patent number: 4657456
    Abstract: A blind screw anchor, made of one piece of metal, has a shank, constituted by sleeve portions connected together by uniformly spaced links. A head flange is integrally connected to an adjacent sleeve portion at one end of the shank by a bridge piece bent at right angles to bring the head flange against the shank at that end. A tail cap piece is similarly connected to the sleeve portion at the other end of the shank and bent into abutting engagement therewith.The anchor, made of one piece of sheet metal, is economical to manufacture in a multistage strip forming press. It is especially useful for securing articles to hollow partition walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: USM Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Anquetin
  • Patent number: 4642009
    Abstract: A wall plug for fastening articles to hollow building materials such as panels and hollow walls, and also solid building materials, including a first end part having a longitudinal bore, a second end part having a longitudinal bore, two limbs extending at one end from the first end part and connected at another end to the second end part, the two limbs having two facing surfaces separated by a slot, and a central region having an elliptical cross-sectional profile that has a major and a minor diameter and which gradually becomes circular towards the first end part and towards the second end part, the slot having a width substantially corresponding to the difference between the major and minor diameters of the elliptical cross-sectional profile, and longitudinal ribs provided in the facing surfaces of the two limbs to provide a continuation of the longitudinal bore in the top part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1987
    Inventor: Artur Fischer
  • Patent number: 4639175
    Abstract: A self-sealing expansion rivet assembly comprises an expandable hollow plastic rivet and a plastic drive pin therefor. The rivet has a head and a slotted expandable shank for insertion in aligned holes in sheets which are to be joined together. The drive pin has a head and a serrated shank which, when inserted in the rivet bore and axially drawn thereinto by a tool, causes the pin head to engage the insertion end of the rivet shank and effect outward expansion of the rivet shank to fasten the sheets together, as well as break-off of the projecting end of the pin shank. The pin shank serrations engage a serrated reduced-bore portion in the rivet to hold the pin and rivet together permanently. Integrally formed annularly-shaped conical flexible liquid sealing flanges are provided on the rivet on, at or near the rivet head. As the rivet is expanded by the tool, the sealing flanges are forced against the adjacent panel around the hole therethrough to form a leak-proof seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Phillips Plastics Corp.
    Inventor: Burnell J. Wollar
  • Patent number: 4627775
    Abstract: A blind fastener including a pin and a sleeve and having grip compensating means for accommodating workpieces varying in total thickness and having means for expanding the sleeve for filling the clearance between the fastener and associated openings in the workpieces and at the same time providing material from the sleeve in the area of expansion to define a lock between the pin and the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Huck Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Richard D. Dixon
  • Patent number: 4595324
    Abstract: In a blind fastener comprising a nut with an axial bore therethrough and a bolt having a stem extending through said nut, the improvement comprising said bolt stem having an altered thread section adjacent to the bolt head which upon the setting of said fastener is adapted to interfere with the threading of said nut onto said bolt so that the torsional resistance thereto is substantially increased compared to the axial resistance during the completion of said fastener setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1986
    Assignee: Monogram Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Shahriar M. Sadri
  • Patent number: 4585383
    Abstract: A blind rivet includes a body having a shank, a head and a bore therethrough and includes a drawing mandrel having a shank receivable in the bore in the body and having a head at one end of the shank, the maximum diameter of the head being substantially equal to the outside diameter of the body shank. The body shank has, at a location spaced from the free end of the shank, a section of reduced wall thickness defined by a step increase in the diameter of the bore. A plurality of spaced planar bevel surfaces are preferably provided on the head of the drawing mandrel and are inclined inwardly toward the top thereof. In one embodiment, the portion of the bore on the side of the step remote from the free end of the body shank preferably widens conically toward the head of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1986
    Inventor: Ludwig Kraemer
  • Patent number: 4580936
    Abstract: A blind, self-plugging rivet assembly for securing together two members (42, 43) is of the type comprising a tubular shell (13) with an enlarged head (14) at one end, and a stem (12) which extends through the bore (15) of the shell, the stem having an enlarged head (38) beyond the tail end (18) of the shell.The shell has a weakened zone (19) formed by three slits (22) extending along part of the shell shank and spaced apart equiangularly around it. The stem head (38) lies beyond the shell tail end, and has an underhead surface (39) which is slightly convex and is bounded by a sharp edge (40).The stem has a pulling portion (32) connected by a breakneck to a plugging portion (31) which is an interference fit in the shell bore. Adjacent the breakneck the plugging portion has a cylindrical skirt which, when the rivet has been installed, can be deformed outwardly to lock the plugging portion to the shell. A bead on the stem guides the tool for deforming the skirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1986
    Assignee: Advel Limited
    Inventors: Albert C. Francis, Raymond D. Lacey, Michael Woodrow
  • Patent number: 4566750
    Abstract: A plastic insert-mold element comprises a plastic female member and a metal piece member insert-molded within the female member and provided with one or more frangible portions formed by cutting notches and/or a perforation therein. The metal piece member is pulled up and slid up the interior of the female member inserted through fitting holes in objects such as panels, consequently to effect panel-to-panel or panel-to-part fixation and electrical connection by a simple operation. The frangible portions of the metal piece member are torn off by continued work of pulling up the metal piece member, to remove an unnecessary portion protruding from the female member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Inventor: Hideo Umezu
  • Patent number: 4557651
    Abstract: A sheet metal clinch nut receives an extruded portion of the workpiece in an aperture in the nut. Part of the extruded portion is swaged radially outwardly of the aperture and locks or clinches the nut onto the workpiece. A screw threads into the nut below the extruded portion of the workpiece. In some forms of the invention the nut is tubular. In other forms the nut comprises a pair of generally parallel arms. The extruded portion of the workpiece extends through an aperture in the first arm and rotation preventing teeth or serrations lock the nut against rotational movement. A self-tapping fastener is inserted creating threads in the workpiece extrusion and then in a second arm of the clinch nut. Tightening of the fastener causes the second arm to deflect toward the first locking the fastener against rotrograde movement. Also disclosed is a simple tool for advancing an interconnected strip of clinch nuts, severing the leading nut and staking the workpiece to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1985
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventor: Francis C. Peterson
  • Patent number: 4556351
    Abstract: An expansion rivet assembly comprises an expandable hollow plastic rivet and a plastic drive pin therefor. The rivet has a head and a shank which is insertable in aligned holes in workpieces to be joined. The drive pin has a head and a shank which is inserted in the rivet bore and adapted to be axially drawn into the rivet bore by a tool which causes the pin head to engage the insertion end of the rivet shank and effect outward expansion of the rivet shank wall and which also causes break-off of the superfluous projecting end of the pin shank at a break-away indentation formed in the pin shank. The pin shank has a groove near its head end which engages a reduced diameter bore portion in the rivet to temporarily hold the pin and rivet together prior to use. The pin shank also has serrations which engage another reduced bore portion in the rivet upon full pin insertion to hold the pin and rivet together permanently. The said other reduced bore portion is serrated to enhance engagement with the serrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Assignee: Phillips Plastics Corporation
    Inventors: Burnell J. Wollar, Richard J. Schwind
  • Patent number: 4551050
    Abstract: According to a depicted embodiment thereof, the novel threaded engagement means comprises a drill rod coupling which is centrally bored and threaded to receive threaded drill rods. A stack of apertured discs, however, engages and lines the threaded bore. The discs intimately engage, and bridge between, the coupling and drill rod threads, and communicate torque therebetween. The coupling has a bearing surface or land upon which the discs are supported, and a retainer set in a recess formed in the coupling secures the disc stack in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Robert W. Hughes, James F. Cantrel
  • Patent number: 4457652
    Abstract: In a blind fastener comprising a nut with an axial bore therethrough, a bolt extending through said nut and a sleeve on said bolt, the improvement comprising said sleeve having a thin wall section adjacent to the nut formed by a recess in said section and a collar between said nut and sleeve which has a tensile strength very much less than the tensile strength of said sleeve and the sleeve is adapted upon setting of the fastener to have the thin wall section buckle outwardly upon the contact with the parts being fastened to form a large bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1984
    Inventor: John D. Pratt
  • Patent number: 4453869
    Abstract: The one legged fastener is for securing an object to a wall. The one legged fastener has a body with one leg which has a prebent knee that permits the leg to be easily inserted through a desired hole in the wall. The fastener body is made of a bendable material and has a tab portion and a foot portion at the opposite ends of the leg. The tab has a hole in alignment with a threaded hole in the foot portion. By placing a screw through the tab portion hole and turning it through the threaded hole in the foot, the one legged fastener bends at the knee and is secured to the wall to secure an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1984
    Inventor: George V. Cremieux
  • Patent number: 4439078
    Abstract: An insertable threaded sleeve provided with an outer screwthread and an inner screwthread for a screw, the outer screwthread being adapted to the screwthread of a tapped hole in an object. An extension adapted to be deformed by a buckling so as to be locked in the screwthread of the hole is provided with an outer knurling which improves the engagement thereof with the screwthread of the tapped hole and a flange on the outer end. The sleeve is replaceable and can be used in particular when the object is made from a soft material whereas the screw is made from a hard material. It may have if desired means for locking the screw against rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: Shur-Lok International SA
    Inventor: Alexis A. J. F. Dessouroux
  • Patent number: 4422813
    Abstract: A device to secure an ornament or fixture to the surface of a panelled wall which device is inserted, made immobile and is easily removed from a surface-to-surface boring in the wall, characterized by a multi-part, longitudinally collapsible shaft with anchoring socket, the die-cut, weakened sides of which, when fitted into the wall and when driven clockwise at its tapered threaded base by a removable screw, compress and widen under the force generated by the screw to expand and tighten against the interior surface of the wall furthest from the point of insertion thereby preventing movement of the socket when it is located inside the wall boring, having also the means for removal by the introduction of a rigid insert of a length to reach the tapered, compressed section of the multi-part shaft so that separation of the expanded section of the shaft from the unexpanded section of the shaft occurs when the protruding end of the insert is struck with sufficient force to unsnap the parts of the shaft and the expan
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1983
    Inventor: Sheldon Greenbaum