# US 10,371,192 B2 · Weldless building structures

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- Number: US 10,371,192 B2
- Document ID: US10371192B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/722,509
- Filed: 2017-10-02
- Published: 2018-03-15
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-19
- Assignees: Nucor Corporation; Asia Fastening (US), Inc.
- Applicants: Nucor Corporation; Asia Fastening (US), Inc.
- Inventors: Lionel E. Dayton; Richard W. Lukes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371192B2

## CPC

- F16B 25/103: {by means of a drilling screw-point, i.e. with a cutting and material removing action}
- E04B 1/24: the supporting parts consisting of metal
- E04B 1/38: Connections for building structures in general
- E04B 1/4157: {Longitudinally-externally threaded elements extending from the concrete or masonry, e.g. anchoring bolt with embedded head}
- E04B 5/40: with metal form-slabs
- E04C 3/11: with non-parallel upper and lower edges, e.g. roof trusses (arched girders, portal frames E04C3/38)
- F16B 7/18: using screw-thread elements {(F16B7/025 takes precedence; for turnbuckles F16B7/06)}
- F16B 7/185: {with a node element}
- F16B 25/0021: {the material being metal, e.g. sheet-metal or aluminium (F16B25/0031 takes precedence)}
- F16B 25/0057: {the screw having distinct axial zones, e.g. multiple axial thread sections with different pitch or thread cross-sections}
- F16B 25/0063: {with a non-threaded portion on the shaft of the screw}
- F16B 25/0084: {characterised by geometric details of the tip}
- F16B 25/10: Screws performing an additional function to thread-forming, e.g. drill screws {or self-piercing screws}
- F16B 25/106: {by means of a self-piercing screw-point, i.e. without removing material}
- E04B 2001/2415: {Brackets, gussets, joining plates}
- E04B 2001/2418: {Details of bolting}
- E04B 2001/2448: {Connections between open section profiles}
- E04B 2001/2454: {Connections between open and closed section profiles}
- E04B 2001/2457: {Beam to beam connections}
- E04B 2001/2463: {Connections to foundations}
- E04B 2001/2472: {Elongated load-supporting part formed from a number of parallel profiles}
- E04B 2001/2484: {Details of floor panels or slabs}
- E04B 2001/2487: {Portico type structures}
- E04B 2001/2496: {Shear bracing therefor}
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})
- E04C: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS (for bridges E01D; specially designed for insulation or other protection E04B; elements used as building aids E04G; for mining E21; for tunnels E21D; structural elements with broader range of application than for building engineering F16, particularly F16S)

## Abstract

A building structure including a first building member and a second building member may be connected by a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having a head, a threaded portion having a through hardness of between HRB 70 and HRC 40, a thread-forming portion of at least HRC 50 hardness enabling the fastener to form threads in at least the second steel building member, and a fluted lead portion of at least HRC 50 hardness with a nominal diameter between 70 and 95% of major diameter, such that the fastener is capable of providing a ratio of strip torque to thread-forming torque of at least 3.0 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque greater than 6.0 when the second steel building member having a thickness of 0.25 inch and the fluted lead portion having at least one diameter within nominal diameter between 80 and 98% of major diameter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fastener comprising:
a head,
a threaded portion adjacent the head,
a thread-forming portion of at least HRC 50 hardness adjacent the threaded portion, and
a fluted lead portion of at least HRC 50 hardness adjacent the thread-forming portion with a nominal diameter in a range from 60% to 95% of major diameter of the threaded portion adapted to form a fastener opening,
the thread-forming portion having a series of lobes with recesses between said lobes and said lobes positioned about the rotational axis where each lobe having a lead portion and a tailing portion, the lead portion and first adjacent recess is at a first angle in a range from 50° to 100° from a plane tangent to the lobe adjacent the leading portion, and the tailing portion and second adjacent recess is at a second angle in a range from 25° to 50° from a plane tangent to the lobe adjacent the tailing portion, where the first angle is greater than the second angle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fastener of claim 1 where the head is capable of clamping a first steel building member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the series of lobes are structured having a ratio of strip torque to thread-forming torque of at least 3.0 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque greater than 8.0 over a range of combined thickness of the first and the second steel building members from about 0.036 inch to 0.084 inch.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fastener of claim 1 where the head is capable of clamping a first steel building member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the thread forming portion having a ratio of strip torque to thread-forming torque of at least 3.0 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque greater than 6.0 over a range of combined thickness of the first and the second steel building members from about 0.036 inch to 0.108 inch.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fastener of claim 1, where the threaded portion adjacent the head has a through hardness in a range from HRB 70 and HRC 40.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fastener claimed in claim 4, where the fasteners have up to five threads between the threaded portion and the thread-forming portion hardened to at least HRC 50 hardness.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the fasteners are nutable.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the head is capable of clamping a first steel building member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the thread forming portion and a combined thickness of the first steel building member and the second steel building member at the fastener is no more than 0.125 inch in thickness.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the fluted lead portion has a nominal diameter in a range from 62% to 85% of major diameter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the thread-forming portion has a shape selected from a group consisting of quadlobular and pentalobular.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the lead portion of the fluted lead portion has a milled point.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the fluted lead portion has at least HRC 50 induction hardness.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the threaded portion has less than 60° thread angle and back-tapered threads.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the threaded portion has from 45 to 50° thread angle and back-tapered threads.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where the thread-forming portion is from 3 to 7 thread pitch in length.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, the threaded portion comprising a major diameter extending to within 1.5 of the thread pitch of the head.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The fastener claimed in claim 15, where the head of the fasteners are undercut and adapted to deform the first steel building member on tightening of the fasteners.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where a sealing member is positioned between the head and the threaded portion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1, where serrations are provided in the underside of the head.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1 where the head is capable of clamping a first steel member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the series of lobes are structured having a ratio of strip torque to tread-forming torque of at least 3.0 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque is greater than 6.0 over a range of combined thickness of first and second steel building members from about 0.036 inch to 0.084 inch.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1 where the head is capable of clamping a first steel member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the series of lobes are structured having a ratio of strip torque to tread-forming torque of at least 4.0 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque is greater than 8.0 over a range of combined thickness of first and second steel building members from about 0.036 inch to 0.084 inch.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1 where the head is capable of clamping a first steel member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the series of lobes are structured having a ratio of strip torque to tread-forming torque of at least 4.0 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque is greater than 10.0 over a range of combined thickness of first and second steel building members from about 0.036 inch to 0.084 inch.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1 where the head is capable of clamping a first steel member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the series of lobes are structured having a ratio of strip torque to tread-forming torque of at least 3.5 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque is greater than 6.0 over a range of combined thickness of first and second steel building members from about 0.036 inch to 0.084 inch.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The fastener claimed in claim 1 where the head is capable of clamping a first steel member to a second steel building member with the fastener installed and the series of lobes are structured having a ratio of strip torque to tread-forming torque of at least 3.0 and a ratio of strip torque to drive torque is greater than 4.0 over a range of combined thickness of first and second steel building members from about 0.036 inch to 0.108 inch.