Deforming member and captive fastener retaining method

A method of loosely retaining a fastener in a workpiece having an outer surface and at least one fastener opening through the workpiece and partially defined by a malleable edge portion of the workpiece, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a fastener centered on an axis and having a head at one end, a fastening portion on another end, and a reduced diameter portion between the ends, a radial clamping surface associated with the head and having a wedge like deforming element with a deforming face angled radially and axially outward from the axis and extending axially a fixed distance outward from the clamping surface;
• inserting the fastening portion of the fastener into the opening of the workpiece with the deforming element engaging the malleable edge portion;
• and
• urging the fastener with the deforming element through the fixed distance against the malleable edge portion of the workpiece until the clamping surface contacts the workpiece, thereby deforming the malleable edge portion into the fastener opening adequately to mechanically loosely retain the reduced portion of the fastener therein, wherein the fixed distance is selected to ensure the loose retention of the fastener in the workpiece.

An interim assembly of a component with at least one loosely retained fastener adapted for subsequent mounting of the assembly to another component by attachment of the fastener, the assembly comprising:

• a workpiece having an outer surface and at least one fastener opening through the workpiece and partially defined by a malleable edge portion of the workpiece;
• a fastener centered on an axis and having a head at one end, a fastening portion on another end, and a reduced diameter portion between the ends, the fastening and reduced diameter portions being received in the fastener opening;
• and
• a radial clamping surface associated with the head and surrounding the reduced diameter portion, the clamping surface having a wedge like deforming element with a deforming face angled radially and axially outward from the axis and extending axially a fixed distance outward from the clamping surface;
• the workpiece including a stop made by inwardly deforming, with the deforming element, part of the malleable edge portion of the workpiece into the fastener opening sufficiently to block removal of the fastening portion of the fastener from the fastener opening while loosely retaining the fastener in the fastener opening to permit subsequent attachment of the fastener to another component.