Self-counterboring, screw-threaded headed fastener with enlarged flanged portion or wings having cutting teeth thereon, and cutting wrench/screw gun sockets

In combination, a panel member to be secured to an underlying substrate, and a self-counterboring screw-threaded fastener for securing the member to the underlying substrate, comprising:

• a panel member comprising a laminated sandwich assembly including an upper metal sheet, a lower metal sheet, and an intermediate core member interposed between said upper and lower metal sheets;
• and
• a self-counterboring screw-threaded fastener comprising a threaded shank portion defined around a longitudinal axis and having threads thereon for insertion into the underlying substrate;
• a tip portion disposed upon a first end of said threaded shank portion for insertion through said structural member and into the underlying substrate;
• a head portion disposed upon a second opposite end of said threaded shank portion;
• structure disposed upon said threaded shank portion, projecting radially outwardly from said threaded shank portion, and interposed between said threads, disposed upon said threaded shank portion of said fastener, and said head portion of said fastener;
• and at least one axially extending cutting tooth disposed upon said structure for boring through said upper metal sheet of said laminated sandwich assembly and thereby forming and severing a metal washer from said upper metal sheet wherein said metal washer is secured beneath said structure so as to permit said screw-threaded fastener to bore through said upper metal sheet and form a bore within said intermediate core member of said laminated sandwich assembly, but to effectively prevent said at least one cutting tooth from boring through said lower metal sheet of said laminated sandwich structure, whereby said screw-threaded fastener head can be inserted into said laminated sandwich assembly, without requiring a bore to first be predrilled within said laminated sandwich assembly, while said tip portion and said threads are subsequently inserted into the underlying substrate in order to fixedly secure said laminated sandwich assembly to the underlying substrate.

A wrench/screw gun socket for use with a self-counterboring screw-threaded headed fastener in order to permit the self-counter-boring screw-threaded headed fastener to be inserted into a structure, comprising:

• a tubular wrench/screw gun socket body having a first end for operatively cooperating with a torque wrench/screw gun, and a second opposite open end;
• a plurality of axially oriented, radially inwardly extending teeth disposed upon internal peripheral wall portions of said tubular wrench/screw gun socket body for drivingly engaging the head portion of a headed fastener;
• and
• at least one axially extending cutting tooth disposed upon said open end of said tubular wrench/screw gun socket body such that when said plurality of axially oriented, radially inwardly extending teeth operatively engage the head portion of the headed fastener so as to impart driving torque to the headed fastener, said at least one axially extending cutting tooth, disposed upon said open end of said tubular wrench/screw gun socket body can bore through the structure whereby the screw-threaded headed fastener head can be inserted into the structure without requiring a bore to first be pre-drilled within the structure.

In combination, a panel member to be secured to an underlying substrate, a wrench/screw gun socket, and a screw-threaded fastener for securing the member to the underlying substrate, comprising:

• a panel member comprising a laminated sandwich assembly including an upper metal sheet, a lower metal sheet, and an intermediate core member interposed between said upper and lower metal sheets;
• a screw-threaded fastener comprising a threaded shank portion defined around a longitudinal axis and having threads thereon for insertion into the underlying substrate;
• a tip portion disposed upon a first end of said threaded shank portion for insertion through said panel member and into the underlying substrate;
• and a head portion disposed upon a second opposite end of said threaded shank portion;
• and
• a wrench/screw gun socket operatively engaged with said head portion of said fastener and having at least one axially extending cutting tooth disposed thereon for boring through said upper metal sheet of said laminated sandwich assembly and thereby forming and severing a metal washer from said upper metal sheet wherein said metal washer is secured within said wrench/screw gun socket so as to permit said wrench/screw gun socket and said screw-threaded fastener to bore through said upper metal sheet and form a bore within said intermediate core member of said laminated sandwich assembly, but to effectively prevent said at least one cutting tooth of said wrench/screw gun socket to bore through said lower metal sheet of said laminated sandwich structure, whereby said screw-threaded fastener head can be inserted into said laminated sandwich assembly, without requiring a bore to first be pre-drilled within said laminated sandwich assembly, while said tip portion and said threads are subsequently inserted into the underlying substrate in order to fixedly secure said laminated sandwich assembly to the underlying substrate.

In combination, a panel member to be secured to an underlying substrate, and a screw-threaded fastener for securing the structural member to the underlying substrate, comprising:

• a panel member comprising a laminated sandwich assembly including an upper metal sheet, a lower metal sheet, and an intermediate core member interposed between said upper and lower metal sheets;
• and
• a screw-threaded fastener comprising a threaded shank portion defined around a longitudinal axis and having threads thereon for insertion into the underlying substrate;
• a tip portion disposed upon a first end of said threaded shank portion for insertion through said structural member and into the underlying substrate;
• a head portion disposed upon a second opposite end of said threaded shank portion;
• and a pair of diametrically opposed wing members wherein each one of said wing members is provided with an axially extending cutting tooth for boring through said upper metal sheet of said laminated sandwich assembly and thereby forming and severing a metal washer from said upper metal sheet wherein said metal washer is secured, beneath said wing members and radially inwardly of said cutting teeth so as to permit said screw-threaded fastener to bore through said upper metal sheet and form a bore within said intermediate core member of said laminated sandwich assembly, but to effectively prevent said cutting teeth of said wing members to bore through said lower metal sheet of said laminated sandwich structure, whereby said screw-threaded fastener head can be inserted into said laminated sandwich assembly, without requiring a bore to first be pre-drilled within said laminated sandwich assembly, while said tip portion and said threads are subsequently inserted into the underlying substrate in order to fixedly secure said laminated sandwich assembly to the underlying substrate.