Quarter-turn nut
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorFrancis C. Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nut device permitting securement of and to thin panel members. An axially extending, internally threaded shank has two laterally extending flanges interconnected to one end, the flanges being bent downward. Two beam members extend laterally from the shank in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the flanges, the ends of the beam members being bent upwardly toward the flanges. The nut is inserted in a slot in the panel by positioning the beam members parallel to the slot, pushing downwardly on the beam members to flex the flanges so that the beam members may be rotated clockwise beneath the panel. The flanges and beam members cooperate to frictionally clamp the panel and resist lateral and rotational displacement relative to the panel. A specially configured tool is also disclosed.
Claims8
A quarter-turn nut for blind-bore insertion into an elongated, generally rectangular aperture in a thin panel, said nut comprising a central, axially extending, internally threaded shank;
- a pair of flanges each having an inner edge and an outer edge and being interconnected to a first end of the shank by means connected to the inner edge of the flange, the second shank end constituting a free end, said flanges extending laterally outwardly from said shank in first and second generally opposite directions, the outer edge of each flange being in a different axial plane from the inner edge, such that the outer edge will engage the panel first during insertion to create a spring load when assembled to the panel;
- a pair of beam members extending outwardly from said shank in third and fourth generally opposite directions, said third and fourth directions being generally perpendicular to said first and second directions, the outer end of each beam member being axially nearer the flanges than the inner end, such that when the beam members are inserted through the aperture in the panel and forced downwardly against the spring load of the flanges and the nut rotated ninety degrees thereby deflecting the beam members to positions underlying the panel, the spring-loaded flanges engaging the upper surface of the panel and the deflected beam members engaging the lower surface of the panel cooperate to frictionally resist axial and rotational displacement of the nut.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.