Snap fastener
OwnerJoseph L. Terrels, Christopher J. Terrelsinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A replacement fastener for use with a female snap member to provide a snap fastener. The male snap member is formed of an acetal resin which is tough and resilient and has its own self-lubricating properties. The male fastner has a flange with a button on one side adapted to engage in the socket of the female snap and has an anchor portion adapted to be firmly anchored in a boat structure in the precise location where the conventional male fastener was located.
Claims6
For anchoring a movable component to a base structure, in combination with at least one female snap member comprising a cylindrical socket having an open end with a circumferential spring ring within the socket at the open and, said spring ring being formed of spring metal with a split affording expansion and contraction of the ring, a male fastener having a bottom with a flared wall operable to fit into the open end of said socket, said male and female members constituting a snap fastener, the larger end of the flared wall operable to expand said spring ring within said socket as the male member is inserted into said female socket, and to afford contraction of said ring to encircle the smaller end of the flared wall upon passage of the large end past said ring, the improvement wherein:
- said male member is formed of a non-metallic material having a hardness sufficient to effect expansion of said spring ring and friction characteristics to afford passage of said larger end past said ring,
- and having a flange extending outwardly from said flared wall at its smaller end to lie flush against the surface of said base structure,
- said including means to firmly anchor said flange on the base structure comprising a plurality of tangs projecting from said flange in a direction opposite to said flared wall to penetrate said base structure, and a wedge element operable to be driven between said tangs to displace said tangs to interlock with the base and firmly anchor the flange to the base structure, said wedge element comprising an enlarged head, a shank and a narrow tip, said shank, when driven between said tangs being positioned between said tangs to firmly anchor said flange.
For use in a boat, a replacement male fastening member for anchoring canvas components having at least one female snap member having a cylindrical socket with a circumferential spring wall adjacent the bottom of the socket operable to cooperate with the male snap member, said male and female members comprising a snap fastener, said male fastener member having a button with a flared wall operable to fit into the open end of the socket, said button having a larger end on the flared wall operable to expand said spring ring within said socket as the button is inserted into said socket, and a smaller end to afford contraction of said ring to encircle the flared wall at the smaller end upon passage of the large end past said ring,
- said male member being formed of a non-metallic material having a hardness sufficient to effect expansion of said spring ring and friction characteristics to afford passage of said larger end past said ring,
- and having a flange extending outwardly from said flared wall at its smaller end to lie flush against the surface of said base, and including means to firmly anchor said flange on the base comprising a plurality of tangs projecting from said flange in a direction opposite to the projection of said flared wall to penetrate said base, and a wedge element operable to be driven between said tangs to displace said tangs to interlock with the base and firmly anchor the flange to the base, said wedge element comprising an enlarged head, a shank and a narrow tip, said shank, when the wedge element is fully driven between said into said opening, being positioned between said tangs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.