US 5,193,956 AGranted

Adjustable diameter bolt with adjustable nut

AssigneeAvibank Mfg., Inc.

InventorJohn A. Duran

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Abstract

A self-retaining adjustable diameter bolt with an adjustable nut including a bolt having a head, a shank, and a threaded end adapted to be inserted into a hole in an installation for subsequent coupling to an nut assembly. The bolt includes a pawl with a plurality of bushing segments mounted on the bolt shank, the pawl extending through an opening in the bolt adapted to engage the segments to stop withdrawal from the bolt. The nut assembly has a first portion threaded onto the threaded end driving the segments forward and filling the spacing between the hole and bolt shank. The nut assembly includes a second portion rotatable on the first portion which can be tightened against the panel installation. In this manner, full radial expansion of the segments takes place before the first nut portion bottoms out against the installation and the second nut portion can be then tightened against the installation.

Claims21

Dependent claims

In a self-retaining bolt assembly including a bolt having an enlarged head at one end, a shank portion adjacent the head, a threaded section adjacent the shank portion, the bolt being adapted to be inserted through aligned apertures in a pair of abutting structures with the head on the access side of said structure, the bolt including a pawl disposed in a hole in the bolt movable from a first position into said hole to a second position extending out of the hole, the threaded section being adapted to be threaded to a nut assembly on the blind side of said structures, the improvements which comprises:

a plurality of bushing segments encircling the shank portion of said bolt;
and
said nut assembly having a first main threaded body portion tightened onto the threaded section of said bolt forcing said segments toward said bolt head whereby said segments are adapted to fill the spacing between said bolt shank portion and the walls of said aligned apertures, and said nut assembly having a second portion rotatably and threadably mounted on a threaded portion on the exterior of the first portion tightening said nut assembly against said structure when said second portion is threadably rotated on said first portion and abuts against said structure.

In a self-retaining bolt having an enlarged head at one end, a threaded end and a shank portion therebetween, said bolt including a pawl adapted to extend out beyond the outer surface of said bolt when in a first position and adapted to extend back into the shank portion of said bolt when in a second position, the bolt including a hole partway therethrough, the central longitudinal axis of said hole extending in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of said bolt, said bolt being free of any longitudinally extending passageway along the interior length thereof, the pawl being disposed in said hole and loosely retained therein, pawl withdrawal prevention means associated with the opening leading into the hole in which said pawl is disposed to prevent withdrawal thereout, said pawl having a face portion having a plane extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bolt, spring biasing means in said hole engaging said pawl normally biasing said pawl to a first position wherein said face portion extends out of said hole and movable along an axis generally coincident with the central longitudinal axis of said hole to a second position wherein said face portion is disposed in said hole, and keying means keying said pawl to said shank portion so that said pawl is oriented so that its face portion faces the head of said bolt with the plane thereof extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shank portion, the improvement which comprises:

a plurality of bushing segments encircling the shank potion of said bolt;
and
a nut assembly having a main threaded body portion threaded to said threaded end of said bolt, said nut assembly having a first threaded nut portion, that, when threaded to said threaded end and tightened thereon, forces said segments toward said bolt head and said nut assembly further includes a second nut portion threadably and rotatably mounted onto a threaded portion of the exterior of said first nut portion.

A bolt assembly comprising:

a bolt having an enlarged head at one end, a threaded end and a shank portion therebetween with a terminal end extending from said threaded end;
a spring biased pawl mounted in a hole in said shank portion adapted to extend out beyond the outer surface of said shank portion when in a first position and adpated to extend back into the shank position;
a plurality of bushing segments encircling the shank portion of said bolt;
and
a nut assembly having a first main threaded body portion adapted to thread to said threaded end of said bolt and be tightened thereon forcing said segments toward said bolt head and a second body portion threaded to the exterior of said first body portion disposed between the terminal end of said bolt and said segments.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.