Self-drilling fastener
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsRichard J. Ernst, Mark E. Gonciarz, Donald J. Broomfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fastener mountable to a rigid substrate such as a fiber cement panel and also mountable to the panel and an underlying support, such as a metal or wooden stud. The fastener may include a drilling portion having a reaming portion for reaming out the material within the panel, a fastening portion for engaging the panel and, if encountered, the underlying support, and a tapered portion between the drilling and fastening portions. The drilling portion may have a length generally equal to, or slightly longer than, a length of the panel so that reaming out of the panel may be completed before engagement of the fastener threads with the interior of the panel begins.
Claims20
A fastener for engaging a rigid substrate, comprising:
- a drilling portion having a reaming portion and a generally cylindrical fragment, the reaming portion having a leading face and a trailing face;
- a fastening portion having a generally constant root diameter and threading with a generally constant major diameter;
- a tapered portion between said drilling portion and said fastening portion, said tapered portion having threads with a pitch generally equal to a pitch of said fastening portion threading;
- and
- a head having torque transmitting surfaces;
- wherein said trailing face includes a lower edge extending from a point generally axially aligned with a central axis to an outer edge, said lower edge forming a first angle with respect to said central axis;
- wherein said drilling portion terminates in a drill tip that forms a second angle with respect to said central axis;
- and
- wherein said second angle is larger than said first angle.
A fastener for engaging a rigid substrate, comprising:
- a drilling portion having a plurality of reaming portions and a plurality of generally cylindrical fragments, wherein a generally cylindrical fragment is circumferentially spaced between a pair of said reaming portions,
- a fastening portion having a generally constant root diameter and threading with a generally constant major diameter;
- a tapered portion between said drilling portion and said fastening portion;
- and
- a head having torque transmitting surfaces;
- wherein each reaming portion has a leading face and a trailing face, said leading face having an outer edge that is right-handed;
- and
- wherein each trailing face on each reaming portion includes a lower edge extending from a point generally axially aligned with a central axis, each lower edge angled the same amount with respect to a central axis.
A fastener for engaging a rigid substrate, comprising:
- a drilling portion having a plurality of reaming portions and a plurality of generally cylindrical fragments therebetween,
- a fastening portion having a generally constant root diameter and threading with a generally constant major diameter;
- a tapered portion between said drilling portion and said fastening portion;
- and
- a head having torque transmitting surfaces;
- wherein each reaming portion has a leading face and a trailing face, said leading face having an outer edge that is right-handed,
- wherein said leading face and said trailing face have a common inner edge, said inner edge intersecting an outer edge of said leading face and an outer edge of said trailing face proximate upper ends of said leading and trailing faces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.