Captive screw device and method
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorPaul David Andrews
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A press for securing a captive screw assembly within a hole in a panel cover. The press is supported from the panel cover as it is operated and includes a tool for extracting the captive screw assembly from the panel cover hole when the captive screw assembly is no longer functional. The extraction tool engages a bottom end of the captive screw and severs the flare on the ferrule of the captive screw assembly that anchors the assembly to the hole in the panel cover. A captive screw assembly is also described that has a knurled end that anchors the captive screw assembly to a hole in the panel cover.
Claims14
A captive screw press for operating on a captive screw assembly in relation to an opening in a panel cover, comprising:
- a base having an upper surface with a front portion and a rear portion;
- a platform having an underside with a front portion and a rear portion, with the rear portion of the platform attached to the base and affixed to the rear portion of the base with one or both of either the rear portion of the upper surface of the base or the rear portion of the underside of the platform extending towards the other of the rear portion of the upper surface of the base or the rear portion of the underside of the platform so that the front portion of the base is spaced from the front portion of the platform;
- a clamp attached to either the upper surface of the front portion of the base or the underside of the front portion of the platform and moveable to extend towards another of the upper surface of the front portion of the base or the underside of the front portion of the platform so as to clamp the panel cover therebetween;
- a hole in a top of the platform, the hole extending along an axis through the platform into the space between the underside in the front portion of the platform and the upper surface of the front portion of the base, the hole having a side wall including at least one bearing in the side wall configured to support the captive screw assembly when the captive screw assembly is inserted in the hole;
- a force arm substantially coaxially moveable within the hole to place a force on the captive screw assembly when placed in the hole, with at least one of either the force arm or the captive screw assembly being rotatable when the at least one of either the force arm or the captive screw moves;
- and
- a thrust bearing attached to an underside of the force arm between the captive screw assembly and the force arm when the force arm places the force on the captive screw assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.