Stackable fastener

A stackable fastener comprising:

• a body having an annular shape including a central bore defining a central axis, said bore having a distal end and a proximal end, said bore forming an opening at its proximal end with said central bore being tapered to have a diameter smaller at the bore's proximal end than the bore's distal end;
• a plurality of flexible fingers extending axially and distally from said body at said bore's distal extremity;
• a plurality of spaces, including a space between each of said plurality of flexible fingers;
• a force member within said bore and fingers and rotatable about said body's central axis;
• said force member having proximal and distal ends with said distal end being constructed as a rotatable cam including a plurality of projections, said projections pushing said fingers radially outward when said force member is rotated to a first rotational position to push said fingers outward, and said projections residing within said spaces when said force member is rotated to a second rotational position to not push said fingers outward;
• and
• said fingers and tapered bore constructed so that the stackable fastener is stackable upon like stackable fasteners wherein said fingers are sized to slide through a stackable fastener's opening into a stackable fastener's central bore when said force member is positioned in the second rotational position and said fingers are positioned inward, and said fingers are sized to lock within a stackable fastener's central bore when said force member is positioned in the first rotational position and said fingers are positioned outward.

A stackable fastener comprising:

• a body having an annular shape including a central bore defining a central axis, said bore having a distal end and a proximal end, said bore forming an opening at its proximal end with said central bore being tapered to have a diameter smaller at the bore's proximal end than the bore's distal end;
• a plurality of flexible fingers extending axially and distally from said body at said bore's distal extremity;
• a force member rotatable about said bore's central axis and axially slideable within said bore and fingers, said force member pushing said fingers radially outward when said force member is rotated and axially positioned in a first position to engage said fingers and said fingers positioned inward when said force member is rotated and axially positioned in a second position in said central bore;
• and
• said tapered central bore and fingers constructed so that the stackable fastener is stackable upon like stackable fasteners wherein said fingers are sized to slide through a stackable fastener's opening into a stackable fastener's tapered bore when said force member is positioned in said second position and said fingers are positioned inward, and said fingers are sized to lock within a stackable fastener's tapered central bore when said force member is positioned in said first position and said fingers are positioned outward.