Universal fastener for decking
AssigneeHandy & Harman
InventorsPeter J. Shadwell, Michael W. Maziarz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fastener for attaching grooved decking planks to a support member has a body defining an attachment opening spacing apart opposing legs extending from a shoulder. The legs have at least one frontward extending prong. The rear end of the body includes a bend transitioning to a lip. The front end may have downward extending teeth. A nose may extend from the front end while a tail may extend from the rear end of the body. Adjacent fasteners may be joined by their respective noses and tails to form a collated series of fasteners.
Claims21
A fastener for attaching a decking member to a support member, comprising a body extending from a front end to a rear end and including a generally flat portion defining a plane extending between two opposing lateral edges, the body defining an attachment opening extending from a top surface to a bottom surface thereof, a first shoulder extending from one lateral edge and transitioning to a downwardly projecting first leg and an opposite second shoulder extending from the opposing lateral edge to a downwardly projecting second leg, each leg having a front edge that is angled obliquely relative to the plane in the forward direction and having a rear edge with an undercut portion.
A collated series of fasteners for attaching a decking member to a support member, comprising:
- (a) a first fastener with a body extending from a front end to a rear end and including a generally flat portion extending between two opposing lateral edges, the rear end having a tail projecting rearward therefrom, the body defining an attachment opening extending from a top surface to a bottom surface thereof, a first leg extending downward from one lateral edge of the body and an opposite second leg extending downward from the opposing lateral edge of the body, the bottom surface of the first fastener body defining a first plane, and each leg having a front edge that is angled obliquely relative to the first plane in the forward direction and having a rear edge with an undercut portion;
- (b) a second fastener with a body extending from a front end to a rear end and including a generally flat portion defining a second plane extending between two opposing lateral edges, the front end having a nose projecting frontward therefrom, the body defining an attachment opening extending from a top surface to a bottom surface thereof, a first leg extending downward from one lateral edge of the body and an opposite second leg extending downward from the opposing lateral edge of the body, the bottom surface of the second fastener body defining second plane, and each leg having a front edge that is angled obliquely relative to the second plane in the forward direction and having a rear edge with an undercut portion;
- wherein
- the first fastener tail is attached to the second fastener nose such that first and second fasteners are positioned with the first and second planes being coplanar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.