Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Other

Multifastener Corporation

David B Ballantyne

David N Lee

A tolerance compensator provides a predetermined tolerance or space between connected assembly members. The tolerance compensator has a pair of connector components a first of which is secured to one of the assembly members and the second connector component is threadably installed, with a left hand thread, into the first connector component. A threaded fastener, with a right hand thread, is inserted into the connector components to initially engage the second connector component, either threadably or frictionally, to cause relative rotation between the first and second components whereby the second component advances toward and engages the second assembly member. The threaded fastener also threadably engages the first connector component to provide a secure connection between assembly members with the designed tolerance or space therebetween.

Tolerance compensation apparatus

An article, method, and related apparatus for a novel hook and loop lock stitch. The lock stitch is embodied in a stitched article that includes a workpiece including a series of stitch holes, or a seam, therethrough and further including a back side surface composed of a hook material including hooks therein. The lock stitch is provided through each stitch hole, and includes an upper thread extending down through each stitch hole, forming a loop underneath the workpiece, and extending back up through each stitch hole. A lower thread, or strip, is composed of a hook material including hooks therein. The loop is spread out amongst the hooks of the lower thread and interlocks therewith. The lower thread is thus entrapped between and within the loop and the back side surface of the workpiece. The workpiece can include the back side surface being composed of a loop material including loops therein for interlocking with the hooks of the lower thread. The stitched article can also include an underlining applied to the back side of the workpiece and over the lower thread. The underlining can be composed of a loop material including loops therein interlocking with the hooks of the hook material of the lower thread to retain the underlining to the workpiece.

Hook and loop lock stitch and method and apparatus therefor

A lubricated hinge comprises a pair of hinge plates and a lubricant filled hinge pin fitting through barrel sections of the hinge plates so as to pivotally connect same. The hinge pin comprises a hollow cylindrical body hvaing at one end a radially expansible portion terminating with a stop shoulder and at another end a preformed head and lubricant entrance. The pin body between its ends has lubricant delivery holes for delivering lubricant to between the pin body and the barrel sections of two hinge plates. The pin body is insertable into the barrel sections with the preformed head abutting one side of the hinge and the stop shoulder aligned with an opposite side of the hinge. A shank of a mandrel having an extruding head is insertable through the pin body and is adapted to then be pulled so as to radially expand the expansion portion of the pin body with the extruding head to abut the other side of the hinge and until the extruding head is stopped by the stop shoulder in the pin body. The shank is connected to the extruding head by a breakaway portion which breaks with the extruding head stopped by the stop shoulder upon a predetermined increased pulling force to thereby release the shank for removal from the pin body while the extruding head is sealingly retained to close the one end of said pin body. The other end of the pin body is adapted to receive lubricant through the entrance and thereafter be sealingly closed.

Method of making a lubricated hinge pin

A quick action fastener suitable for fastening panels or the like in face-to-face contact, including a pierce nut adapted to be secured within one of the panels and a male stud inserted through the other panel and into a through-hole in the nut. The nut includes a central, pilot portion which is diepunched through the panel and a pair of undercut grooves on opposites sides of the pilot portion, into which edges of the panel are deformed in order to securely hold the nut on the panel. The nut includes a locking element extending across the through-hole which is received within and contacts with a spiral cam slot in the stud upon partial rotation of the stud to lock the stud in the nut and thereby securely fasten the panels together. In one embodiment, the stud is axially biased from the locking element by a spring captured between the head of the stud and one of the panels while another embodiment employs a pair of wire loops forming a spring support for the locking element. The nuts may be formed in a strip thereof and interconnected by frangible connections which are successively severed during automated die insertion of the nuts into a panel. In the strip form of the nuts, the locking element for each of the nuts is defined by a continuous frangible wire which extends along the strip and is severable at spaced between adjacent nuts during installation of the nuts into the panel.

Quarter-turn fastener

A lock cylinder cover includes an escutcheon having a lock cylinder opening and a pivotal cover biased to cover the lock cylinder. A spring detent secured to the underside of the escutcheon has a stop surface which bears on the underside of the cover until opening movement permits the detent to spring out and engage a shoulder of the cover to hold the cover open. A blocking lever pivotally mounted on the underside of the escutcheon is spring biased to engage the detent. The detent has a cam surface poised in the path of unlocking rotation of the key so that the key cams the detent inwardly to release the stop surface from the cover so that the cover is spring biased to engage the key and then key removal permits the cover to close. The inward movement of the detent permits the lever to pivot into blocking engagement with the detent to retain the axially inward position in which the stop surface is withdrawn from engaging the cover. As the cover rotates closed, an operating abutment carried by the cover rotates the lever out of blocking engagement with the detent so that the detent is freed for subsequent outward movement upon subsequent opening of the cover.

Lock cylinder cover with key engagement release of hold-open detent

A dual control mechanism which includes a pair of screw drives that are connected at one end to a universally pivotally supported element at spaced points thereof and are connected at the other end to a pair of knobs which are rotatable about a common axis for adjusting the position of the element.

Dual control mechanism for a remotely located mirror

A retainer for retaining a corrugated conduit in a wall opening comprising a pair of rings provided by formation of a spring wire or a slit annular part wherein the retainer is insertable into the end of the conduit and is contracted with contraction of the conduit by an externally applied force to permit insertion of the conduit in the opening and then on release of the contracting force the retainer expands and holds two of the conduit corrugations outward of the opening on opposite sides of the wall to prevent pull-out or push-in of the conduit while also retaining an intermediately located corrugation of the conduit in sealing contact with the surface of the opening.

Corrugated conduit retainer

An electrical switch includes a tubular body having a sleeve portion defining an axially extending bore and adapted for insertion into an aperture of a support such as a vehicle door framing member. An annular collar on the sleeve portion is engageable with the support to limit insertion of the sleeve portion into the support. A plunger assembly includes a plunger guide member supported within the bore and a plunger rod extending through the sleeve portion bore and the guide member. A head portion is provided on either the plunger rod or the guide member adjacent the end of the sleeve portion and is adapted to engage and cause axial collapse and radial expansion of the sleeve portion to mount the tubular body on the support. A coil compression spring encircles the plunger rod and acts to move the plunger rod axially and carry an electrical contact mounted thereon into switch closing engagement with the tubular body or the guide member. The plunger rod is adapted for engagement by the vehicle door to move the plunger rod against the spring bias and carry the electrical contact away from grounding engagement. The guide member may have a frictional interference with the tubular body so that an initial engagement by the door moves the guide member to an adjusted position.

Push button type switch having deformable housing sleeve for permanent

A threaded fastener, such as a bolt or a screw, is releasably secured at its shank end in driving relation with a separate hardened thread forming pilot tip whereby during assembly of the threaded fastener into an unthreaded hole in a member, the threaded fastener is power driven to drive the pilot tip which forms threads in the hole into which the threaded fastener follows, the threaded fastener being free to slide axially relative to the pilot tip whereby to attain thread alignment with the threads in the hole before engagement therewith. After the pilot tip exits from the hole, it is removed from this fastener for use with another fastener.

Threaded fastener with reusable thread forming pilot tip

A panel extruding nut for use with a thread forming screw and adapted to be mechanically secured to a flat sheet basal member, the nut including a body having opposed flat surfaces and opposed coaxial first and second bores, the first bore having a diameter slightly larger than the minor diameter of the screw thread, the second bore having a diameter which, together with two extruded or drawn thicknesses of the basal member, is substantially equal to the diameter of the first bore. A punch is used to pierce the basal member and to extrude and shape an integral neck into the second bore which mechanically secures the panel extruding nut. The neck and the panel extruding nut are then threaded by the thread forming screw.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

David B Ballantyne