Textron Corporation

Other

James T McGuire

John S Milliser

Michael D Marvell

Stephen J Dixon

Kenneth G Lowry

Curtis Freeberg

A one-piece flag nut having a flag portion protruding perpendicularly to the axis of a nut portion thereof such that during installation, as the flag nut rotates, the flag portion catches on any nearby structure and acts as a wrench during the installation process. The one-piece flag nut is formed by an extrusion process, and preferably formed to have ribs provided on the flag portion thereof which provide strength to the flag nut. The outer edges of the flag portion are preferably rolled to prevent the flag portion from being hung up on the structure during the installation process, thus preventing the flag nut from being properly seated.

One-piece flag nut

A preassembled spring and cup assembly is used in a brake assembly. The spring and cup assembly includes a cup which is engaged against a spring. The cup has a slot therethrough through which a pin is passed to retain the pin with the cup and to retain the preassembled spring and cup assembly with the brake assembly. The cup further includes at least one indent in which the pin is releasably retained. The assembly further includes structure for retaining the spring in a compressed condition. The retaining structure is capable of being selectively released to allow the spring to expand. In a first embodiment, the retaining structure is an arm portion which is integrally formed with the spring and extends upwardly to the cup to engage the cup through an opening in the cup. The pin is used to release the retaining structure. In a second embodiment, a base stamping is provided which is attached to the second end of the spring. Arm portions extend upwardly from the base stamping to the cup and engage the cup. The cup is pressed on to compress the spring so as to allow the arm portions to move away from their engagement with the cup.

Brake shoe pin and preassembled spring and cup assembly

A fastener is mounted in preassembly with a workpiece through an aperture in the workpiece. The fastener has a head and an elongate shank integrally formed therewith. The shank has a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion with the threaded portion having a major diameter which is greater than the inside diameter of the aperture in the workpiece and the unthreaded portion having an outside diameter which is less than the inside diameter of the aperture in the workpiece. To engage the fastener with the workpiece, the threaded portion is passed through the aperture to dispose the unthreaded portion within the aperture. When the fastener is engaged with the aperture, a partial internal thread is formed therein which does not materially enlarge or decrease the effective inside diameter of the aperture. The difference between the inside diameter of the aperture and the major diameter of the threaded portion provides a degree of interference which maintains the fastener in a preassembled condition with respect to the workpiece.

Self retaining fastener

An air bag mountng system for assembling an air bag having a mounting flange with an air bag inflator and for thereafter assembling the assembled air bag and inflator with a preselected surface of an automotive vehicle comprises a module housing, and a retaining ring. The mounting flange is disposed between the retaining ring, and the module housing. The module housing has apertures therein capable of accepting projecting pins disposed about the retaining ring. The projecting pins are forced into the apertures forming a frictioned interference fit capable of holding the air bag subassembly together during manufacture of the subassembly and installation in a vehicle. Preferably, the projecting pins are hexlobular in nature.

Air bag mounting system

An improved method and joint structure are provided for assembling a self-clinching fastener to sheet material, particularly thin sheet metal, in which an aperture and a peripheral flange are formed in the sheet metal; thereafter the shank portion of the fastener is inserted into the flange followed by clinching the fastener to the flange to secure the assembly. The sheet metal aperture and peripheral flange can be fabricated in a single work station in which the fabricating tooling punches the sheet metal aperture and extrudes or shapes the peripheral flange between a pair of forming dies. Assembly of the fastener joint with the flanged metal is performed in a second work station in which the fastener shank is inserted into the flange and then the head portion of the fastener is driven into the flange material to begin the clinching step. In the clinching operation the fastener head bends the flange material radially outwardly into enagement with the contiguous sheet metal to produce effectively doubled sheet metal thickness at the annular periphery of the aperture. Further driving the head portion into the bent flange displaces and cold-deforms a portion of the flange material radially inwardly into a locking groove provided in the inserted fastener shank to produce mechanical interlock of the clinched assembly.

Method for assembling a self-clinching fastening structure

An improved method and joint structure are provided for assembling a self-clinching fastener to sheet material, particularly thin sheet metal, in which an aperture and a peripheral flange are formed in the sheet metal; thereafter the shank portion of the fastener is inserted into the flange followed by clinching the fastener to the flange to secure the assembly. The sheet metal aperture and peripheral flange can be fabricated in a single work station in which the fabricating tooling punches the sheet metal aperture and extrudes or shapes the peripheral flange between a pair of forming dies. Assembly of the fastener joint with the flanged metal is performed in a second work station in which the fastener shank is inserted into the flange and then the head portion of the fastener is driven into the flange material to begin the clinching step. In the clinching operation the fastener head bends the flange material radially outwardly into engagement with the contiguous sheet metal to produce effectively doubled sheet metal thickness at the annular periphery of the aperture. Further driving the head portion into the bent flange displaces and cold-deforms a portion of the flange material radially inwardly into a locking groove provided in the inserted fastener shank to produce mechanical interlock of the clinched assembly.

Clinch type fastening structure

A wall decorating paint applying device which is composed of a one piece, unitary, soft, compressible, resiliently self-restoring, sponge body having a relieved, design defining, paint imprinting, face. The opposite side of the body is formed with an integral, finger grippable, sponge handle portion for manually handling the device in applying paint to the imprinting face and thereafter correctly positioning the face in compression on a wall surface to be decorated.

Growing community of inventors

Byron, IL, United States of America

James T McGuire