Phillips Plastics Corporation

Joseph Bart

Burnell J Wollar

Richard J Schwind

David Linder

A two-piece assembly is provided for filling, sealing and concealing an elongated groove formed in a surface of an automobile body. The groove, measured transversely, is wider at the bottom than at the top. The assembly comprises releasably attachable first and second members. The elongated elastic (molded rubber) first member is manually disposed in the groove and has an elongated slot extending inwardly from the exposed top side thereof. The elongated rigid (plastic) second member comprises a lower portion having serrated opposite lateral sides and an upper trim molding portion. The lower serrated portion is manually inserted in the slot to effect transverse outward expansion of the lateral sides of the first member so that the first member fills and seals the groove and is frictionally secured therein. The upper trim molding portion lies against the surface of the automobile body and serves to conceal both the groove and the lower portion of the second member, when the serrated lower portion is fully inserted in the slot. The second member is forceably detachable from the first member for replacement, if necessary.

Means for filling, sealing and concealing an elongated groove

A molded plastic one-piece hollow expansion nut comprises an outwardly expandable shank which is insertable through a panel hole and a head at one end of the shank for engaging the panel surface. A screw-receiving bore extends axially through the nut and receives the threaded shank of a screw whose screw head bears against the nut head. The portion of the bore along which shank wall expansion occurs is cylindrical and of slightly larger diameter than the screw thread. The inmost end of the bore is of oblong cross-section and its minor axis is shorter than the diameter of the screw thread. A single screw-engaging thread in the cylindrical bore initially holds and guides the screw. The shank walls opposite the ends of the minor axis have oblique screw-thread receiving slots therethrough which define very sturdy damage resistant nut threads which engage the screw thread. Rotational insertion of the screw draws the insertion end of the nut shank toward the nut head and effects shank expansion to thereby secure the nut in the panel hole. In some embodiments, interengageable components on the nut and on the screw interengage to prevent further screw rotation after the nut reaches fully expanded condition. In some embodiments, ratchet teeth on the screw thread and nut slots engage to prevent screw removal.

Damage resistant plastic expansion nut and screw therefor

A two-piece molded plastic fastener comprises a hollow body and a pin insertable thereinto. The body has a head and a bore defined by a resiliently deformable grooved bore wall. The pin has a pin head and a serrated pin shank. When fully installed in an aperture in a workpiece (which comprises one or more panels), the serrated pin shank is frictionally engaged with and digs into the resilient grooved bore wall (i.e., is 'set'), and the two heads bear against opposite sides of the workpiece. Depending on fastener design, the heads either apply a predetermined pressure on the workpiece (depending on the setting force) or are maintained at a predetermined distance from each other when set. Either the body or pin or both may embody features (such as holes, screw threads, hooks, snap fasteners) which enable objects to be secured thereto. In addition, the pin may have an axial bore therethrough to enable the fastener to serve as a bushing. The body and pin may be installed separately in the aperture from opposite sides of the workpiece and then set, either manually or with a known tool which engages and then detaches a breakaway extension on the pin shank projecting from the bore. Alternately, a pre-assembled body and pin (with breakaway extension) may be installed and set from one side of the workpiece, if the workpiece aperture and both fastener heads are appropriately shaped.

Multi-purpose two-piece plastic fastener

A fastener for securing primary and secondary panels together comprises a molded plastic one-piece U-nut and a molded plastic screw. The nut comprises two plates, each having a plate hole therethrough, which face each other with their plate holes in registry and which are integrally and resiliently interconnected along one edge in spaced apart relationship. One plate supports on its outer side an integrally formed nut shank having an internally threaded bore in registry with the plate holes. The other plate supports on its innerside an integrally formed annular shaped sloped lock tab which surrounds its associated plate hole and holds the nut in place on the primary panel. The bore thread is formed in discrete thread sections and locking teeth are formed on the undersides of the bore thread sections. The screw comprises a threaded screw shank having a screw head at one end. The screw thread has locking teeth formed on the upper side thereof at intervals therealong. In use, the U-nut is slipped onto the edge of the primary panel so that its plate holes and shank bore register with an oversized panel hole inward of the panel edge. The panels are then placed face-to-face and the threaded screw shank is axially inserted through a hole in the secondary panel and through the plate holes in the U-nut.

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St. Charles, IL, United States of America

Joseph Bart