Patents for April/May 2023

Patents as compiled by the editors for Fastener Technology International from USPTO in April

Bolt Tensioning Assembly and Method for Tensioning of a Bolt
US Patent 11597043
Published March 7, 2023
Inventor: Espen Møller, Hafrsfjord, Norway
Assignee: Designbanken AS, Stavanger, Norway
A bolt tensioning assembly has a bolt with a first end portion and a second end portion at an opposite side of the bolt. The first end portion has an enlarged diameter to form a counter-pressure surface facing the second end portion. The first end portion has external threads to receive a lock nut. A hydraulic bolt tensioning device is for tensioning of the bolt. The hydraulic bolt tensioning device is arranged for enclosing a portion of the bolt such that it abuts the counter pressure surface. A lock nut is arranged on the first end portion of the bolt. The hydraulic bolt tensioning device and lock nut are dimensioned such that upon tightening of the lock nut, the lock nut will tighten against a portion of the hydraulic bolt tensioning device.

Anchor Bolt for Adhesive Anchor, Adhesive Anchor and Method for Constructing Adhesive Anchor
US Patent 11598085
Published March 7, 2023
Inventor: Shogo Fujita, Tokyo, Japan
Assignee: FS Technical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
An anchor bolt for an adhesive anchor or the like that can be caused to exert substantial tensile strength at a relatively shallow embedding depth. An anchor bolt for an adhesive anchor that is fixed via adhesive to an anchor hole formed in a fixed body includes: a head part that is inserted into a hole back part of the anchor hole; a shank part that is continuous with the head part and formed to have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the head part; and a sleeve part into which the shank part is inserted, the sleeve part extending from an opening part to the hole back part of the anchor hole and having a tip end thereof abutted onto the head part.

Screw Fasteners for Use in Building Construction
US Patent 11598362
Published March 7, 2023
Inventor: Neville Deutscher, Victoria, Australia
Assignee: Ideal Fasterners Pty Ltd., Victoria, Australia
A screw fastener comprising: an elongate shank (3) having a screw thread (9) extending along at least a substantial portion of the shank; a drive section (7) located at one end of the shank for allowing the screw fastener to be rotatably driven into one or more material layers; and a self-drilling or piercing point (5) at an opposing end thereof for forming a bore in said one or more material layers; wherein the drive section is shaped to minimize or avoid the need for countersinking of the formed bore.

Low-Wear Screw Structure
US Patent 11598363
Published March 7, 2023
Inventor: Yi-Chieh Shih, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Assignee: Bi-Mirth Corp., Kaohsiung, Taiwan
The invention provides a low-wear screw structure which comprises a screw head, a rod body, a first thread and at least a crushing rib, wherein the rod body extending out from the screw head and being successively formed with a rod extension part, a reaming part and a taper part, the first thread being annularly arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the rod body at a distance from the taper part to the rod extension part through the reaming part, the crushing ribs being arranged on the rod body at the reaming part, wherein a first included angle is formed between the first side surface and the outer peripheral surface of the rod body, a second included angle is formed between the second side surface and the outer peripheral surface of the rod body, and the first included angle is different from the second included angle.

Fastener Assembly with Pivoting Nut
US Patent 11592052
Published February 28, 2023
Inventor: Mark O. Lepper, Oak Park, IL, USA
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, USA
An example pivot nut assembly includes a pivot body and a nut. The nut is pivotably engaged in the pivot body.
Apparatus For a Captured Fastener Assembly with Expanding Grommet
US Patent 11592050
Published February 28, 2023
Inventors: Chad Michael Clark, Stamping Ground, KY, USA; and Ronald C. Owens, II, Lawrenceburg, KY, USA
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, USA
A fastener assembly that is configured to securely couple to a component includes a bolt, a limiter and a grommet. The bolt has a head, a shaft and a medial ridge disposed around a portion of the shaft. The limiter has a brim and a tube, with the tube extending away from the brim. A grommet has a central passage extending through a top section. The top section further includes a central wall and a bottom surface. At least one tab extends from the bottom surface.

Blind Fasteners
US Patent 11592053
Published February 28, 2023
Inventors: Kynan Wynne, Heber City, UT, USA; Joshua P. Adam, Heber City, UT, USA; and Braxton T. Schindler, Heber City, UT, USA
Assignee: Rooftop Anchor, Inc., Heber City, UT, USA
A blind fastener may include a bolt. The bolt includes a head, a shank coupled to the head and a number of external threads formed on the shank. The blind fastener may also include a mount coupled to the bolt, and a fastening block coupled to the mount. The mount may include a body, at least one arm extending from the body, and at least one pivot mount formed on and extending from the arm about which the fastening block pivots.

Methods And Apparatuses for Extracting And Dislodging Fasteners
US Patent 11590637
Published February 28, 2023
Inventors: Paul Kukucka, Brandon, FL, USA; and Thomas Stefan Kukucka, Brandon, FL, USA
Assignee: Grip Holdings LLC, Brandon, FL, USA
A method of using a fastener torque-tool body, torque arm and release bolt to engage a stripped threaded fastener in an object. The method comprising the steps of selecting a torque-tool body suitable for the fastener being removed, engaging the torque-tool body with the fastener, engaging the torque arm with the torque-tool body, applying rotational force to the torque arm to rotate the fastener within the object, engaging the release bolt with the torque-tool body and applying rotational force to the release bolt to dislodge the fastener from the torque-tool body.

Bolts And Bolt and Nut Fasteners
US Patent 11592054
Published February 28, 2023
Inventor: Zoltan A. Kemeny, Chandler, AZ, USA
A bolt includes a shank having a first end, a second end, a first external thread proximate to the first end and a second external thread proximate to the second end. The first external thread twists in a first direction, the second external thread twists in a second direction and the first direction is different from the second direction. The first external thread includes a minor diameter, the second external thread includes a major diameter, and the minor diameter of the first external thread is greater than the major diameter of the second external thread.

Wire Rivet
US Patent 11585363
Published February 21, 2023
Inventors: Timothy Briggs, Brentwood, CA, USA; Kyle James LeBlanc, Berkeley, CA, USA; and Brian K. Holliday, Stockton, CA, USA
Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM, USA
A rivet assembly for securing a wire in electrical communication with a substrate having a hollow cylindrical body with a first opening at a proximal end and a second opening at a distal end. The rivet assembly further includes a wire with a portion in electrical communication with the cylindrical body. The rivet assembly yet further includes a compression mechanism configured for use selectively compressing the cylindrical body along an axial direction. Compression of the cylindrical body can cause diametric expansion of an outer diameter of the cylindrical body to retain the cylindrical body within a substrate. The rivet assembly additionally includes wire retention structure configured for holding the wire in electrical contact with the compressed cylindrical body.

Screw Drive Having Integrated Torque Security
US Patent 11583325
Published February 21, 2023
Jan Marten Seitz, Hannover, Germany; Ute Urban, Hannover, Germany; and Nils Heinemann, Hannover, Germany
Assignee: Syntellix AG, Hannover, Germany
The present invention relates to a screw drive having integrated torque protection, wherein two screw drives are incorporated in a screw head, one drive being an internal polygonal drive and the second drive being an internal multilobular drive. In addition, the invention relates to a screw having a screw drive.

Metal Fastener with Embedded RFID Tag and Method of Production
US Patent 11586872
Published February 21, 2023
Inventors: Geoffrey Grove, Providence, RI, USA; Tao Wei, Kingston, RI, USA; and Otto Gregory, Kingston, RI, USA
Assignees: Pilgrim Screw Corporation, Providence, RI, USA; and Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education, Warwick, RI, USA
The present disclosure is generally directed to an RFID tag for use with a metal fastener where the fastener operates as the antenna of the RFID tag. The RFID tag includes a microchip for storing data. The chip is electrically coupled to the metal fastener in order to receive and transmit the RF signal, the metal fastener thereby operating as the antenna for the RFID tag.

Blind Fastener
US Patent 11585364
February 21, 2023
Inventors: Elaine Koontz, Manhattan Beach, CA, USA; Emory K. Tamashiro, San Pedro, CA, USA; and James Mitchell, Downey, CA, USA
Assignee: Monogram Aerospace Fasteners, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA
Disclosed is a fastener that includes a nut with a threaded bore that includes a head on one end having three recesses, a cylindrical outer surface and a tapered ramp on the other end, a bolt that includes a head, a threaded portion engaged with the threaded bore, a recess next to the bolt head and an enlarged shank between the threads and the recess, where the outer diameter of the recess is smaller than a major diameter of the threaded bore of the nut and where an outer diameter of the shank is larger than a major diameter of the bolt threads, and a sleeve with a unthreaded bore positioned between the tapered ramp and the bolt head with one end crimped into the recess such that the internal diameter of the crimped sleeve bore is smaller than the major diameter of the threads on the bolt.

Method for Manufacturing a Multi-Functional Fastener
US Patent 11577301
Published February 14, 2023
Inventor: Ling-Fang Chen, Tainan, Taiwan
Assignee: Essence Method Refine Co., Ltd., Tainan, Taiwan
A method for manufacturing a multi-functional fastener includes a preparing operation, a forming operation and a threading operation. The preparing operation prepares a metal blank cut from a length of a metal material. The forming operation is executed so that the metal blank forms a shank, a head and a drilling portion connected to the shank. The threading operation is executed to roll the metal blank with a thread rolling set having two opposite rolling plates. Each rolling plate has slit grooves and convex units arranged in alternation. Each of the convex units has protrusions each situated between two adjacent slit grooves, which allows the threading operation to equip the shank of the metal blank with thread convolutions, slots formed between the thread convolutions for helping quick removal of chips, and main ribs formed between any two adjacent slots for increasing cutting efficiency.
Reinforced Cap Head Screws
US Patent 11578749
Published February 14, 2023
Inventors: Hsin-Te Tsai, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Ya-Lun Tsai, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Assignee: Clarcorp Industrial Sales, Inc., Waukesha, WI, USA
A self-tapping screw for use in securing at least two materials together. The self-tapping screw may include a screw cap that receives a screw body to reinforce the strength of the screw head. The screw cap is composed of a zinc-aluminum alloy that may be die casted and provides additional strength and hardness to the attached screw body. The screw cap has a rolled flange that helps to securely retain the flat rim of the attached screw body.

Screw-type Fastener for Cement Board
US Patent 11572915
February 7, 2023
Inventors: Farhad Lajewardi, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Shreenivas Iyer, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Assignee: The Hillman Group, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA
A cement board screw a high thread that begins on the tapered end, extends onto the shank and terminates at a second axial location along the shank. The high thread defines a high peripheral edge, where a leading flank and a trailing flank meet at the high peripheral edge and together define a high thread angle that is between about thirty degrees and about fifty-five degrees. A low thread begins on the tapered end, extends onto the shank and terminates substantially at a first axial location along the shank such that an axial length of the low thread is less than an axial length of the high thread. The low thread includes a leading flank and a trailing flank that meet at a low peripheral edge and together define a low thread angle that is between about fifty degrees and about seventy degrees.

Centering Screw for Aligning Two Elements Relative to Each Other, Centering Assembly
US Patent 11572916
Published February 7, 2023
Inventor: Marcus Wagner, Schwaigern, Germany
Assignee: Bosch GmbH, Robert; Stuttgart, Germany
A centering screw for aligning two elements, particularly a workpiece and a carrier, relative to each other, the centering screw having a first end section with a first outside diameter and a first length, and a second end section with a second outside diameter and a second length, the first end section having a first thread, at least in sections and a cone being provided for the centering. In this case, the centering screw has the cone in an intermediate section between the first end section and the second end section, the cone having a diameter changing along the intermediate section, the diameter at an end of the cone facing away from the first end section being larger than the first outside diameter, and the end of the cone facing away from the first end section being assigned an axial stop facing away from the first end section.

Fastener Using Lubricated Interference Fit
US Patent 11560910
Published January 24, 2023
Inventors: Laurent Bourges, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, USA; Johan Stephan, Houilles, France; and Christophe Van Daele, Conflans Sainte Honorine, France
Assignee: LISI Aerospace, Paris, France
The invention relates to a method for installing metallic fastener (10; 40) for the interference fit assembly of at least two structural elements (20, 22) comprising a through hole, the fastener comprising an enlarged head (12; 42), a shaft (14; 44) having an external diameter before installation that is greater than an internal diameter of the hole, said shaft comprising a conductive surface (26; 56). Before installation, at least the conductive surface (26; 56) is coated with a lubricating layer (30), which comprises a mixture of at least one polyolefin and one polytetrafluoroethylene, for example, having sufficient adherence to prevent its abrasion by manual manipulation of the fastener and being weak enough to be at least partly stripped from the conductive surface during the interference fit assembly of the fastener. The invention is applicable to the assembly of aircraft structures.