Captive fastener assembly with rotation prevention means

Claim 1

A FASTENER FOR SECURING TOGETHER TWO MEMBERS HAVING MATCHING APERTURES THERETHROUGH COMPRISING A STUD ASSEMBLY ADAPTED FOR ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID MEMBERS TO BE FASTENED, AND A NUT ASSEMBLY ADAPTED FOR ASSOCIATION WITH THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS TO BE FASTENED, SAID STUD ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FIRST RECEPTACLE HAVING AN OPEN END AND TAB MEANS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID END FOR PROVIDING MEANS TO ATTACH SAID FIRST RECEPTACLE TO SAID ONE MEMBER, A SECOND RECEPTACLE FIXEDLY RECEIVED IN SAID FIRST RECEPTACLE, SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE HAVING A FIRST END WALL ADJACENT SAID OPEN END OF SAID FIRST RECEPTACLE AND A SECOND AND OPPOSITE END WALL ADJACENT AND SPACED FROM THE END OF SAID FIRST RECEPTACLE OPPOSITE SAID OPEN END THEREOF, SAID END WALLS OF SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE HAVING ALIGNED APERTURES THERETHROUGH, A STUD MEMBER IN SAID RECEPTACLES, SAID STUD MEMBER HAVING A HEAD PORTION RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID OPPOSITE END WALLS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RECEPTACLES, SAID FIRST AND SECOND RECEPTACLES INCLUDING MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID HEAD PORTION WITH FREEDOM FOR LIMITED LATERAL MOVEMENT AND FOR SUBSTANTIALLY PRECLUDING ROTATION THEREOF ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID STUD, AND A THREADED SHANK EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID SECOND END WALL OF SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE, A WASHER IN SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE AROUND SAID SHANK OF SAID STUD, SAID WASHER BEING AXIALLY MOVABLE IN SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE, SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY PRECLUDING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WASHER ABOUT IS AXIS, SAID WASHER HAVING RADIAL TEETH ON THE SURFACE THEREOF ADJACENT SAID FIRST END OF SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE, AND A SPRING IN SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE BIASING SAID WASHER TOWARD SAID FIRST END OF SAID SECOND RECEPTACLE, SAID NUT ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER HAVING A HEAD FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER MEMBER TO BE SECURED, AND A SHANK EXTENDING THEREFROM FOR INSERTION THROUGH SAID APERTURES IN SAID MEMBERS TO BE FASTENED, SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDNG THREADED APERTURE IN SAID SHANK FOR THREADABLY RECEIVING SAID SHANK OF SAID STUD, SAID STUD RECEIVING MEMBER BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH RADIAL TEETH ON THE END OF SAID SHANK OPPOSITE SAID HEAD FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TEETH ON SAID WASHER, WHEREBY SAID WASHER BY BEING URGED AGAINST SAID END OF SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER BY SAID SPRING OFFERS RESISTANCE TO ROTATION OF SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER, SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN THE SHANK THEREOF, A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY COMPRESSIBLE SPLIT ANNULAR MEMBER FOR ENGAGMENT WITH SAID SHANK OF SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER IN SAID GROOVE FOR PREVENTING REMOVAL OF SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER FROM A MEMBER TO BE FASTENED WITH WHICH SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER IS ASSOCIATED, AND A RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE SPRING ON SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER FOR ENGAGING SAID OTHER MEMBER TO BE FASTENED AND YIELDABLY HOLDING SAID STUD-RECEIVING MEMBER IN A POSITION WITH THE HEAD OF SAID STUDRECEIVING MEMBER SPACED FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID MEMBER TO BE SECURED.