Clamping device

Claim 1

A FASTENER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A SLEEVE MEMBER, A SCREW, A NUT MEMBER, SAID SCREW AND NUT MEMBER COOPERATING AS A UNIT FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE, SAID SLEEVE MEMBER FIXEDLY CARRYING A SPREADER ELEMENT AT ONE END THEREOF, SAID SCREW CARRYING A PAIR OF DEFLECTABLE NEEDLES, SAID SPREADER BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID NEEDLES AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO DEFLECT AND SPREAD SAID NEEDLES OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SPREADER, SAID NUT MEMBER HAVING THREADS OF ONE HAND ENGAGING A THREADED PORTION OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER AND HAVING A SECOND SET OF THREADS OF THE HAND OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE HAND ENGAGING A THREADED PORTION OF SAID SCREW MEMBER, SAID SLEEVE MEMBER SILDABLY RECEIVING SAID SCREW WITH MEANS COOPERATING BETWEEN SAID SCREW AND SAID SLEEVE MEMBER PREVENTING RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN, SAID SCREW HAVING A GREATER NUMBER OF ITS THREADS ENGAGED BY SAID NUT MEMBER IN A FIRST CONDITION WHEN SAID NEEDLES ARE SPREAD BY SAID SPREADER ELEMENT THAN ARE ENGAGED BY SAID NUT MEMBER IN A SECOND CONDITION WHEN THE ENDS OF THE NEEDLES ARE POSITIONED FURTHERMOST FROM SAID SPREADER, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING HOLLOW TO PERMIT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS THEREIN, A STOP MEMBER RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID ONE MEMBER ADJACENT THE END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID NEEDLES AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A RADIALLY ENLARGED MEANS ON A PORTION OF SAID UNIT TO LIMIT THE AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, THE AXIAL DISTANCE TRAVELED BY SAID RADIALLY ENLARGED MEANS AS THE NEEDLE MEMBERS ARE MOVED FROM SAID FURTHERMOST POSITION TO SAID SPREAD POSITION BEING LESS THAN THE AXIAL EXTENT OF THE THREADED ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE NUT AND SLEEVE MEMBERS DURING SAID MOVEMENT TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL DISENGAGEMENT OF THE PARTS OF THE FASTENER.