Panel fastener

Claim 1

A PANEL FASTENER FOR SECURING TOGETHER A PAIR OF APERTURED PANELS IN FACEWISE ABUTMENT, SAID FASTENER COMPRISING: A STUD NUT ASSEMBLY, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A HEADED CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE ELEMENT OF INSERTION THROUGH AN APERTURE IN THE FIRST PANEL, AND MEANS TO PREVENT COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL OF SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT THROUGH SAID APERTURE AFTER INSERTION THEREIN; THE HEAD OF SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT HAVING MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH DRIVING MEANS; SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT FURTHER HAVING A SHANK WITH A THREADED BORE, SAID BORE EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM A POINT IN PROXIMITY TO THE HEAD, TO THE END OF THE SHANK REMOTE FROM THE HEAD; SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT FURTHER HAVING INTERLOCKING MEANS DISPOSED AT THE END OF ITS SHANK REMOTE FROM ITS HEAD; AND A RECEPTACLE ASSEMBLY, SAID RECEPTACLE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A HEADED SCREW, SAID SCREW HAVING THREADING FOR MATING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE THREADING IN THE SAID BORE OF THE SHANK OF SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT; AN OPEN-ENDED RECEPTACLE, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING SUCH INTERNAL CONFIGURATION AS TO ENABLE IT TO HOUSE SAID SCREW AND TO ROTATABLY RECEIVE SAID CYLINDER SLEEVE ELEMENT; MEANS TO SECURE SAID RECEPTACLE IN REGISTER AND IN COAXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH AN APERTURE IN THE SECOND PANEL; SAID RECEPTACLE BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS TO HOLD SAID SCREW AGAINST ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID RECEPTACLE AND IN A POSITION WITH ITS HEAD REMOTE FROM THE APERTURE IN SAID SECOND PANEL AND ITS SHANK EXTENDING COAXIALLY WITH SAID RECEPTACLE TOWARD SAID APERTURE; AT LEAST ONE HELICAL SPRING DISPOSED IN SAID RECEPTACLE ABOUT SAID SCREW SHANK AND EXTENDING FROM THE SCREW HEAD TOWARD THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SCREW; A FIRST ANNULAR RATCHETING ELEMENT, THE LAST SAID ELEMENT BEING DISPOSED COAXIALLY IN SAID RECEPTACLE AND CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID SCREW, AND FURTHER BEING AXIALLY MOVABLE IN SAID RECEPTACLE AND RELATIVE TO THE SCREW SHANK, THE LAST SAID ELEMENT FURTHER HAVING ONE TRANSVERSE FACE THEREOF IN ABUTMENT AGAINST AN END OF SAID SPRING AND URGED AXIALLY BY THE LATTER, AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF TEETH DISPOSED ON ITS OPPOSITE TRANSVERSE FACE, THE LAST SAID ELEMENT FURTHER BEING SECURED AGAINST ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID RECEPTACLE; AND A SECOND ANNULAR RATCHETING ELEMENT, SAID SECOND ELEMENT BEING DISPOSED IN SAID RECEPTACLE IN COAXIAL ABUTMENT WITH SAID FIRST ANNULAR ELEMENT AND MOVABLE AXIALLY RELATIVE TO THE SHANK OF SCREW, AND SAID SECOND ELEMENT ALSO HAVING TEETH ON ONE FACE IN MATING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TEETH ON SAID FIRST ANNULAR ELEMENT, AND SAID SECOND ELEMENT FURTHER HAVING MEANS FOR REALESABLY ENGAGING THE INTERLOCKING MEANS ON THE END OF SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT OF THE STUD NUT ASSEMBLY, WHEREBY SAID SECOND ELEMENT AND SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT ARE COUPLED TOGETHER TO PREVENT ROTATION OF SAID SECOND ANNULAR ELEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE ELEMENT.