Floating nut assembly

Claim 2

A floating nut device comprising a nut member, said nut member having a central portion defining an opening adapted to receive a threaded shank, and tab means extending outwardly from said central portion, and means for securing said nut member to a workpiece, said securing means including a first member having wall means, said wall means including a base wall for engagement with a workpiece, and spaced sidewalls projecting upwardly from said base wall, said sidewalls having opposed apertures therethrough, said tab means including a tab extending into each of said apertures, said apertures providing a clearance around said tabs, said sidewalls providing a clearance around said central portion of said nut member for thereby retaining said nut member and permitting limited floating movement thereof, said sidewalls being relatively resilient so that said sidewalls are deflectable for allowing said tabs to be inserted into and removed from said apertures, saiD base wall having an opening therethrough, and a second member having a tubular portion extending through said opening in said base wall, said tubular portion having a bore communicating with said opening of said nut member, and having a distal end portion which is relatively malleable so that said end portion is bendable outwardly for providing a flange for use in holding said securing means to a workpiece, longitudinally extending tooth means projecting outwardly from the periphery of said tubular portion for precluding rotation of said second member relative to a workpiece, and outwardly projecting tabs extending into said apertures beneath said tabs of said nut member for securing said second member to said first member.

Claim 3

A device as recited in claim 1 in which said tooth means is located inwardly of said distal end portion.

Claim 4

A device as recited in claim 2 in which said tooth means is a straight knurl.

Claim 5

A device as recited in claim 1 in which at least one of said sidewalls is inclined outwardly at its upper edge for facilitating the movement of one of said tabs of said nut member into the aperture in said one wall upon installation of said nut member on said securing means.

Claim 6

A device as recited in claim 1 in which said sidewalls have upwardly convex outwardly inclined upper edges for facilitating the deflection of said sidewalls upon the insertion of said tabs of said nut member into said apertures in said sidewalls.

Claim 7

A device as recited in claim 1 in which said nut member includes additional tabs projecting outwardly therefrom between said sidewalls for cooperating with said first-mentioned tab means in precluding substantial rotation of said nut member relative to said securing means.

Claim 8

A device as recited in claim 1 in which each of said tabs on said second member is substantially complementary in width to the aperture in said sidewall that receives it.

Claim 9

A floating nut device comprising a nut member having a central portion defining a threaded opening adapted to receive a threaded shank, and means extending laterally from said central portion, a first member having a base wall adapted to engage a workpiece, and spaced walls extending outwardly on one side of said base wall, said base wall having an opening therethrough intermediate said spaced walls, said nut member and said first member including means for holding said nut member to said first member and precluding substantial rotation of said nut member relative to said first member, said last-mentioned means including receptacle means defined by said spaced walls receiving said laterally extending means of said nut member, and interengageable surfaces on said first member and said nut member for precluding substantial rotation of said nut member relative to said first member, said spaced walls and said receptacle means providing a clearance relative to the portions of said nut member adjacent thereto, whereby said nut member is permitted limited floating movement relative to said first member, and a second member, said second member having a tubular portion extending through said opening in said base wall, laterally projecting means extending over said one side of said base wall adjacent said opening in said base wall, said laterally projecting means of said second member being intermediate said nut member and said base wall, and tooth means on the periphery of said tubular portion for becoming embedded in the wall of an opening in a workpiece and precluding rotation of said second member relative to said workpiece, said first and second members including interengageable abutment means for precluding substantial relative rotation of said first and second members, said first member being relatively resilient and more resilient than said second member for permitting repeated deflection of said spaced walls for removal of said nut member from and reattachment of said nut member To said first member, said second member being relatively malleable and more malleable than said first member for permitting the distal end of said tubular portion to be bent outwardly for forming a flange for cooperating with said base wall in holding said first and second members to a workpiece.

Claim 10

A floating nut device comprising a nut member having a central portion defining a threaded opening adapted to receive a threaded shank, and means extending laterally from said central portion, a first member having a base wall adapted to engage a workpiece, and spaced walls extending outwardly on one side of said base wall, said base wall having an opening therethrough intermediate said spaced walls, said nut member and said first member including means for holding said nut member to said first member and precluding substantial rotation of said nut member relative to said first member, said last-mentioned means including receptacle means defined by said spaced walls receiving said laterally extending means of said nut member, and interengageable surfaces on said first member and said nut member for precluding substantial rotation of said nut member relative to said first member, said spaced walls and said receptacle means providing a clearance relative to the portions of said nut member adjacent thereto, whereby said nut member is permitted limited floating movement relative to said first member, and a second member, said second member having a tubular portion extending through said opening in said base wall, laterally projecting means extending over said one side of said base wall adjacent said opening in said base wall, said laterally projecting means of said second member being intermediate said nut member and said base wall, and tooth means on the periphery of said tubular portion for becoming embedded in the wall of an opening in a workpiece and precluding rotation of said second member relative to said workpiece, said first and second members including interengageable abutment means for precluding substantial relative rotation of said first and second members, said first member being relatively resilient and more resilient than said second member for permitting repeated deflection of said spaced walls for removal of said nut member from and reattachment of said nut member To said first member, said second member being relatively malleable and more malleable than said first member for permitting the distal end of said tubular portion to be bent outwardly for forming a flange for cooperating with said base wall in holding said first and second members to a workpiece.

Claim 11

A device as recited in claim 8 in which said interengageable means for precluding substantial relative rotation of said first and second members includes tabs on said second member, said tabs on said second member being received in said receptacle means and engageable with the periphery thereof for thereby precluding said relative rotation.

Claim 12

A device as recited in claim 9 in which said tabs on said second member are intermediate said laterally extending means of said nut member and said base wall.

Claim 13

A device as recited in claim 8 in which said interengageable surfaces of said first member and said nut member for precluding substantial rotation of said nut member relative to said first member include sidewall surfaces of said receptacle means, and edge surfaces of said laterally extending means of said nut member.

Claim 14

A fastener comprising a first member, said first member including a base wall, and opposed spaced sidewalls projecting in one direction from said base wall, said base wall having an opening therethrough intermediate said sidewalls, a second member, said second member having a tubular portion extending through said opening and beyond said base wall in the opposite direction, said tubular portion having tooth means on the exterior thereof for becoming embedded in a workpiece and preventing rotation of said second member relative to such a workpiece, and a laterally projecting portion at one end portion of said tubular portion, said laterally projecting portion overlying said base wall, said laterally projecting portion and said sidewalls including interengageable surfaces for precluding substantial rotation of said first member relative to said second member, and a nut, one end of said nut being intermediate said sidewalls and in juxtaposition with said laterally projecting portion so that said laterally projecting portion is intermediate said nut and said base wall, the opposite end portion of said nut projecting away from said laterally projecting portion in said one direction, said nut being smaller laterally than the space between said sidewalls, whereby said nut is permitted limited lateral floating movement relative to said first member, said nut and said first member including means holding said nut to said first member while precluding substantial rotation of said nut relative to said first member, said last-mentioned means including laterally projecting tab means at said one end of said nut, said sidewalls having recess means receiving and extending over said tab means, whereby said nut is held to said first member, said recess means providing a clearance around said tab means, whereby said tab means and said recess means do not preclude limited lateral floating movement of said nut relative to said first member, said first member being relatively resilient and more resilient than said second member for permitting repeated bending of said sidewalls relative to said base wall for permitting repeated removal of said nut from and reattachment of said nut to said first member, said second member being relatively malleable and more malleable than said first member for permitting the distal end of said tubular portion to be bent outwardly to form a flange for cooperating with said base wall in holding said first member to a workpiece.

Claim 15

A fastener comprising a first member, said first member including a base wall, and opposed spaced sidewalls projecting in one direction from said base wall, said base wall having an opening therethrough intermediate said sidewalls, a second member, said second member having a tubular portion extending through said opening and beyond said base wall in the opposite direction, said tubular portion having tooth means on the exterior thereof for becoming embedded in a workpiece and preventing rotation of said second member relative to such a workpiece, and a laterally projecting portion at one end portion of said tubular portion, said laterally projecting portion overlying said base wall, said laterally projecting portion and said sidewalls including interengageable surfaces for precluding substantial rotation of said first member relative to said second member, and a nut, one end of said nut being intermediate said sidewalls and in juxtaposition with said laterally projecting portion so that said laterally projecting portion is intermediate said nut and said base wall, the opposite end portion of said nut projecting away from said laterally projecting portion in said one direction, said nut being smaller laterally than the space between said sidewalls, whereby said nut is permitted limited lateral floating movement relative to said first member, said nut and said first member including means holding said nut to said first member while precluding substantial rotation of said nut relative to said first member, said last-mentioned means including laterally projecting tab means at said one end of said nut, said sidewalls having recess means receiving and extending over said tab means, whereby said nut is held to said first member, said recess means providing a clearance around said tab means, whereby said tab means and said recess means do not preclude limited lateral floating movement of said nut relative to said first member, said first member being relatively resilient and more resilient than said second member for permitting repeated bending of said sidewalls relative to said base wall for permitting repeated removal of said nut from and reattachment of said nut to said first member, said second member being relatively malleable and more malleable than said first member for permitting the distal end of said tubular portion to be bent outwardly to form a flange for cooperating with said base wall in holding said first member to a workpiece.

Claim 16

A device as recited in claim 12 in which said tooth means comprises a straight knurl on the periphery of said tubular portion, said knurl being spaced inwardly from the distal end of said tubular portion.

Claim 17

A device as recited in claim 13 in which said knurl is spaced outwardly from said Laterally projecting portion of said second member.

Claim 18

A device as recited in claim 14 in which said knurl is spaced outwardly from said laterally projecting portion a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said base wall.