Fastener for panels

Claim 1

A quick operating fastener for securing two panels in face to face relationship comprising a stud sub-assembly for captive mounting on one panel, and a complementary nut sub-assembly for captive mounting on the other panel, wherein said nut subassembly comprises: a yoke having a pair of spaced apart attachment lugs for securing it to such other panel, and a part extending between said lugs and having an opening therethrough bounded by a pair of opposed flanges; and an internally threaded sleeve having at one end a radially extending noncircular flange with a transverse dimension greater than the spacing between said opposed flanges of said yoke, the wall of said sleeve being provided with at least one slit extending from the other end thereof at least part of the way to the one end thereof, said sleeve having a reduced internal diameter at the other end thereof to cause said sleeve to act as a self-locking nut, said sleeve being provided with a cylindrical groove adjacent said noncircular flange and defining an annular shoulder facing toward said noncircular flange and having a diameter greater than that of said opening; said sleeve being retained captive in said yoke with said annular shoulder and said noncircular flange engaging loosely on opposite sides of said opening, the outer surface of said sleeve, adjacent said annular shoulder, being tapered inwardly away from said annular shoulder to permit said sleeve to be sprung through said opening, and said noncircular flange being prevented from rotation by virtue of its engagement between said attachment lugs; and said stud sub-assembly comprises: an externally threaded shank having a head at one end and provided with a multi-start thread of high helix angle and of trapezoidal form extending to the other end of said shank, said thread having a reduced portion close to, but spaced from, said other end of said shank, said reduced portion having a diameter less than the thread major diameter and tapering inwardly away from said head, with said shank presenting an abutment shoulder bordering the smaller diameter end of said reduced portion and extending radially outwardly therefrom; and a resilient spring retaining washer on said stud shank between said head and said abutment shoulder, the inner diameter of said washer in its untensioned state, being less than the diameter of said abutment shoulder, whereby said washer can close into said reduced portion of said shank and retain said stud in place in a hole in the one panel.