Self-drilling screws

Claim 1

A self-drilling thread forming screw having first and second shank portions, a head at one extremity adjacent the first portion and a drill tip at the other extremity adjacent the second portion, the first portion being of greater cross-sectional size than the second portion, the first portion including thead convolutions formed thereon and including means to form complementary threads in the material within which the screw is to be engaged, the drill tip including a pilot drill portion having laterally extending cutting edges with a maximum transverse dimension not greater than the maximum transverse dimension of the second shank portion and flute regions extending generally longitudinally of the second shank portion from the laterally extending cutting edges, the second shank portion being generally cruciform in cross-sectional configuration, such a configuration being formed by wing portions terminating in secondary cutting edges extending transverse the axis of the fastener intermediate the pilot tip cutting edges and the first shank portion and further including arm portions extending in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane including the wing portions and in substantial axial alignment with the plane including the lateral cutting edges of the pilot drill, the extremities of the arms adjacent the drill portion terminating above the secondary cutting edges and merging with the uppermost extremity of the flute regions of the pilot drill so that the material removed by the drilling action of the pilot point may flow unimpeded into the region above the secondary cutting edges, the transverse dimension of the arm portions being less than the transverse dimension of the secondary cutting edges, the secondary cutting edges having a transverse dimension greater than that of the pilot cutting edges and substantially equal to the root diameter of the thread convolutions, a tapered shank portion interconnecting the first shank portion and second shank portion, the wing portions tapering outwardly from a position beneath the tapered shank portion toward the secondary cutting edges and thereby providing a clearance angle above said secondary cutting edges.