Eastener for structures made of composite materials

Claim 1

A structural joint comprising: a plurality of members to be joined together, each member being made of a composite material comprising strength members bonded together by bonding means, said material having the property of limited deformation without delamination, there being a hole in each member bounded by a cylindrical wall having a diameter, said holes being aligned and of equal diameters; and a rigid metal fastener having a central axis, and comprising a shank, a head at the first end of said shank, and a fastener-engaging end portion at the second end of said shank, said shank having a central axis, and means for forming a limited deformation of said cylindrical walls comprising a thread-forming peripheral lobular rib formed as an integral part of said fastener extending from end to end of said shank, said rib being helical and having an extended continuous form with a crest, said crest being devoid of sharp cutting edges, its greatest radial protrusion being non-concave, with curved convex edges, and having a diameter greater than that of said hole so as to form a minor interference fit therein , there being sufficient void space between adjacent convolutions of said rib to accommodate the flow of material caused by said minor interference fit, whereby to form by deformation of said walls from displaced but not detached material of said walls a helical structure in said void space from end to end thereof, said minor interference fit being such that the deformation which formed said structure does not result in delamination of the material said rib having a pitch such that a purely axial force on the shank will not press the shank into the hole without axial displacement of wall material, nor will it rotate the shank in the hole, said pitch also being such that rotation of the shank will cause the protrusion to advance helically in the hole, forming said helical structure as it advances, and such that a purely axial force cannot remove the shank from the hole without obliterating said helical structure, the convolutions of said rib trapping the said structure between them to assist in holding the material against delamination.