A flat-formed bolt is divided into an operating portion and a screwing portion, wherein the operating portion and the screwing portion are plat-formed and co-axially correspond to each other. The screwing portion has two opposite sides each formed with a series of teeth, wherein the two series of teeth are staggered relative to each other and each tooth vertically corresponds to an axis of the operating portion and the screwing portion such that the screwing portion can be screwed into a threaded hole previously defined in a work piece.

A flat-formed bolt is divided into an operating portion and a screwing portion, wherein the operating portion and the screwing portion are plat-formed and co-axially correspond to each other. The screwing portion has two opposite sides each formed with a series of teeth, wherein the two series of teeth are staggered relative to each other and each tooth vertically corresponds to an axis of the operating portion and the screwing portion such that the screwing portion can be screwed into a threaded hole previously defined in a work piece.

A feed apparatus for feeding fasteners to a fastener installation head includes a chute to support and guide a strip of fasteners from a chute inlet to the fastener installation head. The strip of fasteners includes a plurality of fasteners selectably releasably attached to a carrier ribbon, wherein the feed apparatus is to separate the fasteners from the carrier ribbon and present the fasteners to the fastener installation head for installation. An idler wheel is to peel the carrier ribbon from the fasteners as the fasteners pass through the chute. A tensioner is to advance the carrier ribbon and apply tension to the carrier ribbon to advance the fasteners in the chute. An actuator is to urge the tensioner to advance the carrier ribbon.

An installation tool and related methods are provided. The tool can pull a strip of collated fasteners along a collated fastener path to a guide, where individual fasteners are sequentially separated from the strip and advanced into a workpiece. The tool can include a tension feeder located downstream of the guide. The tension feeder is configured to apply tension to the strip between the guide and a leading end of the strip. The tool can include a driveshaft configured to attach to a conventional drive tool chuck or a drive tool having hexagonal type drive components. The guide can be one piece and replaceable, with a guide body and a guide head. A strip slot can be defined in the same to align a fastener head with a backstop and facilitate entry of a fastener shank in a feed slot. Related methods of use are provided.

An installation tool and related methods are provided. The tool can pull a strip of collated fasteners along a collated fastener path to a guide, where individual fasteners are sequentially separated from the strip and advanced into a workpiece. The tool can include a tension feeder located downstream of the guide. The tension feeder is configured to apply tension to the strip between the guide and a leading end of the strip. The tool can include a driveshaft configured to attach to a conventional drive tool chuck or a drive tool having hexagonal type drive components. The guide can be one piece and replaceable, with a guide body and a guide head. A strip slot can be defined in the same to align a fastener head with a backstop and facilitate entry of a fastener shank in a feed slot. Related methods of use are provided.

An apparatus for storing fasteners, typically screws, and guiding them during insertion into a surface employs a block of material having a lower face for bringing into proximity with surface and an upper face, parallel to the lower face. A set of screws are embedded in the block with their central axes parallel such that the screw heads are accessible to a driver from an upper face and screw tips are located within the block adjacent to a lower face. The screws are preferably deployed in side-by-side rows, advantageously in one or more rectangular or hexagonal grid. A driver acting on the head of one of screws is effective to drive the screw through block and into surface to reach a final inserted position.

A method of forming a plurality of fasteners includes extruding a continuous strip of material, the continuous strip defining a base portion, a tip portion, and a stem portion extending between the base portion and the tip portion. A portion of material is removed from the continuous strip of material along the tip portion such that a plurality of tip portions are separated from each other and spaced apart, each tip portion having at least one flexible tab. The continuous strip of material is then extruded through a foaming die, wherein the flexible tabs are elastically displaced away from the base portion during a foaming process such that a foam material fills a cavity of the foaming die to form a sealing element around the stem portion. Portions of the continuous strip between each of the tip portions are separated to produce a plurality of individual sealed fasteners.

An installation tool and related methods are provided. The tool can pull a strip of collated fasteners along a collated fastener path to a guide, where individual fasteners are sequentially separated from the strip and advanced into a workpiece. The tool can include a tension feeder located downstream of the guide. The tension feeder is configured to apply tension to the strip between the guide and a leading end of the strip. The tool can include a driveshaft configured to attach to a conventional drive tool chuck or a drive tool having hexagonal type drive components. The guide can be one piece and replaceable, with a guide body and a guide head. A strip slot can be defined in the same to align a fastener head with a backstop and facilitate entry of a fastener shank in a feed slot. Related methods of use are provided.

An installation tool and related methods are provided. The tool can pull a strip of collated fasteners along a collated fastener path to a guide, where individual fasteners are sequentially separated from the strip and advanced into a workpiece. The tool can include a tension feeder located downstream of the guide. The tension feeder is configured to apply tension to the strip between the guide and a leading end of the strip. The tool can include a driveshaft configured to attach to a conventional drive tool chuck or a drive tool having hexagonal type drive components. The guide can be one piece and replaceable, with a guide body and a guide head. A strip slot can be defined in the same to align a fastener head with a backstop and facilitate entry of a fastener shank in a feed slot. Related methods of use are provided.

A grooved washer is used on a screw carrier tape and has a ring body. The ring body has an outer side face, a groove, two groove walls, and a perforation. The groove is annularly formed in the outer side face. The two groove walls are oppositely defined in the groove. The perforation is formed through a center of the ring body and through the top surface of the ring body and the bottom surface of the ring body. Moreover, the grooved washer has a metal gasket which is attached to the top surface of the ring body. With the groove, the grooved washer limits the carrier tape to be stuck on the screw carrier tape so that screws are stably located in the positioning apertures without falling from the screw carrier tape and being scattered, so as to improve the convenience in use.