Captive fastener with floating bolt

Abstract

A captive fastener including a bushing having a body portion and an internal bore extending through the body portion A snap ring is mounted within the internal bore. A fastener having an elongated shaft is mounted within the bore and is adapted to reciprocate within the bore between retracted and extended positions. The elongated shaft has a shank diameter and threads formed on one end of the fastener. The snap ring engages the bolt when the shaft is extended and retracted. The fastener has a shank diameter which is 0.020 inches to 0.060 inches shorter than the bore diameter so that the fastener can be moved laterally within the bore.

Claims

1. A captive fastener comprising: a bushing having a body portion for attachment to a first work surface; an internal bore extending through said body portion, said internal bore having a bore diameter; a circumferential groove formed in said bushing; a lock screw with a head portion, said lock screw is adapted to be threaded into the first work surface with said head portion of said screw being partially received in the circumferential groove on said bushing to retain said bushing on the first work surface; a fastener having an elongated shaft, said elongated shaft is mounted within said bore and adapted to reciprocate within said bore between retracted and extended positions; said elongated shaft having a shank diameter; threads formed on one end of said fastener; said threads having a thread diameter equal to said shank diameter whereby said fastener can be reciprocated within said bushing; said fastener having a shank diameter which is 0.050 inches to 0.060 inches shorter than said bore diameter; a receiver adapted to be mounted to a second work surface, said fastener being moved laterally to align with said receiver; whereby said fastener can be moved laterally within said bore to align with said receiver.

2. The captive fastener of claim 1, further including a sloped section on said shaft extending from a space distance above said threads, said sloped section having a first diameter equal to said shank diameter and tapering to a second smaller diameter adjacent said threads.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the captive fastener of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the captive fastener of the present invention illustrating an example of how the captive fastener is used.

(3) FIG. 3 is a top view of the longitudinal opening in the bushing for receipt of the bolt.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the longitudinal opening in the bushing for receipt of the bolt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(5) A captive fastener of the present invention is shown generally at 10 in FIG. 1. A captive bolt fastener is illustrated, but those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any other type of captive fastener will benefit from the present invention.

(6) Typically, captive fasteners 10 are used for repeatedly attaching one workpiece or template to another. Because of the repetitive nature of attaching and removing the fasteners, they are left in bushings that are fixed to one of the work pieces. The purpose of the captive fastener is to keep the fastener in the bushing so that it is not lost.

(7) The captive fastener 10 of the present invention has a handle 12 which is connected to a bolt 14. In the disclosed embodiment the handle 12 is fastened to the bolt 14 with a set screw. It will be appreciated that any number of common fastening methods could be used, such as for example, welding, soldering, integral formation, etc. Additionally, other handles could be used, such as a t-handle, any of the multitude of screw drive types, such as hex heads, hex sockets, allen wrench sockets, slotted, phillips head, etc.

(8) The bolt 14 is threaded at 15. The end 15 is adapted to be received by a complementary receiver 11 attached or associated with a workpiece or pickup to which the primary workpiece or template is to be attached. The receiver 11 in the disclosed embodiment is an internally threaded nut. The captive fastener 10 includes a captive bushing 16 that is adapted to allow the bolt 14 to reciprocate within the bushing 16 for fastening and unfastening and be fixed to the primary work surface. Various methods can be used to fix the bushing 16 to the workpiece, for example, it can be press fit, welded, deformed into the metal for more permanent applications or as illustrated, a lock screw 17 can be used to attach the bushing 16 to the workpiece.

(9) With reference to FIG. 2, the illustrated captive fastener 10 is connected to the workpiece by a lock screw 17. The captive bushing has a circumferential groove 19 for receipt of the head 21 of the lock screw. As is known, the lock screw 17 is threaded into an adjacent opening in the work piece or pickup with the head 21 of the screw being partially received in the circumferential groove 19 on the bushing.

(10) The bushing 16 includes an internal snap ring (not shown) mounted within a channel in the interior of the bushing 16. The channel is near the proximal end of the bushing 16 away from the threads 15. The fastener 14 has a sloped section 22 that slopes from the shaft of the fastener 14 downwardly towards the threads. The sloped section 22 allows the fastener 14 to be moved between the retracted and extended positions more easily.

(11) With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the longitudinal opening 20 is illustrated. The longitudinal opening 20 receives the bolt 14. The bolt 14 has a shank diameter 35 that is loosely positioned in the opening 20 that has a diameter 37 so that bolt 14 can float or move laterally within opening 20. The opening diameter 37 is approximately 0.020 inches to 0.060 inches wider than the shank diameter 35 of bolt 14 and in the preferred embodiment, the opening diameter 37 is approximately 0.040 inches wider than the shank diameter of bolt 14. Due to the wider opening, the bolt can be moved laterally to align with the receiver.

(12) The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do come within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.