A BLIND MECHANICAL FASTENING SYSTEM FOR CONNECTING MEMBERS TO ONE ANOTHER

Abstract

According to the present invention, a blind fastening system for connecting members to one another comprises two parts; a structure containing a conical nut, matched to a threaded rod engaged to a lineal guide and a driven gear meshed to a driving gear having a tooling interface as the first part and; a separate structure containing anchor plates with springs and spring supports to act on and retain the conical nut of the first part. The blind fastening system also has a friction collar, a drive shaft, a retractable mechanism, a funnel tool guide, dowels and aligning & restricting guides.

Claims

1. A blind fastening system for connecting members to one another comprises two parts; a structure containing a conical nut with a restricting extension, matched to a threaded rod engaged to a retractable lineal guide and a driven gear meshed to a driving gear having a tooling interface as the first part and; a separate structure containing anchor plates with springs and spring supports to act on and retain the conical nut of the first part.

2. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the driving gear can be at any angle to the threaded rod.

3. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the driven gear has internal threads.

4. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the driving gear has a drive shaft with a tooling interface.

5. The blind fastening system of claim 4 where the drive shaft connects to the worm gear via a slotted hole/spline.

6. The blind fastening system of claim 4 where the drive shaft can be axially moved to activate a retractable key via the slotted hole/spline.

7. The blind fastening system of claim 4 where the drive shaft and retractable key is spring loaded.

8. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the threaded rod has a conical end.

9. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the conical nut has internal threads matched to the threaded rod.

10. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the threaded rod's lineal guide consists of a slot and retractable key.

11. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the anchor plates are split and move laterally.

12. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the anchor plates form a singular central aperture.

13. The blind fastening system of claim 12 where the singular central aperture is in the form of an elliptical type aperture.

14. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the anchor plates work in unison when making contact with the conical nut of 8's claim conical 15 end of the threaded rod.

15. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the anchor plates have aligning guides.

16. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the anchor plates have centralising springs.

17. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the anchor plates have recesses for the conical nut's restricting extension.

18. The blind fastening system of claim 16 where the centralising springs have spring supports.

19. The blind fastening system of claim 1 where the blind fastening system may incorporate aligning dowels.

20. A method of utilising a blind fastening system for connecting members to one another comprises two parts; a structure containing a conical nut with a restricting extension, matched to a threaded rod engaged to a retractable lineal guide and a driven gear meshed to a driving gear having a tooling interface as the first part and; a separate structure containing anchor plates with springs and spring supports to act on and retain the conical nut of the first part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] An embodiment of this invention, purely by way of example, will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 which are cross-sectional drawings of a blind fastening system illustrating some sectioned and un-sectioned areas for clarity and FIG. 4 which is an isometric drawing with cutaways for further clarity.

[0041] In the accompanying drawings of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, FIG. 1. illustrates the blind fastening system in a non-connected state;

[0042] FIG. 2. illustrates the blind fastening system in a semi-connected state;

[0043] FIG. 3. illustrates the blind fastening system in a fully-connected state;

[0044] FIG. 4. illustrates the blind fastening system in a non-connected state with the threaded rod/conical nut protruding. This configuration is in a component styled arrangement for universal application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrates a blind fastening system with two parts for connecting members 40 and 50 together. FIG. 4 illustrates a blind fastening system that can be attached to members 34 & 35 for connecting together. In FIG. 4 and in particular FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the first part (21) of the blind fastening system comprises a threaded rod at 60, and a conical nut with internal threads at 70 and restricting extension at 33 with a lineal guide in the form of a slot at 5, and a retractable matching key at 6, a driven gear with internal threads in the form of a worm gear wheel at 7, a driving gear in the form of a worm gear at 8 with a drive shaft at 9 and tooling interfaces at 19 and 22, a funnel tool guide at 25, a slotted aperture at 30 and a coupling pin 31, a spring at 32 all contained in a structure at 21. The second part (18) of the blind fastening system comprises anchor plates at 11 & 12 with a singular central aperture at 20, spring supports at 15, centralising springs at 16 all contained in a structure at 18. There is a friction collar at 17 and a dowel combination at 23 and 24. In general, face plates are shown at 10 & 14, support ties at 27 & 28, lining material at 26, a tooling access aperture at 29 and conical nut retaining movable fingers at 36.

[0046] In order to operate the blind fastening system, the drive shaft 9 rotates by means of a tooling interface at 22 accessed through a tooling access hole at 29 which drives and rotates the worm gear 8, which then meshes with and rotates the worm gear wheel 7, which enables the threaded rod 60 and conical nut 70 to move linearly, guided by slot 5 and retractable key 6, towards the singular central aperture at 20 and against the anchor plates 11 & 12 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The force on the anchor plates 11 & 12 from the tapered shape of the conical nut 70 facilitates the anchor plates to overcome the springs at 16 tension and to split open laterally, allowing the conical nut 70 to pass through the singular central aperture 20. The anchor plates 11 & 12 then return to their original position once the conical nut 70 with a restricting extension 33 has passed through the anchor plates and aligned with the aperture. The anchor plates 11 & 12 close by means of centralising springs at 16 and spring supports at 15, settling around the threaded rod 60 allowing the blind fastening system to now be tightened.

[0047] To tighten the blind fastening system, the rotational direction of the worm gear drive assembly 7, 8, 9 and 22 is then reversed, and the conical nut 70 pulls up against the opposite side of the anchor plates 11 & 12 while travelling linearly restricted by the slot 5 and retractable key 6 as illustrated in FIG. 2, allowing the two members 40 & 50 and face plates 14 and 10 to tighten together. The blind fastening system can be loosened by changing the direction of the worm gear drive assembly, 7, 8, 9 and 22 again to allow the threaded rod 60 to rotate completely through the worm gear wheel 7 or by loosening the conical nut 70 through a contingent hole in member 40, in line with the tooling interface at 22.

[0048] The blind fastening system can also be loosened by depressing the drive 9, to overcome the spring 32 to retract the key 6 from slot 5 and by then rotating the drive 9 in a suitable direction in its depressed state to drive and rotate the worm gear 8 via the slotted hole 31 and coupling pin 30, which then meshes with and rotates the worm gear wheel 7, which enables the threaded rod 60 to rotate and uncouple/unscrew from the conical nut 70 which is restricted from rotation by means of a restricting extension at 33 and retained in place by the movable fingers at 36. The blind fastening system will revert back to a lineal guided threaded rod 60 movement once the retracted key 6 is released and the threaded rod 60 rotates until the released key 6 locates back into the slot 5 of the threaded rod 60.

VARIATIONS

[0049] It will be realised that the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example only and that all other modifications and variations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

[0050] For example the anchor plates 11 & 12 may pivot laterally rather than slide laterally apart in order to accept the conical nut 70. Further the threaded rod's lineal guide may be an integrated flat surface as part of the threaded rod instead of a slot 5 and the containing structure, shaped to suit the integrated flat surface instead of a key 6. Also, the function that allows the key 6 to be engaged and disengaged, can be removed and a permanent key 6 integrated into structure of the first part which will then restrict the threaded rod to linear movement only.

[0051] The anchor plates 11 & 12 may be multiple or singular which slide laterally or pivot laterally or move in other planes to accept the conical nut 70. Alternatively anchor plates may be configured to the first part of the blind fastening system and may act on the conical nut and threaded rod configured to the second part of the blind fastening system. Also the driven worm gear wheel 7 and driving worm gear 8 may be in the form of general spur gears or helical spur gears including bevel and pinion type gears, even toothed belt & pulley combinations, all types of drive systems to facilitate fastening in different planes and angles and with different ratios.

[0052] Further to the blind fastening system, more than one driven gear 7 and driving gear 8 set may be used in sequence with another assembled gear set to facilitate configurations that require more compound fastening planes due a variety of constraints. An example may be a blind fastening system where two approximate right angle blind fastening system can be used in tandem to form a Z, II or C configuration. The number of blind tandem fastening systems used in sequence can be unlimited.

[0053] Further to the blind fastening system as in FIG. 4, the first part of the blind fastening system and second part of the blind fastening system may be adapted to be removably secured not only to members as set out in this specification, but also to other structures that may need securing such as equipment to any type of structure, for example, where the second part of the blind fastening system is mounted in a wall structure and the first part of the blind fastening system is mounted to equipment and the equipment is then secured to the wall via an a small pluggable aperture positioned outside the line of sight. The blind fastening system may also be integrated into an exposed timber beam where it connects to columns protected with passive fire systems. The blind fastening system will be isolated from heat transfer via conduction as there will be no exposed fasteners and any small access hole can be plugged with fire retardant to maintain fire rating integrity and rely on the exposed beam's charring properties to achieve suitable fire ratings.

[0054] Also, an alternative to a friction collar can be a coarse surface such as knurling, utilised between the anchor plates and the clamping surfaces, to prevent the anchor plates from moving under lateral load. Accurate alignment aids in the form of stationary or spring loaded/retractable dowel locating pins 23 can also be integrated into the structure 14 of the second part and the dowel locating pin mating apertures 24 into structure 10 of first part. Also, the conical nut 70 could easily form part of the threaded rod 60 to form a single unit or threaded partially to lock against the threaded rod.

[0055] In yet a further variation of the invention, a structure containing a stationary captured nut, a conical nut with a reverse thread, a threaded rod with a reverse thread on the end to suite the conical nut. The threaded rod complete with the conical nut travels linearly via the matched captured nut when the threaded rod rotates by means of a tool via an axial tooling interface as the first part and; a separate structure as the second part, containing anchor plates with springs and spring supports to act on and retain the conical nut of the first part.

[0056] Even further the blind fastening system may be electronically adapted with specialised digital features including electric drive motors, batteries, hydraulics, control sensors, depth indicators and micro cameras for identifying full engagement; these features may be captured within the members and may be activated using hardwiring or wireless type technology.

[0057] Also, the blind fastening system's second part may make use of a remote mechanism controlled by the assembler, to adjust the aperture open or closed by shifting the anchor plates laterally, to allow the conical nut of the first part to be either released or captured when the fastening system is in an engaged, but loosened state.

[0058] All such variations fall within the scope of the present invention. Throughout the description and claims to this specification the word comprise and variations of that word such as comprises and comprising are not intended to exclude other additives components integers or steps.

[0059] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or admission or any other form of suggestion that the prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.