Shim nut and screw bolt assembly

• US 4,043,239 A
• Filed: 01/16/1976
• Issued: 08/23/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: DeFusco, Ernest L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonck, Rodney H.
• Application Number:
  US05/649,791
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 85/1 R, 85/1.5 R, 151/7, 151/16, 33/154 R, 33/154 C, 33/154 E, 33/154 F, 33/163, 52/758 F, 52/758 N, 403/299, 403/343, 403/296
• US Class Current: 411/337
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 35/00 Screw-bolts; Stay-bolts; Screw-threaded studs; Screws; Set screws F16B33/008 takes precedence; joining sheets or plates using screws with two separate threads F16B5/0275; using screws with adjustment sleeves F16B5/0283; thread cutting screws F16B25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/00 Nuts or like thread-engaging members specially shaped for rotations by a tool F16B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/34 Locking by deformable inserts or like parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0233 allowing for adjustment perpendicular to the plane of the plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/947 Elastic-gripping action

Abstract

A shim nut and screw bolt assembly for rigidly securing together a pair of spaced apart components, the shim nut of this assembly having internal threads and opposite hand external threads which threadedly engage a nut fixed to or forming part of the first component, a screw bolt of this assembly extending through an aperture in the second component and having its threaded shank in threaded engagement with the internal thread of the shim nut whereby rotation of the screw bolt in a fastener direction will first cause the screw bolt to extend into the shim nut a sufficient axial distance whereby friction between this screw bolt and the shim nut then becomes such that the shim nut will be rotated to move it a sufficient axial distance outward relative to the first component into abutment with the second component after which, further rotation of the screw bolt in the fastening direction, will effect securement of the second component to the shim nut by the screw bolt and thereby attachment of the second component to the first component in spaced apart relation thereto.

Claims

1. A shim nut and fastener device for retaining a first member having an aperture therein to a second member having an internally threaded aperture means therein extending from the surface thereof next adjacent the first member, with the first member being retained in spaced apart relation to the second member by said shim nut and fastener device;

said shim nut and fastener device including a shim nut of tubular configuration having an end surface facing said first member and having external threads thereon in rotatable, substantially fully, threaded engagement with the internally threaded aperture means of the second member and having internal threads of an opposite pitch to said external threads extending through said shim nut, said shim nut being threadedly engaged in said internally threaded aperture means so as to initially have said end surface spaced from said first member; and

a screw fastener having a head with an externally threaded shank extending therefrom inserted through the aperture of the first member into threaded engagement with said internal threads in said shim nut;

self-locking means operatively associated with said threaded shank and with said internal threads in said shim nut whereby as said screw fastener is driven into said shim nut, said shim nut is caused to back out of the internally threaded aperture means of the second member whereby said end surface is brought into abutment against the first member after which the screw fastener can be further threaded into said shim nut until said head of said screw fastener abuts against the first member which is then sandwiched between said end surface of said shim nut and the head of said screw fastener.

2. A shim nut and fastener device for retaining a first member having an aperture therein to a second member having an internally threaded aperture means therein extending from one surface thereof next adjacent said first member, the first member being retained in spaced apart relation to the second member, said shim nut and fastener device including a shim nut of tubular configuration having a head and a shank extending therefrom, said shank having external threads thereon in rotatable threaded engagement with the internally threaded aperture means of the second member with said head positioned closely adjacent to said one surface of the second member, said shim nut having an internal threaded aperture therethrough, said internal threads of said shim nut being of an opposite pitch to said external threads, and a screw fastener having a head with an externally threaded shank extending therefrom inserted through the aperture of the first member into threaded engagement with said internal threads in said shim nut, said externally threaded shank and said internal threads of said shim nut having prevailing torque locking action relative to each other whereby as said screw fastener is driven into threaded engagement in said shim nut, said shim nut is caused to back out of the internally threaded aperture means of the second member away from said one surface of the second member into abutment against the first member after which the screw fastener can be further threaded into said shim nut until said head of said screw fastener abuts against the first member whereby it is then sandwiched between one end of the shim nut and the head of said screw fastener.

3. A shim nut and fastener assembly for rigidly securing together a pair of spaced apart components, one of the components having an internally threaded anchor means extending from one surface thereof next adjacent to the other component and the other component having an aperture therethrough, said shim nut and fastener including a shim nut and a screw bolt, said shim nut having external threads thereon threadedly received in said internally threaded anchor means with one end of said shim nut positioned closely to said one surface, said shim nut having an aperture therethrough providing an internal peripheral wall having internal threads of opposite hand to said external threads, said screw bolt having a head and an externally threaded shank extending therefrom to be received through the aperture in the other component into said one end of said shim nut in threaded engagement with said internal threads of said shim nut, one of said internal threads of said shim nut and said externally threaded shank having self-locking means associated therewith to provide prevailing torque locking action between said screw bolt and said shim nut whereby as said screw bolt is driven into threaded engagement in said shim nut, said shim nut is caused to back out of the internally threaded anchor means away from said one surface into abutment against the other component after which the screw bolt can be further threaded into said shim nut to secure the other component between said shim nut and said head of said screw bolt.

4. A shim nut and screw bolt assembly according to claim 3 wherein said self-locking means includes a radial outward extending cavity in said peripheral wall of said shim nut and a nylon button positioned in said cavity to be in interference relationship with said external threaded shank of said screw bolt.