Toggle bolt assembly

• US 4,997,327 A
• Filed: 07/15/1987
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James L. Cira
• Original Assignee: James L. Cira
• Inventors: Cira, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindsey, Rodney M.
• Application Number:
  US07/073,871
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 411/73, 411/337, 411/340, 411/341, 411/342, 411/343, 411/344, 411/345, 411/346, 411/437, 411/546, 411/71
• US Class Current: 411/340
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 13/0808 by a toggle-mechanism

Abstract

A bushing cooperates with a bolt and a winged toggle member to form a toggle bolt assembly. The bushing has a maximum cross-sectional dimension substantially equal to the diameter of the hole in the wall or other support member to which the toggle bolt assembly is to fasten an object and an inside diameter permitting passage of the bolt therethrough. To fasten an object to a wall, the bolt is passed through an opening in the object and through the bushing and threadedly engaged in the toggle member. The toggle member wings are folded, and the toggle member is passed through the hole in the wall until the wings open. The bushing is inserted into the hole and held in place while the bolt is pulled outward until the opened toggle wings abut the inner surface of the wall, inhibiting rotation of the toggle member as the bolt is rotated. The bolt is then threadedly tightened in the toggle member, drawing the object and the wings into further engagement with the opposite surfaces of the wall.

Claims

1. A toggle bolt assembly for fastening an object to one surface of a wall or other support member having an open area on the side of the wall opposite the one surface, the wall having a hole therethrough of a first specified diameter for receipt of the toggle bolt assembly, said toggle bolt assembly comprising:

a threaded bolt member having a length greater than the thickness of the wall and a diameter of a second specified diameter;

a toggle member including a threaded retainer portion adapted to threadedly engage the threaded bolt member, a pair of toggle wings pivotally mounted to extend from said threaded retainer portion, and biasing means normally biasing said wings to an open position in which said wings extend substantially normal to the axis of said threaded bolt member when said threaded retainer portion is threadedly engaging said threaded bolt member, said wings pivotal to a folded position in which said wings extend substantially parallel to said last-named axis, said wings in their open position having a wingspan greater than said first specified diameter, said toggle member being sized, with said wings in their folded position, to have a maximum cross-sectional dimension less than the first specified diameter, and

a busing member having a tubular body portion with a maximum outside cross-sectional dimension substantially the same as the first specified diameter, an outer end, an inner end, and a central bore with an inside diameter substantially the same as the second specified diameter, permitting said bushing member to fit snuggly upon said threaded bolt member, said bushing member further having a flange portion extending radially outwardly from said body portion outer end, a connecting strap fixedly connected to and extending from said body portion inner end, and at least one restraining loop connected to said connecting strap;

whereby with said threaded bolt member passed through an opening in an object and through said bushing member central bore and threadedly engaging said threaded retainer portion, with one of said at least one restraining loops looped over the end of said threaded bolt member, and with said toggle wings in their folded position, said looped restraining loop and said toggle member can be passed through the hole in the wall and said bushing member inserted into such hole until said flange portion engages the one surface of the wall, and when said toggle wings are through the hole and are biased to pivot to their open position, said connecting strap and looped restraining loop cooperate to restrain rotation of said toggle member, and said threaded bolt member can then be rotated to draw said bolt member further into said threaded retainer portion, causing said wings to further engage the other surface of the wall and bringing the object substantially to the one surface of the wall and so fastening the object to the wall.

2. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular body portion has a length not greater than the thickness of the wall.

3. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body portion has a substantially circular external cross-section.

4. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body portion has a longitudinally fluted external cross-section.

5. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body portion has a main portion with a substantially circular external cross-section and a plurality of radially outwardly extending ribs running longitudinally over the length of said main portion.

6. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body portion includes a radially inwardly extending flange at one end of the central bore.

7. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 6 in which said inwardly extending flange has a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a central opening of a diameter substantially equal to the root diameter of said bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said flange to fit within the threads of said bolt member.

8. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body portion includes a radially inwardly extending flange at each end of the central bore.

9. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 8 in which each of said inwardly extending flanges has a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a central opening of a diameter substantially equal to the root diameter of said bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said flanges to fit within the threads of said bolt member.

10. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body portion includes a plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers at one end of the central bore.

11. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 10 in which said fingers have a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a central opening of a minimum cross-sectional dimension substantially equal to the root diameter of said bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said fingers to fit within the threads of said bolt member.

12. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body portion includes a plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers at each end of the central bore.

13. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 12 in which the fingers at each end of the central bore have a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a minimum cross-sectional dimension substantially equal to the root diameter of said bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said fingers to fit within the threads of said bolt member.

14. A toggle bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bushing member includes a plurality of said restraining loops.

15. A bushing member adapted for use with a conventional toggle bolt to form a toggle bolt assembly for fastening an object to one surface of a wall or other support member having an open area on the side of the wall opposite the one surface, the wall having a hole therethrough of a first specified diameter for receipt of the toggle bolt assembly, said bushing member comprising a tubular body portion with a maximum outside cross-sectional dimension substantially the same as the first specified diameter, an outer end, an inner end, and a central bore with an inside diameter of a second specified diameter;

a flange portion extending radially outwardly from said body portion outer end;

a connecting strap fixedly connected to and extending from said body portion inner end; and

at least one restraining loop connected to said connecting strap;

said bushing member adapted for use with a conventional toggle bolt including (a) a threaded bolt member having a length greater than the thickness of the wall and a diameter substantially the same as the second specified diameter, permitting the bolt member to pass through said bushing member central bore to snuggly retain said bushing member thereon, and (b) a toggle member including a threaded retainer portion adapted to threadedly engage the threaded bolt member, a pair of toggle wings pivotally mounted to extend from the threaded retainer portion, and biasing means normally biasing the wings to an open position in which the wings extend substantially normal to the axis of the threaded bolt member when the threaded retainer portion is threadedly engaging the threaded bolt member, the wings pivotal to a folded position in which the wings extend substantially parallel to the last-named axis, the wings in their open position having a wingspan greater than the first specified diameter, the toggle member being sized, with the wings in their folded position, to have a maximum cross-sectional dimension less than the first specified diameter;

whereby with the threaded bolt member passed through an opening in an object and through said bushing member central bore and threadedly engaging the threaded retainer portion, with one of the at least one restraining loops looped over the end of the threaded bolt member, and with the toggle wings in their folded position, said looped restraining loop and the toggle member can be passed through the hole in the wall and said bushing member inserted into such hole until said flange portion engages the one surface of the wall, and when the toggle wings are through the hole and are biased to pivot to their open position, said connecting strap and looped restraining loop cooperate to restrain rotation of the toggle member, and the threaded bolt member can then be rotated to draw the bolt member further into the threaded retainer portion, causing the wings to further engage the other surface of the wall and bringing the object substantially to the one surface of the wall and so fastening the object to the wall.

16. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 wherein said tubular body portion has a length not greater than the thickness of the wall.

17. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 in which said tubular body portion has a substantially circular external cross-section.

18. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 in which said tubular body portion has a longitudinal fluted external cross-section.

19. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 in which said tubular body portion has a main portion with a substantially circular external cross-section and a plurality of radially outwardly extending ribs running longitudinally over the length of said main portion.

20. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 in which said tubular body portion includes a radially inwardly extending flange at one end of the central bore.

21. A bushing member as claimed in claim 20 in which said inwardly extending flange has a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a central opening of a diameter substantially equal to the root diameter of the bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said flange to fit within the threads of the bolt member.

22. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 in which said tubular body portion includes a radially inwardly extending flange at each end of the central bore.

23. A bushing member as claimed in claim 22 in which each of said inwardly extending flanges has a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a central opening of a diameter substantially equal to the root diameter of the bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said flanges to fit within the threads of the bolt member.

24. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 in which said tubular body portion includes a plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers at one end of the central bore.

25. A bushing member as claimed in claim 24 in which said fingers have a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a central opening of a minimum cross-sectional dimension substantially equal to the root diameter of the bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said fingers to fit into the threads of said bolt member.

26. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 in which said tubular body portion includes a plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers at each end of the central bore.

27. A bushing member as claimed in claim 26 in which the fingers at each end of the central bore have a length in the radial direction of said bushing member leaving a central opening of a minimum cross-sectional dimension substantially equal to the root diameter of the bolt member and a thickness in the longitudinal direction of said bushing member permitting said fingers to fit within the threads of the bolt member.

28. A bushing member as claimed in claim 15 wherein said restraining portion includes a plurality of said loop members.