Non-articulated ball and tube spring biased toggle

• US 5,716,179 A
• Filed: 02/14/1997
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lester Smith
• Original Assignee: Lester Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Lester
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US08/800,333
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 411/340, 411/342, 411/346
• US Class Current: 411/342
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 13/0808 by a toggle-mechanism

Abstract

A toggle member comprising an elongated cylindrical tube having a slot from one end to approximately the center of the tube, defining an opening and channel to receive a fastening bolt; a pivoting threaded bolt engaging with a round ball, the ball threaded to engage the bolt, the ball acting as a pivotally mounted system to allow the bolt to pivot in a manner relocating itself inside and parallel with the tube, said ball being attached to an elastomeric spring bias material tongue fixably seated within the tube so as to exert a spring bias in a direction to force the bolt perpendicular to the tube. The toggle member is meant to be used with a threaded bolt or screw. The elastomeric spring being thinner in the direction facing the bolt entrance allows the bolt to swivel or pivot parallel and into the tube. When the bolt resumes its perpendicular position relative to the tube it is further restricted against the torque exerted by the rotation of the bolt, when the bolt is tightened, by the spring width being greater, in this axis, and having greater strength and moment of inertia, statically restricting the ball from rotating and always keeping it located to its center position within the tube.

Claims

1. A wall fastener assembly for insertion of a threaded bolt or screw through a hole in a wall structure to achieve mounting of hardware to said wall structure, comprising:

an elongated tubular base member having a tubular wall of defined thickness, having a longitudinal axis, having a top end and defining a channel having a bottom and first and second sides, and defining an opening at a bottom end of said tubular base member for receiving a fastening bolt;

pivoting thread engaging means adapted to threadedly engage a bolt, said pivoting thread engaging means pivotally mounted in said channel such that said pivoting thread engaging means can be pivoted into a position in which a threadedly engaged bolt is coaxial with said tubular base member;

a spring bias anchor plug seated in said top end of said tubular base member; and

a substantially flat spring means having first and second ends, said first end fixably attached to said spring bias anchor plug and said second end fixably attached to said pivoting thread engaging means, so as to exert a spring bias in a direction perpendicular to a fastening bolt inserted into said pivoting thread engaging means such that when said fastening bolt, having been inserted into said pivoting thread engaging means, is rotated through an arc so as to be parallel with reference to said tubular base member in order to insert the entire assembly into a hole in a wall, said spring bias exerts a force tending to push said tubular base member into a position perpendicular with reference to said bolt.

2. The toggle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivoting thread engaging means comprises an internally threaded, spherical member, freely rotatable about an axis without supporting pivot pin means.

3. The toggle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring bias means has sufficient flexibility to bow along a direction perpendicular to its length and in a plane parallel to the arc through which said bolt swings with respect to said tubular base member.