Multiple pitch threaded fastener apparatus

• US 6,302,633 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Poe L. Richard
• Original Assignee: Poe L. Richard
• Inventors: Poe, L. Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US09/465,950
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 411/432, 411/433, 411/216, 411/217, 411/315-318, 411/383, 411/384, 411/551, 411/178
• US Class Current: 411/432
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/165 with balls or rollers for connections of rods or tubes engaged telescopically F16B7/1409
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 33/00 Features common to bolt and nut
• 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 5/0233 allowing for adjustment perpendicular to the plane of the plates

Abstract

A fastener apparatus having a bolt member with a fast lead threaded portion, a barrel member with a fine lead threaded portion, a collar member interposed between the bolt and the barrel and including both fast lead and fine lead threads to mesh with the respective threads on the bolt and the barrel, and an actuator for coupling two of the three members together so that in one instance the fastener is drawn rapidly on fast lead threads through a significant distance and in the second instance the fastener is drawn together on fine lead threads providing additional mechanical advantage.

Claims

1. Multiple pitch threaded fastener apparatus comprising:

a collar member configured with a bore formed with internal collar threads of a first pitch, said first pitch being different from said second pitch and external threads of a second pitch;

a bolt member formed with external threads meshed with said internal threads and including a shank configured with an actuating surface movable longitudinally along a predetermined path as said bolt is rotated relative to said collar, said bolt further including at least one release recess disposed along said actuating surface;

a barrel formed with interior threads meshing with said external collar threads further including at least one latch slot;

an actuating shoulder on one of said members and facing longitudinally in one direction for travel along a predetermined path as said bolt is rotated relative to said collar to advance thereinto;

an actuator interposed between said bolt and barrel members, mounted on the other of said members and a keeper shiftable from a latching position engaging said latch slot inhibiting said collar from rotating relative to said barrel to an unlatching position disengaging said keeper from said slot to free said collar with said bolt for rotating relative to said barrel, said actuator further including a follower disposed in said predetermined path and engageable by said shoulder upon said bolt being rotated a selected distance into said collar to shift said keeper from said latching position to said unlatching position.

2. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bolt is configured with said shoulder; and

said actuator is carried from said collar.

3. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said actuator includes a spring biasing said keeper to said latching position.

4. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bolt includes at least one release recess aligned with said keeper for receiving said keeper as it is shifted to said unlatched position.

5. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said follower is formed with a trip leg to engage said actuating shoulder and rotate said keeper radially inwardly to abut said bolt member within said release recess.

6. A fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said release recess is semi-elliptical in shape and includes a radially projecting sidewall at one end for abuttingly engaging said actuator.

7. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said actuator includes a formed spring captivated in said collar member and including a central aperture dimensioned to receive a portion of said bolt shank.

8. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

said actuator includes a wave spring.

9. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

said actuator includes a longitudinally and radially outwardly projecting spring arm carrying on its free extremity said keeper.

10. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein:

said actuating shoulder is constructed to compress said spring to drive said outwardly extending spring arm inwardly to move said keeper from a latched position to an unlatched position.

11. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

said actuator includes a pair of diametrically opposed leaf spring arms projecting longitudinally and radially outwardly from said spring and carrying said keeper on their respective free extremities.

12. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said first pitch is greater than said second pitch.

13. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said second pitch is ⅙

of said first pitch.

14. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including:

a cap covering an open end of said barrel and formed with a central clearance bore for receipt of said bolt member, said cap further including at least one ramp projecting laterally and radially outwardly to, upon radial alignment of said latch slot of said barrel with said actuator during unthreading of said bolt, engage said actuator to drive said keeper radially outwardly from said unlatching position to said latching position.

15. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including:

a pin projecting radially inwardly from said barrel to engage said collar member and inhibit further rotational movement of said collar member upon radial alignment of said keeper with said latch slot such that said keeper may move radially outwardly from said unlatching position to said latching position.

16. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said barrel is formed with an attachment flange at one end.

17. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including:

a pivot pin mounted within said collar member;

a torsion spring mounted on said pin and wherein;

said actuator is rotatably coupled with said pin and said spring is configured to bias said actuator radially outwardly.

18. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bolt member includes said actuating shoulder;

said collar includes a seating surface receiving said actuating shoulder stopping further relative rotation between said collar and said bolt and to, upon subsequent rotation of said bolt in a threading direction cause said collar to concurrently rotate in the same direction as said bolt.

19. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said release recess includes a radially projecting sidewall; and

an edge of said keeper abuttingly engages said sidewall upon reverse rotation of said bolt relative to said collar with said keeper in said unlatched position, whereby subsequent unthreading of said bolt member concurrently rotates said collar member relative to said barrel.

20. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said barrel includes at least one slot for receipt of said keeper in said latched position.

21. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bolt member is formed with a hexagonally shaped head.

22. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said respective external threads of said bolt member and said collar are formed with the same thread direction.

23. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bolt includes a plurality of release recesses to be selectively radially aligned with said actuator for nesting receipt of said keeper in an unlatched position.

24. A fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bolt member is formed with a quad lead thread.

25. A fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said barrel and said collar member include respective first and second sections spaced a predetermined distance apart, said first section of said collar member is formed with an internal coarse thread direction in the same direction as said external coarse threads of said bolt and said second section of said collar member is formed with internal coarse threads having an opposite thread direction, such that both sections are constructed to, upon relative rotation of said bolt, reduce said predetermined distance.

26. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said release recess includes at least one stop; and

an edge of said keeper abuttingly engages said stop upon rotation of said bolt in at least one rotational direction relative to said collar with said keeper is in said unlatched position, whereby subsequent threading of said bolt member concurrently turns said collar member relative to said barrel in said rotational direction.

27. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said release recess includes first and second opposing stop walls extending radially inwardly from the outer radial extent of said bolt shank and projecting longitudinally along said actuating surface at both ends of said recess; and

said keeper abuttingly engages said first stop wall as said keeper is rotated in a first direction toward said first stop wall when said keeper is in said unlatched position and upon continued rotation of said bolt member in said first direction said collar member rotates relative to said barrel in said first direction and, upon rotation of said bolt member in a reverse direction, said keeper abuttingly engages said second stop wall to, upon continued rotation of said bolt member in said reverse direction, concurrently turn said collar member in said reverse direction relative to said barrel.

28. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said barrel is attached to a free end of a V-band coupling.

29. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the inclination of said external threads of said bolt member, relative to an axial plane, is less than the inclination of said barrel internal threads to, upon application of loads thereto, cause said barrel internal threads to have less frictional resistance to threading than said bolt member external threads threading into said collar.

30. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said keeper, when fully engaged in said unlatched position in said release recess and with said collar fully threaded into said barrel, is radially outwardly biased to maintain frictional contact with a minor diameter of said internal threads of said barrel upon unthreading of said bolt thereby providing a frictional lock resisting unthreading of said collar member from said barrel member.

31. A fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said keeper includes a leading edge slidingly engageable with said interior threads of said barrel as said collar member is rotated relative to said barrel and said keeper is in said unlatched position.

32. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 31 wherein:

said interior threads are longitudinally scored to increase the frictional resistance between said leading edge of said keeper and said barrel.

33. Fastener apparatus as set forth in claim 31 wherein:

said leading edge is constructed to reduce friction between said keeper and said barrel.

34. Fastener apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said actuator includes a dog formed on one extremity with said keeper and on the opposite with said follower, said dog being pivotally mounted to said collar.

35. Fastener apparatus of claim 34 that includes:

a torsion spring biasing said keeper into engagement with said latch slot.

36. Multiple pitch threaded fastener apparatus comprising:

a bolt configured with external threads having a first pitch and an actuating shoulder facing axially in one direction, said bolt including at least one radially outwardly opening nesting slot having a radially projecting nesting wall facing in one annular direction;

a selector collar configured with a bore formed with internal threads engaging said external threads and external collar treads having a second pitch, said first pitch being different from said second pitch;

a barrel including internal threads engaging said external collar threads, said barrel further including a latching slot defined by a pair of spaced apart transfer walls for travel axially past said shoulder as said bolt is screwed into said collar;

an elongated actuator captivated in said collar and including on one extremity a keeper to be positioned in said latching slot to engage one of said transfer walls to keep said collar from rotating relative to said barrel and being selectively shiftable from said latching slot to a nesting position in said nesting slot to, upon further rotation of said bolt, cause said nesting wall to engage said keeper and cause said collar to rotate with said bolt, said actuator including a follower for, upon screwing of said bolt a predetermined distance into said collar, engaging said shoulder and being operative upon further screwing of said bolt into said collar to transfer said keeper from said latching slot to said nesting slot to keep said bolt from rotating relative to said collar.

37. Fastener apparatus of claim 36 wherein:

said collar includes a radial transfer slot providing clearance for transfer of said keeper from said latch slot to said nesting slot.

38. Fastener apparatus of claim 36 wherein:

said actuator includes a spring biasing said keeper radially outwardly toward said latch slot.

39. Fastener apparatus of claim 36 wherein:

said bolt is formed with a pair of nesting slots;

said barrel is formed with a pair of latching slots alignable radially with the respective nesting slots; and

said actuator includes a pair of keepers for transfer between the respective latching slots and nesting slots.

40. Fastener apparatus of claim 36 wherein:

said actuator includes a wave spring forming said follower and an axially projecting leaf spring carrying said keeper at a free end thereof.

41. A threaded fastener comprising:

a receiver including a barrel having a cylindrical inner bore formed with a fine lead thread having a predetermined first pitch and a latching slot, a thread selector configured with an outer diameter circumscribed by a threaded portion having a pitch equal to said first pitch, said thread selector further including an inner aperture formed with a circumferential thread having a fast lead pitch greater than said first pitch, a latching element nested partially within said thread selector and configured to be radially outwardly biased in a first position with a first portion disposed within said latching slot to inhibit rotation of said thread selector relative to said barrel; and

a bolt having a bolt head and a shank including a threaded portion with a pitch equal to said inner aperture pitch of said thread selector and dimensioned to be received within said inner aperture, said bolt further configured with a notch and a shoulder for engaging said latching element and upon further rotation of said bolt actuating said latching element to withdraw from said latching slot to nest within said notch in said bolt wherein said thread selector may then be rotated relative to said barrel.

42. Multiple pitch threaded fastener apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical barrel configured with a bore formed with internal threads of a predetermined first pitch;

a cylindrical transfer member in said barrel and having external screw threads engaging said internal threads and formed with an inner bore configured with internal screw threads having a predetermined second pitch;

a bolt including external threads engaging said internal screw threads and an axially facing actuating shoulder; and

a radially projecting shift member interposed between said transfer member and said barrel and constructed to assume a first latching position to inhibit rotation of said transfer member relative to said barrel and arranged to, upon screwing of said bolt in one direction a selected distance be engaged by said actuating shoulder to be shifted to a second unlatched position coupling said bolt with said transfer member to upon further screwing of said bolt in said one direction, rotate said transfer member with said bolt relative to said barrel.