Fastening device

• US 6,722,831 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Composite Mat Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: OLS Consulting Services, Inc. (Newpark Resources Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rogers, D. Scott, Couvillion, Don A., Latiolais, Ronald L., Fontenot, Corey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US10/212,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 411/349, 411/549, 411/553, 411/554, 245/92, 245/93, 245/95, 403/548
• US Class Current: 411/345
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/02 Releasable fastening devices locking by rotation with snap-action F16B21/06; studs or coupling pins with resilient protrusions F16B21/08

Abstract

A fastening device having a pin with an enlarged head and a central longitudinal bore to receive a rod having a head with a drive receiving recess and a footed keeper. The pin and rod have adjacent surfaces that aid in the prevention of turning relative to each other. In use, the pin, with the footed keeper in alignment, is inserted to aligned openings in overlapping maps used in roadways and a tool is used to turn the keeper a quarter turn to prevent the pin from coming out of the opening and securing the mat.

Claims

1. A fastening device for securing one mat to another mat, said fastening device comprising:

a. A rigid pin body shaped to be received into aligned holes in a pair of overlapping mats to prevent free rotation of said pin within said mats, said pin body having a bottom end and a top end and an enlarged head located on said top end of said pin, said enlarged head being larger than said bottom end, and a central longitudinal bore extending completely through said pin from said enlarged head to said bottom end,

b. an elongated rod having an enlarged head at one end which is smaller than said enlarged head of said pin, a midbody and a footed end, and said rod rotatably received in said central longitudinal bore of said pin body, said rod having a drive receiving recess in one end thereof, with said drive receiving recess disposed slightly below the top horizontal plane of said headed end of said pin, said rod having an elongated keeper rigidly connected to the other end thereof, said keeper being disposed generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said rod and disposed below said bottom of said pin body, said keeper being shaped that said keeper is rotatable when said rod is rotated around its longitudinal axis between a rest position, wherein said keeper remains within the longitudinal projected volume of said pin body, and a locking position, wherein said keeper is rotated outside of the longitudinal projected volume of said pin body and beneath the bottom of one of said mats, wherein said keeper can rotate 360 degrees about its longitudinal axis wherein said midbody of said rod has at least one longitudinally raised ridge, and said central longitudinal bore of said pin has at least one ridge receiving recess which contacts and receives said raised ridge on said rod during rotation of said rod relative to said pin to restrict free rotation of said rod, and wherein said keeper has an upper surface which is tapered upwardly toward a crown, wherein said keeper has two ends and two parallel sides, and said upper surface of said keeper tapers helically upward from each of said parallel sides of said keeper toward each of said ends of said keeper.

2. The mat fastening device of claim 1 wherein said rod being made of metal and said pin body being made of plastic.