AU723288B1 - Fastener - Google Patents

Description

TITLE: FASTENER THIS INVENTION relates to a-fastener. In particular, it is directed to a fastener to join together two articles whereby at least one of the articles is preferably, but not essentially, elastomeric, the fastener piercing the elastomer to create a bore therein and maintaining the thus-created bore open as the securing portion of the fastener is passed therethrough.

There is mounting concern by the general public at the disposal of used items such as vehicle tyres. Incineration is now not a preferred option, unless high temperature furnaces are employed, as it is considered to lead to pollution of the environment. However, the high temperature furnaces are relatively expensive to build and to operate.

Alternative disposal of such tyres to landfill sites is losing favour as such sites are becoming scarce and the interior of a tyre carcass is difficult to fill with earth and thus sites which contain a significant quantity of buried tyres are unstable, prone to slip, settling etc. and thus have a limited further use.

Usually, such landfill sites are not capable of supporting any substantial building and are thus limited to functioning as playing fields, sports ovals and the like.

There is thus an increasing desire to find various second uses for these previously disposed of items.

Currently, used tyres find use in children's playgrounds where they are used as steps to a cubby house or to monkey bars, or as a climbing trellis or similar.

They are also finding increasing use in the construction of retaining walls and the like where banks of tyres are stacked together, each tyre being filled with earth or sand, etc.

2 [May 23, 2000] In all of these applications, there is a requirement to secure the-tyres together to prevent them from moving apart when under load. Traditionally, a hole is drilled in corresponding locations on adjacent tyres and a bolt is passed through and a nut tightened thereon. A problem with this procedure is that the rubber compound of the tyre is elastomeric and after a hole has been drilled through, and the drill bit removed, there remains a strong tendency for the deformed rubber to return to its original position which effectively shrinks the hole thus drilled making it difficult subsequently to pass the blunt end of a bolt through. This two-step process of drilling a hole and then trying to insert a bolt therethrough is inconvenient and time consuming and adds to the commercial cost of constructions manufactured from the used tyres.

There thus remains a need for a procedure whereby tyres and similar flexible items can be joined together more efficiently.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fastener for use in securing at least a first item to a second item, said fastener including: a shank portion having one end terminating in a tapered portion; a continuous first thread on said tapered portion; and a second thread contiguous to said first thread and extending along a required distance on remainder of said shank portion; wherein a nut or similar collar having an internal thread complementary to said second thread can pass along said tapered portion to engage with said second thread.

Preferably, said second thread is continuous with said first thread.

Preferably, said first thread and'said second thread are of identical pitch.

Preferably, said shank portion has its other end terminating in a head portion.

Preferably, said head portion includes a driving head which may be adapted to engage a spanner or similar wrench, or a socket affixed to an air-powered tool such as an impact gun, or held in the chuck of a drill, and/or which may be adapted to include a transverse slot to receive the blade of a screw driver or similar, or which may be adapted to include a substantially hexagonal recess to receive an Allen key or similar.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a 0 method of joining at least a first item to a second item using a fastener as hereinbefore described, said method including: applying a driving force to said other end of said shank portion sufficient for said tapered portion to pass through said first item and said second item; maintaining said driving force until at least a portion of said second thread is exposed having also passed through said first item and said second item; passing a nut or similar collar over said tapered portion to engage said second thread; and tightening said nut or similar collar to a required tension.

In a first embodiment of the present invention which incorporates a said head portion, preferably, a first washer or similar pressure distributing device is first positioned over said shank portion to rest adjacent said head portion before said tapered portion passes through said first item and said second item, and a second washer or similar pressure distributing device is placed over said shank portion immediately before said nut or similar collar is passed over said tapered portion.

In a second embodiment of the present invention which does not incorporate a said head portion, preferably, a second nut or collar engages said second thread from said other end of said shank portion after said fastener has passed .0 through said first item and said second item, said nut and said second nut each being tightened to a required tension to secure said first item to said second item.

In a third embodiment of the present invention which does not incorporate a said head portion, after said fastener has passed through said first item and said second item, a first washer or similar pressure distributing device is first positioned over said tapered portion before said nut or similar collar is passed over said tapered portion, and a second washer or similar pressure distributing device is placed over said shank portion from its said other end immediately before said a second nut or collar engages said second thread.

Preferably, each of said first item and said second item is manufactured from a rubber material.

More preferably, each of said first and said second item is a used tyre from a vehicle.

The present invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment which is shown in the accompanying drawings, whereby: FIG.1 is a perspective sketch of a fastener constructed in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a top plan view of two vehicle tyres secured together using the fastener of FIG 1.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a fastener comprises a shank portion of substantially constant cross-section. One end of the shank portion (2) terminates in a head portion The head portion is hexagonal in shape and can be accommodated in a socket held in the chuck of an electric drill.

The other end of the shank portion terminates in a tapered portion There is a first screw thread on the outer surface of the tapered portion There is a second thread on the outer surface of the shank portion continuous with the first thread, extending from the end of the shank portion substantially along the full length of the shank portion towards the head portion The pitch of the second thread is the same as that of the first thread As illustrated in FIG. 2, two used vehicle tyres (10, 11) are to be joined together as depicted. The head portion of the fastener is secured in the chuck of an electric drill (not illustrated) or similar tool. A washer is placed over the shank portion to abut the undersurface of the head portion The fastener is placed in position on the inside of tyre (10) at the point where the two tyres (10, 11) are to be secured and the electric drill is engaged whereupon the tapered portion and its associated cutting thread drill through the tread of the two tyres (10, 11) until the thread on the shank portion is exposed in the interior of the tyre A second washer (12) is placed over the shank portion followed by an internally threaded nut (13) which engages the second thread The nut (13) is then tightened by any usual means known in the art thus securing the tyres (10, 11) together.

It will be appreciated that the fastener of the present invention can be manufactured from any suitable material for the purpose intended, such material including mild steel, stainless, steel, aluminium, etc. Further, the pitch of the first and second threads can be any suitable pitch, and can be of the same or differing pitch, once again, dependent upon application.

Although specific reference has been made above with respect to the need for a fastener to secure flexible items such as vehicle tyres, it will be recognized that this is not limiting and that the present invention will find use in other areas. For example, to secure one flexible item to a second rigid item; to secure two flanges together which are separated by an elastomeric seal without the need to first pierce the seal; and to secure together two slightly misaligned items, the tapered portion enabling the fastener to pass through the bores in the two items without requiring an exact alignment thereof.

It will also be appreciated that the above described embodiments are only exemplifications of the various aspects of the present invention and that modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the inventive concept as defined in the following claims.

Claims (11)

1. A fastener for use in securing at least a first item to a second item, said fastener including: a shank portion having one end terminating in a tapered portion; a continuous first thread on said tapered portion; and a second thread contiguous to said first thread and extending along a required distance on remainder of said shank portion; wherein a nut or similar collar having an internal thread complementary to said second thread can pass along said tapered portion to engage with said second thread.

2. A fastener as defined in Claim 1, wherein said second thread is continuous with said first thread.

3. A fastener as defined in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said first thread and said second thread are of identical pitch.

4. A fastener as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said shank portion has its other end terminating in a head portion.

A fastener as defined in Claim 4, wherein said head portion includes a driving head which may be adapted to engage a spanner or similar wrench, or a socket affixed to an air-powered tool such as an impact gun or to the chuck of a drill, and/or which may be adapted to include a transverse slot to receive the blade of a screw driver or similar, or which 49 may be adapted to include a substantially hexagonal recess to receive an Allen key or similar.

6. A fastener as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein each of said first item and said second item is an elastomeric material.

7. A fastener as defined in Claim 6, wherein said elastomeric material is rubber.

8. A fastener as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein each of said first item and said second item is a used tyre from a vehicle.

9. A method of joining at least a first item to a second item using a fastener as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 8, said method including: applying a driving force to said other end of said shank portion sufficient for said tapered portion to pass through said first item and said second item; maintaining said driving force until at least a portion of said second thread is exposed having also passed through said first item and said second item; passing a nut or similar collar over said tapered portion to engage said second thread; and tightening said nut or similar collar to a required tension.

A fastener as defined in Claim 1 substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 9

11. A method as defined in Claim 9 substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 21st DAY OF March 2000 Michael Raymond CROCKFORD by his Patent Attorney Dr Kevin M Pullen