GB2137919A

GB2137919A - A fastener and a fastening tool

Info

Publication number: GB2137919A
Application number: GB08409243A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-04-15
Filing date: 1984-04-10
Publication date: 1984-10-17
Also published as: GB8409243D0

Abstract

A fastening tool comprises a rod 12 supporting a cap member 14. The cap member 14 has an inverted T-shaped slot 20 extending transversely to the axis of the rod 12. The slot 20 is adapted to receive the flanged head of a fastener (see Figure 5) to hold the fastener captive against relative axial movement with respect to the rod 12 and cap member 14. The fastening tool is particularly suitable for fastening and removing fasteners for Christmas decorations and the like from a ceiling or wall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fasteners and Fastening Tools The present invention relates to fasteners and fastening tools.

Fasteners such as drawing pins are a useful aid to pinning or fastening lightweight articles to walls and ceilings. Such drawing pins are usually fixed to the wall by application of pressure from the user's thumb. When fastening articles such as Christmas decorations to a ceiling, the user must frequently employ a chair or ladder to reach the ceiling and this provides an element of hazard to the user.

Once a drawing pin has been used to secure an article to the wall or ceiling, extraction of the drawing pin from the wall or ceiling is difficult since the underside of the head of the drawing pin is usually flush with the outer surface of the articie which it secures.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fastener and fastening tool which enables the fastener to be readily applied and removed from a selected surface.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fastening tool comprising a rod and a cap member supported at one axial end of the rod, the cap member defining an inverted Tshaped slot extending transversely of the axis of the rod and arranged to accommodate the head and shank of a fastener to hold the fastener captive against axial movement relative to the cap member.

According to the present invention, there is further provided a fastener comprising an elongate shank terminating at one end in a point and at the opposite end in a circular head defining an annular groove.

A fastener and a fastening tool embodying the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the fastening tool; Figure 2 is a plan view of the fastening tool; Figure 3 is an underside view of the cap of the fastening tool of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an underplan view to an enlarged scale of a fastener; and Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the fastener of Figure 4.

The fastener shown in Figures 4 and 5 is in the form of a metal drawing pin 2 having a slightly longer shank 4 than is conventional, and a head 6.

A sleeve member 8 of plastics material comprises a cylindrical portion 8A and a disc-shaped flange portion 8B at one axial end of the portion 8A. The sleeve member 8 has an axial opening which forms an interference fit with the shank 4 of the drawing pin 2.

The axial end of the cylindrical portion 8A remote from the flange portion 8B, is countersunk to aid location of the shank 4 of the pin 2 when inserted into the sleeve member 8.

In the assembled pin 2 and sleeve member 8, an annular groove 10 is defined between the flange 8B of the sleeve member and the head 6 of the pin.

The tool shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises an elongate wooden rod 12 and a cap member 14 secured to one axial end of the rod 12 by a wood screw (not shown). The cap member 14 comprises a cylindrical body portion 16 having a downwardly depending skirt 18 sized to accommodate one axial end portion of the rod 12.

A generally inverted 'T'-shaped slot 20 extends into the body portion 1 6 in a direction generally diagonally of the body portion 1 6 from one radial edge of the body portion to a point just short of the diagonally opposite radial edge. The transverse part of the inverted T-shaped slot is sized to accommodate the head 6 of the fastener of Figure 5 while the narrower portion of the inverted T-shaped slot 20 is sized to accommodate the cylindrical portion 8A of the fastener 2.

The narrower portion of the T-shaped slot 20 is extended radially outwardly from the body portion 16 by a pair of parallel locating fingers 22 and 23.

The cap member 1 4 is provided with a central axially extending opening 24 for receiving a wood screw to secure the cap member 14 to the rod.

The opening 24 which lies in the base of the inverted T-shaped slot is preferably counter-sunk.

Advantageously the cap member is of rigid plastics material, for example black Acetal Resin, but it can of course be of metal such as Aluminium.

Where the cap member is of plastics material, it is preferably manufactured by injection moulding techniques. To ease the manufacture of the cap by such injection moulding techniques, the inverted T-shaped slot is preferably produced by forming a single slot 30 in the upper surface of the cap member 14 and a pair of parallel slots 32 and 34 in the underside of the cap member; the parallel slots lying on opposite sides of the slot 30 and overlapping with the slot 30.

Thus, where the slots 32 and 34 intersect the slot 30, the three slots together define the transverse portion of the inverted T-shaped slot and remainder of the slot 30 defines the narrower portion of the inverted T-shaped slot.

In operation, a fastener 2 is transversely inserted into the inverted T-shaped slot 20 so that the head 6 is accommodated in the transverse portion of the slot 20, and the cylindrical portion 8A is accommodated in the narrower portion of the slot 20. In this configuration, the fastener 2 is held captive by the cap 1 4 against relative axial movement. The rod 12 which is hand held is now urged against a wall or ceiling to push the fastening device into the wall or ceiling. Once the fastener 2 is fixed to the wall or ceiling, the rod 12 is displaced transversely to its axis so that the head of the fastener will slide along the slot 20 until it becomes disengaged from the cap member 14.

The fastener, upon release, is now firmly secured to the wall or ceiling.

To remove the fastener from the wall or ceiling, the procedure is reversed. To this end the two fingers 22 and 23 assist in enabling the head of the fastener to be re-engaged in the slot 20.

Once the fastener is again held captive by the cap 14, the rod 12 is pulled away from the wall or ceiling to disengage the fastener 2.

It will be appreciated that rods of different sizes can be used for ceilings of different heights.

Instead, a set of extension rods can be provided to extend the one rod to which the cap is attached to any selected length. The extension rods may be fitted together by means of bayonet couplings or by screw-threaded dowels.

In a modification, the inverted T-shaped slot may be open at both its opposite ends instead of just one.

Claims

1. A fastening tool comprising a rod and a cap member supported at one axial end of the rod, the cap member defining an inverted T-shaped slot extending transversely of the axis of the rod and arranged to accommodate the head and shank of a fastener to hold the fastener captive against axial movement relative to the cap member.

2. A fastening tool according to Claim 1, wherein the T-shaped slot is open only at one end.

3. A fastening tool according to Claim 1 or to Claim 2, wherein the cap member has an axially extending opening in the bottom of said inverted T-shaped slot to accommodate a securing device to secure the cap member to the rod.

4. A fastening tool according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said cap member has an annular skirt to locate said cap member on said rod.

5. A fastening tool according to any preceding Claim, including a pair of fingers projecting from said cap member to extend the narrow part of said inverted T-shaped slot radially outwardly from said cap member.

6. A fastening tool according to any preceding Claim, wherein said cap member is of rigid plastics and said rod is of wood.

7. A fastener comprising an elongate shank terminating at one end in a point and at the opposite end in a circular head defining an annular groove.

8. A fastener according to Claim 7, wherein said shank is of metal and said head comprises a circular disc of metal and a cylindrical body of plastics having a circular flange, said body being rigidly secured to said shank in such a configuration that the metal disc and plastics flange are separated by said cylindrical body and thereby define said annular groove.

9. A fastening tool substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A fastener substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A kit comprising a fastening tool according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 and 9 and at least one fastener according to Claim 7 or to Claim 8 or to Claim 10.