US2385777A - Nut-supporting device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 2, 1945. I J, F, EBERT v 2,385,777

NUT-SUPPORTING DEVICE I INVENTOR T a- TASS. i BY 1 A zTORNEYS Patented Oct. 2, 1945 NUT-SUPPORTING DEvIoE w 7 Joseph F. Ebert, Hollis, N. Y;, assignor, by me'sne Y assignments, to Smaller War Plants Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of the United States Application October 26, 1943, Serial No. 507,714

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a nut-supporting device.

An object of this invention is a simple, inexpensive and adjustable nut carrier by means of which a plurality of nuts may be supported in numerous different patterns.

One form of device embodying the invention consists of a thin ribbon of flexible material having spaced portions of reduced width by the provision of which the ribbon may be bent in the plane of its width. Between each pair of successive reduced width portions an aperture is provided in the ribbon for the purpose of receiving a nut. Inter-engaging means are provided on the ribbon and nut for holding the latter in the aperture.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a nut-holding device embodying the invention with nuts filling the apertures and the nuts being arranged in a straight line;

Fig. 2 is a, similar view with the nuts arranged on a curved line;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View with one aperture vacant and illustrating one form of nutholding means;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4. illustrating a modified form of nut-holding means, and

Fig. '7 is a section on the line '|-'I of Fig. 6.

A thin flexible ribbon-like member II) is provided with polygonal apertures II at longitudinally spaced intervals. Between the apertures, the ribbon is provided with V-shaped cutouts I2 extending inwardly from opposite sides of the ribbon nearly to its center line. The member I0 is sufiiciently thin that it may be bent out of the plane of its width and the reduced width portions are small enough that the ribbon III may also be bent in the plane of its width as shown in Fig. 2.

In each aperture I I is arranged a nut I3 which may be either a standard nut or a self-locking nut either of the type illustrated in the co-pending application of William Ruthven, Serial No. 472,333 or of the type illustrated in the copending application of Edward H. Gillette, Serial No. 467,143. Means, later to be described, are provided for retaining the nuts in the apertures. By flexing the ribbon I0, the nuts I3 may be arranged in a number of difierent patterns to locate the nuts in register with holes in a sheet of metal or the like.

In the modifications illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, small projections I4 extend inwardly from the periphery of the aperture I I. Preferably, there are two projections extending inwardly from opposite faces of the polygon, but the invention contemplates that one projection may be enough while more .than two may be used, if desired. The nut I3 is provided with a notch or groove I5 in one or more of its faces of proper depth to receive a projection I4 and either of the same length as the width of the projection I4 or extending the full width of the nut face. Preferably, there is a groove I5 in each face of the nut I3 but there need be a groove only in as many faces as there are projections. I4. The nut I3 is inserted into the aperture II and the projections I4 are sprung out of the plane of the ribbon until they snap into the groove I5 whereupon they resume their original positions and retain,

the nut in the aperture.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, the nut I3 is provided on one or more faces with a projection. I6, there preferably being at least two such projections arranged opposite each other. Two identical ribbons I0 have apertures receiving nuts with the projection I B being arranged between the'two ribbons. The two ribbons are suitably connected together at intervals and the projections I6 by-engagement with the inner faces of the two ribbons retain the nuts in the apertures.

It is of course understood that various modifications may be made in the arrangement above described without in any way departing from. the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a strip of flexible material having a series of uniformly spaced polygonal apertures, a pair of opposed V notches in opposite edges of said strip between each pair of apertures, a nut in each aperture of conforming configuration to said aperture and of proper size to prevent rotation of the nut in the aperture, and co-operating means on said strip and nut to retain said nut in the aperture.

2. A device of the character described comprising a strip of flexible material having a series of uniformly spaced polygonal apertures, a pair of opposed V notches in opposite edges of said strip between each pair of apertures, a nut in each aperture of conforming configuration to said aperture and of roper size to prevent rotation of the nut in the aperture, and one. or more" ears extending outwardly from the periphery of the nut into engagement with the surface of said strip.

4. A device of the character described comprising a two-laminae strip of flexible material having a series of uniformly spaced polygonal apertures, a air of opposed'v notches in the opposite edges of said strip between'each pair of apertures, a nut in each aperture of conforming configuration to said aperture and of proper size to prevent rotation of it in the aperture, and one or more ears extending outwardly from the periphery of said nut between said laminae.

' JOSEPH F. EBERT.

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