US3110373A

US3110373A - Spacer fastener

Info

Publication number: US3110373A
Application number: US163468A
Authority: US
Inventors: James E Adams
Original assignee: Bishop and Babcock Corp
Current assignee: Bishop and Babcock Corp
Priority date: 1962-01-02
Filing date: 1962-01-02
Publication date: 1963-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 1980-11-12

Description

Nov. 12, 1963 J. E. ADAMS SPACER FASTENER Filed Jan. 2, 1962 INVENTOR. JAMES E. ADAMS @MZJ. QM

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,116,373 SPACER FASTENER James E. Adams, Cnrtice, Ohio, assignor to The Bishop and Babcock Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 2, 1962, Ser. N 163,468 2 Claims. (Cl. 189-36) This invention relates to fasteners but more particularly to sheet metal fasteners for securing a plurality of panels in spaced relation without requiring the use of screws or similar devices thereby enabling the panels to be secured together as an assembly in an exceedingly simple manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a composite view partly in section and partly in perspective showing a plurality of panels and fasteners for securing same in spaced relation;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a series of panels secured together in spaced relation by the fasteners according to this invention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the fasteners;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the fastener employed for the outermost panel; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a fastener arrangement for securing a plurality of panels in spaced relation and, as shown, there are a plurality of panels A, B, C and D spaced vertically from each other. In the lowermost of the series of panels or in the panel A, a pair of parallel lances is made and the metal therebetween is pressed outwardly to form an outward protrusion indicated at 10. The protrusion It} has a fiat top wall 11 and downwardly and outwardly extending end walls 12. This provides an opening between the fiat top wall 11 and the adjacent surface of the panel A to receive a portion of the fastener as will hereinafter appear.

The fasteners for securing the several panels together are of identical construction and each is made of spring sheet metal and is generally of U-shape. As shown, each fastener has a flat vertical body portion 13 which has at each end a pair of parallel relatively short inwardly extending flanges 14. Integral with the bottom flange 14 and extending laterally therefrom is a centrally disposed relatively narrow arm 15 which is formed with an upwardly pressed portion 16 having a flat top wall 16a and outwardly and downwardly inclined end walls 16b. The finger 15 terminates at an upwardly inclined end lip 17.

Integral wth the upper flange 14 of the fastener is a centrally disposed relatively narrow arm 18 and formed therein is an upwardly pressed portion somewhat higher than the upwardly pressed portion '18 on the lower arm 15. The upwardly pressed portion 18 has a flat top wall 19 and vertical downwardly extending end walls 20. This arm terminates in a flat lip Zlla disposed in alignment with the flange 14.

In practice one fastener is first applied to the panel A by sliding the arm 15 through the opening formed by the outwardly pressed portion 10, the surface of the top wall 15 frictionally engaging the under surface of the flat wall 11 of the pressed out portion 10. The inclined lip 17 yieldingly resists retrograde movement of the fastener from the raised portion 10.

Formed in each of the panels 13, C and D is a rectangular opening of a size freely to admit the raised portion 18 of the fastener arm 18. Thus after the lower arm '15 has been applied to the panel A as above described, then the f atented Nov. 12, 1%63 "ice protuberance 18 is inserted through the rectangular hole 21 in the panel B. The height of the flat top wall 19 of the protuberance 19 is such as to extend above the upper surface of the panel B sufficiently to enable the finger of another fastener to be inserted therethrough thereby to retain the panel B in a desired spaced relation to the panel A. It will be understood that the panel B flatly engages the top flange 14 of the fastener as Well as the lip 20a in order to position the panel properly with respect to the fastener. It will be apparent that the fastener that is applied to the panel B is disposed at right angles to that of the fastener interposed between the panels A and B.

Then it will be understood that the protuberance '19 of the fastener between the panels B and C enters the rectangular hole 21 in the panel C so that another fastener disposed at right angles to the next subjacent fastener can be inserted through the hole formed between the top wall 19 of the arm 13 and the upper surface of the panel C.

With the fasteners arranged alternately at right angles to each other any number of panels may be fastened together in spaced superposed relation. Thus the several panels are secured together without the use of screws, rivets or other fasteners. It is merely necessary to force the lower arm 15 of the fastener through the upper protrusion 18 of the next subjacent fastener.

After a desired number of panels have thus been secured together in spaced relation the top panel is secured in place by the use of a fastener indicated at 22. The fastener 22 is of flat spring metal and has a flat body 23 and a central finger 24 which is formed with a depressed inner portion 25 and a downwardly inclined terminal lip 26. On each side of the finger 24 is a flat finger 27 spaced slightly therefrom. This arrangement is such that the center finger 24 can be forced through the opening provided by the fiat top wall 19 of the protrusion 18 on the upper arm of the fastener and is thus secured in place. The fingers 27 fiatwise engage the upper surface of the panel D and cooperate with the center finger 24 for retaining the fastener in the assembled relation and retaining the top panel D in secured position.

From the above description it will be manifest that I have provided an exceedingly simple and inexpensive sheet metal fastener for securing together a series of spaced panels without the use of screws of similar fastening devices. It is merely necessary to form in the lowermost panel an upper protuberance 10 to afford space for the insertion of an arm 15 of the fastener which is generally of U-shape. Then the next panel is formed with a hole 21 through which a protuberance18 on the upper arm of the fastener projects far enough so that the lower arm 15 of another fastener can be inserted thereto. This operation is repeated with the fasteners being thus disposed at right angles to each other until the outer panel is reached. This panel is secured in position by a separate inexpensive piece 24 which is formed with a finger 24 to insert through the projecting protuberance of the adjacent fastener. It will be apparent that a sizable number of flat panels may thus be secured together in spaced relationship quickly and easily. Although this fastening arrangement lends itself to many uses it has application in the area of stamped coils, such as refrigerant cooling coils, which have been stamped from fiat metal sheeting.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be elfected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fastening device for securing together a plurality of panels in spaced relation, the innermost panel having a raised protuberance providing a narrow opening theretlirough, a U-shaped metal fastener having a lower arm 3 extending through the narrow opening for snap engage ment therewith, an upper arm on the fastener having an outwardly extending arched protuberance, the adjacent panel having an opening through which said arched protuberance extends sufficiently to afford space above the outer surface or the respective panel to receive a lower arm of a similar fastener arranged at right angles to the first fastener, thereby to enable a series of spaced panels to be connected, each having an opening for the reception of the respective protuberance on the outer arm of the particular fastener, and means to secure the outermost panel to the protuberance on the outer arm of the respective fastener, said securins means comprising a flat sheet metal fastener having a finger for snap engaging through the opening provided by such protuberance and the surface of the respective panel.

2. in a fastenin device as claimed in claim 1 in which the means to secure the outermost panel to the protuberance on the outer arm comprises a flat spring metal fastener having a finger for snap engagement through the opening provided by such protuberance and the surface 10 of the respective panel.

No references cited.

Claims

1. IN A FASTENING DEVICE FOR SECURING TOGETHER A PLURALITY OF PANELS IN SPACED RELATION, THE INNERMOST PANEL HAVING A RAISED PROTUBERANCE PROVIDING A NARROW OPENING THERETHROUGH, A U-SHAPED METAL FASTENER HAVING A LOWER ARM EXTENDING THROUGH THE NARROW OPENING FOR SNAP ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, AN UPPER ARM ON THE FASTENER HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ARCHED PROTUBERANCE, THE ADJACENT PANEL HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID ARCHED PROTUBERANCE EXTENDS SUFFICIENTLY TO AFFORD SPACE ABOVE THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE RESPECTIVE PANEL TO RECEIVE A LOWER ARM OF A SIMILAR FASTENER ARRANGED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRST FASTENER, THEREBY TO ENABLE A SERIES OF SPACED PANELS TO BE CONNECTED, EACH HAVING AN OPENING FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE RESPECTIVE PROTUBERANCE ON THE OUTER ARM OF THE PARTICULAR FASTENER, AND MEANS TO SECURE THE OUTERMOST PANEL TO THE PROTUBERANCE ON THE OUTER ARM OF THE RESPECTIVE FASTENER, SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING A FLAT SHEET METAL FASTENER HAVING A FINGER FOR SNAP ENGAGING THROUGH THE OPENING PROVIDED BY SUCH PROTUBERANCE AND THE SURFACE OF THE RESPECTIVE PANEL.