WO2006135954A1

WO2006135954A1 - A fastener

Info

Publication number: WO2006135954A1
Application number: PCT/AU2006/000809
Authority: WO
Inventors: Glen Altoft
Original assignee: Glen Altoft
Priority date: 2005-06-21
Filing date: 2006-06-13
Publication date: 2006-12-28
Also published as: AU2005202700B1; AU2005202700C1

Abstract

A fastener comprising an elongate main body, a cutting tip on one end of the body which enables the fastener to drill its own opening through a member to which the fastener will be attached, and a toggle pin pivotly attached to the main body and movable between a retracted position where the toggle is substantially in-line with the main body, and an extended position where the toggle has pivoted away from the main body, the construction and arrangement being that the fastener can drill its own hole through the member and can then be pushed through the member sufficiently to allow the toggle pin to move to the extended position at which stage the fastener is attached to the member and cannot be removed from the member.

Description

A FASTENER

Field of the Invention.

This invention is directed to a fastener, and particularly to a fastener to enable a first member to be attached to a second member, the fastener comprising a toggle member and therefore not requiring a threaded nut and a threaded bolt for the fastening action. The invention will be described with reference to the fastener attaching a suspended ceiling to a purlin, but it should be appreciated that no limitation is meant thereby. Background Art.

It is extremely well known to fasten materials together using a multiplicity of separate fasteners such as bolts, screws, nails, rivets and the like. For many applications, a nail is not suitable and a fastener comprising a nut and bolt is required to support the applied load. A rivet can also be used for heavier loads. A problem with a nut and bolt, is that it is extremely time-consuming to tighten a multiplicity of nut to a multiplicity of bolts. Similarly, attaching a multiplicity of rivets is also time-consuming.

As an example, in buildings, a suspended ceiling is quite well known. The ceiling is attached to purlins, and for a large roof area, it can be appreciated that hundreds of attachments are required. Specifically, the ceiling is not attached directly to the purlin. Instead, the ceiling is attached to a rod, and the rod is attached to the purlin to suspend the ceiling at the desired height from the floor. To date, it has been quite time-consuming to do this.

Many types of attachments require a first member (for instance a purlin) to be drilled to enable the fastener to be attached. This can be a very time- consuming process especially if the first member is not easily accessible. For instance, when attaching a suspended ceiling, the purlin will be quite high off the ground and difficult to access to drill multiple holes into the purlin.

It is also known to provide a vertical hangar that comprises a fastener which has an elongate steel body, an opening at the lower end, a cutting edge at the upper end, and a threaded section below the cutting edge. The arrangement is such that the cutting edge will cut a smaller opening, and continued rotation of the fastener will cause the fastener to be "tapped"(that is, cutting its own thread) into the steel body. The problem with this fastener is that it is not very suitable for purlins that are extremely commonly used in the building industry, as purlins are relatively thin wall (the wall thickness typically being between 1-3 millimetres), and the engagement of the threads against the thin wall purlin does not provide sufficient strength to properly suspend a ceiling. Also, the threads are prone to damage and any damage of the threads can weaken the attachment of the fastener to the member.

Therefore, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a fastener that would enable a first member to be attached to a second member more quickly than is the case with nuts and bolts and rivets, and which does not require a threading connection between the fastener and the member to which the fastener will be attached.

It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country. Object of the Invention.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fastener that may overcome at least some of the above-mentioned disadvantages or provide a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, the invention resides in a fastener, the fastener comprising an elongate main body, a cutting tip on one end of the body which enables the fastener to drill its own opening through a member to which the fastener will be attached, and a toggle pin pivotly attached to the main body and movable between a retracted position where the toggle is substantially in-line with the main body, and an extended position where the toggle has pivoted away from the main body, the construction and arrangement being that the fastener can drill its own hole through the member and can then be pushed through the member sufficiently to allow the toggle pin to move to the extended position at which stage the fastener is attached to the member .

Thus, this arrangement is very much more convenient then multiple nuts and bolts. Instead, the person can attach the fastener either directly or indirectly to a drill and the fastener will drill its own hole through the member. Once the hole has been drilled, the fastener can be pushed further into the member until the toggle pin is clear and then the fastener can be jiggled (if necessary) to cause the toggle pin to fall to the extended position after which the fastener is secured to the member. If desired, some form of holding or attachment means can be provided to temporarily hold the toggle in the retracted position. The holding means may comprise a collar, a band, a string, wax, other settable material, adhesive and the like that can be attached to temporarily hold the toggle in position and which will be at least partially removed once the fastener passes through the hole. For instance, if wax or other settable material is applied, it will normally be ground off or pushed off as the fastener is pushed through the formed hole. Alternatively, if the holding means comprises a collar/sleeve/band etc holding the toggle in position, this can be pushed down as the fastener is pushed through the hole to release the toggle. If the means is a string, this may be rubbed off or broken as the fastener is positioned.

It is preferred that the toggle is positioned fairly close to the cutting tip, or at least in an upper portion of the fastener such that the fastener does not have to be pushed too far into the member before the toggle can be pivoted to the locking position. The fastener can be of any suitable shape and size. This will depend on the load to be applied to the fastener, the use of the fastener etc. It is envisaged that for most circumstances, the fastener will have a length of between 5-20 centimetres. The fastener will typically be cylindrical in shape, although it is envisaged that the fastener may also be square or have other shapes. However, as the fastener will be rotated to drill its own hole, it is considered to be most expedient if the fastener is cylindrical. The diameter or cross-section size of the fastener can also depend on the size of the fastener, however it is envisaged that for most applications, the fastener will have a diameter of between 5-20 millimetres. No particular limitation however should be placed on the invention merely by the exemplification of these dimensions. The fastener may be made of any suitable material and it is considered that metal such as steel will be suitable. However, the fastener may be made of other metals, composite materials and the like. It is also envisaged that the fastener may be made of multiple different parts, for instance a tool steel cutting tip attached to a mild steel or other type of main body. Again, it is not considered that any particular limitation should be placed on the invention by the choice of materials of which the fastener is made.

The cutting tip can comprise any suitable configuration or size to enable the fastener to cut its own hole through a member. Typically, a drill tip will be used and it is considered that a skilled person will be able to determine what type of cutting tip will be suitable. The cutting tip may be hardened or may contain carbide or diamond inserts to assist in the cutting action. As the cutting tip will stay on the fastener, it is considered that a relatively inexpensive and single use cutting tip will be most suitable.

The toggle pin may be of any suitable size and shape. It is considered that the toggle pin will have a length of between 10%-90% of the length of the main body of the fastener. Suitably, the toggle pin will have a length of between 10-50 millimetres. The toggle pin may be made of any suitable material that will withstand the load to be applied to the fastener, and it is considered that metal such as steel will be a suitable material although other metals may also be suitable as may be composite materials, plastics and the like.

The toggle pin will typically be pivotly mounted relative to the main body of the fastener. In one form, the main body may be provided with a recess/slot and the toggle pin can be positioned at least partially within the recess/slot when in the retracted position. Alternatively, the toggle pin can be pivotly mounted to the side of the main body, and in this alternative, the main body may be provided with a flattened portion against which the toggle pin can sit.

The toggle pin will typically be attached relative to the remainder of the fastener in an "offset" manner which means that the toggle pin can be moved quite easily to the extended locking position, typically by jiggling the fastener. Thus, the toggle pin may be pivotly mounted relative to the remainder of the fastener in a manner whereby a larger part of the toggle pin is on one side of the pivot and a smaller part of the toggle pin is on the other side of the pivot. If desired, the toggle pin may be provided with a nose portion that is angled or ramped.

The fastener may be provided with some form of attachment means to allow another member to be attached to the fastener. It is not considered that any particular limitation should be placed on the term "attachment means" as used to describe this component. Thus, the fastener may be provided with an opening to allow a hook to be attached to the fastener, a recess, a slot, any type of projection again to allow something else to be attached to the fastener, the fastener may be provided with threads and the like, again to allow something else to be attached to the fastener.

Brief Description of the Drawings.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following illustrations in which:.

Figure 1. Illustrates a fastener with the toggle pin in the retracted position.

Figure 2. Illustrates the fastener of figure 1 from a different angle, and particularly illustrating the toggle pin positioned in a slot in the fastener. Figures 3-5. Illustrates sequentially how the fastener can drill through a purlin and be attached to the purlin.

Detailed Description.

Referring initially to figures 1-2, there is illustrated a fastener 10 which can self drill through a first member such as a purlin, and which can then be attached to the purlin using a toggle pin. Specifically, fastener 10 comprises an elongate main body portion 11 which will typically have a length of between 10-20 centimetres and a diameter of between 5-20 millimetres. Fastener 10 is made from steel. The leading edge of fastener 10 contains a cutting tip 12 which is designed to cut through metal. The main body portion 11 contains a slot 13 which is best illustrated in figure 2. Inside the slot is a toggle pin 14. Toggle pin 14 is pivotly mounted to the main body portion through a spring pin 15. Toggle pin 14 is made of steel plate and has a length of between 10-50 millimetres and a thickness of between 1-3 millimetres. The toggle pin has a ramped or "cam" nose portion 16. The attachment of the pin 15 is "offset" which means that the toggle pin can quite easily rotate from the retracted position illustrated in figures 1-2 to the extended locking position illustrated in figures 4-5.

In the particular embodiment, an attachment means is provided to temporarily hold the toggle pin in the retracted position illustrated in figures 1-3. The attachment means in the particular embodiment comprises a plastic collar 17 which is designed to be a "holding" fit about the body portion 11 but still able to slide down the body portion should force be applied to the collar.

In the particular embodiment, the fastener contains a lower round opening 18 to enable a second member to be attached to the fastener. This will be explained below. In use, and referring to figures 3-5, the fastener 10 can be attached to a member such as a purlin 19 in a simple manner and without requiring fiddly nuts and bolts. Instead, the fastener 10 is attached either directly or indirectly to a drill (not illustrated) which rotates the fastener about its longitudinal axis. The cutting tip 12 is then pressed against purlin 19 and the fastener will cut its own hole through the purlin and exactly where the fastener is designed to be attached. Therefore, there is no need to provide a purlin with a multiplicity of preformed holes. Once the hole has been cut, the fastener is pushed through the hole (see figure 4), and this action will cause the plastic collar 17 to slide downwardly towards the lower end of the fastener. The plastic collar is deliberately given a diameter larger than the diameter of the cutting tip such that the hole formed by the cutting tip is less than the diameter of the plastic collar which means that as the fastener is pushed through the hole, the plastic collar cannot pass through the hole and will slide down towards the lower end of the fastener. As this occurs, the plastic collar no longer retains the toggle pin 14 in the retracted position illustrated in figure 3. The toggle pin then falls to the extended position illustrated in figures 4-5. Sometimes, it may be necessary to "jiggle" the fastener to cause the toggle pin to move to the extended position. However, in most instances, the rotation of the fastener is sufficient to do so. Once the toggle pin has fallen to the extended position illustrated in figures 4-5, the fastener can be pulled downwardly until the toggle pin abuts against the purlin (see figure 5), and the fastener is now attached to the purlin.

The construction of the fastener is such that it can hold quite a large load due to the construction and strength of the toggle pin 14 and the spring pin 15. Should it become necessary to remove the toggle pin, it may be possible ( subject to accessibility) to manually lift toggle pin 14 back to the retracted position and retract the fastener from the hole.

The fastener is particularly suitable for suspended ceilings. To explain, suspended ceilings comprise panels that are attached to a spacing rod (typically a five millimetres rigid steel rod), with the rod being attached to a purlin. Because the purlin is quite high off the ground, the attachment of the spacing rod to the purlin is very fiddly. With the present invention, the rod can have a hook end, and once the fastener has been drilled into the purlin and fastened in place, the hook can he simply placed through opening 18 to attach the rod to the fastener. Indeed, it is also possible to use the spacing rod to assist in the drilling action. To explain, the lower end of the spacing rod can be attached to a drill, and the upper end of the spacing rod can be attached directly (or via an adapter) to the lower end of fastener 10. Then, a person can drill the fastener through the purlin without needing to stand on high ladders etc.

Throughout the specification and the claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to apply the inclusion of the stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Throughout the specification and claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "substantially" or "about" will be understood to not be limited to the value for the range qualified by the terms.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to any embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims.

1. A fastener comprising an elongate main body, a cutting tip on one end of the body which enables the fastener to drill its own opening through a member to which the fastener will be attached, and a toggle pin pivotally attached to the main body and movable between a retracted position where the toggle is substantially in-line with the main body, and an extended position where the toggle has pivoted away from the main body, an attachment means to hold the toggle pin in the retracted position, and where the attachment means can be moved when the fastener is pushed through the hole to enable the toggle to move to the extended position, the construction and arrangement being that the fastener can drill its own hole through the member and can then be pushed through the member sufficiently to allow the toggle pin to move to the extended position at which stage the fastener is attached to the member and cannot be removed from the member.

2. The fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate main body contains a slot, and the toggle pin is positioned substantially in the slot when the toggle pin is in the retracted position.

3. The fastener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attachment means comprises a collar that is a sliding fit along the main body, the collar being larger than the hole which is formed by the fastener such that as the fastener is pushed through the hole, the collar is pushed along the main body to enable the toggle pin to be moved to the extended position.

4. The fastener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attachment means comprises settable material such as wax which is removed as the fastener is pushed through the hole.

5. The fastener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attachment means comprises a string which is removed as the fastener is pushed through the hole.

6. A fastener comprising an elongate main body, a cutting tip on one end of the body which enables the fastener to drill its own opening through a member to which the fastener will be attached, and a toggle pin pivotly attached to the main body and movable between a retracted position where the toggle is substantially in-line with the main body, and an extended position where the toggle has pivoted away from the main body, the construction and arrangement being that the fastener can drill its own hole through the member and can then be pushed through the member sufficiently to allow the toggle pin to move to the extended position at which stage the fastener is attached to the member and cannot be removed from the member.