Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8096743 | Press-in element for pressing into a non-pierced or pierced component and also method for the manufacture of the press-in element A press-in element for pressing into a non-pierced or pre-pierced component, in particular a sheet metal part is described. The press-in element has a head part having a ring surface confronting the component and a neck part which projects away from the ring surface... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8083451 | Hollow fastener element, electrical connections and component assembly A method for providing an electrically conductive connection between an electric terminal device having a cavity, such as a cable shoe, and a sheet metal part. A hollow fixing element is riveted to the sheet metal part to prevent torsion, thus producing an electrica... | 12/27/2011 |
| 7878746 | Functional element, assembling component consisting of the functional element combined with a metal sheet, method for producing the assembly component and method for producing the functional element The invention relates to a functional element (10) comprising a longitudinal axis (14), a body part (16), a hollow pressed part (18), an annular supporting surface (20) which is arranged on the body part, substantially extended in ... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7726925 | Fastener with prongs A fastener with a flange having two pairs of parallel sides and arcuate corners. Extending upwardly from the top surface of the flange is an elongated shaft having one region adjacent the flange having relatively thicker threaded walls and another distal from the fl... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7674081 | Hopper fed tee-nut having counterbore with nylon lock A tee-nut fastener which includes a nylon locking ring located distally from the entrance to a passageway ensures proper fastening upon coupling with a threaded stud. The tee-nut is used use in combination with a track for efficient delivery. The track comprises an ... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7425111 | Torque resistant fastening element A torque resistant self-attaching fastener having a tubular barrel portion and a radial flange portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial projections each having opposed planar generally radial side faces with the outer surface of the radial fl... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7419344 | Self-attaching nut A self-attaching nut having a central pilot projecting from an end face of the body portion, an annular groove surrounding the pilot and an annular panel support face surrounding the groove, wherein the outer side wall includes a plurality of circumferentially space... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7419343 | T-nut for hopper feeding having a projection The present invention is to avoid the flange portion of a T-nut of from overlapping the portion between the claws of another T-nut, while the T-nut is supplied on a supply track provided on a nut applying machine, and also to engage the projections formed between th... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7383624 | Self-piercing female fastener, method of forming a sealed female fastener and panel assembly and panel assembly Method of forming a sealed joint between a nut (20) having a cylindrical pilot (22), an annular flange portion (28) surrounding the pilot and a re-entrant groove (32) and a panel with a die having an annular lip (62) which deforms ... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7367767 | Function element assembly part consisting of a sheet metal part and a function element and method for attaching a function element to a sheet metal part The invention relates to a function element (10) comprising a head part (14) with an annular bearing surface (12) and tubular rivet segment (16) that is provided on the side of the bearing surface of the head part and that extends away fr... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7367893 | Fastener manufacturing apparatus and method An assembly line for continuously manufacturing fasteners from a rod with a groove for receiving a wire for retaining the fasteners in a strip includes a receiver for receiving the rod. A die press is arranged to receive the rod from the receiver and includes a pier... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7357614 | Functional element for attaching to a sheet metal part composite component produced from said element and method for attaching the functional element to a sheet metal part The invention relates to a functional element for attaching to a sheet metal part, such as for example a nut element or a bolt element comprising a body section or head section, which has a requisite cylindrical part on one axial end and runs into a cylindrical rive... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7338245 | Self-attaching nut A self-attaching nut for installation in a panel by a plunger driven against the bottom face of the nut, the bottom face of the nut including parallel rails on opposed sides of a channel-shaped recess and a threaded bore through the recess, eliminating the requireme... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7329191 | Section for the manufacture of hollow body elements, hollow body element and component assembly A section (10; 110) is provided for the manufacture of hollow body elements, in particular for the manufacture of pierce and rivet nuts having a square or rectangular outline in plan view and a ring-like piercing section (36; 236) at a side confronting... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7318696 | Functional element for fixing to a piece of sheet metal, component assembled from the above and method for fixing the functional element to a piece of sheet metal A functional element (10), for fixing to a piece of sheet metal (40), such as for example, a nut element or a bolt element with a body section or head section, comprising an annular flange (14) which transforms into a cylindrical rivet section, ... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7287944 | Self-riveting male fastener and panel assembly A male fastener formed of heat treated carbon steel for high performance applications, including a shank portion, radial flange and tubular barrel, wherein the barrel has an axial length of 60% or less than the outside diameter and a fastener and panel assembly, whe... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7284319 | Self-piercing rivet setting die and apparatus A die (18) for use in a self-piercing rivet setting apparatus comprises a cavity (25) for receiving therein a protruded workpiece zone consisting of respective portions of the workpieces (2, 3) to be protrudingly deformed toward the die through ... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7258517 | Self-punching fastener with radially positioned projections and an annular depression A self-punching fastener (10), which in a way safe against rotation and pressing out can be pressed into a metal sheet member (40) having an annular body, the side of which facing the metal sheet is having radially disposed projections (15, 25),... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7237996 | Nut feed system and nut A nut feed system and method of feeding nuts through a nut feed passage which avoids contact between the feed pawl and the nut bore. The end face of the nut includes a nut feed groove extending perpendicular to the nut bore and the free end of the feed pawl is recei... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7189163 | T-nut for hopper feeding having a projection The present invention is to avoid the flange portion of a T-nut of from overlapping the portion between the claws of another T-nut, while the T-nut is supplied on a supply track provided on a nut applying machine, and also to engage the projections formed between th... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7179034 | Torque resistant fastening element A fastening element capable of being attached to a panel by deforming the panel is disclosed. A barrel portion is tubular with an open free end and has an axis defining a circumference. A radial flange portion is integral with the tubular barrel portion opposite the... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7179033 | Fastener nut for hydroformed parts A fastener nut for hydroformed parts comprises a nut body for receiving a threaded fastener and a locking ring with depending fingers that is received on the nut body. The nut body is adapted to pierce and then form a collar thereabout in a hydroformed part while th... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7160047 | Functional element arrangement, functional element, auxiliary assembly element, assembled component and method for producing an assembled component A functional element arrangement which includes a functional element which is to be mounted on a component, especially but not exclusively on a brittle or non-rigid component made of a material containing cavities or pores, e.g. plastic, wood, metal foams, plastic o... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7152297 | Self-attaching female fastener, die set and method of attachment A self-attaching fastener for thick panels having a pilot and a groove in a flange portion including an inclined outer wall and a bottom wall having an inclined portion extending to the outer face of the pilot and a concave surface in the outer face of the pilot adj... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7152294 | Self-attaching female fastener element and method of installation A symmetrical self-attaching female fastener including a body having a bore, and identical integral tubular barrel portions extending from opposed ends of the body coaxially aligned with the bore. The installation method includes driving either barrel portion throug... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7131807 | Functional element, method for fixing it in a sheet metal part, assembling element and swaging assembly The invention concerns a functional element, in particular a bolt, consisting of a shank portion (14) and a head portion (16) designed to be assembled riveted with a plate element, in particular a sheet metal part. The invention is characterised in tha... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7112024 | Self-attaching nut A self-attaching nut having a central pilot projecting from an end face of the body portion, an annular groove surrounding the pilot and an annular panel support face surrounding the groove, wherein the outer side wall includes a plurality of circumferentially space... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7090451 | Method for producing hollow bodies, profile for use in said method, hollow body, assembly unit and mold The invention relates to a method for producing hollow bodies such as nut elements to be fastened to components that usually consist of sheet metal. The invention especially relates to a method for producing hollow bodies with an at least substantially square or rec... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7066700 | Self-attaching fastener and method of attachment A self-attaching fastener including a central pilot, an annular flange surrounding the pilot including an annular groove having bottom, inner and outer side walls, wherein the bottom wall includes a first plurality of spaced anti-rotation elements each having a radi... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7047617 | Method of attaching a self-piercing element in a panel and die member A self-piercing element including a shank, a radial flange and a tubular barrel. The flange includes spaced concave surfaces and the annular bearing surface has an area at least four times the concave surfaces. The element is installed in a panel supported on a fema... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7032296 | Self-piercing fastening system The preferred embodiment of a fastening system includes a self-piercing fastener having a thread-like pattern. In another aspect of the present invention, a fastener insertion machine employs an electromagnetic actuator without fluid actuation. A further aspect of t... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7013550 | Method of making self-piercing nuts A raw parallelepiped metal piece is pressed into a closed mold to provide a nut blank that has a generally square pilot portion (14) for piercing a metal panel, the nut blank having a pair of flanges (16) that continue from opposite side walls (15 | 03/21/2006 |
| 7001125 | Self-attaching female fastener element, sealed fastener and panel assembly and method of forming same A self-attaching female fastener such as a pierce nut having an annular pilot, an annular flange surrounding the pilot and an annular groove in the flange bearing surface surrounding the pilot, wherein the bottom wall of the groove includes wedge-shaped recesses div... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6997814 | Long barrel T-nut An elongated T-nut fastener is formed from a single piece of material. The fastener includes a barrel and a flange, with a threaded portion in the barrel and an unthreaded portion beyond the threaded portion. Fastening sites are provided at spaced locations along th... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6997659 | Self-attaching fastener The self-attaching female fastener of this invention includes a re-entrant groove having a V-shaped bottom wall including relatively inclined bottom faces of equal width having an arcuate apex centered beneath the restricted opening to the groove. A die drives a pan... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6994500 | Self-attaching nut A self-attaching nut having a central pilot projecting from an end face of the body portion, an annular groove surrounding the pilot and an annular panel support face surrounding the groove, wherein the outer side wall includes a plurality of circumferentially space... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6986629 | Section for the manufacture of hollow body elements, hollow body element and component assembly A section (10; 110) is provided for the manufacture of hollow body elements, in particular for the manufacture of pierce and rivet nuts having a square or rectangular outline in plan view and a ring-like piercing section (36; 236) at a side confronting... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6979160 | Fixing element A fixing element comprising a fixing section and a tubular stamped or riveted section in which the stamped or riveted section enable the fixing element to be placed on a metal part and the fixing section enables an object to be placed on the metal part. A bearing su... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6969053 | Strut mount The present invention provides a strut mount comprising an inner member (12) to which an upper extremity of a rod of a buffer is fixed, an outer member (14) attached to a vehicle while surrounding an outer circumference of the inner member, and an elas... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6961986 | Method and apparatus for fastening an auxiliary joining element and work piece An auxiliary joining element is joint to a sheet metal work-piece with a foot deformed to interlock the auxiliary joining element to the sheet metal work-piece. The foot is depressed into the sheet metal work-piece, which is retained over a die having a recess defin... | 11/08/2005 |
