US2555562A - Fastening clip - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1951 1. E. BALES 2,555,562

F'ASTENING CLIP Filed OCt. 22, 1947 INVENToR.

www @MEM Patented June 5, 1.951

FASTENING CLIP` James E. Bales, Aurora, Ill., assigner to Lyon Metal Products, Incorporated, Aurora, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application April 2, 1945, Serial No. 586,113. Divided and this application October 22, 1947, Serial No. 781,412

2 Claims.

holding objects including shelving members in predetermined position.

The present invention is directed to a clip for holding together various articles, wherein the clip is made of sheet material and preferably sheet metal. While the clip is capable of general application it is specifically designed for holding together perforated members of sheet metal construction specifically designed for shelf constructions and the like, although the invention is capable of broader application.

The present invention is a division of my prior filed application Serial No. 586,113, filed April 2, 1945, wherein the claims are drawn to the cornbination of the clip and the shelf construction of sheet material. The claims of the present divisional application are drawn to the clip itself.

The broad object of the present invention is to provide a sheet metal clip having the characteristics hereinafter described.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide an easily attachable means for interconnecting the separable parts of a structure formed of sheet metal or other sheet material, and more particularly to provide a detachable fastener which has means adapted to pass through registering holes of two or more members to be fastened together and which has also means adapted to engage one of the members to prevent the fastener from being rotated about the hole.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing a simple type of detachable fastener for detachably interconnecting a partition or divider plate or plates to a sheet material shelving in which the partition or divider plate has a normally extending flange provided with spaced perforations adapted to register with spaced perforations formed in the shelf, and wherein the fastening means includes a resilient prong or member adapted to pass through the registering openings of the two members and includes a resilient body portion adapted resiliently to engage the at surface of one of the members whereby to hold the prong in engaging position and without turning with respect to the registering apertures.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing a compactly made fastener of sheet metal which includes a resilient portion and a relatively resilient tongue which is adapted to be pressed by the fingers of the operator for insertion in registering holes of two or more sheet metal members to be held together so that when once inserted and released, the resiliency of the body of the member will hold the resilient tongue in fastening position and will hold the body of the member snugly to the flat surface of the member.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a fastening means for a divider plate for a shelf installation comprising a divider having a normal flange with spaced holes therein adapted to register with spaced holes of a sheet metal shelf structure and wherein a plurality of fastening means are provided including resilient tongues adapted to be pressed into the registering openings of the members to be interconnected and including likewise an elongated skeletal resilient sheet metal body normally of curved contour which is adapted resiliently to grip the flat surface of one of the members and by means of its resiliency, not only to hold thelsaid flat surfaces together, but also to hold the inner engaging tongue in connective relationship with the two members to be interconnected.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing, in combination with a pair of shelves having upper and lower registering openings and a divider plate having parallel flanges extending normally to the plane of the divider and provided with openings adapted to register with those of the shelves, a plulrality of sheet metal resilient fastening means each including an elongated resilient tongue particularly shaped to be inserted in the registering openings of the members to be fastened together and including likewise a body portion surrounding the tongue and of resilient curved contour adapted snugly to clip against the Iiat surface of one of the members to be interconnected and to hold the tongue in connected position while at the same time permitting quick detachment of the tongue from the spaced holes to release the members.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing a substantially elongated skeletal-like fastening member of sheet metal spring material having an arcuate curve longitudinally of itself which frame-like skeletal member has, eX- tending inwardly from one en d thereof, an elongated tongue carrying a reverse curve, the free end of the tongue being disposed slightly out of the plane of the curvature of the frame-like vmember whereby when the tongue is inserted into the registering apertures of two or more iiat sheet metal members to be interconnected the resilient over-all curvature of the frame-like Y portion will snugly grip said flat surface and Vwill serve to "maintain the tongue in interlocking, interconneciting position in the registering apertures of the two members.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing an elongated, relatively narrow, rectangular frame-like body of sheet metal having an over-all curve longitudinally thereof together with a tongue extending parallel .to the longer sides of the frame and between them, the tongue having a reverse curve therein Yextending -on opposite sides of the normal curvilinear plane of the frame-like portion, whereby when the tongue is inserted into registering apertures formed midway of the width of the relatively narrow flange carried by the upper and lower edges of a divider plate disposed sbetween sheet metal shelves, the longitudinal :edgeof the frame-like body will `contact-the .adjacent .edge Aof the verticalV wall -of the partition whereby to prevent the fastening means from rotating with respect to the partition member.

Yet another object `of the .invention resides in providing a fastening means of the foregoing type wherein the tongue when engaged in the registering apertures of the shelf land :divider holes, serves to brace the divider againstshifting sidewise. Y

Yet another object of the invention resides in forming the free resilient tongue of the fastening means in such a manner that when the end of the tongue 'is entered into the holes "of the divider or dividers .and yshel-i` .a continued `pressure on the tongue will Icause it to .snap into finally desired position, and wherein thereafter the curvature of the body portion carrying the tongue and its inherent resiliency will cause the body portion to lie nat and the tongue to remain in interlocking position in the registering holes of the portions to be interconnected.

Yet another object of the invention resides -in providing Ya fastener member .of resilient sheet metal material includ-ing .a resilient tongue iconstructed such that either slightly increased or decreased thicknesses of the vdivider or of the shelf material will not .affect .the holding .quality of the fastener nor prevent the tongue point from lying .as close to theshelf .or .divider as is desired.

Yet another object of the invention resides .in providing fastening means of resilient material and imparting a normal longitudinal .curvature thereto so that the ends of the fastener will lie close to the surface `of the vdivider flange lor shelf or other members tobe Iheld together so :as to prevent objects from catching yonto them.

Yet .another object Vof `the invention resides in providing a fastener of the .foregoing-characteristics wherein the .free resilient tongue is formed at an .ang-le so as to provide the .desired :strength to `clear the thickness vof the divider and the shelf material -or objects to :be .held and also 'to prevent removal of the fastener without lfirst lifting the upper end of the fastener and pulling the `tongue out Yof the holes of the divider and ythe shelf.

Yet another object of the 'invention resides in providing .a fastener having Ya tongue provided with a specic bend intermediate its ends sufficiently deep so that the usual variation in thicknesses of the shelf and divider material will not make the free end of the tongue project away from the divider or shelf surface, and wherein the tongue at its eXtreme end is provided with a slight bend for the purpose of guiding it through the divider and shelf holes into which the tongue is inserted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a substantially `rectangular fastener having an intermediate noati-ng tongue, the fastener being` formed of spring-like material` wherein only one size of fastener is needed for holding sheet metal or sheet material perforated portions together at spaced apart points.

|These .and 'other .dbjects of invention will be apparent from Aa 'perusal of the following specificaltion when taken in connection with theV accompanying drawings, wherein:

.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a divider or .partition heldin position between two horizontal shelves by means of the improved fastener;

Figure A2 is a section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure l; K Y

Figure S-is fa Vsection taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; Y Y Y Figure -4-is a section taken-on theline 'll-'4 of Figure 2;

Fig-ure 5 is an'edge'view ofthe fastener; andY Figure 6 lis a perspective view ofthefastener.

To illustrate the invention Iha-ve shown the oli-p or fastener as holding the `partition or divider plate 2 formed of sheet material,V particularly sheet metal, in posi-tion `between two horizontal shelves il and Y'l2-tis, of course, Aunderstood that the invention oft-he 'clip is lof lbroad Vapplication and is broadly adaptable for holding together many ,ty-pes of sheet material not specifically limited to perforated sheets. 'There isV also illustrated "a rsheet Vmetai hacking tV which is not par ticular'ly concerned with the vdisclosureof the invention. The partition member is of sheet metal and shows its front and Yrear edges rolled, as at i@ andV i2, 'for -strengthand t-o hide raw edges. YIThe two shelves -ii and i3 are preferably of sheet material and 'each is shown as provided with -a fro-nt depending skirt DM Ahaving an 4iriwardiy extending, upturned iiange -l'G fat lthe front and a rearwardly depending skirt ii having an -uptur-ned nange i9, at the rear. "'iheto-p edge of the partition 2 is provided with a rig-ht angled an'ge V0 having two lspaced perforations '22 'and 2li, the per-forationssbeiing slightly elongated in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ange 2i). These 'holes i2? and Eii are for-med midway of 'the width Aof this flange. Ina similar manner, the bottom edge of the partition 2 `is provided with a normallydisposed flange 2,6 having the simiiar registering `per-forations 2% and 3! which -are not apparent in vrFigure l because of the presence :of the fastener. It to he pointed out `.that the `shelves .il `and 'o are Veach provided with spaced holes 32 and .34 which are :spaced apart a `distance .equal to the @distance between the centers of the two 4elongated spaced holes 22 and 2d of fthe upper andjlowerliianges 2553 and 2f6 V1so that when the partition or `divider 2 is inser-ted in position :as shown in Figure i between the `upper and lower shelves fl 4and t, the holes the -:two flanges and the upper and lower 'shelves 5, narrow vsheet metal material. The portion 4I is considerably longer than the width of the end 42 thereof. One of the ends 42 has projecting inwardly therefrom a resilient, elongated tongue 43 of material integrally formed from the body of the fastener, and this tongue extends parallel to the two sides 4| and terminates at the point 4E somewhat short of the opposite end 42. This tongue is substantially of the same width as the body portion 4l although if desired it may be somewhat wider for additional strength. Being formed of resilient spring metal, it possesses inherent resiliency. Particular attention is directed to the fact that the skeletal body portion 4| is given an over-all curvature as shown by the line 50 of Figure 5. `'Ihis is for the purpose of causing the end portions 42 to lie up close to the surface of the divider flange and prevent objects from catching onto them.

The tongue of the fastener is formed to the angle shown, so as to provide the desired strength to clear the thickness of the divider and shelf material and also to prevent removal of the fastener without first lifting the end 42 of the fastener, as shown in Figure 3, and then pulling the tongue out of the registering holes formed in the divider and shelf. In addition, the portion 44l of the tongue is made sufficiently deep so that the usual variation in thickness of shelf and divider material will not make the extreme end 46 of the tongue point project away from the divider or shelf surface. The extreme end 46 of the tongue 43 is given a slight bend, as shown particularly in Figure 5, for the purpose of guiding the end of the tongue through the divider and shelf holes when the tongue is inserted therein.

In the foregoing, by reference to Figure 3 it will be seen that the free end 46 of the tongue 43 will tend to lie nat against the upper face of the shelf 4 and that by reason of the curvature of the skeletal frame, as shown in Figure 3, the body portion will tend to lie at against the underside of the flange of the partition 2. It is to be understood, as shown in Figure 2, that when the fastener is placed in position as shown in Figure 1, the parallel sides 4l of the fastener will engage the lower vertical wall of the divider 2 so that the fastener cannot rotate about the point where the tongue passes through the registering holes in the divider flange 25 and the shelf.

One of the important advantages of the present type of fastener resides in the fact that dividers are usually held in place by fastening them at two or more points of each flange, and these holes are not always the same distance apart. Hence when the present fasteners are used, only one type of fastener is required, as it will always enter registering holes of two fiat portions to be interconnected and is not dependent upon the distance these particular registering holes are from any other registering holes in the two members to be fastened together.

It will be apparent that this type of fastener may be used to interconnect the flanges of upper and lower vertical dividers disposed on opposite sides of a horizontal shelf, or in fact, of any partition members or shelf members or any other type of sheet metal members which are capable of being interconnected due to the fact that they have normally disposed flanges forming juxtaposed flat surfaces and are provided with registering holes of a shape capable of receiving the tongues of the fastening members. In short, a fastening member may interconnect two or more divider plates with three shelves, or may connect a single divider between two shelves, or may connect a divider between a perforated top and a subadjacent spaced shelf. In any case the skeletal body of the fastening means is always adapted to overlie or underlie the flange of the divider so that the long edge 4l of the body will be juxtaposed to the normally disposed wall of the divider to prevent rotation of the fastening means with respect to the divider.

Obviously the invention isV not limited to thel specific details of construction disclosed herein but is capable of other modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A fastener member for securing together sheet material members having registering apertures comprising an elongated skeleton frame of resilient material having a normal curvature in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof, an elongated resilient tongue extending generally along the longitudinal axis of said frame and including a substantially straight base portion secured at one end of said frame and inclined tangentially outwardly from one face of said frame and said tongue also having a free end portion adjacent the opposite end of said frame and disposed outwardly of the same face thereof as said base portion in normal untensioned position, said tongue having a bent portion joined to the proximate ends of said base portion and said free end portion outwardly of the said one face and eX- tending through said frame and disposed outwardly of the opposite face thereof in normal untensioned position with the said bent portion providing a connecting strap adapted to accommodate varying thicknesses of sheet material members between the frame and the free end portion of said tongue.

2. A fastener member for securing together sheet material members having registering apertures and including an elongated skeleton frame of resilient material having a normal arcuate curvature in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof and adapted to be positioned with the concave face thereof adjacent one sheet material member to be secured and further comprising an elongated resilient tongue having a substantially straight base portion secured to one end of said frame and extending along the longitudinal axis thereof and projecting tangentially outwardly from the convex face thereof in normal untensioned position and said tongue also including a free end portion adjacent the opposite end of said frame and disposed exteriorly of the said convex face thereof in normal untensioned position, and said tongue having a bent portion joined to the proximate ends of said base portion and said free end portion outwardly of said convex face and extending through said frame and disposed exteriorly of the opposite concave face thereof in normal untensioned position, and said base portion being .depressible to project the free eind portion of said tongue through the frame and outwardly of the concave side thereof to receive sheet material members between the free end portion of said tongue and the adjacent concave face of said frame with the bent portion providing a connecting strap adapted to accommodate varying thicknesses of sheet material members between the frame and the free end portion of said tongue withl fthe ends o'f ithe 'if-'rame maintained underension against fthe adjacent ysheet malteravl member.

SITED The -following references 'are of record in the le of this 'ipa'tentz UNITED :STATES PATENTS Number Nan-ne Date 349;902 Richamdsonfet lai. Semois. 28, '1886 58735099 Shepard Dec. 10, 1907 929,380 Black-119m July 257, 15909 Number 'Timmerman May 194i) Timmerman Dec. 9, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great .Britain K Aug. 10, v1922

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