BOLT EXTENSION SHEATH

Abstract

An article for retaining nuts used for secure attachment of an object to a supporting structure. The article includes a connector extending between a first housing and a second housing. The first housing includes a first nut retainer for a nut used to secure a first bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure and the second housing includes a second nut retainer for a nut used to secure a second bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail in the following way of example only and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation illustrating a housing containing a nut retainer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 provides a cross-section of a housing according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a nut-retaining bracket according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 provides a cross-section through line 4-4 of FIG. 3 according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 provides a cross-section through line 5-5 of FIG. 3 according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating channels into nut retainers according to the present invention for insertion of receiving nuts.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view illustrating a supporting foot for a load carrier attached to a foot support base mounted to a supporting structure using a nut-retaining bracket according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pickup truck with a bed cap-cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

Referring to the figures, wherein like numbers refer to like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 8 shows a pickup truck 60 with a bed cap-cover 65 installed to create an enclosed compartment. Pairs of feet 40 are shown attached to the cover 65, utilizing a housing 10, with a cross-bar 49 suspended therebetween. FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of a housing 10 having an entry 12 to a nut retainer (not shown). The housing 10 holds a receiving nut 22 (as shown in FIG. 2) for a bolt 14 used to connect objects against one side of a supporting structure 16 that includes an opening 18 through which the bolt 14 passes to engage the receiving nut 22. Rotation of the bolt 14 or the receiving nut 22 draws the housing edge 20 to abut the other side of the supporting structure 16.

FIG. 2 clarifies the internal structure of a housing 10 according to the present invention by providing a cross sectional view to show the entry 12 having a receiving nut 22 inserted into a nut retainer 24 therein comprising projections 26 that apply pressure to the side of the receiving nut 22 to hold it inside the nut retainer 24. As illustrated, the bolt 14 passes through the opening 18 to engage the receiving nut 22. The length of the bolt 14 is such that an object becomes securely attached to the supporting structure 16 before the bolt 14 enters the housing 10 far enough for the tip of the bolt 14 to extend outwardly of the entry 12. The positioning of the tip of the bolt 14 inside the entry 12 is a safety consideration to reduce the likelihood of injury to a person who inadvertently strikes the housing 10.

FIGS. 3-6 provide illustration of a nut-retaining bracket 30 suitable for securing a foot support base 44 (shown in FIG. 7) for a load carrier to a supporting structure 16 of a metal plate used in the formation of the roof, or cab or cap of a transporting vehicle. The nut-retaining bracket 30 includes a pair of housings 10, also referred to herein as first and second housings, joined together by a bar or handle 32.

The use of a pair of housings 10 ensures twist-free securement of a foot support base, bolted through opposing openings formed in the supporting structure 16. The need to secure the foot support base in a twist-free condition will be appreciated by considering that it must retain a prescribed orientation to facilitate attachment of a load carrier using several supporting feet connected to foot support bases.

Since it is important to use more than one bolt to prevent rotation or twisting motion, the foot support base 44 has an elongate structure that has guide holes 46, 48 at opposing ends. The distance between the guide hole centers is the same as the distance between the centers of the openings 18 in the supporting structure 16 and the distance of separation of receiving nuts 22 held in nut retainers 24 according to the present invention. Alignment of the guide holes 46, 48, openings 18 and receiving nuts 22 allows insertion of bolts 14 through the elongate base 44 placed against the outer surface of the supporting structure 16, i.e. the roof of the vehicle. The bolts 14 pass through the openings 18 in the vehicle roof to engage nuts 22 in each of the nut retainers 24, inside the housings 10 placed adjacent to the inner surface of the vehicle roof. Rotation of the bolts 14 draws the nuts 22 and housing edges 20 into contact with the inner surface of the vehicle roof. Application of sufficient rotational force produces a tight connection of the foot support base 44 to the supporting structure 16 of the vehicle roof.

FIG. 4, shows a cross section of a nut-retaining bracket 30 according to the present invention taken through line 4-4 of FIG. 3. This view shows retaining nuts 22 located in the entry 12 that leads to the nut retainer 24 in each of the housings 10 joined together by the bar or handle 32.

FIG. 5, shows a cross section of a nut-retaining bracket 30 according to the present invention taken through line 5-5 of FIG. 3. This view shows retaining nuts 22 held by projections 26 of the nut retainer 24 in each of the housings 10 joined together by the bar or handle 32.

FIG. 6, is a perspective view of a nut-retaining bracket 30 showing the rounded profiles of the housings 10 that have a shape resembling a bowl or inverted dome to reduce potential for passenger injury. A handle 32 joins the housings 10 together and an entry 12 in each housing provides access to receiving nuts 22.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view illustrating an assembly 40 for mounting a load carrier on a supporting surface 16 such as the roof of a transporting vehicle. The mounting assembly 40 includes a supporting foot 42 coupled to a foot support base 44 secured to the supporting structure 16 of the vehicle roof using bolts 14 passing through openings 18 in the supporting structure 16 to engage receiving nuts 22 held in nut retainers 24 of a nut-retaining bracket 30 according to the present invention.

As indicated previously, it is important to couple the supporting foot 42 to a foot support base 44 secured by a plurality of bolts 14 to prevent rotation or twisting motion that could cause misalignment of the assembly 40 with the load carrier it supports. A desirable embodiment of an assembly 40 according to the present invention requires that the foot support base 44 have an elongate structure that has guide holes 46, 48 at opposing ends. The distance between the centers of the guide holes 46, 48 is the same as the distance between the centers of openings 18 in the supporting structure 16 and the distance of separation of receiving nuts 22 held in nut retainers 24 according to the present invention. Alignment of the guide holes 46, 48, openings 18 and receiving nuts 22 allows insertion of bolts 14 through the elongate foot support base 44 placed against the outer surface of the supporting structure 16. The bolts 14 engage nuts 22 in each of the nut retainers 24 placed adjacent to the inner surface of the supporting structure 16. Rotation of the bolts 14 draws the nuts 22 and nut retainers 24 towards the inner surface of the supporting structure 16. Application of sufficient rotational force causes contact of the edges of the housings 20 with the inside of the supporting structure 16 to produce a tight connection of the foot support base 44 to the supporting structure 16.

Following coupling of the supporting foot 42 to the foot supporting base 44 secured to the supporting structure 16, such as the roof of a pick up truck, an end portion of a strut 50 inserted into the supporting foot 42 provides connection for one of a plurality of struts that comprise the load carrier. Completion of the connection of a load carrier to the roof of the truck requires other assemblies 40, suitably distributed over the supporting structure 16 of the roof of the truck.

When fully installed, the nut-retaining bracket 30 according to the present invention provides a roof mounted handle 32 that may be grasped to steady a passenger or may function as a rod or bridge for securing other cargo, e.g. straps or hooks or coat hangers and the like to the vehicle roof inside the cab.

A nut retainer incorporated into a nut-retaining bracket and components thereof have been described herein. These and other variations, which will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, are within the intended scope of this invention as claimed below. As previously stated, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention finds applicability in the sports equipment transportation industries.

Claims

1. An article for retaining nuts used for secure attachment of an object to a supporting structure, the article comprising: at least one housing including at least a nut retainer for a nut used to secure a bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure.

2. The article according to claim 1, wherein the at least one housing has a recess containing the at least a nut retainer.

3. The article according to claim 2, wherein the bolt has a tip portion engaging the nut such that the tip portion remains inside the recess following attachment of the object to the supporting structure.

4. The article according to claim 1, wherein the at least a nut retainer includes a plurality of projections for gripping retention of the nut in the at least a nut retainer.

5. The article according to claim 4, wherein the at least one housing comprises at least a first housing and at least a second housing, the at least a first housing including a first nut retainer for a nut used to secure at least a first bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure, the at least a second housing including a second nut retainer for a nut used to secure at least a second bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure.

6. The article according to claim 5, further comprising a connector extending between the at least a first housing and the at least a second housing.

7. An article for retaining nuts used for secure attachment of an object to a supporting structure, the article comprising: a connector extending between at least a first housing and at least a second housing, the at least a first housing including a first nut retainer for a nut used to secure at least a first bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure, the at least a second housing including a second nut retainer for a nut used to secure at least a second bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure.

8. The article according to claim 7, wherein the connector is a handle having an arcuate profile.

9. The article according to claim 7, wherein the at least a first housing has a first recess containing the first nut retainer and the at least a second housing has a second recess containing the second nut retainer.

10. The article according to claim 9, wherein the at least a first bolt has a tip portion engaging the nut such that the tip portion remains inside the first recess and the at least a second bolt remains inside the second recess following attachment of the object to the supporting structure.

11. The article according to claim 7, wherein each of the at least a first nut retainer and at least a second nut retainer includes a plurality of projections for gripping retention of nuts retained therein.

12. The article according to claim 7, wherein the supporting structure has an outer surface and an inner surface.

13. The article according to claim 12, wherein the object lies adjacent to the outer surface and the article abuts the inner surface of the supporting structure.

14. The article according to claim 13, wherein the supporting structure further includes a plurality of openings having a separation allowing the at least a first bolt and at least a second bolt to pass through the supporting structure to engage nuts in each of the first nut retainer and the second nut retainer placed adjacent to the inner surface of the supporting structure.

15. An article for retaining nuts used for secure attachment of an object to a supporting structure, the article comprising: a connector extending between at least a first housing having a first recess and at least a second housing having a second recess, the at least a first housing having a first nut retainer including a plurality of projections for gripping retention of a nut used to secure at least a first bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure, the at least a second housing having a second nut retainer including a plurality of projections for gripping retention of a nut used to secure at least a second bolt passing through the supporting structure for attachment of the object to the supporting structure, wherein the at least a first bolt has a first tip portion engaging the nut such that the first tip portion remains inside the first recess and the at least a second bolt has a second tip portion engaging the nut such that the second tip portion remains inside the second recess following attachment of the object to the supporting structure which supporting structure has an outer surface and an inner surface such that the object lies adjacent to the outer surface and the article abuts the inner surface of the supporting structure.

16. An assembly for mounting a load carrier on a supporting structure, the assembly comprising: a supporting foot coupled to a foot support base abutting the supporting structure that has an inner surface and an outer surface against which the foot support base is secured using at least a first bolt passing through a first opening in the supporting structure to engage at least one receiving nut held in at least a first nut retainer of a nut-retaining bracket that includes at least a first housing in contact with the inside of the supporting structure.

17. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the nut-retaining bracket includes a handle between the at least a first housing and at least a second housing, the at least a first housing containing the at least a first nut retainer and the at least a second housing containing at least a second nut retainer.

18. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the supporting foot provides connection for an end portion of a strut included as one of a plurality of struts that comprise the load carrier.

19. A process for secure attachment of an object to a supporting structure using an article for retaining nuts comprising: providing the supporting structure having an outer side and an inner side and further having at least one opening therethrough;positioning the object on the outer side of the supporting structure;placing the article, having at least one housing, adjacent to the inner side, the at least one housing including at least a nut retainer for a nut;using a bolt passing through the opening in suitable fashion to engage the object on the outer side of the supporting structure and the nut in the at least a nut retainer; andinitiating relative rotation between the bolt and the nut drawing the nut retainer towards the inner side until the at least one housing makes contact with the inner side sufficient for secure attachment of the object to the supporting structure.