U.S. patent application number 10/463561 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-16 for methods and apparatus to mount a clip to a mounting surface.
Invention is credited to Franks, George J. JR..
Application Number | 20040251392 10/463561 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33511555 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040251392 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Franks, George J. JR. |
December 16, 2004 |
Methods and apparatus to mount a clip to a mounting surface
Abstract
Methods and apparatus to mount a clip to a mounting surface are
disclosed. An example clip assembly includes a clip defining a
bore, a drive pin penetrating the bore, a first washer friction fit
to the drive pin on a first side of the clip, and a second washer
friction fit to the drive pin on a second side of the clip.
Inventors: |
Franks, George J. JR.;
(Inverness, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITCH EVEN TABIN AND FLANNERY
120 SOUTH LA SALLE STREET
SUITE 1600
CHICAGO
IL
60603-3406
US
|
Family ID: |
33511555 |
Appl. No.: |
10/463561 |
Filed: |
June 16, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/497 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02G 3/30 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/497 |
International
Class: |
A47G 001/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A clip assembly comprising: a clip defining a bore; a drive pin
penetrating the bore; a first washer friction fit to the drive pin
on a first side of the clip, and a second washer friction fit to
the drive pin on a second side of the clip.
2. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the clip is
dimensioned to mount at least one of a cable and a wire to a
mounting surface.
3. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the clip comprises
at least one of: a drop wire bracket, a v-shaped bracket, an E drop
wire bracket, a c-shaped bracket, a ring, a hook, a drop hook, a T
drop hook, a strap, a cable tie, and a cable clip.
4. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the drive pin
comprises a nail.
5. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the drive pin is
unthreaded.
6. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the first and
second washers have approximately a same outer diameter.
7. A clip assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein the first and
second washers each define a bore.
8. A clip assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the bores of the
first and second washers have approximately a same diameter.
9. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the first washer
has a circular outer circumference.
10. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the first washer
has a non-circular outer circumference.
11. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the first washer
has a first outer diameter and the second washer has a second outer
diameter different than the first outer diameter.
12. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the first and
second washers slide along a shaft of the drive pin when the drive
pin is driven into a mounting surface.
13. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the drive pin
includes a head, and the first washer is mounted between the head
of the drive pin and the clip.
14. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the drive pin has
a shaft having a point, a first section having a first diameter, a
second section having a second diameter, and a head.
15. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the drive pin
withstands approximately ten pounds pull out force without
separating from the pin.
16. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the drive pin
includes a point that protrudes from the second washer.
17. A clip assembly as defined in claim 16 wherein less than
one-half of the shaft extends beyond the second washer prior to
mounting the clip assembly to a mounting surface.
18. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein a head of the
drive pin is separated a first distance from the first washer prior
to mounting the clip assembly to a mounting surface, and the head
of the drive pin engages the first washer when the clip assembly is
mounted to the mounting surface.
19. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the drive pin is
constructed of hardened steel.
20. A clip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the clip assembly
is galvanized after the first washer, the clip, and the second
washer are mounted to the drive pin.
21. A clip assembly comprising: a clip defining a bore; a first
washer and a second washer; and a pin slidably secured within the
bore of the clip by the first and second washers.
22. A clip assembly comprising: a nail; a clip; and first and
second washers mounted to the nail to secure the nail to the
clip.
23. A clip assembly as defined in claim 22 wherein the first and
second washers are interference fit to the nail.
24. A method of manufacturing a clip assembly comprising:
penetrating a first washer with a drive nail; penetrating a clip
with the drive nail; and penetrating a second washer with the drive
nail to capture the clip between the first and second washers.
25. A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising galvanizing
the clip assembly.
26. A method as defined in claim 24 wherein the clip is dimensioned
to mount at least one of a cable and a wire to a mounting
surface.
27. A method of mounting a clip to a mounting surface comprising:
positioning a clip assembly adjacent the mounting surface, the clip
assembly having a nail secured to a clip by first and second
washers; and driving the nail into the mounting surface such that
the nail moves relative to the first and second washers and the
clip to thereby secure the clip to the mounting surface.
28. A method as defined in claim 27 wherein driving the nail into
the mounting surface comprises driving the nail into the mounting
surface until the second washer engages the mounting surface, the
clip engages the second washer, the first washer engages the clip
and a head of the nail engages the first washer.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to mounting clips, and,
more particularly, to methods and apparatus to mount a clip to a
mounting surface.
BACKGROUND
[0002] It is often desirable to mount a clip or bracket to a
mounting surface. The clip or bracket is typically used to secure
another element to the mounting surface. For example, in the cable
television industry, in running cable from a distribution point to
a building, it is often desirable to secure the cable to an
exterior surface of the building. Typically, a mounting clip is
used for this purpose.
[0003] Known mounting clips comprise a stamped or otherwise formed
piece of sheet metal or the like. The clip typically includes a
bore for receiving a fastener such as a screw or a pin (e.g., a
nail) that is intended to be driven into the mounting surface to
secure the clip thereto. Sometimes a washer is mounted to a
threaded fastener between a head of the threaded fastener and the
clip to separate the head from the clip.
[0004] The clip and the fastener, and sometimes the washer are
separate elements intended to be assembled at the point of
installation. When an installer wishes to use the mounting clip,
he/she must insert the fastener into the clip. The installer may
drop and/or lose the fastener and/or the clip during this assembly
process, particularly in cold and/or snowy weather. Since the
assembly process sometimes occurs while the installer is standing
on a ladder, dropping the fastener and/or the clip may require the
installer to dismount from the ladder to find the same, and/or may
result in discarding of the fastener, the clip, and/or both. At a
minimum, dropping the fastener and/or the clip results in an
undesirable loss of time during the installation process.
Similarly, requiring the installer to assembly the fastener and
clip slows the installation process by using the installer's
time
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example E drop wire clip
assembly.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a front view of the example E drop wire clip
assembly of FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a top view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
1.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
1.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a side view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
1.
[0010] FIG. 6 is an exploded side view of the example clip assembly
of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the clip assembly of FIG. 1
securing a cable to a wall in an example environment of use.
[0012] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an example drive ring clip
assembly.
[0013] FIG. 9 is a front view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
8.
[0014] FIG. 10 is a top view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
8.
[0015] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the example clip assembly of
FIG. 8.
[0016] FIG. 12 is a side view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
8.
[0017] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an example T drop hook clip
assembly.
[0018] FIG. 14 is a front view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
13.
[0019] FIG. 15 is a top view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
13.
[0020] FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the example clip assembly of
FIG. 13.
[0021] FIG. 17 is a side view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
13.
[0022] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an example cable tie clip
assembly.
[0023] FIG. 19 is a front view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
18.
[0024] FIG. 20 is a top view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
18.
[0025] FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the example clip assembly of
FIG. 18.
[0026] FIG. 22 is a side view of the example clip assembly of FIG.
18.
[0027] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the example clip assembly
of FIG. 18 shown before its tail is wrapped to secure a cable or
wire.
[0028] FIG. 24 is a side view of the clip assembly of FIG. 23.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example clip assembly 10.
The clip assembly 10 of FIG. 1 is an E drop wire bracket assembly
that may be used, for example, to mount a cable 11 (see FIG. 7) to
a mounting surface 13 such as the exterior of a wall. To hold a
cable or wire 11, the illustrated assembly includes a clip or
bracket 12. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the illustrated clip 12 is
shaped in a V. The lower end of the V is dimensioned to receive the
cable or wire 11 and may be plasticized to avoid fraying the same.
Each of the upper ends of the V defines a bore 14. After the cable
or wire 11 is positioned within the V-shaped bracket 12, the upper
ends of the V can be closed with the bores 14 in alignment to
capture the cable/wire 111 within the bracket 12 as shown in FIG.
7.
[0030] The clip assembly 10 of FIGS. 1-7 includes a drive pin 18
which is sized to penetrate the aligned bores 14 and an adjacent
mounting surface 13 to secure the clip 12 and the cable/wire 11 it
carries to the mounting surface (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIGS.
1-6, prior to mounting the assembly 10 to the mounting surface 13,
the pin 18 is secured within one of the two bores 14 by first and
second washers 20, 22. In particular, a first washer 20 is friction
fit onto the shaft of the pin 18. The point of the pin 18 is then
passed through the bore 14 until the first washer 22 abuts a first
side of the clip 12. The second washer 22 is then friction fit onto
the shaft of the pin 18 in abutting relationship to a second side
of the clip 12 such that the clip 12 is sandwiched between the
first and second washers 20, 22. As shown in FIG. 5, when so
assembled, a point of the drive pin 18 protrudes past the second
washer 22. In the illustrated example, less than one-half of the
shaft of the pin 18 extends beyond the second washer 22, although
different washer-to-shaft relationships may likewise be chosen.
[0031] Preferably the washers 20, 22 are affixed to the pin 18 such
that they withstand at least approximately ten pounds of pressure
before they will slide along the shaft of the pin 18. In the
illustrated example, this securement is achieved by an interference
fit. In particular, the inner diameters of the annular washers 20,
22 are dimensioned to be substantially the same as, or slightly
smaller than, the diameter of the shaft of the pin 18. As a result,
the washers 20, 22 resist movement along the shaft of the pin 18.
This resistance to movement holds the pin 18 within the bore 14 of
the clip 12 during sale, transport and installation of the clip
assembly 10. As a result, the problem of separated fasteners and/or
clips being dropped during installation present in prior art clip
assemblies is overcome.
[0032] When an installer desires to mount the clip assembly of
FIGS. 1-7 to a surface, the installer bends the clip 12 and aligns
the bores 14 such that the pin 18 penetrates both bores 14
simultaneously. The installer then uses a hammer or the like to
strike the head of the pin 18. Striking the pin 18 with sufficient
force one or more times drives the point of the pin into the
mounting surface 13. As the pin 18 moves into the mounting surface
13, engagement between the washer 22 and the mounting surface 13
causes the shaft of the pin 18 to slide relative to the washers 20,
22 and the clip 12 until the head of the pin 18 abuts or nearly
abuts the washer 20 as shown in FIG. 7. When installed in this
fashion, the second washer 22 is disposed between two arms of the
clip 12, one of the arms of the clip 12 is disposed between the two
washers 20, 22, and the first washer 20 is disposed between the
head of the pin 18 and one of the arms of the clip 12. Before the
clip assembly 10 is mounted to a mounting surface 13, the head of
the pin 18 is separated a first distance from the washer 20 (see
FIG. 5). After the clip assembly is mounted to the mounting
surface, the head of the pin 18 may abut the first washer 20 (see
FIG. 7).
[0033] In the example of FIGS. 1-7, the pin 18 is an unthreaded
fastener such as a nail. The nail may be constructed of any known
material such as, for example, hardened steel. Moreover, although
the shaft of the nail 18 of FIGS. 1-7 has a substantially uniform
diameter over its length except where the nail tapers to the point,
persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that
the shaft of the nail may have two or more sections of different
diameters and or a continuously variable diameter.
[0034] After the clip assembly 10 is assembled with the pin 18
through a bore 14 and the washers 20, 22 interference fit to the
pin 18, the entire assembly 10 may be galvanized with, for example,
a heavy zinc electroplate. The galvanization may enhance the
washer's resistance to movement along the shaft of the pin 18.
Indeed, in examples wherein the inner bores of the washers 20, 22
are larger than the outer diameter of the shaft of the pin 18, the
galzanization may provide the resistance to relative movement of
the washers 20, 22 relative to the shaft of the pin 18.
[0035] In the illustrated example, the washers 20, 22 have
approximately the same outer diameter. However, persons of ordinary
skill in the art will readily appreciate that washers 20, 22 having
different outer diameters may alternatively be employed. Similarly,
while in the illustrated example, the washers 20, 22 have circular
perimeters, persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily
appreciate that one or both of the washers 20, 22 could
alternatively have a non-circular perimeter. For example, one or
both of the washers 20, 22 may have a hexagonal outer perimeter.
Moreover, while the illustrated washers 20, 22 each define a closed
bore 14, the bores 14 of the washers 20, 22 may alternatively have
an opening in a side thereof. Also, although the diameters of the
illustrated bores 14 are substantially the same, washers having
bores of different diameters may alternatively be employed.
[0036] Persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate
that although the clip 12 of FIGS. 1-7 is a V-shaped bracket for
use in securing a cable or wire 11 to a mounting surface 13, clips
of other shapes and purposes may alternatively be employed. For
instance, in the example clip assembly 100 of FIGS. 8-12, the clip
is implemented by a drive ring 112. The drive ring 112 is a
c-shaped bracket that may be used to contain wires, cable, and the
like while they are routed from one location to another. As shown
in FIGS. 8, 9 and 11, the drive ring 112 defines a bore 114 by
wrapping an end of the ring 112 back on itself. The bore 114 is not
closed, but instead has an opening formed in one of its sides. A
pin 118 is captured in this bore 114 by a pair of washers 120, 122
as explained above.
[0037] In the example of FIGS. 8-12, the pin 118 has a shaft
including a point. The shaft of the pin 118 also has a first
section 124 having a first diameter, a second section 126 having a
second larger diameter, and a head 128. In the illustrated example,
the head 128 has a smaller diameter than the second section
126.
[0038] In the example clip assembly 200 of FIGS. 13-17, the clip is
implemented by a hook 212. In particular, the hook 212 is a T-drop
hook that may be used to support objects such as, for example, drop
wire clamps from a building or other structure. The drop hook 212
includes a base 230 that defines a bore 214. The pin 218 is secured
in the bore 214 by a pair of washers 220, 222 as explained
above.
[0039] In the example clip assembly 300 of FIGS. 18-22, the clip is
implemented by a strap or cable tie 312. The strap or cable tie 312
includes a flexible tail 350 that may be wrapped around and behind
a detent 353 formed from a base 354 of the strap 312 to capture a
cable, wire, or group of cables and/or wires within a loop formed
by the tail 350. The base 354 of the strap 312 defines a bore 314
which received a pin 318. The pin 318 is fixed within the bore 314
by a pair of washers 320, 322 as explained above.
[0040] Any of the above clip assemblies 10, 100, 200, 300 may be
manufactured by stamping, machining, or otherwise forming the clip
12, 112, 212, 312, the pin 18, 118, 218, 318 and/or the washers 20,
22, 120, 122, 220, 222, 320, 322. One of the washers 20, 22, 120,
122, 220, 222, 320, 322 may then be penetrated by the pin 18, 118,
218, 318. The clip 12, 112, 212, 312 may then be penetrated by the
pin 18, 118, 218, 318. The second washer 20, 22, 120, 122, 220,
222, 320, 322 may then be penetrated by the pin 18, 118, 218, 318
to capture the clip 12, 112, 212, 312 between the first and second
washers 20, 22, 120, 122, 220, 222, 320, 322. If desired, the
entire assembly 10, 100, 200, 300 may then be galvanized.
[0041] Any of the above clip assemblies 10, 100, 200, 300 may be
used by positioning the clip assembly 10, 100, 200, 300 adjacent a
mounting surface. Because of the washers 20, 22, 120, 122, 220,
222, 320, 322, the pin 18, 118, 218, 318 is attached to the clip
12, 112, 212, 312 and will not separate therefrom during handling
and/or installation of the clip assembly 10, 100, 200, 300. Once
the clip assembly 10, 100, 200, 300 is positioned in the desired
location, the pin 18, 118, 218, 318 is driven into the mounting
surface such that the pin 18, 118, 218, 318 moves relative to the
washers 20, 22, 120, 122, 220, 222, 320, 322 and the clip 12, 112,
212, 312 to thereby secure the clip assembly 10, 100, 200, 300 to
the mounting surface. The pin 18, 118, 218, 318 may be driven into
the mounting surface a distance such that the second washer 20, 22,
120, 122, 220, 222, 320, 322 engages the mounting surface, the clip
12, 112, 212, 312 engages the second washer 20, 22, 120, 122, 220,
222, 320, 322, the first washer 20, 22, 120, 122, 220, 222, 320,
322 engages the clip 12, 112, 212, 312, and the head of the pin 18,
118, 218, 318 engages the first washer 20, 22, 120, 122, 220, 222,
320, 322.
[0042] Although certain example methods and apparatus have been
described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not
limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods,
apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the
scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine
of equivalents.
* * * * *