The USPTO does not provide assistance in determining whether or not a manufacturer of fasteners must submit an application.
The following is from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Weights and Measures Division (Phone: 301-975-4019):
Fasteners covered under the FQA are defined as limited to bolts, nuts, screws and studs (having a nominal diameter of 6 millimeters/0.25 inch or greater), or direct tension-indicating washers that are through-hardened (or meet a consensus standard that calls for through-hardening) and manufactured to standards and specifications of consensus standards organizations or government agencies that require a grade mark.
Many fasteners are exempted from coverage including those:
– that are part of an assembly
– that are ordered for use as a spare, substitute, service or replacement part unless that part is in a package containing more than 75 of any such part at the time of sale or that part is contained in an assembly kit
– produced and marked as ASTM A 307 Grade A;
– produced in accordance with the ASTM F 432 standard;
– specifically manufactured for an aircraft if the quality is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration or by a foreign airworthiness authority;
– manufactured in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000, 9001, 9002, or TS16949; Quality system (QS) 9000; or other fastener quality assurance system defined by law; or
– manufactured to a proprietary standard.
To encourage the use of quality management systems such as QS 9000, fasteners are exempt from the FQA if they are manufactured in a facility using such a system.