Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ ~77~
;ILIENT E'A~;ri'~NE:t~ CLI~ A~D JOINT Tfl~XEFOR
~ACK~ROUND OF THE I~VENTION
This invention relate~ to furniture shelving and
fasteners for supportirlg and securing such shelving on
adjacerlt supports. More particularly, this invention
concerns a resilient, one piece fastener clip and joint
including sarne which releasably secures the shelf to its
support without requiring the tightening or loosening of
any threaded or other fasteners.
It has long been conventional in the furniture
industry to secure shelving, and particularly hollow or
formed metal metal shelving to side supports using
threaded screws extending through the shelf end flange
into a vertical end panel or support. The installation of
such shelves requires the proper tightening of the screws
into the end support. However, rapid or somewhat careless
installation of the shelving has often resulted in
improperly tightened screws which do not ade~uately secure
the shelves to the supports. In addition, even if the
screw fasteners were propeely tightened initially, the
necessity of removing the shelves from time to time has
required repeated tightening or loosening of the screws.
This often caused stripping of the screws or the bores in
which the screws were seated in the end supports,
especially when the end supports were formed of soft
material such as wood. Further, mere use of the shelving
over lony periods of time can also cause loosening of the
screw fasteners holding the shelves in place.
~ 11 of these securing problems created
potentially injurious situations since a fully loaded
shelf could une~pectedly fall or be knocked loose without
warning. In view of such ~roblems standards were proposed
in the office furniture industry by the Business Interiors
Furniture Manufacturers Association (~IFMA) to reduce the
liability potential for injury from improperly secured
shelving. Such standards, entitled ~Panel Mounted
Component Dislodgement Test", now specify an appropriate
test procedure to assure that accidental dislodglng of a
shelf will not occur. Such procedure includes resistance
to specified amounts of upward force without structural
breakage or loss of serviceability.
Attempts were made to resolve the above problems
in various ways. For wood end supports, metal inserts
were placed in the end panels to provide proper attachlnent
for the threaded fasteners. This method was expensive due
to the labor and Materials for installing the inserts and
still did not resolve the problem of improper initial
tiyhtening or installation of the shelving. The inserts
themselves could also loosen and/or come out unexpectedly.
The present invention was devised to meet the
above furniture industry standards and in recognition of
and as a solution for the above and other related problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a simple,
reliable, one-piece, resilient fastener clip which is
easily installed on a shelf or other member to be secured
to a support without the necessity for tightening screws,
prepariny welds or other attachment means. The clip is
designed to engage a static, headed stud and is easily
slipped over the stud and secured in place with little
effort. Once in place, the fastener clip prevents removal
of the shelf from the support and stud unless a concealed
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lockiny fla~ye is purposely flexed to allow rernoval.
In a preferred forrn of the invention, a fastener
clip is provided for securing one r,ler,lber to a single
surface of a support, the support having a headed securing
stud extendiny from that surface. The clip includes first
and second flange means for securing the first member
therèbetween. 'rhe flange means are resiliently
interconnected with one another and include slot means for
receiving the headed stud, first surface means for
engaging the surface of the support in which the stud is
mounted, and second surface means for engaging the head of
the stud and urging the first member toward the surface of
the support in which the stud is rnounted. Also included
are locking means interconnected with the flange means and
cooperating with the stud for holding the clip on the stud
In other aspects of the invention, the locking
means are preferably formed as a third flange resiliently
interconnected with one of the other flanges and including
an aperture adapted to be received over the head of the
stud to lock the clip on the stud when the stud reaches a
predetermined position or area within the slots of the
other flanges of the clip. At such pOSitiOII~ the clip
exerts maximum drawing force against the stud to pull the
shelf or other member and its support properly together,
all while allowing the shelf or other mler,lber to rest
principally on the stud and not the clip.
In other aspects of the invention, a tab is
included for retaining the clip on the shelf or other
member through engagement with a slot or recess in the
shelf. An indentation extending across one of the flanges
is also prcvided to urge the shelf engaging flanges toward
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~27~
one another.
In yet other aspects of the invention, a joint,
especially a furniture joint, is provided including the
present fastener clip engaged with a shelf or other
member, a support, and a headed stud extendiny outwardly
from that support.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a
fastener clip which may be slipped on and properly secured
in place without any additional installation operations.
The inventiorl eliminates the need for the tightening of
screws, the provision of welds or other processes The
fastener clip does not require that tight tolerances be
met for either itself or the shelf, support or headed stud
to which it ls secured. The clip is easily removed along
with the shelf it secures when removal is desired, all
without damage to the clip or shelf or support member.
Repeated assembly and disassembly without repair or
alteration is, therefore, an important benefit of the
present invention. The invention requires minimal changes
to shelving to allow use of the fastener clip, requires
minimal costs to manufacture or use the fastener, and
requires minimal installation time and expense on the
shelf and for securing the shelf to its support.
Additional advantages of the inventiorl include
the fact that the fastener clip meets or exceeds the
above-mentioned BIFMA standards for panel component
dislodgement resistance. The clip stays in place after
mounting on and during transportation of shelving, works
very well with various thicknesses of sheet material used
to form shelving, and is concealed and hidden frorn view
after installation on shelving in the preferred manner.
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~.~77~85
Moreoever, the preferred form of the inventioTl allows
stampirlg and bending of the fastener clip from a sinyle
blank or strip of spring steel through a series of
operations to obtain the desired angular relationship
between the flanges of the clip.
Also, while operating to draw the shelving to its
support in a tight and reliable manner, and operating to
retain the shelf on its support unless purposely released,
the clip allows the shelf to rest and be supported
directly on a portiorl of the stud thereby preventing the
necessity for excessive weight, material or expense in the
clip .
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and
features of the invention will become more apparent from a
study of the following description taken in conjunction
with the drawings.
~RIEF DESCXIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, broken, perspective view
of a pair of the fastener clips of the present invention
secured on the inside of a conventiollal metal shelf end
flange and mounted on a pair of securing studs extending
from a conventional end support for shelving;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of the
fastener clip of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the fastener clip
of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of tlle fastener clip
of Figs. 2 and 3;
Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the fastener clip
of Figs. 2-4;
Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the fastener clip of
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~ ~7~8~
Figs. 2-5;
Fig. 7 is a fraymentary, front elevation of an
end flange of a converltional metal shelf adapted to
receive the fastener clip of the present invention;
Fiy. ~ is a side view of the joint of the present
invention including the fastener clip mounted on and
securing a metal shelf to an end support via a shoulder
screw, the metal shelf and end support being shown in
section;
Fiy. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the
joint taken along plane IX-IX of Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 is a fragmentary, front elevation of a
fastener clip of the present invention during installation
on a metal shelf end flange;
Fig. 11 is a plan view of a stamped blank or
strip of spriny steel prior to bending and from which the
fastener clip of the present invention is preferably
formed; and
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an end of a
metal shelf incorporating a single fastener clip of the
present invention in its securing system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawinys in greater detail,
Fig. 1 illustrates a pair of the one-piece, resilient
fastener clips 30 of the present invention secured in the
preferred manner to the downwardly extending end flange 12
of a conventional, formed metal furniture shelf lU. Shelf
10 is of the type typically used in currently available
office furniture. Metal shelf lU includes a top or
supporting surface 14, formed side flanges 16, 18, and has
an overall, hollow form without any bottom surface. When
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~Z7~
secured in its preferred pOSitiOII, the hollow shelf opens
downwardly.
Typically, metal shelves of the type illustrated
in Fig. 1 are supported on cantilever style or other end
supports such as that shown at 20 in Fig. 1. Such
supports include a side surface 22 which faces inwardly
towar~ the shelf. ~ypically, a pair of supports 20, one
on either end of shelf 10, are used to properly secure the
shelf. Fastener clip 30 of the present invention is
dèsigned for engagement with a headed stud, preferably a
headed shoulder screw 80 (Figs. 1, 8 and 12). Shoulder
screw 30 is threaded or otherwise secured in side support
surface 22 and projects perpendicularly outwardly
therefrom as is best seen in Fig. 8. Clip 30 is secured
over the free, bottom end edge 24 of shelf end flange 12
and is slid downwardly over the inwardly extending headed
stud 80 for securement in a manner which will be ~nore
fully described hereinafter.
Referring now to Figs. 2-6, the preferred form of
the one-piece, resilient fastener clip 30 includes three
interconnected flanges preferably formed in a reverse bend
configuration including front flange 32, middle or
intermediate flange 34, and rear flange 36. Front and
middle flanges 32, 34 are resiliently interconnected by a
laterally extending, resilient, flexible, curved wall 38
extending across the full width of the clip and joining
the lower or bottoM end edye of front flange 32 with the
lower or bottom end edge of rniddle flange 34. Likewise,
middle flange 34 is joined to rear flange 36 by a
resilient connecting wall but at the opposite end of the
clip from curved wall 38 providing the overall clip with
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l.Z~7~
its ~reverse bend" configuration. Connecting wall 40
extends late.ally and transversely across the full width
of the cli~ between the upper or top end edge of middle
flanye 34 and the upper or top end edge of rear flange
36. When bent and configured in this Manner, clip 30
includes a free upper end edge on flanye 32 and a free
lower end edge on flange 36. Connectiny walls 38, 40
allow the full extent of the interconnected flanyes to be
flexed with respect to one another to allow insertion of
the clip on shelf end flange 12 or the lifting of rear
flange 36 to allow sliding âttachment to headed stud 80
and recei~t of the flange over the stud head as will be
more fully explained hereinafter.
As is best seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, front and
middle flanges 32, 34 include a pair of cooperating,
aligned slots 42, 44. Each of the slots 42, 44 is open
ended and opens downwardly through curved connecting wall
38. Each of the opposite ends of each slot is closed with
slot 42 having a contoured, rounded, closed end 46 while
slot 44 has a squared-off closed end 48. Slot 42 has a
width which is wider than the diameter of the shoulder 82
(Fig. 8) of the shoulder screw to provide unique support
advantages for the fastener clip when assembled with a
shelf as described below. Slot 44 is substantially
narrower than slot 42 and receives the shaft 86 (Fig. 8)
of shoulder screw 80 which extends between its shoulder 82
and its head 84. Slot 44 is also flared outwardly at its
open end 50 to properly receive and guide the shaft of the
shoulder screw il~tO the narrower part of the slot and
upwardly toward closed end 48 as described below. Slots
42 and 44 are also generally perpendicular to wall 38 and
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127~
aligned with one another along the coMrnon center line of
clip 30. ~lot 42 has a greater length than slot 44 such
that its closed end 46 extends farther upwardly in flange
32 than does closed end 48 in flange 34.
While front flange 32 is substantially planar as
is best seen in Fig. 3, Middle flange 34 is also generally
planar although it includes various surface areas
extending at angles to one another and to its general
plane for functional purposes. Thus, middle flange 34
includes a pair of parallel, inclined, ramp surfaces 52
extending along and on either side of slot 44 from a
rectilinear indentation line 54 extending transversely
across a bottom portion of flange 34 at the position where
the flared outer end 50 of slot 44 joins the main portion
of the slot to a rectilinear apex line 56 which is
generally centered in flange 34. Apex line 56 marks the
greatest distance of inclined ramp surfaces 52 from front
flange 32 as shown by distance X in Fig. 3. Extending in
an opposite direction from the upper end edge of flallge 34
is a second inclined surface area 58. A third surface
area defining a short connecting wall 60 extends between
the end of inclined surface 58 and apex line 56. As
described below, inclined ramp surfaces 52 are adapted to
engage the underside of head 84 of securing stud 80 such
that, as stud 80 is slid or moved upwardly in slots 42,
44, the clip, and thus the shelf to which it is secured
between flanges 32, 34 will be pulled or drawn toward the
support for the shelf in which the stud is mounted.
Maximum pulling or drawiny force is exerted when the stud
head engages the apex line 56, at the greatest distance
from flange 32, i.e., when shaft 86 of stud 80 is in area
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~277485
C (Fig. 4) of slots 42, 44 above the lower edge of locking
aperture 68 in flange 36. Additional biasing force is
obtained due to the inclination of surface area 5~ such
that both surfaces ~ and inclined ramp surfaces 52 act in
unisorl to urge the joint Illel,lbers togetner. Apex line 56
is also positioned precisely with respect to the location
of locking aperture 6~ in rear flange 36 to allow locking
of the cli~ to headed stud 8U only after maximum pulling,
coupling or drawing force is generated by the clip within
the joint. In the preferred form 30 of the invention,
inclined ramp surfaces 52 extend at an angle of 22 to the
plane of front flange 32, while inclined surface 58
extends at approxirnately a 5 angle to flange 32. Also,
the preferred clip 30 has an overall width of .75 inches
and an overall height of .719 inches, the rnaximum inclined
ramp apex distance X in Fiy. 3 being U.177 inches.
As is best seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, front flange
32 includes a generally L-shaped, upstanding, engaging tab
or securing flange 62 on its free upper end edge. Flange
62 is adapted to engage a preformed slot or recess 28 in
shelf end flange 12 (Fig. 7) to secure the clip on the
shelf flange after flange 12 has been inserted between
front and middle flanges 32, 34. In order to facilitate
insertion of the clip on the shelf end flange~ securing
tab 62 includes tapered edges 64 preferably formed at a
angle as shown in Fig. 6. Also, as will be explained
in connection with the method of manufacturing the present
fastener clip, a slot 66 for receiving securing tab 62
when flanges 32, 34 are flexed toward one another is
provided. ~lot or aperture 66 extends a short distance
into middle flange 34 and a greater distance into upper
--10--
connectiny wall 40. In addition, securing tab 62
preferably extends at a sliy~lt downward angle of 2 (Fig.
3) in order to bias bottom edge 24 of shelf end flange 12
against the bottom of curved connecting wall 38 when the
clip is mounted on the shelf.
As shown in Fiys. 2, 4 and 5, rear flange 36 is
also generally planar but extends inwardly at an angle to
the general plane of middle flange 34. ~referably, flange
36 exten~s approximately parallel to inclined rarnp
surfaces 52 (Fig. 3). A circular~ locking aperture 68
having a dlameter greater than the head 84 of the securing
stud 80 is formed generally in the center of flange 36 as
shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Aperture 68 is centered on the
colmnon axis of slots 42, 44 which is also the center line
of the clip 30. In order to allow flange 36 to be bent
outwardly or lifted over the head of securing stud ~0 in
the end support 20, clip release tab 70 extending
outwardly at an angle along bend line 72 at the lower edge
of flange 36 is provided. Flange 70 has smooth, rounded
lower edges such that, when engaged by the thumb or finger
of a person installing or releasing the shelf from the
stud, no injury will result.
In order to install fastener clip 30 on a
typical, formed metal shelf 10, flanges 32, 34 are flexed
apart and the entire clip is inserted over the free bottom
end edge 24 of shelf end flange 12 in registry with a slot
26 substantially similar in shape to slot 42 in clip 30 as
shown in Fiys. 9 and 10. Slot 26 is slightly shorter in
length than slot 42. Clip 30, which has flanges 34 and 36
on the inside surface of shelf end flanye 12 when
installed, is pushed upwardly until securing tab 62
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lZ'77485
engages the closed end of slot 26 in shelf end flange 12.
~ase in puslling the clip to this point is facilitated by
providiny a space between flange 32 and the top of flange
34, across which tab 62 extends, which is greater than the
thickness or gauge of the sheet metal of the shelf end
panel. In the preferred embodiment of the present clip,
this distance is 0.090 inches while the gauge or thickness
of the preferred shelf metal for use with the clip is
0.062 inches. Although the clip meets resistance at the
top of slot 26 in the shelf, slight additional force
exerted u~wardly on the clip will allow tab 62 to ride up
and over the rounded slot end 26 because of the tapered
and rounded edges 64 on tab 62 aided by the gap between
flanges 32 and 34. When tab 62 reaches the level of
securing recess or slot 28, which is spaced slightly above
the closed end of slot 26, tab 62 will seat itself in slot
28. The downward angle of the tab 62 will continuously
urge and pull the clip upwardly against bottom edge 24.
Apart from tab 62, retention of the clip 30 on
shelf end flange 12 is also aided by indentation line 54
mentioned above. By spacing indentation line a distance,
shown as B in Fig. 8, above curved connecting wall 38, and
providing a proper spacing between flanges 32 and 34,
indentation line 54 contacts the inside surface of shelf
end flange 12 above the bottom edge 24 of end flange 12
with the resulting torsional forces continuously urging
tab 62 into slot 28. This helps retain the clip on the
shelf by preventing vibration of the clip thereon during
transportation or use.
If removal of the clip from the shelf end flange
12 is desired, it is only necessary to lift front flange
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1~77485
32 away from flanye 12 such that tab ~2 is disenyayed frorn
slot 28 and tile entire clip may be slid downwardly off the
shelf end flarlge.
Once the clip 30 is mourlted on shelf 10 in the
above manner, the shelf and clip together may be mounted
on a headed stud, preferably a threaded shoulder screw 80
of the type best seen in Fig. 8, which is secured to a
predetermined depth in side support 20. Shoulder screw 80
includes a circular shoulder flange 82 enyaged against the
vertical inside surface of support 20, a head 84 which is
used to drive the screw in place in support 20 and to
retain clip and shelf on the support, and a connecting
shaft 86 extending between shoulder ~2 and head 84. The
inner end of screw 80 is threaded for retention in tlle
support. Driving the screw 80 to the depth of shoulder 82
locates head 84 precisely to be in position at the start
of inclined ramp surfaces S2.
To engage clip 30 with shoulder screw 80, shelf
12 is positioned with clip 30 directly over shoulder screw
80 and pushed downwardly. As head ~4 makes contact with
tab 70, rear flange 36 is bent outwardly by such contact.
This allows the inside surface of head 84 to engage ramp
surfaces 52 with little resistance. Shaft 86 of the
shoulder screw is guided into slots 42, 44. AS the top of
head 84 reaches a point approximately halfway up slot 44,
the inside of surface 58 is forced against the inside
surface of end flange 12. In such position, tab 62
extends slightly into slot 66 (Fig. 8). With slot 44 now
supported above and below the position at which head 84 is
contacting ramp surfaces 52, the ramp surfaces adjacent
slot 44 offer far more resistance to flexing as shoulder
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~Z7'7485
screw head ~4 continues upward toward apex line S6 than
they would i~ not so supported. Thus, additional dra~ing
force for the shelf toward the support is provided.
The shoulder screw continues to slide up ramp
surfaces 52 until the top edge of collar or shoulder 82
engayes the top of closed slot 26 in shelf end flange 12.
In this regard, shoulder 82 is approximately twice as
thick as the thickness of flange 32 as shown in Fig. 8.
At such position, a~ex line 56 at the end of inclined ramp
surfaces 52 engages the underside of head 84. Just prior
to contact between shoulder 82 and the top of slot 26 in
shelf end flange 12, and after head 84 slides out of
contact with tab 70, aperture 68 became aligned with head
84 such that flange 36 snapped downwardly over head 84 to
the position shown in Fiy. 8. Such enyagement essentially
locks the clip 30 in place over stud 8U until flange 36 is
again bent outwardly such that aperture 68 is lifted over
head 84.
Should any attempt be made to lift shelf lU off
stud 80 without so releasing flange 36, shaft 86 will
slide only partially down slots 42, 44 until the bottom
edge of aperture 68 engages the corner between shaft 86
and head 84 preventiny fllrther movement, i.e., the
distance A in Fig. 8. Distancé A is equal to the
difference in radius between shaft 86 and llead 84.
However, head 84 is sufficiently large such that at all
times during movemerlt along distance A, apex liné 56 still
contacts the underside of head 84 to continue maximum
drawing force between the parts of the joint and to
prevent loosening of the joint even if such rnovemerlt
without release is attempted. This retention operation
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'J 27748S
enables clip 30 to meet and exceed the ~IFMA panel
componeilt, dislodgemetlt force standards mentioned above.
Even if the clip and shelf are moved throuyh distance A,
resistance to bendiny of flange 34 away frorn shelf end
flanye 12 rer,lains maximized because head 84 holds apex
line 56, and thus entire flanye 34 at a constant distance
from shelf end flange 12 during and after such movement~
If, however, release of the clip and shelf from
stud ~0 is desired, one merely need engage a thul;1b or
finger under tab 70 and push it outwardly from the
position shown in Fig. 8 while liftiny upwardly on the
underside of shelf top 14 such that the entire shelf and
clip combination slides easily off the stud.
As will also be understood from Fiy. 8, forming
slot 44 in flange 32 wider than shoulder 82 and providing
flange 32 with a thickness less than shoulder 82
eliminates to the maximum extent any gap between shelf end
flange 12 and the side surface of support 20 when mounted
in the joint of this invention. If the slot 44 was
narrower than the shoulder 82, the clip 30 would ride on
the outer face of shoulder 82 instead of against the side
surface of support 20 as shown in Fig. 8. Since the clip
30 is preferably formed from sheet spring steel having a
thickness of approximately 0.018 inches, the gap between
the shelf and its support is minimal which aids the
aesthetic appearance of the supported shelf. In addition,
it will be understood that the bulk of clip 30 is
concealed from view when mounted as shown in Fig. 8.
However, release tab 70 is easily accessible by placing
one's thumb under the edge of the support 20 or under
shelf lO and up against tab 70 for easy release of the
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~ ~77485
shelf from the inwardly extendiny stud.
As shown in Fig. 12, it is not necessary that two
of the fastener clips 30 be included on each shelf end to
properly and securely mount a shelf on a support.
Although use of two clips on each end is possible and
acceptable as shown in Fig. 1, the securing system of Fig.
12 is a fully satisfactory alternative. In such system,
an L-shaped slot 9~ is provided adjacent one end of shelf
end flange 12' while a generally vertical slot 90, like
slot 26 of Fig. 7, for receiving clip 30 is provided
adjacent the other end. In this case, a stud or shoulder
screw 80a from a support is passed into the vertical leg
of slot 90 and thence along the horizontal ley of that
slot such that the shelf is slid rearwardly on stud 80a.
Stud 80b is r~ounted in alignment with the vertical slot 92
at the position when stud 80a reaches the closed end of
the horizontal leg of slot 90. Thereafter, shelf 12' need
merely be dropped downwardly over stud 80b and secured in
clip 30 in the above manner to pro~erly hold the shelf in
place. Thus, only one clip 30 on either end of the shelf
is re~uired.
Manufacture of the fastener clip ~0 of the
present inverltion is preferably made from a blank or strip
100 of spring steel as shown in Fig. 11. Blank 100
includes stamped or punched circular aperture 68 and
elongated aperture 102 as well as extending tab 62. The
blank is bent in the reverse bend configuration to include
flange areas 32, 34 and 36 as well as indentation line 54,
ape% line 56 and clip release tab line 72 all as shown in
Fig. 11. During manufacture, slot 66 in flange 34 and
wall 40 allows securing tab ~2 to pass therethrough. This
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~; :77485
facilitates forming the 22 anyle between inclined rarlp
surfaces ~2 and flange 3~ in one pass through the forminy
die since, when using spring steel stock, it is necessary
to bend past the desired angle to obtain the desired angle
in the free state. In addition, by creating larye open
areas between apex line 56 and flange 32 as well as in the
trianyular area best seen in Fig. 3 between flange 34,
wall 4U and flange 36, the various flanges of the clip may
be bent from blank loO around larger posts in the ~or~ing
die. The inclusion of larger posts in such dies
substantially increases the length of the forminy die tool
life.
Fastening clip 30 may be formed rrom various
thicknesses or yauges of spring steel or may be
manufactured from flexible, resilient, resinous plastic
materials through the use of multipart injection molding
machines. In addition, it will be understood that
fastening clip 30 may be useful in joints other than
furniture joints and for securing other members besides
furniture shelves to various supports.
Accordingly, while one preferred form of the
invention has been shown and described, other forms will
now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore,
it will be understood that the embodiments shown in the
drawinys and described above are merely for illustrative
purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the
invention which is defined by the claims which follow.
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