Patent ID: 6817076
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of securing a screw (14) in a hole (18, 20) of a fixture (12) comprising the steps of:(i) providing a plug (16) which is adapted to receive and frictionally hold therein the screw (14); (ii) preforming a hole (18) in the fixture (12); (iii) inserting the plug (16) in the hole (18); and (iv) applying the screw (14) to the plug (16) and rotating the screw (14) to advance it into engagement with and retention in the plug (16) thereby to secure the screw (14) in the fixture (12); and when the plug (16) does not engage with a wall defining the hole (20) in a manner sufficient to prevent rotation of the plug (16) with the screw (14) on rotation of the screw (14), the hole (20) being thus over-sized in relation to the plug (16) and the plug (16) being carried only loosely in the hole (20), performing the steps of:(a) providing at least one piece of a loosely-woven fabric (26 or 30) carrying consolidated thereon a quick-setting filler material (28), which fabric piece (26 or 30) is sized to envelop at least circumferentially the plug (16); (b) withdrawing the plug (16) from the hole (20); (c) causing activation of the filler material (28) thereby to initiate hardening and eventual setting of the filler material (28); (d) placing the fabric piece (26 or 30) symmetrically over one end of the plug (16) and smoothing it longitudinally along the plug (16) so as to envelop the plug circumferentially in a substantially uniform manner; (e) inserting the enveloped plug (16, 26, 30, 28) without delay in the over-sized hole (20) in a manner such as to ensure filling of the oversized hole (20) with the enveloped plug (16, 26, 30, 28) whereby when the filler material (28) has hardened to prevent rotation of the plug (16) on rotation of the screw (14) to advance it into the plug (16); and (f) reapplying the screw (14) to the plug (16) only after the filler material (28) has at least partially hardened and rotating the screw (14) to advance the screw (14) into engagement with and retention in the plug (16) without rotation of the plug (16) thereby securing the screw (14) in the fixture (12).