A starting and reinforcing tab or plate for fasteners, especially suitable in reference to automobile bodies and trim, comprising a thin walled support plate having a plurality of upper surface upsets or indentations and an adhesive lower surface with a release sheet for activation and exposure of the mastic, and together providing a reinforcing element selectively locatable to steady a drill point for selected penetration of the reinforcing plate and the material to which the tab is applied and enhancing the grip of fasteners drawing the intermediate elements into a compression relationship.

The present invention relates to an anti-skid reinforcing plate and starter 
for self-tapping metal screws so as to provide attachment means to an 
underlying thin wall surface, for example, in metal, which must be 
penetrated by the self-tapping self-drilling screws. The structure 
provides means for starting the drill probe point of the self-tapping 
screws after the plate, with its activated adhesive undersurface, has been 
secured to a selected surface position on the thin walled underlying wall 
surface. 
In automotive situations where accessories and bracketing must be attached 
to the sheet metal of body and frame, there is substantial difficulty in 
the utilizing of the well-known self-tapping self-drilling metal screws 
since the screw must be passed through the thin walled metal and the 
self-tapping screws slip, scoring metal surfaces, finishes or interior 
upholstery or trim and scarring or marring the clean lines of the 
encountered surfaces. Where painted, the paint is chipped or scratched and 
where unpainted the drill tip mars, scratches or dents the surface. Repair 
is costly and time consuming. Frequently center punches are used in 
preparation of the underlying surfaces and in any reinforcing strips 
applied to the work face. The center punches provide an upset for 
application of the drill point of the self-tapping screws but the known 
reinforcement plates do not retain their position and the single punch 
prick leaves no optional selection for attachment. In addition the 
fastening is metal-to-metal and the thin metal is prone to strip the 
self-cut threads and work free. 
The present invention seeks to avoid the difficulties of the known prior 
art as described by providing an activatable adhesive surface for the 
upset reinforcing plate for convenient non-skid attachment to selected 
substrate and by providing the outer surface of the reinforcing plate with 
pre-scored impressed or embossed pockmarks forming prick-like recesses for 
non-skid starting of the drill points of the self-tapping self-drilling 
screws in variously selected locations at anywhere on the plate and an 
entirely new and useful fastener locating element is provided. The 
adhesive assures non-skid positive location of the reinforcing plate to 
underlying boss or panel surface. The resilience in the adhesive pad 
provides a tension compression sandwich at the point of penetration of the 
sheet metal by the screw or fastener which results in a more secure 
support of the screw at the self-cut thread interfaces in reduction of 
loosening of the screw and in avoidance of stripping of the threads. The 
consequence is improved fastening with attendant savings in time and 
nerves to workers applying such attachments to sheet metal constructions, 
from automobiles to zinc coated structural parts like metal studs, 
composite metal-to-metal and metal-to-plastic assembly, and like usages. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION 
An anti-skid reinforcing plate of selected size to accommodate a particular 
installation is embossed or upset on one surface as by dimpling or 
knurling to create small pits in the surface. While metal is the preferred 
material for the plate, plastic sheet stock and laminar plate stock in 
various materials may also be used satisfactorily. The lower surface of 
the plate is coated with an adhesive material and a release paper or cover 
is positioned over the adhesive. Upon removal of the strip the plate is 
selectively secured at an approximate fastener location. 
In use, the plate (sized and contoured to the particular job) is adhered to 
the surface which requires attachment in support of, for example, a trim 
strip, bracket, or hook. Then self-tapping drill tipped screws are easily 
started by impressing the drill face (for instance, the tip of a 
self-tapping screw) selectively in any of the dimples or pits of the upper 
surface and then rotating or driving the screws through the plate and into 
and through the under surface to which the plate is to be adhered. The 
reinforcing plate prevents the drill point of the fastener from drifting 
and upon setting the self-tapping screw, the laminar structure of the 
reinforcing plate in combination with the adhesive provides a compression 
cushion to tension and lock the screw against removal by vibration. 
This is a substantial improvement in avoidance of damage resulting from 
slipping of drill bits and screws and the plates may be contoured to 
conform to the surface receiving the attachment. In addition to the 
no-skid attachment, the residual resilience in the adhesive or mastic 
compound combined with the two thicknesses of spaced material, i.e. the 
plate and the undersurface, results in a very superior and improved grip 
at the point of use. In addition, an important feature is in allowing 
adjustment of the location of the screw or piloted threaded fastener to 
compensate for necessary final looks of the attachments. This provision 
for final variance is especially desireable in automobiles where in the 
final interior assembly trim pieces must be attached and adjusted for 
location without creating difficult slippage and damage problems 
previously noted in the use of drill-tipped and self-tapping screws.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the drawing and with first particularity to the FIG. 1 
thereof, the anti-skid reinforcing plate 11 and starter for drills and for 
self-tapping metal screws is shown in slightly exaggerated scale to 
emphasize the laminar construction. The upper and outer surface 12 (as 
shown) preferably contains impressed upsets creating a plurality of 
indentations 13 in which a drill or self-tapping screw tip may be 
selectively located for the initiation of penetration through the plate 11 
and through any stock beneath the surface 12 and including a layer of 
adhesive or mastic material 14 activated by stripping or picking away the 
release or cover sheet 15. As shown the cover sheet 15 is partially peeled 
back to expose the adhesive intermediate layer 14 which backs the upper 
surface 13. The relatively rigid material forming the body 16 upon which 
the surface 13 is impressed is preferably thin metal as for example mild 
steel strip or plate stock, aluminum, or relatively rigid plastic sheet 
material having good acceptance to impressed deformation on the surface 12 
and the plate 11 being overall deformable to correspond with an under 
surface (not shown) of body metal or automotive interior trim wall-backing 
as will be seen. 
The FIG. 2 more realistically illustrates the upsets or depressions 13 
formed in the upper surface 12 of the reinforcing plate 11. The cross 
section of FIG. 2 shows the surface upset as not penetrating the thickness 
of material 16. However, in instances of a very thin plate 11, the upsets 
13 may be visible on upper and lower surfaces of material 16 of the plate 
11. The intermediate layer 14 is the adhesive layer and the lowermost 
layer is the peelable release paper or sheet 15. 
By stripping off the release sheet 15 the plate 11 can be selectively 
attached in non-skid relationship to a structural undersurface and, by 
reference to FIG. 2, at penetration a thin strip or fixture 16' in 
phantom-line may be penetrated by a fastener such as the self-drilling and 
self-tapping metal screw 17 driven into the underlying structural element 
18. The mastic layer 14 bonds to the element 18, the drill portion 19 of 
the self-drilling and tapping screw 17 impinged selectively in one of the 
plural depressions 13. As can be appreciated, tapered or conical thrust 
ring 20 provides a nesting pocket for the screw head 21. The plate 11 thus 
increases the speed of attachment of the fasteners 17 in avoidance of 
slip, skid or marring of the undersurface 18 and allows more dimensioned 
tolerance in final assembly of automobile structure since the location of 
the fastener 17 is selective in accord with convenience. In fact, the 
assembly worker simply activates, by peeling away the release layer 15, 
and sticking plate 11 to the underlayer 18 at an approximate location as 
desired. When thus attached, the fixtures or trim dictate by providing 
openings in some tolerance related position on the plate 11. 
In FIG. 4, the cross section illustrates a completed attachment in which 
the activated reinforcing plate 11 is adhered by stripping away the 
release sheet and sticking the mastic-exposed under-surface 14 to the wall 
or frame element 18. Then the fastener 17 is passed through the opening 22 
in the fixture 16' and the drill tip 19 of the fastener 17 is driven 
through the plate 11 as held against slippage by the selected of 
depressions 13. The conical thrust ring 20 locates nestingly in the taper 
of the countersink of opening 22. 
The coathook 23 is located in respect to frame and trim in an automobile 
body 24 and is spot supported by the anti-skid reinforcing plate 11 as 
previously described thereby facilitating location, and drilling and 
tapping through opening 24 and plate 11 into the under surface material 18 
aided by the surface upsets described. 
In FIG. 6 a full cross section through the fastening on a curvalinear 
surface illustrates the amenability of the anti-skid reinforcing plate 11 
to be conformed to the surface contours of the element 18 and the element 
16' and the plate 11 selectively secured against slip by the adhesive of 
mastic 14 for selected penetration by a drill or fastening 17, firmed at 
entry by impingement in one of the depressions 13 in the upper surface of 
the plate 11. Forming may be by preforming the plates 11. It may also be 
done with thin stock. 
The reinforcing plate 11 substantially advances to art of fastening metal 
trim to metal boxes and substantially simplifies and avoids damage to 
surfaces adjacent to required fastener location openings. In a broader 
sense, the invention is generally an extension of the fastening arts. 
Having thus described my invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, 
those ordinarily skilled in the art will perceive obvious changes, 
modifications and improvements and such changes, modifications and 
improvements are intended to be included herein, limited only by the scope 
of my hereinafter appended claims.