Nuts for channeled structural members

A special nut is used for affixing parts to a channeled structural member. The nut has an improved positioning means protruding from the top surface of the nut for properly positioning the nut in the channel member.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to nuts primarily for a specific use but capable of 
a more general use. More particularly, this invention relates to a nut 
intended for securing fittings or other items to be channeled structural 
members. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A known channeled structural member consists of a rectangular metal member 
having in one face a longitudinal slot bordered by inwardly projecting 
flanges. In the use of this channeled structural member, fittings of 
various kinds are secured to the slotted face by arranging within the 
channel a nut adapted to cooperate with a screw or bolt passing through 
the fitting and into the nut. 
One form of nut used for this purpose, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,696,139 
of Attwood, is provided with grooves equispaced with the inturned flanges 
of the above-mentioned channel and provided with teeth in the grooves. The 
nut is also provided with a spring to hold the nut against the channel 
flanges prior to affixing parts to the channel member. A variation is 
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,161 of Attwood. This variation has teeth 
in a groove on one side of the nut surface and a sharp edge on the other 
side thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,355 of Attwood describes a nut with 
sharp edges on both sides of the nut for gripping the channel flanges, but 
has no provision for properly positioning the nut in the channel member. 
Other references which disclose nuts for securing parts to channel members 
are U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,910 of LaLonde et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,025 of 
LaLonde et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,074 of Kowalski, and U.S. Pat. No. 
4,285,379 of Kowalski. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved nut for 
affixing parts to a structural member. 
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved nut for 
affixing parts to a channeled structural member having an improved 
positioning means. 
Further and other objects of the present invention will become apparent 
from the description contained herein. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a new and improved nut in 
combination with a channeled structural member used for affixing parts to 
a structural member, having a top portion, and a longitudinal slot in the 
top portion. The longitudinal slot bordered by inwardly projecting 
flanges. The top portion has an inside surface and an outside surface. The 
bottom portion has an inside surface and an outside surface. The two side 
portions each have an inside surface and an outside surface, and the 
inwardly projecting flanges each have an inside surface and an outside 
surface. The nut comprises a metal plate having a length relatively long 
compared to its width and having opposite parallel longitudinal side 
surfaces and end surfaces at an inclined angle to the side surfaces. The 
nut has one major face and an opposite major face substantially 
perpendicular to the side surfaces. The nut has a centrally located tapped 
opening and has parallel sharp edges on the long sides of the one major 
face for engaging the inwardly projecting flanges of the structural 
member. The nut has a positioning means protruding from and end surface of 
the major face for properly positioning the nut with respect to the 
structural member. The positioning means is spaced from the inside 
surfaces of the top portion, the bottom portion, and the two side portions 
of the channeled structural member.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other 
and further objects, advantages and capabilities thereof, reference is 
made to the following disclosure and appended claims in connection with 
the above-described drawings. 
DETAILED DESCRPITION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings with greater particularity, there is shown in 
FIG. 1 a top view of a nut 10 made from a metal plate having a major face 
12, an opposite major face 14 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and opposite 
parallel longitudinal side surfaces 16 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The nut 10 
has end surfaces 18 shown in FIG. 1 which are at an inclined angle to the 
side surfaces forming rhomboidal shaped major faces 12, 14. The nut 10 has 
a centrally located tapped opening 20 for receiving a threaded bolt 22 
shown in FIG. 2. The nut 10 has two parallel sharp edges 24 located on the 
long sides of the one major face 12 shown in FIG. 1 for engaging flanges 
26 shown in FIG. 2 by gripping or biting into the flanges 26 with the 
sharp edges 24 illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The sharp edges 24 
provide an improved gripping power preventing slipping of the nut 10 and 
the bolt 22 under load. 
The nut 10 has positioning means, more specifically protrusions 28, which 
protrude from the short side surface of the one major face 12 a shown in 
FIG. 1 for properly positioning the nut 10 with respect to a structural 
member 30 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The structural member 30 has a top 
portion 40, a bottom portion 43, and two side portions 46. The top portion 
40 has an inside surface 41 and an outside surface 42. The bottom portion 
43 has an inside surface 44 and an outside surface 45. The two side 
portions 46 each have an inside surface 47 and an outside surface 48 and 
the inwardly projecting flanges 26 each have an inside surface 49 and an 
outside surface 50. The protrusions 28 can be located at one or more of 
the corners of one major face 12 at which the angle made by one of the 
side surfaces 24 and one of the end surfaces 18 is acute. Alternatively, 
the protrusions 28 can be located from each of the corners of one major 
face 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The protrusions 28 keep the nut 10 
properly positioned across the channel. These protrusions are an 
improvement over the previous nut described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,355 of 
Attwood, which has no positioning means to maintain proper position of the 
nut in the channel member. 
The protrusions prevent the nut 10 from turning in the channel while 
loosening the nut 10 and the bolt 22 whenever repositioning a part 32 
shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. 
FIG. 4 shows a modification of the nut 10 illustrated in FIG. 2 positioned 
in a structural member 34. A modified nut 36 has a spring 38 attached as 
described in copending patent application, Ser. No. 344,424 filed 
concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee of the present 
invention. 
While there has been shown and described what is at present considered the 
preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those 
skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made 
therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by 
the appended claims.