Anchoring device

An anchoring device is disclosed providing engaging means for an attaching member which it is desired to secure with respect to a wall, particularly when there is access to only one surface of the wall. The anchoring device may be formed to provide either secure friction engagement, or threaded engagement with an attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, nail, or friction pin, normally used to fasten an item of hardware or the like to a wall. The anchoring device comprises a toggle plate dimensioned for insertion into a blind opening in the wall to which attaching is desired and an elongate runner is pivotally secured to the toggle plate which may be shaped to form its own hole in the wall member. One or more openings dimensioned to engage the attaching member is formed in the toggle plate. The runner pivotally secured to the toggle plate is of a length such that it may extend from the toggle plate positioned on the blind side of a wall in connection with which the anchoring device is employed through the wall opening and beyond the exposed surface of the wall. A washer of a dimension larger than the opening formed for insertion of the toggle plate is engaged on the runner and drawn against the exposed surface of the wall to retain the toggle plate on the blind side of the wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to anchoring devices, and more particularly to an 
anchoring device particularly suited for use with walls accessible from 
only one surface thereof, serving to provide a threaded or friction anchor 
for an attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, or friction pin, which it 
is desired to insert into a relatively frangible wall structure which 
would not normally have the requisite physical characteristics to securely 
engage and retain the bolt, screw, or friction pin, which is employed to 
affix some item to the wall. 
A variety of situations exist in which it is desired to secure an attaching 
member, such as a bolt, screw, nail, friction pin, or the like attaching 
members, to a wall which does not normally have the requisite strength to 
securely engage the bolt, screw, or friction pin. Thus with plaster walls, 
or walls formed of plaster board, sheet rock, fiberglass, or the like 
compositions, and even with many wood panelled walls, it is found that a 
screw, bolt, or nail will often not be retained securely when driven into 
the wall to hang mirrors, wall brackets, plaques, and the large variety of 
different hardware items which it is often desired to secure to a wall. 
In the past, a variety of anchor bolts have been evolved for use in 
fastening an article to a "blind opening" in a wall, that is, an opening 
which is accessible from only one side of the wall. These anchor bolts 
have generally been either of a toggle bolt type, or an expansible type. 
In the toggle bolt type, two spring separated wings are secured to a nut, 
with the wings adapted for folding parallel to each other along an axis 
perpendicular to the plane of the nut. A bolt is engaged with the nut, the 
wings are folded together, and the bolt with the nut and wings is inserted 
into the blind opening. The wings after passing through the wall expand, 
and the winged nut is pulled up tight against the blind side of the wall 
by the bolt, with the bolt and wings remaining on the blind side of the 
wall. With the expansible anchoring devices, a variety of plug members 
have been employed which are inserted into the blind opening in the wall, 
with a screw member engaged in the anchoring device. The plug on the blind 
side of the wall is then expanded as the screw is threaded into the plug, 
thus retaining the plug in position on the blind side of the wall. 
With these prior devices, when it is desired to replace any items held in 
place by the bolt and anchoring device, it is found that removal of the 
bolt or screw permits the anchoring device to drop down on the blind side 
of the wall, requiring the purchase of a new assembly of screw and 
anchoring device, and re-positioning of the anchoring device, which often 
results in undesired enlargement of the hole through which the anchoring 
device was initially inserted. 
Additionally, where it is desired to secure a rather heavy element to a 
wall, with prior devices, where the attaching member must be engaged with 
the item to be secured prior to engaging the attaching member to the 
anchoring device, supporting the item while positioning and securing the 
anchoring device is rather clumsy. 
Another problem with previously evolved anchoring devices is that a 
specifically dimensioned anchoring device must be used for each 
differently dimensioned attaching member. 
It is with the above considerations in mind that the present improved 
anchoring device has been evolved providing means whereby a relatively 
frangible wall structure may be provided with an anchoring device inserted 
into a blind opening in the wall from an accessible surface of the wall, 
with the anchoring device retained in position so that an attaching 
member, such as a bolt, screw, or pressure member may be securely engaged 
(though selectively removable) with respect to the wall for retaining an 
article which it is desired to support on the wall, and with a single 
anchoring device subject to selective use for a number of differently 
dimensioned attaching members. 
It is accordingly among the primary objects of the invention to provide an 
improved anchoring device adapted for securement through a blind opening 
in a wall. 
An additional object of the invention is to provide an anchoring device 
which is retained in operative position after securement to a wall and 
permits any attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, or pressure pin, 
engaged with the anchoring device to be removed and re-inserted into the 
anchoring device as desired. 
A further object of the invention is to provide an anchoring device which 
may be selectively employed for anchoring differently dimensioned 
attaching members. 
These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter 
apparent are achieved by providing an elongate toggle plate of a width 
permitting insertion into an opening in a wall member to which attachment 
is desired. The toggle plate is formed with an opening dimensioned to 
engage an attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, pressure pin, nail, or 
the like. The toggle plate may if desired be formed with a plurality of 
attaching member engaging openings to selectively accommodate different 
attaching members. Pivotally secured to the toggle plate are one or more 
elongate runners, preferably in the form of toothed strips. A washer of a 
dimension larger than the wall opening is formed with a central opening 
through which the attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, nail, pressure 
pin, or the like, may pass, and an opening, one for each runner, through 
which the runner passes. The runner opening is dimensioned to frictionally 
engage the runner. 
In use, the toggle plate is inserted into the wall opening to the blind 
side thereof, with the runners extending through the opening on the facing 
or exposed sides of the wall. The washer with the runners threaded through 
the runner openings in the washer are then pulled along the runners up 
against the facing side of the wall to bring the toggle plate flush with 
the blind side of the wall, thus retaining the toggle plate and washer 
flush against the wall. The runners are then bent over the washer, with 
the exposed runner end preferably broken off flush with the washer. 
Thereafter, an attaching member such as a bolt, screw, nail, or pressure 
pin, is inserted through the washer, through the wall opening, into the 
toggle plate opening, for anchoring by the toggle plate. As understood, 
the attaching member will extend through or from the article to be 
attached to the wall to retain same in position. 
A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the attaching member, 
such as a bolt, screw, nail push pin, or the like, may be removed from the 
anchoring member, with the anchoring member remaining in position and with 
the attaching member subject to re-insertion as desired. 
Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the article to be 
attached to the wall need not be held in position as the anchoring device 
is positioned. 
A further feature resides in the fact that a single anchoring device may be 
selectively employed to engage and anchor different attaching members. 
Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the toggle plate 
may be made with a piercing end, permitting the toggle plate to be used to 
form the wall opening through which the toggle plate is to be inserted. 
A further feature of the invention resides in the formation of the washer 
with runner recesses accommodating the runner flush with the plane of the 
washer so that the runner may be bent over, and either broken off, or 
retained in the recess without extending from the plane of the washer, 
which is substantially flush with the wall. 
An additional feature resides in the formation of the runners with ratchet 
teeth engaging the slide openings in the washer.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, where like numerals in the 
various FIGURES will be employed to designate like parts, the anchoring 
device 10, as illustratively shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a toggle 
plate 15. 
The toggle plate 15 as illustratively shown in the FIG. 1-3 embodiment is 
preferably formed of a channel section and may be made of any of a variety 
of relatively rigid sheet materials. Preferably toggle plate 15 is formed 
of sheet steel shaped into the illustrated channel section and provided 
with a tapered piercing entry end 17 and trailing end 19. An attaching 
member engaging opening 22 is formed in the base portion of the channel 
shaped toggle plate at a point preferably closer to the entry end of the 
toggle plate. 
FIGS. 1-3 show the toggle plate formed with a single attaching member 
engaging opening 22. It is, however, contemplated within the scope of the 
invention, to provide one or more differently dimensioned additional 
attaching member engaging openings such as 23 shown in the FIG. 9 
embodiment. As illustrated, toggle plate end 19 is preferably further from 
either openings 22 or 23 than toggle plate end 17. Attaching member 
engaging openings 22 and 23 are formed of a dimension to accommodate an 
attaching member such as a bolt, screw, nail, or push pin. As illustrated, 
in FIGS. 1 and 4, the opening 22 is shown as threaded as at 24 and the 
toggle plate is formed with a bushing 25, which is preferably stamped out 
of the sheet material of the toggle plate to increase the area of contact 
between the toggle plate and the attaching member which it is desired to 
engage in opening 22. As best seen in FIG. 4, the channel side walls are 
formed with bearing openings 27, forming a bearing for a pivot connection 
to runners 30, as hereinafter described. Where additional attaching member 
openings 23 are provided as shown in FIG. 9, additional bearing openings 
27' are provided on diametrically opposed sides of the additional 
attaching member engaging openings 23. 
As illustratively shown in FIG. 9, the toggle plate 15 may if desired be 
formed with both ends of the channel base perpendicular to the channel 
axis within the scope of the invention. 
As illustrated, the ends of the side walls of toggle plate 15 are 
preferably chamfered as at 32. In the FIG. 1-3 embodiment, this 
facilitates sliding the toggle plate into a wall opening. In the FIG. 9 
embodiment, this provides an entry tip of reduced cross-section in lieu of 
the piercing entry tip of the FIG. 1-3 embodiment. 
The runners 30, are preferably formed of strips of flexible material, which 
have been satisfactorily formed of strips of plastic, such as styrene, 
nylon, polyethylene, or the like, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. The 
serrations 34 act as a series of ratchet teeth. These teeth may extend 
across the full face of the runner as shown in FIG. 9 or may be surrounded 
by a boundary strip 35 as shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, the runners 30 
formed with the serrations 34, are molded with trunions 36 extending from 
the lower end of the runner, as viewed in the drawings, into the bearing 
openings 27 in the side walls of toggle plate 15. The head end of the 
trunions 36 are preferably upset to increase the diameter of the end of 
the trunion to secure the runner in pivotal engagement with the toggle 
plate. The upset trunion end in the plastic runner material permits the 
trunion to be snapped into bearing opening 27 or 27'. 
Slideably secured to the runners 30 is a washer 40, as shown in the 
drawings, preferably of a circular configuration with a plug portion 41 
dimensioned to fit into the wall opening in which the anchoring device is 
to be positioned. It is preferred that the dimensions of this plug portion 
41 of the washer 40 be such as to provide a press fit with respect to the 
wall opening. A flanged capping portion 42 is formed integrally with plug 
portion 41 and is dimensioned to extend beyond the periphery of plug 
portion 41 and over the wall opening in which the anchoring device is 
positioned. A central opening 45 extends through the washer 40, with 
opening 45 being dimensioned preferably to freely pass the attaching 
member such as a bolt, screw, nail or push pin, which it is desired to 
secure by the anchoring device. Runner openings 47, two of which are 
shown, are provided extending through the plug portion 41 and cap portion 
42 of the washer 40. These runner openings 47 are preferably dimensioned 
to permit passage of the runners through the washer, with frictional 
engagement between the surfaces of the runner opening and the runner. 
As illustrated, the capping portion 42 of washer 40 is preferably formed 
with slots 48 extending radially from the runner openings 47, though the 
invention may be practiced without such slots. 
As best seen in FIG. 9, the toggle plate may be formed with a plurality of 
attaching member engaging openings. Thus, an additional opening 23 is 
shown of a different dimension than opening 22, so that the same anchoring 
device may be selectively employed to anchor differently dimensioned 
attaching members. Where additional attaching member engaging openings are 
provided, the channel side walls are formed with an additional set of 
bearing openings 27' adjacent the additional attaching member engaging 
opening 23, and the trunions 36 of the runner are formed with heads which 
may be snapped into the attaching member engaging opening which is 
selected for use. 
OPERATION 
The anchoring device 10, as illustratively shown in the drawings, is 
fabricated by utilizing conventional production techniques. Thus, the 
toggle plate 15 is either stamped from the desired sheet material, such as 
sheet steel or the like, or may be cut from extruded or rolled lengths of 
channel shaped sheet steel (or rigid plastic, should such be desired) into 
the illustrated configuration. Chamfered ends 32 are formed by cutting 
material, or may be stamped during toggle formation. Additionally, the 
attaching member engaging openings 22 (or 23), which as illustrated are 
preferably shown as formed with bushing 25 and bearing openings 27 (or 
27') are provided either by molding, stamping, or piercing, depending on 
how the plate 15 is produced. Threading 24, as illustrated in the 
preferred embodiment, is obtained by conventional tapping dies. 
The runners 30, which are illustratively shown as formed of strips of 
serrated polyethylene, may be formed of a variety of flexible, but 
preferably self-supporting materials, such as wire or a variety of other 
strips of relatively flexible sheet materials. In the illustrated 
embodiment, they are preferably formed with serrations providing ratchet 
teeth, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, along with projecting trunions 36 to 
facilitate pivoting of the runners 30 with respect to the toggle plate 15. 
As illustrated, trunions 36 are inserted into the bearing openings 27 (or 
27') in the side walls of the channel forming toggle plate 15, adjacent 
the attaching member opening 22 or 23 selected for use with the upset 
trunion ends acting to retain the runners in pivotal engagement with the 
toggle plate. Two runners as illustrated are preferably provided, one 
arranged on each side of the attaching member engaging opening 22 (or 23) 
of the toggle plate. However, as will be understood by those skilled in 
the art, a single runner may be employed, or more than two runners may be 
employed, so long as the runners are arranged with respect to the toggle 
plate to permit pivoting of the toggle plate to a position substantially 
aligned with the axis of the runners. 
The washer 40, as illustratively shown, is preferably fabricated of styrene 
or polyethylene by injection molding. However, a variety of other 
production steps may be employed, depending on the materials employed in 
forming the washer 40. The washer is positioned to slide over the runners, 
as illustratively shown in FIG. 1. In utilizing the anchoring device, a 
hole is formed in the wall to which attachment is desired, with the hole 
of a dimension to permit free passage of the toggle plate through the 
hole. This hold may be formed by a drill. However, if a drill is not 
available, or if a drill bit of desired size is not available, the toggle 
plate may be hammered or otherwise driven through the wall with the sharp 
entry tip 17 of the toggle (as in the FIG. 1-3 embodiment) facilitating 
penetration of the wall. Where a small hole has been drilled, because of 
the unavailability of a drill bit of requisite size, the entry tip 17 may 
be driven through to form the opening to desired size. Both forms of 
toggle plate as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 9 may be employed as a drill bit 
with the chamfered ends of the entry tip forming a cutting edge, when the 
toggle is gripped in the chuck of an electric drill. 
The toggle plate is pivoted to a position approaching parallelism to the 
axis of the runners, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and the entry tip 17, as 
illustrated, is inserted through the hole in the wall, with the entire 
toggle plate being pushed to the blind side of the wall, after which it is 
drawn up against the blind side of the wall to the position illustrated in 
FIGS. 3 and 4. 
By virtue of the greater distance between toggle plate end 19 and attaching 
member engaging opening 22 (or 23), as compared to the distance between 
entry tip 17 and the attaching member engaging opening, the plate end 19 
will be heavier than end 17 facilitating pivoting of the toggle plate 15 
to a position parallel to the wall. Additionally, it will be noted that 
the chamfers 32 facilitate movement of the ends of the toggle plate over 
the blind side of the wall. 
Washer 40 is slid down over the runners which remain extended through the 
hole in the wall. It will be observed that the serrations 34 provide 
ratchet teeth retaining the washer 40 in any position to which the washer 
is pushed along the runner. The washer is pushed down flush against the 
wall, with the plug portion 41 of the washer inserted into the wall 
opening, and the flange portion 42 overlying the wall opening, as 
illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the 
runners may be bent over the washer into washer slots 48, which 
accommodate the runners in a plane flush with the washer. Where the washer 
is formed without slots 48, or even when the washer is provided with slots 
48, the runner ends may be broken off flush with the washer. This is 
readily accomplished by flexing the extending free ends of the runner back 
and forth, or snipping them. 
With the anchoring device in position in the wall, it will be apparent to 
those skilled in the art that the toggle plate provides a fastening 
surface which will securely engage either a tapped attaching member such 
as a bolt, screw, or the like, or may frictionally engage any nail, or 
friction pin, dimensioned to provide a force fit into the attaching 
opening 22 of the toggle plate. 
Should removal of the attaching member be desired, it may be done without 
any deleterious effect either on the anchoring device, or on the wall 
structure, such as often is the case with conventional anchor bolts. 
Where the anchoring device is provided for use with differently dimensioned 
attaching members, e.g., a 1/4 or 3/8 inch bolt (see FIG. 9), the toggle 
is formed with a plurality of attaching member engaging openings such as 
22 and 23 dimensioned to accommodate the attaching members, the user may 
then select the attaching member engaging opening to be used by snapping 
the upset trunion ends 36 of runners 30 into the bearing openings 27 
adjacent the attaching member engaging opening matching the selected 
attaching member. 
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the term "wall" as 
used herein is to be understood as describing any relatively thin, 
relatively planar structure, whether curved or flat including, but not 
limited, to ceilings, bulkheads, building partitions, decks, and the like. 
It is thus seen that a simple anchor device has been provided, serving to 
provide wall structures formed of relatively frangible materials which do 
not readily engage and retain attaching devices such as bolts, screws, 
nails and the like, with a secure anchor with respect to the wall to which 
applied, with the attaching member subject to selective removal without 
loss of the anchoring device. 
The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation 
and not by way of limitation, and it is desired to protect all embodiments 
of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended 
claims.