Patent Publication Number: US-7581909-B2

Title: Fastener

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to fasteners and more particularly but not exclusively to attach and tension cable to timber structures. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Rails including balustrades often employ tensioned stainless steel cable. The cable is attached to posts with turnbuckles then rotated to tension the cable. The abovementioned means of attaching and tensioning stainless steel cable is time consuming and therefore expensive to install. 
   OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
   It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   There is disclosed herein a coupling having a longitudinal axis and adapted to attach a threaded shaft to a structure, said coupling including: 
   a threaded rod extending along said axis and to engage the structure so as to be fixed thereto, the rod terminating at an end with a head having a tool engaging portion; and 
   a turn member also extending along said axis and including a hollow base within which said head is located, and a sleeve extending from the head, the sleeve including a threaded passage to threadably engage said shaft so that upon said rod being engaged with said structure and said sleeve rotated about said axis relative to said shaft, said shaft is moved longitudinally of said passage. 
   Preferably, said head includes a tool engaging portion, said tool engaging portion being exposed to said passage to provide for a tool passing through said passage to engage said portion to enable a user to rotate said rod. 
   Preferably, said rod is adapted to penetrate timber. 
   Preferably, said sleeve includes surfaces to be engaged by a tool to aid in rotating said sleeve about said axis. 
   There is further disclosed herein in combination, the above described coupling and said shaft, with a cable attached to said shaft. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings where: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic side elevation of a coupling to attach a cable to a post; and 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the coupling of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a coupling  10  to attach a stainless steel cable  11  to a post  12 . Typically the post  12  will be formed of timber. 
   The coupling  10  includes a threaded member  14  having a threaded length  13  embedded in the post  12 . The member  14  terminates at one end with a head  15  having a tool engaging portion  16  in the form of a slot so that a screw driver may be engaged therein to cause rotation of the threaded member  14  about the longitudinal axis  17  to insert the length  13  in the post  12 . 
   Operatively associated with the member  14  is a turn member  18  having a hollow base  19  within which the head  15  is located. Extending from the base  19  away from the head  15  is a sleeve  20 . The sleeve  20  has as its longitudinal axis, the axis  17 . 
   The sleeve  20  is internally threaded so as to have a threaded length  21 . The sleeve  21  has a longitudinal internal passage  22  via which a user is able to insert a tool to engage the slot  16  to rotate the member  14  about the axis  17  to insert the length  13  in the post  12 . 
   Once the length  13  is fully inserted a threaded shaft  23  is threadably engaged with the sleeve  20 , with the sleeve  20  rotated about the longitudinal axis  17  so that the shaft  23  moves into the passage  22 . Attached to the shaft  23  is the cable  11 . More particularly the sleeve  20  has “flat” portions  24  so that it may be gripped by an appropriate tool to be rotated about the axis  17 . Rotation of the sleeve  20  would also tension the cable  11  as well as attach the cable  11  to the sleeve  20 . 
   The base  19  encompasses the head  15  so that the sleeve  20  can rotate about the axis  17  relative to the member  14 . It should also be appreciated that the head  15  is captively located within the base  19  so that when the cable  11  is tensioned the base  19  still remains attached to the head  15 .