Patent ID: 7059816

Claim:
A nut plate adapted to be attached to a wall defined by an aperture through a workpiece, said nut plate comprising: a nut having an aperture provided therethrough; a holding bracket including a tubular portion and a bracket portion, said tubular portion having a first end and a second end, said bracket portion extending from said first end of said tubular portion, said tubular portion including an outer wall and an inner wall, said outer wall extending from said first end of sad tubular portion to said second end of said tubular portion, said outer wall has a plurality of lobes extending outwardly therefrom, said plurality of lobes includes high lobes and low lobes, said high lobes extending further outwardly from said outer wall than said low lobes, each said high lobe has an angled portion proximate to an underside of said bracket portion such that each said high lobe extends further away from said outer wall proximate to said underside of said bracket portion than from said second end of said tubular portion, said inner wall extending from said first end of said tubular portion to said second end of said tubular portion, said inner wall being defined by an aperture extending through said tubular portion, said inner wall being tapered such that a diameter of said aperture at said first end of said tubular portion is larger than a diameter of said aperture at said second end of said tubular portion, said aperture of said tubular wall being in communication with said aperture of said nut; a stem having an enlarged head portion and an elongate portion extending therefrom, said stem being positioned within said aperture of said tubular portion, said enlarged head portion configured to move through said aperture of said tubular portion from said first end thereof to said second end thereof in order to expand said inner wall of said tubular portion upon axial movement of said stem such that said outer wall of said tubular portion is forced into engagement with the wall of the workpiece, said lobes capable of being embedded into the wall of the workpiece upon expansion of said inner wall by said stem; and means for securing said nut within said bracket portion, said securing means permitting limited movement of said nut within said bracket portion.