Patent ID: 8002508

Claim:
A protective cover for a protruding end of an elongate fastener, comprising: (a) an elongate tubular upper portion having a lower end, a closed upper end, and a wall, said tubular upper portion defining a longitudinal axis, and wherein said wall has a thickness and said closed upper end has a thickness greater than said thickness of said wall, and wherein said closed upper end and said wall are joined to each other by a reinforcing fillet, and said tubular upper portion having a first transverse interior dimension large enough to loosely surround a first portion of an elongate fastener to be protected; (b) a tubular lower portion including an open bottom end and an open top end interconnected with said lower end of said tubular upper portion in a weathertight manner, said tubular lower portion having a second transverse interior dimension greater than the first transverse interior dimension of said tubular upper portion, and said tubular lower portion being large enough for the lower portion to loosely surround a second portion of said elongate fastener to be protected without contacting said second portion, and said open bottom end including an outwardly flared flange including a planar annular bottom surface; and (c) a plurality of ribs within said tubular upper portion extending parallel with said longitudinal axis and projecting radially inward a predetermined distance from said wall, said ribs tapering radially inward from a broad root portion adjacent an inner surface of said wall to a narrow edge portion spaced radially inward from said inner surface, and said protective cover being constructed as a single piece of molded, resiliently deformable, material.