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A new and improved thread rolling die for forming a new and improved threaded fastener, and a new and improved method or technique of manufacturing the new and improved threaded fastener, is disclosed wherein the new and improved threaded fastener comprises a first, primary thread lead, and a pair o

A new and improved thread rolling die for forming a new and improved threaded fastener, and a new and improved method or technique of manufacturing the new and improved threaded fastener, is disclosed wherein the new and improved threaded fastener comprises a first, primary thread lead, and a pair of second, auxiliary thread leads alternatively interposed between successive threads of the first, primary thread lead. As a result of the provision of the pair of second, auxiliary thread leads being interposed between successive ones of the threads of the first, primary thread lead, not only is additional axial reinforcement provided for the threaded fastener, but more importantly, the lateral or transverse distance through which the material comprising the blank member must be displaced or moved in order to form the successive threads of the first, primary thread lead is substantially reduced. Such a substantial reduction in the distance through which the material of the blank member must be moved or displaced permits the number of revolutions, through which the blank member must be rotated in order to permit the complete formation of the thread leads upon the blank member, to be accordingly reduced which, in turn, permits the axial length of the thread rolling dies to be reduced. In this manner, substantially smaller thread rolling machines are able to be used in connection with the manufacture of the threaded fasteners so as to render the manufacturing processes more cost effective.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of forming a threaded fastener, comprising the steps of:providing a pair of thread rolling dies wherein each one of said pair of thread rolling dies comprises a body portion having a longitudinal axis; a working face disposed upon said body portion; a plurality of first, primary thread r

1. A method of forming a threaded fastener, comprising the steps of:providing a pair of thread rolling dies wherein each one of said pair of thread rolling dies comprises a body portion having a longitudinal axis; a working face disposed upon said body portion; a plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, disposed upon said working face of said body portion and oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said body portion, for forming a first, primary thread lead, comprising a plurality of first, primary threads, upon a blank member during a thread rolling process, wherein said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads are spaced from each other by means of first predetermined transversely spaced distances such that said first, primary threads will be successively formed upon said blank member at first predetermined positions which are spaced from each other by means of first predetermined axially spaced distances; and a plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, disposed upon said working face of said body portion at positions transversely interposed between said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads and oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said body portion, for forming a dual set of second, auxiliary thread leads, each comprising a plurality of second, auxiliary threads, upon said blank member during said thread rolling process, wherein said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, comprising each one of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, are spaced from each other by means of second predetermined transversely spaced distances;positioning said pair of thread rolling dies with respect to each other such that said working faces of said pair of thread rolling dies are oppositely disposed toward each other in a spaced apart mode;interposing said blank member between said oppositely disposed spaced apart working faces of said pair of thread rolling dies; androlling said blank member between said pair of spaced apart thread rolling dies such that, as a result of said disposition of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, for forming said dual set of second, auxiliary threads, between said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, when said plurality of first, primary threads are successively being formed upon said blank member at the first predetermined positions, the distances, through which material portions of said blank member utilized for forming said plurality of first, primary threads upon said blank member need to be moved, is effectively minimized thereby, in turn, minimizing the length dimensions of said pair of thread rolling dies required to completely form said threaded fastener from said blank member.2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:forming each one of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, disposed upon said working face of said body portion of each one of said pair of thread rolling dies, so as to comprise three, transversely spaced auxiliary thread rolling die threads for forming said dual set of second auxiliary thread leads upon said blank member.3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising the step of:forming each one of said three, transversely spaced auxiliary thread rolling die threads so as to have a transverse width dimension within the range of 0.003?0.010 inches such that the transverse distance defined between said second, auxiliary thread leads, comprising each one of said dual set of second, auxiliary thread leads, formed upon said blank member, is within the range of 0.003?0.010 inches.4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:forming said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies at positions such that said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads are transversely spaced from each other by means of third predetermined distances which are substantially equal to said first predetermined distances through which said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads are spaced from each other.5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:forming said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, and said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that the depth of said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads is at least twice the depth of said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads.6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:forming said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, and said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that the depth of said plurality of first primary thread rolling die threads increases continuously throughout the axial length of each one of said pair of thread rolling dies, while the depth of said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads is constant after attaining a predetermined depth.7. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:forming said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that each one of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads is transversely spaced from each one of said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads by means of predetermined fourth distances; andforming said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that said first predetermined transversely spaced distances, defined between said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, are equal to twice said predetermined fourth axially spaced distances defined between said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads.8. A method of forming a threaded fastener from a blank member, comprising the steps of:providing a pair of thread rolling dies wherein each one of said pair of thread rolling dies comprises a body portion having a longitudinal axis; a working face disposed upon said body portion; a plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, disposed upon said working face of said body portion and oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said body portion, for forming a first, primary thread lead, comprising a plurality of first, primary threads, upon a blank member during a thread rolling process, wherein said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads are spaced from each other by means of first predetermined transversely spaced distances such that said first, primary threads will be successively formed upon said blank member at first predetermined positions which are spaced from each other by means of first predetermined axially spaced distances; and a plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, disposed upon said working face of said body portion at positions transversely interposed between said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads and oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said body portion, for forming a dual set of second, auxiliary thread leads, each comprising a plurality of second, auxiliary threads, upon said blank member during said thread rolling process, wherein said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, comprising each one of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, are spaced from each other by means of second predetermined transversely spaced distances;positioning said pair of thread rolling dies with respect to each other such that said working faces of said pair of thread rolling dies are oppositely disposed toward each other in a spaced apart mode;interposing said blank member between said oppositely disposed spaced apart working faces of said pair of thread rolling dies; androlling said blank member between said pair of spaced apart thread rolling dies such that, as a result of said disposition of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, for forming said dual set of second, auxiliary threads, between said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, when said plurality of first, primary threads are successively being formed upon said blank member at the first predetermined positions, the distances, through which material portions of said blank member utilized for forming said plurality of first, primary threads upon said blank member need to be moved, is effectively minimized thereby, in turn, minimizing the number of revolutions that said blank member must undergo during said entire thread forming process whereby, in turn, the length dimensions of said pair of thread rolling dies, required to completely form said threaded fastener from said blank member, may be correspondingly minimized.9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of:forming each one of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, disposed upon said working face of said body portion of each one of said pair of thread rolling dies, so as to comprise three, transversely spaced auxiliary thread rolling die threads for forming said dual set of second auxiliary thread leads upon said blank member.10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the step of:forming each one of said three, transversely spaced auxiliary thread rolling die threads so as to have a transverse width dimension within the range of 0.003?0.010 inches such that the transverse distance defined between said second, auxiliary thread leads, comprising each one of said dual set of second, auxiliary thread leads, formed upon said blank member, is within the range of 0.003?0.010 inches.11. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of:forming said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies at positions such that said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads are transversely spaced from each other by means of third predetermined distances which are substantially equal to said first predetermined distances through which said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads are spaced from each other.12. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of:forming said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, and said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that the depth of said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads is at least twice the depth of said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads.13. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of:forming said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, and said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads, upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that the depth of said plurality of first primary thread rolling die threads increases continuously throughout the axial length of each one of said pair of thread rolling dies, while the depth of said plurality of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads is constant after attaining a predetermined depth.14. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:forming said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that each one of said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads is transversely spaced from each one of said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads by means of predetermined fourth distances; andforming said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads upon said working face of each one of said body portions of said pair of thread rolling dies such that said first predetermined transversely spaced distances, defined between said plurality of first, primary thread rolling die threads, are equal to twice said predetermined fourth axially spaced distances defined between said plurality of sets of second, auxiliary thread rolling die threads.