Two-part panel fastener having resilient retaining means for retaining a screw

Claim 1

A PANEL FASTENER FOR JOINING A PAIR OF BODIES TOGETHER, EACH BODY HAVING A HOLE THEREIN, SAID FASTENER COMPRISING: A RECEPTACLE PORTION HAVING A THREADED OPENING EXTENDING AXIALLY THERETHROUGH; ATTACHING MEANS ON ONE END OF THE RECEPTACLE FOR ATTACHING THE RECEPTACLE PORTION TO A FIRST OF SAID BODIES; A RETAINER PORTION HAVING AN AXIALLY-EXTENDING HOLE THERETHROUGH WITH A COUNTERBORE AT ONE END FACE THEREOF; ATTACHING MEANS LOCATED ON ONE END OF SAID RETAINER FOR ATTACHING THE RETAINER PORTION TO THE SECOND OF SAID BODIES, SAID COUNTERBORE AND SAID ATTACHING MEANS BEING SITUATED IN AND ON A COMMON END OF SAID RETAINER PORTION; A THREADED SCREW PASSING THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE RETAINER PORTION AND ADAPTED TO ENTER AND ENGAGE THE THREADED OPENING OF THE RECEPTACLE PORTION, SAID SCREW COMPRISING A SHANK EXTERNALLY THREADED THROUGHOUT A PORTION OF ITS LENGTH, A HEAD PORTION AT ONE END OF SAID SHANK, AND A COLLAR PORTION AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SHANK, SAID THREADED PORTION TERMINATING SHORT OF SAID COLLAR PORTION, SAID SHANK BEING TAPERED FROM THE TERMINUS OF SAID THREAD TOWARD SAID COLLAR PORTION; A RETAINER SPRING IN SAID COUNTERBORE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH THE COLLAR TO KEEP THE SCREW TO THE RETAINER PORTION, AND TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE THE COUNTERBORE THEREBY TO PREVENT READY EXPULSION OF THE SPRING THEREFROM, BOTH OF SAID ATTACHING MEANS COMPRISING A CIRCULAR GUIDE SECTION ADAPTED TO ENTER AND CLOSELY FIT IN THE RESPECTIVE BODY HOLE TO GUIDE AND ALIGN THE RESPECTIVE PORTION THEREIN, A GROOVE IN THE EXTERIOR OF THE SAID PORTION ADJACENT TO THE GUIDE SECTION, A CONTINUOUS, PERIPHERAL, SHARP LIP AXIALLY OVERHANGING A PORTION OF THE GROOVE, AXIAL KNURLS IN THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE LIP, AND A SHOULDER ADAPTED TO ABUT THE RESPECTIVE BODY, THE LIP SERVING TO DEFLECT A CURL OF BODY MATERIAL INTO THE GROOVE TO HOLD THE PORTION TO THE BODY, THE KNURL SERVING TO HOLD THE PORTION AGAINST ROTATION, AND THE SHOULDER LIMITING THE PENETRATION OF THE RETAINER INTO THE BODY.