Fastening device including helical spring-like element

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, MALE AND FEMALE MEMBERS HAVING TELESCOPING EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL SURFACES, ONE OF SAID SURFACES BEING TAPERED AND THE OTHER OF SAID SURFACES BEING GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SURFACES BEING THREADED, AND A HELICAL SPRING-LIKE ELEMENT, SAID SPRING-LIKE ELEMENT COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF WIRE-LIKE MATERIAL FORMING A HELIX HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONVOLUTIONS, SAID HELIX DEFINING INNER AND OUTER SURFACES WITH ONE OF SAID SURFACES DEFINING A TRUNCATED CONE CORRESPONDING TO SAID TAPERED SURFACE AND THE OTHER OF SAID SURFACES DEFINES A CYLINDER CORRESPONDING TO SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACE, THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID WIRE-LIKE MATERIAL PROGRESSIVELY DIMINISHING FROM ONE END OF THE HELIX TO ITS OPPOSITE END, SAID SPRING-LIKE ELEMENT THREADABLY ENGAGING SAID THREADED SURFACE SO AS TO BE DISPLACED RADIALLY WHEN SAID ONE MEMBER IS ROTATED AND ADVANCED AXIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID HELICAL SPRING-LIKE ELEMENT.