Container fastener system

Claim 1

In combination, a section of composite panel or the like and a rigid frame section wherein both said panel and frame section define a through bore, and a fastener assembly disposed in said bore in clamping engagement with said panel and frame section to define a joint therebetween, said fastener assembly comprising; a bolt member having a first enlarged head portion at one end and an elongate shank, said shank including an externally threaded segment and an external unthreaded segment disposed intermediate said threaded segment and said enlarged head portion, and a nut member including an elongate sleeve segment having an exterior, unthreaded surface and an internal bore having an internally threaded surface portion engaged with said threaded segment of the bolt member, and a second enlarged head portion on said nut member, such that said enlarged head portions engage said panel and frame sections to effect said clamping engagement, the one of said members having its head portion engaged with said frame section including a plurality of axially extending splines formed on the exterior unthreaded surface portion of said one member and engaged with said bore, said splines having a maximum diameter greater than the diameter of said bore and the diameter of the unthreaded external surface portion on said other member, with the root diameter of said splines being less than the diameter of said bore, and annular axially facing groove means on the enlarged head portion of said one member, with a sealing member disposed in said groove means and compressed into tight sealing contact with said frame section, and the unthreaded exterior surface of said other member being received in said bore and rotatable with respect to said bore, and drive tool accomodating means formed on said enlarged head portion of said other member to permit driving of said other member to obtain said clamped engagement, said one member being engaged in said frame section bore with the relationship of said splines maximum and root diameter to said bore diameter tending to center said one member relative to said bore during initial engagement, while permitting said member to move axially inward during engagement of said threaded surfaces pursuant to driving of said other member to attain clamped engagement, said splines and the unthreaded surface upon which they are formed both having an axial length such that they extend beyond the portion of the bore defined by said frame section, into that portion formed by said panel section to provide increased resistance to the shearing forces applied to said member at the interface of said panel and frame sections.