Decorative fastener assembly

Abstract

A decorative fastener assembly including a nut insert and a decorative cap. The cap includes a flatted portion sleeved over a flatted portion of the nut insert and further includes a flange portion proximate its open lower end. An O-ring seal is compressed between the flange of the cap and the circular enlargement of the nut insert to preclude the entry of moisture between the cap and the nut insert. A top end wall portion of the cap is welded to an annular weld projection on the top end of the nut insert in surrounding relation to the central bore of the nut insert. As the weld projection is melted to perform the welding operation, the cap moves further downwardly on the nut insert to further compress the O-ring seal between the cap flange and the circular enlargement of the nut insert. The cap flange portion proximate its open lower end is then crimped over a circular enlargement of the nut insert.

1 . A decorative fastener assembly including a nut insert and a decorative cap, the nut insert including a flatted portion proximate a top end of the nut insert for wrenching, a load bearing portion proximate a bottom end of the nut insert, an external annular ridge positioned intermediate the flatted portion and the load bearing portion and defining an upper annular surface, an outer cylindrical surface, and a lower annular surface, and a central bore including internal thread means for threadably engaging a bolt; the decorative cap including a flatted portion fitted over the flatted portion of the nut insert, a top end wall portion fitted over the top end of the nut insert, and a flange portion at an open bottom end of the cap, characterized in that: 
 the cap is welded to the nut insert; and    the cap flange portion is crimped around the outer cylindrical surface of the ridge and under the lower annular surface of the ridge to fix the cap to the nut insert; whereby to assist the weld in precluding dislodging of the cap from the nut insert.    
   
   
       2 . A decorative fastener assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the top end wall portion of the cap is welded to the top end of the nut insert.  
   
   
       3 . A decorative fastener assembly according to  claim 2  wherein: 
 the central bore extends from the top end of the nut insert to the bottom end of the nut insert and defines an annular surface at the top end of the nut insert in surrounding relation to the bore; and    the top end wall portion of the cap is welded to the annular surface at the top end of the nut insert.    
   
   
       4 . A decorative fastener assembly according to  claim 3  wherein: 
 the top end wall of the cap has a central dome portion and a flat annular portion in surrounding relation to the dome portion; and    the flat annular portion of the top end wall of the cap is welded to the annular surface at the top end of the nut insert.    
   
   
       5 . A decorative fastener assembly comprising a nut insert and a decorative cap, 
 the nut insert having an elongated internally threaded body provided with a polygonal sidewall extending from a top end thereof toward a bottom end thereof;    a cap having an annular side wall of substantially the same polygonal form as the side wall of said nut insert body;    the cap having a top end wall and being open at a bottom end thereof;    the cap being sleeved over the nut body with its sidewall surrounding the side wall of the nut body and with its top end wall overlying the top end of the nut body;    the nut body having an annular enlargement adjacent to but spaced from the bottom end thereof, defining an upper annular surface, an outer cylindrical surface, and a lower annular surface;    the cap having an axially outwardly flared flange portion at its open end crimped over the outer cylindrical surface of the enlargement and under the lower annular surface of the enlargement; and    the cap being welded to said nut insert to assist the crimped flange of the cap in precluding dislodgement of the cap from said nut insert.    
   
   
       6 . A decorative fastener assembly according to  claim 5  wherein: 
 the cap is welded to the nut insert at an interface between the top end wall of the cap and the top end of the nut insert.    
   
   
       7 . A method of fabricating a decorative fastener assembly comprising: 
 forming a nut insert including a flatted portion proximate a top end of the nut insert for wrenching, a load bearing portion proximate a bottom end of the nut insert, an external annular ridge intermediate the flatted portion and the load bearing portion, a central bore including internal thread means for threadably engaging a bolt, and a weld projection extending upwardly from the top end of the nut insert;    forming a decorative cap including a flatted portion sized for fitting over the flatted portion of the nut insert, a top end wall, and a flange portion at an open bottom end of the cap;    inserting the nut insert into the open bottom end of the cap to move the flatted portion of the nut insert into the flatted portion of the cap and seat the weld projection against the top end wall of the cap;    welding the cap to the nut insert at the interface of the top end wall of the cap and the weld projection while pressing the nut insert and cap together whereby to melt the weld projection and spread the material of the weld projection to diminish the overall height of the nut insert to allow the cap to move further downwardly on the nut insert; and    crimping the cap flange over the nut insert ridge.    
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein: 
 the central bore extends from the top end of the nut insert to the bottom end of the nut insert and defines an annular surface at the top end of the nut insert in surrounding relation to the bore;    the weld projection comprises an annular weld projection extending upwardly from the annular surface in surrounding relation to the bore; and    the top end wall of the cap is welded to the annular weld projection.    
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 8  wherein: 
 the top end wall of the cap has a central dome portion and a flat annular portion in surrounding relation to the dome portion; and    the flat annular portion of the top end wall of the cap is welded to the annular weld projection.    
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein the method comprises the further step of positioning an O-ring seal around the nut insert prior to inserting the nut insert into the open bottom end of the cap, the O-ring seal being clamped between the nut insert ridge and the cap flange in response to insertion of the nut insert into the cap and the O-ring seal being further squeezed between the nut insert ridge and the cap flange in response to the further downward movement of the cap on the nut insert resulting from the welding of the cap to the nut insert.  
   
   
       11 . A method of fabricating a decorative fastener assembly comprising: 
 forming a nut insert including a flatted portion proximate a top end of the nut insert for wrenching, a load bearing portion proximate a bottom end of the nut insert, an external annular ridge intermediate the flatted portion and the load bearing portion, a central bore including internal thread means for threadably engaging a bolt, and a weld projection extending upwardly from the top end of the nut insert;    forming a decorative cap including a flatted portion sized for fitting over the flatted portion of the nut insert, a top end wall, and a flange portion at an open bottom end of the cap;    positioning an O-ring seal around the nut insert above the ridge;    inserting the nut insert into the open bottom end of the cap to move the flatted portion of the nut insert into the flatted portion of the cap and seat the weld projection against the top end wall of the cap flange while clamping the O-ring seal between the cap flange portion and the nut insert ridge; and    welding the cap to the nut insert at the interface of the top end wall of the cap and the weld projection while pressing the nut insert and cap together whereby to melt the weld projection and spread the material of the weld projection to diminish the overall height of the nut insert to allow the cap to move further downwardly on the nut insert and further squeeze the O-ring seal between the cap flange portion and the nut insert ridge.    
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein: 
 the central bore extends from the top end of the nut insert to the bottom end of the nut insert and defines an annular surface at the top end of the nut insert in surrounding relation to the bore;    the weld projection comprises an annular weld projection extending upwardly from the annular surface in surrounding relation to the bore; and    the top end wall portion of the cap is welded to the annular weld projection.    
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein: 
 the top end wall portion of the cap has a central dome portion and a flat annular portion in surrounding relation to the dome portion; and    the flat annular portion of the top end wall of the cap is welded to the annular weld projection.    
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the method includes the further step of crimping the cap flange over the nut insert ridge.  
   
   
       15 . A method of fabricating a decorative fastener assembly comprising: 
 forming a nut insert including a flatted portion proximate a top end of the nut insert for wrenching, a load bearing portion proximate a bottom end of the nut insert, an external annular ridge intermediate the flatted portion and the load bearing portion, a central bore including internal thread means for threadably engaging a bolt, and a weld projection extending upwardly from the top end of the nut insert;    forming a decorative cap including a flatted portion sized for fitting over the flatted portion of the nut insert, a top end wall, and a flange portion at an open bottom end of the cap;    positioning an O-ring seal around the nut insert above the ridge;    inserting the nut insert into the open bottom end of the cap to move the flatted portion of the nut insert into the flatted portion of the cap and seat the weld projection against the top end wall of the cap flange while clamping the O-ring seal between the cap flange portion and the nut insert ridge;    welding the cap to the nut insert at the interface of the top end wall of the cap and the weld projection while pressing the nut insert and cap together whereby to melt the weld projection and spread the material of the weld projection to diminish the overall height of the nut insert to allow the cap to move further downwardly on the nut insert and further squeeze the O-ring seal between the cap flange portion and the nut insert ridge; and    crimping the cap flange over the nut insert ridge.    
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein: 
 the central bore extends from the top end of the nut insert to the bottom end of the nut insert and defines an annular surface at the top end of the nut insert in surrounding relation to the bore;    the weld projection comprises an annular weld projection extending upwardly from the annular surface in surrounding relation to the bore; and    the top end wall portion of the cap is welded to the annular weld projection.    
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein: 
 the top end wall portion of the cap has a central dome portion and a flat annular portion in surrounding relation to the dome portion; and    the flat annular portion of the top end wall of the cap is welded to the annular weld projection.