Cage Nuts, Caged Nuts, or Captive and Clip Nuts

Are mostly used in mounting the equipments with square-holed rack, like data servers, PC, networking hardare, UPS, KVM Switches, etc. The common used sizes are M5-0.8 (5 mm outside diameter and 0.8 mm pitch), M6-1.0, M8-1.25 and M10-1.5. Cage nuts are also used in microwave cabinets.

A cage nut or clip nut consists of a square nut in a spring steel cage which wraps around the nut. The cage has two wings that when compressed allow the cage to be inserted into the square holes in equipment racks and when released hold the nut in position behind the hole. There are slide-on type nuts, used when rails are square punched because in such a case it becomes easy to move mounting hardware. These nuts are also known as "clip nuts" or "clip on nuts." Aother type, snap-in nuts, used for rails that are punched with square mountings in data cabinets.

We offer 65Mn steel clips with low carbon steel nut, Stainless steel cage with low carbon steel nut and all stainless steel cage and nut.

Using cage nuts mounted in square holes provides several benefits over holes threaded directly in the cage. First, one has the flexibility to choose the size of nuts and bolts after the cage has been installed and multiple standard sizes can be used in the same cage. Second, the threads are easily replaceable, unlike a pre-threaded cage in which a stripped thread renders the hole unusable. Third, a better strength-to-weight ratio can be achieved, as only the nuts need to be made of a strong material suitable for threading. The nut is usually slightly loose in the cage to allow for minor adjustments in alignment. The gap between the two wings determines thickness of material that will hold nut in correct position without pulling it from the base material. The size of square hole will also govern the position of the nut. If the size of hole is too large it will still pull out from the base.