Cage Nut

A cage nut consists of a square nut in a spring steel cage which wraps around the nut. The cage has two lugs that when compressed allow the cage to be inserted into a square hole. When the lugs are released, they hold the nut in position behind the hole. Using cage nuts provides several benefits over threaded holes. It permits a range of choice of nut and bolts size. If a screw is over-tightened, the nut can easily be replaced, unlike a pre-threaded hole with stripped threads. Cage nuts are easy to use on materials too thin or soft to be threaded.The nut is slightly loose in the cage to allow for minor adjustments in alignment, reducing the likelihood that the threads will be stripped during equipment installation and removal. The dimensions of the spring steel lugs determines thickness of the panel into which the cage nut may be fitted. The cage / lug dimensions determine the range of hole sizes into which the cage nut can be fitted. Cage nuts are commonly used in the mounting rails of equipment racks.