One-piece self-locking nut

• US 10,323,679 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crushlock, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crushlock, Inc.
• Inventors: Limatoc, Arnold R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US15/221,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20160333921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 411277, 411278, 411285, 411290, 4119372, 411303
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/026 by swaging the nut on the bolt, i.e. by plastically deforming the nut
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/122 foreseen with mating surfaces inclined, i.e. not normal, to the bolt axis
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/286 caused by saw cuts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/34 Locking by deformable inserts or like parts

Abstract

A self-locking nut includes a main-nut body and a deformable-nut body. The main-nut body has a recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming x turns of an internal thread therein. The deformable-nut body has an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming y turns of an internal thread therein. The outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between the deformable-nut body and the recess. A ratio of x:y is about 2:1.

Claims

1. A self-locking nut comprising:

a main-nut body having a recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming more than three turns of an internal thread therein; and

a deformable-nut body having an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming less than three turns of an internal thread therein, the outer flange of the deformable-nut body being relatively thinner than the rest of the deformable-nut body such that the outer flange deforms during installation of the self-locking nut on a threaded bolt shaft, the outer flange of the deformable-nut body having a first elastic modulus and the rest of the deformable-nut body having a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus,

wherein the outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between the deformable-nut body and the recess.

2. The self-locking nut of claim 1, wherein the outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that a generally cylindrical portion of the relief space is established between the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body and the interior threaded bore of the main-nut body.

3. The self-locking nut of claim 2, wherein the generally cylindrical portion of the relief space has a first maximum height prior to installation of the self-locking nut on a threaded bolt shaft and wherein the generally cylindrical portion of the relief space is configured to have a second maximum height after installation of the self-locking nut on the threaded bolt shaft, the second maximum height being less than the first maximum height.

4. The self-locking nut of claim 3, wherein second maximum height is less than fifty percent of the first maximum height.

5. The self-locking nut of claim 1, wherein the relief space provides an area for the deformable-nut body to deform into during installation of the self-locking nut on a threaded bolt shaft.

6. The self-locking nut of claim 1, wherein, prior to installation of the self-locking nut on a threaded bolt shaft, a first portion of the deformable-nut body is contained in the recess of the main-nut body.

7. The self-locking nut of claim 6, wherein the deformable-nut body is configured such that after installation of the self-locking nut on the threaded bolt shaft, a second portion of the deformable-nut body is contained in the recess of the main-nut body.

8. The self-locking nut of claim 7, wherein the second portion of the deformable-nut body has a larger volume than the first portion of the deformable-nut body.

9. The self-locking nut of claim 1, wherein the main-nut body has an outer surface that is configured to be engaged by a tool to rotate the self-locking nut about a threaded bolt shaft during installation.

10. The self-locking nut of claim 9, wherein the deformable-nut body has an outer surface that is configured to be engaged by the tool to rotate the self-locking nut about the threaded bolt shaft during installation.

11. The self-locking nut of claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the main-nut body and the outer surface of the deformable-nut body each has a hexagonal outer cross-section.

12. The self-locking nut of claim 9, wherein the outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that an outer surface of the deformable-nut body is not co-planar with an outer surface of the main-nut body and the deformable-nut body cannot be engaged by the tool to rotate the self-locking nut about the threaded bolt shaft during installation.

13. The self-locking nut of claim 1, wherein the recess extends from a front surface of the main-nut body towards an opposing back surface of the main-nut body.

14. The self-locking nut of claim 13, wherein the recess is an inwardly tapered recess.

15. The self-locking nut of claim 14, wherein the inwardly tapered recess is annular and at an angle relative to a central axis of the self-locking nut between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees.

16. The self-locking nut of claim 1, wherein the interior threaded bore of the main-nut body forms between about 3.25 and about 6 turns of the internal thread and the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body forms between about 0.5 and about 2.75 turns of the internal thread.

17. The self-locking nut of claim 16, wherein the interior threaded bore of the main-nut body forms about 4 turns of the internal thread and the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body forms about 2 turns of the internal thread.

18. The self-locking nut of claim 1, wherein the self-locking nut is made from a first material having a first elastic modulus and the threaded bolt shaft is made from a second material having a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus.

19. A self-locking nut comprising:

a main-nut body having (i) a front surface, (ii) an opposing back surface, (iii) an outer surface configured to be engaged by a tool to rotate the self-locking nut about a threaded bolt shaft thereby causing the main-nut body to move axially in a first direction towards an object, (iv) an interior threaded bore forming a plurality of turns of an internal thread therein, and (v) a recess in the front surface extending into the main-nut body; and

a deformable-nut body having (i) a front surface configured to engage the object thereby limiting axial movement of the deformable-nut body, (ii) an opposing back surface, (iii) an outer surface, (iv) an interior threaded bore forming at least a portion of a turn of an internal thread therein, and (v) an outer flange, the outer flange of the deformable-nut body having a first elastic modulus and the rest of the deformable-nut body having a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus;

wherein the outer flange of the deformable-nut body is attached to the front surface of the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between a portion of the opposing back surface of the deformable-nut body and the recess, the relief space providing an area for the deformable-nut body to deform into during installation of the self-locking nut on the threaded bolt shaft.

20. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the deformable-nut body has a first shape prior to installation of the self-locking nut on the threaded bolt shaft and is configured to have a different second shape after installation of the self-locking nut on the threaded bolt shaft.

21. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the deformable-nut body to deforms during installation of the self-locking nut on the threaded bolt shaft by flowing into the relief space.

22. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the outer surface of the deformable-nut body is configured to be engaged by the tool to rotate the self-locking nut about the threaded bolt shaft thereby causing the deformable-nut body to move axially in the first direction towards the object.

23. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body forms less than three complete turns of the internal thread therein.

24. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body forms less than two complete turns of the internal thread therein.

25. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body forms less than one complete turn of the internal thread therein.

26. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the internal thread of the main-nut body has the same pitch as the internal thread of the deformable-nut body.

27. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the front surface of the main-nut body is welded to the outer flange of the deformable-nut body.

28. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the recess is an inwardly tapered recess.

29. The self-locking nut of claim 28, wherein the inwardly tapered recess is annular.

30. The self-locking nut of claim 29, wherein the inwardly tapered recess is at an angle relative to a central axis of the self-locking nut between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees.

31. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the plurality of turns of the internal thread of the main-nut body is at least two complete turns of the internal thread.

32. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the plurality of turns of the internal thread of the main-nut body is at least three complete turns of the internal thread.

33. The self-locking nut of claim 19, wherein the plurality of turns of the internal thread of the main-nut body is at least four complete turns of the internal thread.

34. A method of making a self-locking nut, the method comprising:

providing a main-nut body having a recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming more than three turns of an internal thread therein;

providing a deformable-nut body having an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming less than three turns of an internal thread therein, the outer flange of the deformable-nut body having a first elastic modulus and the rest of the deformable-nut body having a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus; and

fixing the outer flange of the deformable-nut body to the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between the deformable-nut body and the recess.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the recess is an inwardly tapered recess.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the inwardly tapered recess is annular and at an angle relative to a central axis of the self-locking nut between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the interior threaded bore of the main-nut body forms between about 3.25 and about 6 turns of the internal thread and the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body forms between about 0.5 and about 2.75 turns of the internal thread.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the interior threaded bore of the main-nut body forms about four turns of the internal thread and the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body forms about two turns of the internal thread.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the relief space provides an area for the deformable-nut body to deform into during installation of the self-locking nut on a threaded bolt shaft.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the main-nut body is provided with an outer surface that is configured to be engaged by a tool to rotate the self-locking nut about a threaded bolt shaft during installation.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the deformable-nut body is provided with an outer surface that is configured to be engaged by the tool to rotate the self-locking nut about the threaded bolt shaft during installation.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein the outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that (i) the deformable-nut body cannot rotate relative to the main-nut body and (ii) the interior threaded bore of the deformable-nut body is timed with the interior threaded bore of the main-nut body.

43. A method of making a self-locking nut, the method comprising:

providing a deformable-nut body having an outer flange and an interior bore, the outer flange of the deformable-nut body having a first elastic modulus and the rest of the deformable-nut body having a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus;

providing a main-nut body having a recess leading into an interior bore;

fixing the outer flange of the deformable-nut body to the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between the deformable-nut body and the recess;

tapping the interior bore of the deformable-nut body such that less than three turns of an internal thread are formed therein; and

tapping the interior bore of the main-nut body such that more than three turns of an internal thread are formed therein.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the tapping of the interior bore of the deformable-nut body and the tapping of the interior bore of the main-nut body occurs with the same tool, one after the other.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the relief space provides an area for the deformable-nut body to deform into during installation of the self-locking nut on a threaded bolt shaft.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the recess is an inwardly tapered recess at an angle relative to a central axis of the self-locking nut between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees.

47. A method of permanently locking a self-locking nut on a threaded bolt shaft of a bolt, the self-locking nut having a deformable-nut body fixed to a main-nut body such that a relief space is formed therebetween, the deformable-nut body including an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming less than three turns of an internal thread therein, the outer flange having a first elastic modulus and the rest of the deformable-nut body having a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus, the main nut-body having a recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming more than three turns of an internal thread therein, the method comprising:

positioning the threaded bolt shaft through an opening in an object such that a portion of the threaded bolt shaft protrudes from the opening;

threading the self-locking nut onto the portion of the threaded bolt shaft protruding from the opening by rotating the self-locking nut in a first rotational direction, thereby causing the self-locking nut to move axially in a first direction towards a surface of the object;

continuing to thread the self-locking nut onto the portion of the threaded bolt shaft such that a front surface of the deformable-nut body abuts the surface of the object; and

with the front surface of the deformable-nut body abutting the surface of the object, applying a rotational torque, in the first rotational direction, to the self-locking nut to cause;

(i) the main-nut body to move axially in the first direction, and

(ii) the deformable-nut body to deform, thereby entering into the relief space formed between the deformable-nut body and the main-nut body, thereby locking the self-locking nut onto the threaded bolt shaft of the bolt.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the deformable-nut body has an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming less than three turns of an internal thread therein.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the main-nut body has an inwardly tapered recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming more than three turns of an internal thread therein.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising applying a lubricant to at least the front surface of the deformable-nut body.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the applying the rotational torque includes engaging a non-rotational feature of the self-locking nut with a wrench.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein the applying the rotational torque causes a height of the relief space to be reduced from a first maximum height to a second maximum height.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein second maximum height is less than fifty percent of the first maximum height.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the height of the relief space is measured along a central axis of the self-locking nut.

55. A self-locking nut comprising:

a main-nut body having a recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming x turns of an internal thread therein; and

a deformable-nut body having an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming y turns of an internal thread therein, the outer flange having a first elastic modulus and the rest of the deformable-nut body having a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus,

wherein the outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between the deformable-nut body and the recess, and wherein x is greater than y.

56. The self-locking nut of claim 55, wherein a ratio of x:

y is about 2;

1.

57. The self-locking nut of claim 55, wherein a ratio of x:

y is about 3;

1.

58. The self-locking nut of claim 55, wherein a ratio of x:

y is about 4;

1.