Fastener assembly

• US 20050207865A1
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Metal Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Metal Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Disantis, Raymond, Bellows, Lance Clark
• Granted Patent: US 7,270,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 411/160
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 35/041 Specially-shaped shafts shape of thread F16B33/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/282 Locking by means of special shape of work-engaging surfaces, e.g. notched or toothed nuts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/911 One-way drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/95 Rachet and nut-carried pawl

Abstract

A fastener assembly includes a threaded bolt and a locking nut assembly. The threaded bolt includes at least one longitudinal groove. The locking nut assembly includes a nut adapted to threadingly engage the bolt, a locking ring adapted to engage the bolt and the nut, and a biasing member adapted to bias the locking ring. The nut includes a threaded bore dimensioned to receive the bolt and a plurality of teeth formed on a face of the nut. The locking ring includes at least one inwardly protruding tab dimensioned to be received by the at least one longitudinal groove of the threaded bolt and a plurality of teeth formed on a face of the ring. The teeth on the face of the locking ring cooperate with the teeth on the face of the nut to inhibit removal of the nut from the bolt after the nut has been tightened. A method for manufacturing the fastener assembly and a tool for use with the fastener assembly is also provided.

Claims

1. A fastener assembly comprising:

a threaded bolt including at least one longitudinal groove; and

a locking nut assembly comprising;

a nut adapted to threadingly engage the bolt, the nut including a threaded bore dimensioned to receive the bolt, a counterbore axially aligned with the threaded bore and a plurality of teeth formed on a recessed face that is normal to a longitudinal axis of the nut, each tooth for the nut being disposed at a negative rake angle;

a locking ring adapted to engage the bolt and the nut and dimensioned to be at least partially received in the counterbore, the locking ring including at least one inwardly protruding tab dimensioned to be received by the at least one longitudinal groove and a plurality of teeth formed on a face that is normal to a longitudinal axis of the ring, each tooth for the locking ring being disposed at a negative rake angle and dimensioned to cooperate with a corresponding tooth for the nut; and

a biasing member adapted to bias the locking ring and dimensioned to be at least partially received in the counterbore.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the biasing member comprises a ring made from an elastomeric material.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is adapted to retain the locking ring in the counterbore.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the biasing member includes outwardly protruding fingers and the nut includes recesses dimensioned to receive the fingers.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the counterbore has a depth about equal to or slightly less than a maximum thickness of the locking ring and a maximum thickness of the biasing member.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the nut includes at least two longitudinal bores radially spaced from the threaded bore extending from an end face of the nut that is spaced from the recessed face, each of the at least two longitudinal bores extending from the end face to the recessed face.

7. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising a removal tool comprising a pin retainer having a threaded bore adapted to be threaded onto the bolt and at least two pins extending from the pin retainer that are adapted to be received by the at least two longitudinal bores of the nut.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the nut includes a notch formed in an outer side wall, the notch being adapted to receive at least a portion of a removal tool.

9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a removal tool, the removal tool comprising:

a socket having an opening adapted to cooperate with the nut and an inwardly extending tab for engaging the notch; and

at least two longitudinal pins disposed in the socket and adapted to be received by the at least two longitudinal bores of the nut.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each tooth for the nut and for the locking ring is disposed at a negative rake angle between about 1 degree and about 10 degrees.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein both the ring and the nut are made from powdered metal.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least two adjacent teeth for the nut or for the locking ring are spaced at less than about a 10 degree pitch from one another.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein for the forming a nut step further comprises forming the nut comprising the plurality of teeth, wherein at least two adjacent teeth are spaced from one another at about a 10 degree pitch or less.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein for the forming a locking ring step further comprises forming the locking ring comprising the plurality of teeth, wherein the teeth of the locking ring and the teeth of the nut are configured such that when the ring toothed face and the nut toothed face are adjacent one another and when one of the nut and the locking ring is rotated in the second rotational direction in relation to the other the teeth engage one another to prohibit further rotational movement in the second rotational direction in less than about 10 degrees of rotation in the second rotational direction.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of forming the nut comprises sizing the nut after the sintering step to form the negative rake in the nut teeth, and wherein the step of forming the locking ring further comprises sizing the locking ring after the sintering step to form the negative rake in the ring teeth

13. A method for manufacturing a locking nut assembly, the method comprising:

providing powdered metal into a nut mold;

forming a nut comprising a threaded bore and a plurality of teeth formed on a nut toothed face that is normal to a longitudinal axis of the nut;

sintering the nut;

providing powdered metal into a locking ring mold;

forming a locking ring comprising at least one inwardly protruding tab and a plurality of teeth formed on a ring toothed face that is normal to a longitudinal axis of the locking ring, wherein the teeth of the locking ring and the teeth of the nut are configured such that when the ring toothed face and the nut toothed face are adjacent one another and when one of the nut and the locking ring is rotated in a first-rotational direction in relation to the other the teeth ride over one another and at least one of the nut and the locking ring moves in a first axial direction, and when one of the nut and the locking ring is rotated in a second, opposite, rotational direction in relation to the other the teeth engage one another and at least one of the nut and the locking ring moves in a second, opposite, axial direction; and

sintering the locking ring.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a biasing member that is positioned in relation to the locking ring to allow the locking ring to move axially in relation to the nut when the nut toothed face abuts the ring toothed face and at least one of the nut and the locking ring rotates in the first rotational direction in relation to the other while an axial force is being applied to the locking ring.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising attaching a biasing member to the locking ring.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of forming the nut further comprises forming the nut to include a counterbore aligned with the threaded opening.

20. A fastener assembly comprising:

a bolt including a head, a threaded shank defining a rotational axis and at least one longitudinal groove;

a biasing member including an opening adapted to receive the bolt;

a first ring adapted to receive the bolt between the head of the bolt and the biasing member, the first ring including a bore dimensioned to receive the bolt, at least two teeth-formed on a face that is normal to the rotational axis of the bolt and a peripheral edge that is not axially symmetrical about the rotational axis, each of the at least two teeth of the first ring being disposed at a negative rake angle; and

a locking ring adapted to engage the bolt and the first ring, the locking ring adapted to be positioned between the face of the first ring that includes the at least two teeth and the biasing member, the locking ring including at least one inwardly protruding tab dimensioned to be received by the at least one longitudinal groove of the bolt and at least two teeth formed on a face, each of the at least two teeth of the locking ring being disposed at a negative rake angle and dimensioned to cooperate with a corresponding tooth of the first ring.