NUTS AND LOCK NUTS COUPLED IN ONE SINGLE UNIT FOR TIGHTENING AT A CONTROLLED TORSION

• US 3,664,226 A
• Filed: 06/12/1970
• Issued: 05/23/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cesar Fernandez-Veraud Gonzalez
• Original Assignee: Cesar Fernandez-Veraud Gonzalez
• Inventors: Gonzalez, Cesar Fernandez-Veraud
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Application Number:
  US05/045,760
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 85/61,62,32V 151/15,17,16,18 81/52.4
• US Class Current: 411/2
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 31/021 by means of a frangible part F16B31/025, F16B31/028 take precedence; break members in torque limiters or torque indicators in wrenches or screwdrivers B25B23/1415
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/12 by means of locknuts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/931 Superposed nuts

Abstract

Improvements on nuts and lock nuts characterized by their being threaded in one single unit and comprising two separate pieces namely: a lower nut portion properly said and an upper lock nut portion which simultaneously tightens said lower nut portion to a degree of delimited and adjustable torsion by means of the utilization of torsion clamps or wires which join the bodies of the nut and of the lock nut.

Claims

1. In a nut and lock nut coupled in one single unit to be tightened to a controlled torsion, the improvement characterized by comprising in combination a lower nut portion and an upper lock nut portion having coaxial threaded bores each defining a substantially continuous thread of like hand and pitch, the nut and the lock nut being correspondingly grooved on their exterior peripheral surfaces, clamps of metal or similar materials having rupture points adapted to rupture at a specific torsion received in aligned grooves in the nut and the lock nut, the lower face of the lock nut and the upper face of the nut having protuberances each extending throughout part of a circle less than 180*, the grooves of the nut and of the lock nut extending angularly onto the aforementioned upper and lower faces whereby angular extremities of the holding clamps are fixed therein, the protuberances having leading and trailing surfaces with respect to the direction in which the nut unit is to be driven, wherein the leading face of the protuberance on the lock nut and the trailing face of the protuberance on the nut are spaced apart prior to rupture of the clamps.

2. The improvement in accordance with claim 1 characterized furthermore by the inner thread or fillet of the nut and the lock nut being continuous with both pieces acting as one single unit, and wherein the clamps or holding elements which delimit the degree of specific torsion are used to prevent the gliding or loosening of the nut and of the lock nut once the adjustment of such pieces is finished.

3. A nut and lock nut combination, comprising:

a lower nut portion and an upper lock nut portion each having coaxial threaded bores defining a substantially continuous thread of like hand and pitch, the lower face of the lock nut and the upper face of the nut having radially opposed protuberances each extending throughout part of a circle less than 180* and including end surfaces in circumferentially spaced relationship, the axial extremities of said protuberances and the remainder of the lower face of the lock nut and the upper face of the nut being substantially planar, each of said protuberances being externally laterally grooved, and a substantially circular wire or spring of selected expansion at a predetermined torsion positioned within the lateral grooves, whereby the nut and lock nut is held in position as a unit, the wire or spring including resilient means for maintaining the end surfaces in said circumferentially spaced relationship until said predetermined torsion is applied to the lock nut, whereupon the wire or spring is expanded, and the nut and the lock nut are permitted to move relative to each other.