LOCK NUT

• US 3,762,455 A
• Filed: 11/26/1971
• Issued: 10/02/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raymond B. Anderson Jr
• Original Assignee: Raymond B. Anderson Jr
• Inventors: Anderson, Raymond B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Application Number:
  US05/202,167
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 151/28,27,29,2,30 85/8.8,62 285/93
• US Class Current: 411/190
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/10 by a plate, spring, wire or ring immovable with regard to the bolt or object and mainly perpendicular to the axis of the boltF16B39/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/926 Positive lock

Abstract

A lock nut assembly is disclosed in which a lock ring is adapted to be disposed and secured within an undercut cavity formed in the main body of the lock nut. The cavity is formed by a bottom transverse wall, a peripheral side wall extending upwardly therefrom, and an upper transverse wall. An annular set of teeth is mounted about the periphery of the lower portion of the sidewall adjacent the bottom wall. The space between the teeth and the upper transverse wall forms an undercut groove. The lock ring comprises a split ring having a central portion and a pair of leg portions extending outwardly therefrom. The central portion includes an inwardly extending key, an outwardly extending projection, and a pair of sectors having a plurality of teeth formed on the periphery thereof. The key is adapted to extend into a longitudinal keyway formed on an axle, shaft or like element to lock the ring against rotation with respect to the element. The projection is adapted to extend into the undercut groove while the teeth of the sectors are adapted to engage a portion of the teeth formed in the cavity to lock the ring against rotation with the nut. The central portion of the ring is secured in position by the legs of the lock ring extending into the undercut groove. Besides being biased outwardly to engage the sidewall of the undercut groove, the lock ring legs are biased in the axial direction to cause the upper surface of the legs to be biased against the upper wall and the central portion of the ring to be biased against the bottom surface of the cavity, thereby ensuring that the lock ring remains secure and in contact with the teeth in the cavity without becoming dislodged.

Claims

1. A two piece lock nut assembly adapted to be secured to a threaded member with a keyway comprising:

a nut having an axial bore and an annular shoulder portion surrounding the bore at one end of the nut, the nut further having an axially traverse annular groove circumscribing the base of the nut adjacent the shoulder portion and being axially outward thereof toward the one end;

a split ring including a radially inwardly extending key member on the inner edge thereof adapted to engage the keyway groove of the threaded element, a ring body portion and a flexible leg portion extending circumferentially from each end of the body portion, the ring body portion lying in a first plane and the flexible leg portions substantially lying in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane, the pair of flexible leg portions operatively engaging the annular groove and the ring body portion operatively bearing against the shoulder portion;

alignment means on the nut for relatively positioning the split ring;

co-acting alignment means on the split ring for co-operating with the nut alignment means to prevent relative rotation between the nut and the split ring, and camming means for biasing the split ring against the nut including an outwardly projecting member on the outer edge of the split ring extending into the second plane of the flexible leg portions with at least a portion of the projecting member lying in the second plane for engaging the annular groove whereby the respective operative engagement of the projecting member, ring body member and flexible leg portions with the nut in two separate planes provides an axial force between the nut and split ring to hold them together.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the alignment means on the nut are a series of peripheral teeth adjacent the shoulder portion of the nut lying in the first plane and beneath the axially traverse annular groove.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the co-acting alignment means on the split ring lie in the first plane adjacent the projecting mEmber and comprise teeth capable of intermeshing with the peripheral teeth.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of the flexible leg portions includes a notch adapted to receive a tool to enable the flexible leg portions to be compressed from the annular groove for removal of the split ring.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein the teeth of the split ring do not receive any axial forces and are positioned on the ring body portion on either side of the projecting member.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein the projecting member extends from the ring body portion.