MECHANISM FOR SECURING A NUT AGAINST LOOSENING

• US 3,851,690 A
• Filed: 09/24/1973
• Issued: 12/03/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George S. Wing, Harry L. Bochman Jr
• Original Assignee: George S. Wing, Harry L. Bochman Jr
• Inventors: Wing, George S., Bochman, Harry L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsons, Jr., Marion
• Application Number:
  US05/400,215
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 151/8,28,29,54,44,2R 285/81
• 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: F16C 19/364 with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2226/60 with threaded parts, e.g. bolt and nut connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/063 Fixing them on the shaft with interposition of an element F16C35/07
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/948 Longitudinal key

Abstract

There is disclosed an assembly of a washer having a recess between its hub and periphery, having a base with side portions converging toward the base, and a nut positioned against the washer and mounted over a spindle. Within the recess there is an annular ring member and between the ring member and the base of the recess there is a resilient expandable and contractable ring having juxtaposed ends which normally abut each other, but are adapted to be stretched apart when pressure is applied to the ring member in the direction of pushing the resilient ring along a converging side of the recess to the base. The nut is provided with a plurality of serrations extending radially outward and the hub of the washer is provided with similar serrations also extending radially outward, the serrations of the washer and of the nut being adapted to engage serrations on the annular ring member which are radially inwardly directed. The washer has a tongue adapted to engage within a groove at the surface of the spindle to prevent rotation of the washer. When the resilient ring is in its unstrained condition it holds the annular ring member so that its serrations engage the serrations of both the washer and the nut, thereby preventing the nut from turning on the spindle. By application of a tool which applies pressure against the annular ring member toward the base of the recess the resilient ring is pushed toward the base thereby expanding the ring and resiliently straining it. With the ring member in this position its serrations are disengaged from those of the nut while remaining engaged with those of the washer and under this condition the nut can be turned on the spindle. Release of the pressure on the annular ring member enables the resilient ring to move away from the base of the recess to push and hold the annular ring member with its serrations in engagement with those of the nut as well as with those of the washer, to lock the nut on the spindle.

Claims

1. Mechanism for locking a nut on a threaded spindle having a central longitudinal axis, comprising:

a washer having a hub portion adapted to fit over said spindle and a peripheral portion providing an annular recess having a base, between the peripheral and hub portions, and having a plurality of first serrations extending radially outward from said hub portion toward said peripheral portion;

means for keying said washer to said spindle so that the washer cannot rotate but can slide axially relative to said spindle;

an annular ring member at least partially within said annular recess providing an annular region between the annular ring member and the base of the annular recess, said ring member having a plurality of second serrations extending radially inward therefrom and matching and engaging said first serrations;

a resiliently strainable ring whose diameter can be enlarged and contracted, within said annular region;

a threaded nut adapted to thread on the threaded spindle and to abut the washer, and containing a plurality of third serrations extending radially outward and adapted to engage said second serrations;

said annular recess having a side portion which slants in a direction away from the axis toward its base, and said resiliently strainable ring when unstrained being located at a position of said side portion remote from the base so that when pressure is applied to the annular ring member in the direction of the base of the recess, the annular ring member moves axially toward said base to disengage its serrations from the serrations of the nut, and at the same time the strainable ring is moved toward said base along said slanting side portion and its diameter is resiliently altered, whereupon the nut can be turned on the spindle, and when said pressure is released the strainable ring moves out of the base and pushes the annular ring member into a position where its serrations are in engagement with the nut serrations, thereby locking the nut.

2. Mechanism according to claim 1 in which the annular ring member has a peripheral portion outward from the periphery of the nut, and the washer has a peripheral portion outward from the peripheral portion of the annular ring member.

3. Mechanism according to claim 1 in which the resilient ring has abutting unconnected ends.

4. Mechanism according to claim 3 in which the cross-section of the resilient ring is circular.

5. Mechanism according to claim 1 in which said side portion is adjacent the hub of the washer so that the resilient ring expands in diameter when pushed by the ring member.

6. Mechanism according to claim 1 in which the resilient ring has a circular shape.

7. Mechanism according to claim 1 in which a lip of the periphery of the washer overlies a portion of the annular ring member to hold the annular ring member in assembled relation to the washer.

8. Mechanism according to claim 1 in which a rear part of the periphery of the annular ring member contains markings opposite respective serrations on the annular ring member to show the location of the last-mentioned serrations.

9. Mechanism according to claim 8 in which the rear of the nut contains a marking to indicate when the serrations of the nut are in registration with serrations of the annular ring member.

10. Mechanism according to claim 1 in which the means for keying the washer to the spindle comprises an inwardly protruding tongue to engage a groove within the surface of the spindle.

11. Mechanism according to claim 10 in which a spring strip has one of its ends in engagement with the rear of the nut and passes within and through the nut and along the inside of the tongue of the washer and has its other end in engagement with a front surface of the washer, thereby resiliently holding the nut to the washer.