LOCKING DEVICE

• US 3,880,483 A
• Filed: 04/28/1972
• Issued: 04/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alan H. Snyder Jr
• Original Assignee: Alan H. Snyder Jr
• Inventors: Snyder, Alan H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, Charles J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Susko, Frank
• Application Number:
  US05/248,573
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 308/236
• US Class Current: 384/539
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 23/084 sliding on a complementary spherical surface
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/586 outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/073 between shaft and inner race ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/077 between housing and outer race ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/0823 with radial clamping of a helical wrap spring on the shaft or in the hub bore similar clutches F16D13/025, F16D13/08, F16D27/025, F16D27/105; similar slip couplings F16D7/022; similar free-wheel clutches F16D41/206
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/0835 due to the elasticity of the ring or sleeve

Abstract

A locking device especially adapted to secure relatively movable concentric members together. The device is particularly useful for locking a bearing on a shaft or within a housing. Broadly, the device includes a locking part disposed between first and second concentric members and biased into a frictional engagement with a first of the members so that when such member moves relative to the second member, the locking part is moved frictionally engaging the second member for locking the members together. In one form of the locking device a coil spring is wound about and frictionally engages a first member within a second member and has a tang engageable with a recess in the second member for interlocking the members responsive to rotation of the first member. Another embodiment of the locking device includes an arcuate-shaped spring having wedge portions engaging a first member within a recess of the second member. The recess of the second member is defined by eccentric arcuate locking surface portions converging toward the first member whereby the locking part is moved into wedging relationship between the first and second members for interlocking such members.

Claims

1. A bearing locking system for locking an inner race of a bearing on a shaft comprising:

means providing an internal annular recess within said inner race defined by spaced eccentric circumferential locking surfaces within said inner race providing a recess varying in radial depth from a minimum along spaced first circumferential portions of said recess to a maximum along spaced second circumferential portions of said recess, and locking means comprising an arcuate split spring locking part extending within said recess around a portion of said shaft biased into frictional engagement with said shaft and being movable by rotation of said shaft to a position between said shaft and said race for interlocking said shaft and said race, said locking part having locking wedge lobes along opposite end portions thereof, said locking part being positioned within said inner race around said shaft at a location at which said locking wedge lobes are each in one of said second portions of said recess of maximum depth, said wedge lobes being greater in radial dimension than the depth of said minimum recess portions whereby rotation of said shaft in either direction moves one of said wedge lobes into a wedging relationship between one of said locking surfaces of said bearing inner race and said shaft.

2. A bearing locking system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said locking part encompasses more than 180* of said shaft and the body portion of said part between said end lobes is disposed along the portion of said recess of maximum depth.

3. A bearing locking device for locking an inner race of a bearing on a shaft comprising:

means providing an external annular recess in said shaft means providing an internal recess within said inner race aligned with said external recess on said shaft when said race is on said shaft said recess within said inner race of said bearing comprising three spaced portions of maximum depth defined by eccentric locking surfaces spaced at 120* intervals around said inner race and separated by portions of said space of minimum depth; and

a split locking ring extending a major portion of the circumference of said shaft within said external recess around said shaft disposed within said recess within said inner race, said ring being formed of a diameter less than the diameter of said shaft at said external annular recess whereby said ring is biased into frictional engagement with said shaft when positioned around said shaft, said ring having three wedge portions spaced at 120* internals, each of said wedge portions having a radial dimension greater than the radial depth of said minimum depth portions of said recess and less than the radial depth of said maximum depth portions of said recess whereby rotation of said shaft in either direction moves said locking ring to a position for wedging said three wedge portions of said ring at locking positiOns along said recess of said inner race between said shaft and said inner race.

4. A bearing locking system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said locking ring is substantially rigid and incompressible along radial lines between said inner race and said shaft.