Quick adjusting nut

• US 4,693,656 A
• Filed: 09/01/1983
• Issued: 09/15/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alvord-Polk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 5W Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Guthrie, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Gary L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, NEILL R
• Application Number:
  US06/528,576
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 411/432, 411/433, 411/437, 269/180, 269/181, 269/184, 269/182, 408/16, 408/241 S
• US Class Current: 411/433
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/16 with grooves or notches in the pin or shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/0857 with the threaded portions of the nut engaging the thread of the bolt by the action of one or more springs or resilient retaining members F16B37/0821 and F16B37/0835 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/99 Adjustable stop

Abstract

A quick adjusting quill nut having a body with an axial bore therethrough for receiving a threaded shaft and a transverse bore communicating with the axial bore. A button element is disposed in the axial bore, having a transverse aperture therethrough in general registry with the body axial bore, also adapted to receive the shaft. The aperture is formed of offset bores of differing diameters; the larger bore is of a diameter greater than that of the shaft, and the smaller bore is threaded and of a diameter corresponding to that of the shaft. A spring biasing is provided to maintain the threaded bore in threaded engagement with the shaft. The exterior body of the nut is knurled and is marked with precision graduations.

Claims

1. A quickly adjustable stop nut assembly for use on a cylindrical threaded shaft of a milling machine, drill press or similar machine to provide a positive stop for relative motion between portions of the machine, which cylindrical threaded shaft has a predetermined major diameter, said stop nut assembly comprising, in combination:

a body having a generally cylindrical peripheral surface portion, having a through axial passageway including cylindrical portions slightly larger than the major diameter of the shaft to closely receive the shaft while affording free movement of the body axially along the shaft, and having a transverse cylindrical socket extending generally radially into said body, said transverse socket intersecting said axial passageway and opening through the cylindrical peripheral surface portion of said body;

a cylindrical plunger disposed in said socket, said plunger having an outer end manually accessible from the periphery of said body, an inner end portion disposed within said body, and an axis extending between said outer end and end portion, said plunger also having a transverse through aperture which has an inner portion partially defined by threads adjacent the inner end portion of said plunger adapted for engagement with the threads of the shaft, and has an outer portion adjacent the outer end of said plunger affording free transverse movement of the plunger axially along the shaft, said plunger being movable within said socket between a released position with the outer portion of said aperture aligned with said passageway to afford axial movement of said nut assembly along the shaft, to an engaged position with the threads on said plunger engaging with threads on the shaft, said outer end of said plunger being generally aligned with said peripheral surface portion of said body when the plunger is in said engaged position; and

biasing means between the said plunger and said body for biasing said plunger to said engaged position;

said aperture being elongate axially of the plunger and said threads adjacent the inner end of said plunger being adapted for about 180 degree engagement with the threads on the shaft to lock said nut assembly against longitudinal movement on the shaft without relative rotation therebetween when said plunger is moved to said engaged position under the influence of said biasing means; and

said body having a plurality of graduation marks about said generally cylindrical peripheral surface portion to facilitate fine rotational adjustment of the position of said nut assembly along the shaft when said plunger is in said engaged position.

2. A quickly adjustable stop nut assembly according to claim 1 wherein said graduation marks are disposed about one end of said cylindrical peripheral surface portion.

3. A milling machine comprising a quill stop and a cylindrical threaded shaft having a predetermined major diameter, said quill stop and cylindrical threaded shaft being mounted to afford relative movement therebetween with said quill stop along the periphery of said shaft, and a stop nut assembly adjustably mounted on said shaft and adapted for engagement by said quill stop to limit relative movement between said quill stop and said shaft, said stop nut assembly comprising:

a body having a generally cylindrical peripheral surface portion, having a through axial passageway including cylindrical portions slightly larger than the major diameter of the shaft to closely receive the shaft while affording free movement of the body axially along the shaft, and having a cylindrical transverse socket extending generally radially into said body, said transverse socket intersecting said axial passageway and opening through the periphery of said body;

a cylindrical plunger disposed in said socket, said plunger having an outer end manually accessible from the periphery of said body, an inner end portion diposed within said body, and an axis extending between said outer end and end portion, said plunger also having a transverse through aperture which has an inner portion partially defined by threads adjacent the inner end portion of said plunger adapted for engagement with the threads of the shaft, and has an outer portion adjacent the outer end of said plunger affording free transverse movement of the plunger axially along the shaft, said plunger being movable within said socket between a released position with the outer portion of said aperture aligned with said passageway to afford axial movement of said nut assembly along the shaft, to an engaged position with the threads on said plunger engaging with the threads on the shaft, said outer end of said plunger being generally aligned with said peripheral surface portion of said body when the plunger is in said engaged position; and

biasing means between the said plunger and said body for biasing said plunger to said engaged position;

said aperture being elongate axially of the plunger and said threads adjacent the inner end of said plunger being adapted for engagement with the threads on the shaft to lock said nut assembly against longitudinal movement on the shaft without relative rotation therebetween when said plunger is moved to said engaged position under the influence of said biasing means.

4. A milling machine comprising a quill stop and a cylindrical threaded shaft having a predetermined major diameter, said quill stop and shaft being mounted to afford relative movement therebetween with said quill stop along the periphery of said shaft, and a stop nut assembly adjustably mounted on said shaft and adapted for engagement by said quill stop to limit relative movement between said quill stop and said shaft, said stop nut assembly comprising:

a body having a generally cylindrical peripheral surface portion, having a through axial passageway slightly larger than the major diameter of the shaft to closely receive the shaft while affording free movement of the body axially along the shaft, and having a transverse socket generally radially into said body, said transverse socket intersecting said axial passageway and opening through the periphery of said body;

a plunger disposed in said socket, said plunger having an outer end manually accessible from the periphery of said body, an inner end portion disposed within said body, and an axis extending between said outer end and end portions, said plunger also having a transverse through aperture which has an inner portion partially defined by threads adjacent the inner end portion of said plunger adapted for engagement with the threads of the shaft, and has an outer portion adjacent the outer end of said plunger affording free transverse movement of the plunger axially along the shaft, said plunger being movable within said socket between a released position with the outer portion of said aperture aligned with said passageway to afford axial movement of said nut assembly along the shaft, to an engaged position with the threads on said plunger engaging with the threads on the shaft; and

biasing means between the said plunger and said body for biasing said plunger to said engaged position;

said aperture being elongate axially of the plunger and said threads adjacent the inner end of said plunger being adapted for engagement with the threads on the shaft to lock said nut assembly against longitudinal movement on the shaft without relative rotation therebetween when said plunger is moved to said engaged position under the influence of said biasing means; and

said body having a plurality of graduation marks about said generally cylindrical peripheral surface portion to facilitate fine rotational adjustment of the position of said nut assembly along the shaft when said plunger is in said engaged position.

5. A milling machine according to claim 4 wherein said graduation marks are disposed about one end of said cylindrical peripheral surface portion.

6. A milling machine according to claim 5 wherein the outer end of said plunger is generally aligned with said peripheral surface portion of the body when said plunger is in said engaged position.