Nut and locking device

• US 5,772,373 A
• Filed: 11/20/1995
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Warn Industries Incorporated (LKQ Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Warn Industries Incorporated (LKQ Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Stuart, Hensley, James D., Wood, David C., Cronin, Philip J. II, Williams, Lonnie G. Jr., Bigley, Jon A., Dunlap, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUU, TUYET PHUONG PHAM
• Application Number:
  US08/560,629
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 411/197, 411/198, 411/191, 411/190, 411/119-121, 411/149, 411/150, 411/955, 411/953, 411/153, 411/152, 411/220, 411/948, 81/461, 81/176.15, 81/176.2
• US Class Current: 411/120
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/48 for special purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/50 for operating on work of special profile, e.g. pipes
• 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: F16B 39/108 with a locking washer under the nut or bolt head having at least one tongue or lug folded against the nut or bolt head, or against the object itself F16B39/103 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2226/60 with threaded parts, e.g. bolt and nut connections in general F16B23/00 - F16B43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/063 Fixing them on the shaft with interposition of an element F16C35/07
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 41/061 the intermediate members wedging by movement having an axial component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/948 Longitudinal key
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/955 Locked bolthead or nut

Abstract

A spindle nut and a locking device are disclosed for securing the nut on a spindle in a non-rotative position relative to the spindle. The assembly comprises the spindle nut, an antirotation spring and a spring backup plate mounted on the spindle. The antirotation spring and spring backup plate may be formed as a single unit.

Claims

1. A nut and locking device for securing a nut in position on a threaded shaft comprising:

a nut having a threaded aperture for engaging the threads on the shaft whereby rotation of the nut in one direction moves the nut onto the shaft and reverse rotation moves the nut off of the shaft, the nut having at least one notch formed therein;

a spring having an aperture for receiving the shaft and mated to the shaft to permit axial movement and prevent rotation of the spring relative to the shaft, the spring defining a plane against which the nut is received as the nut is rotated onto the shaft;

at least one resilient spring finger integrally formed in the spring and resiliently biased out of the plane toward the nut so as to engage the notch and prevent reverse rotation of the nut relative to the shaft.

2. A nut and locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein the spring finger is directed circumferentially in the direction of rotation that moves the nut onto the shaft whereby the spring finger is cammed away from the notch when turning the nut onto the shaft and engages the notch when turning the nut off of the shaft.

3. A nut and locking device as defined in claim 2 wherein the notch is an inset in the nut and restricts the projection of the spring finger onto the notch.

4. A nut and locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein multiple spring fingers are provided on the spring and multiple notches are provided on the nut, said notches and fingers at varying peripheral positions to provide a finger and notch mating at different incremental rotative positions.

5. A nut and locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein the spring finger is directed axially toward the nut to prevent movement of the nut onto and off of the shaft.

6. A system for securing a nut in a rotative position on a shaft having a longitudinal slot in a threaded end, comprising:

a spring having an aperture for receiving the shaft, the spring having one or more spring fingers extending therefrom and a leg extending radially inward into the aperture for engaging the longitudinal slot of the shaft;

a nut having internal threads for engagement with the threaded end of the shaft, the nut having one or more notches formed therein, the notches configured and arranged to receive the spring fingers of the spring; and

a tool moveable from an engaged position in which the tool engages the nut to allow rotation thereof and in which position the tool occupies the notches to prevent entry of the spring fingers into the notches, to a disengaged position in which at least one spring finger engages a notch so as to prevent rotation of the nut relative to the shaft.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the device further includes:

a spring backup plate having an aperture for receiving the shaft, said plate having a projection extending into the aperture for engaging the longitudinal slot of the shaft, the plate positioned on the shaft adjacent to the spring, with the spring positioned between the plate and the nut.

8. The system of claimed 6 wherein the spring fingers on the spring and the notches in the nut are unequal in number.

9. An apparatus for locking a nut onto a spindle having a longitudinal slot in a threaded end, comprising:

a nut having an internal thread such that the nut is threadably mountable on the spindle, the nut having a peripheral flange with notches formed in the flange;

a locking spring mountable on the spindle adjacent to the flange of the nut, the spring having a plurality of spring fingers projecting therefrom, each spring finger having an end that is biased towards the flange of the nut, the spring fingers configured to fit into the notches of the nut and wherein the spring has a leg extending radially inward, the leg configured to be received in the slot of the spindle; and

a plate mountable on the spindle adjacent to the locking spring, the plate having a projection extending radially inward and configured to be received in the slot of the spindle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a tool for adjusting the apparatus, the tool comprising a body having fingers projecting from an edge surface of the tool, the fingers being equal in number to the number of notches in the flange of the nut, and configured to prevent entry of the spring fingers into the notches when the tool is engaged with the nut.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the tool further comprises lands on the edge surface of the body, the lands defining a maximum depth to which the fingers of the tool can be inserted into the notches of the nut.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the notches formed in the flange of the nut include a step projecting from the flange into the notch.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the spring fingers of the locking spring project radially from the body of the locking spring and are generally linear in configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the spring fingers of the locking spring comprise a stem that projects radially from the body of the locking spring, and a tab that extends circumferentially from the stem, the tab forming the biased end of the spring finger.

18. A method of securing a wheel hub to a wheel spindle comprising the steps of:

providing a system as defined in claim 12;

introducing the wheel hub onto the spindle;

positioning the spring backup plate on the spindle adjacent to the bearings of the wheel hub, such that the projection is engaged in the slot of the spindle;

positioning the locking spring on the spindle adjacent to the spring backup plate, such that the leg is engaged in the slot of the spindle;

positioning the nut on the spindle adjacent to the locking spring;

engaging the nut with the tool such that the tool fingers are received in the notches of the nut;

rotating the tool to tighten the nut, locking spring and spring backup plate against the bearings of the wheel hub until a desired load is established against the bearings; and

removing the tool such that at least one of the spring fingers is received within at least one of the notches, thereby locking the assembly onto the spindle.

15. A system for securing a wheel hub having bearings onto a wheel spindle having a longitudinal slot formed in a threaded end comprising:

an internally threaded nut securing the wheel hub to the spindle, the nut having a peripheral flange and wherein a plurality of stepped notches are formed in the flange;

a disk shaped locking spring comprising a spring body from which projects a plurality of spring fingers each having a peripheral end, said end biased axially relative to the spindle and configured to fit into a notch in the flange of the nut, and wherein the spring has a leg extending radially inward, the leg configured to be received in the slot of the spindle;

a spring backup plate comprising a plate body and, extending radially inward from the plate body, a projection configured to be received in the slot of the spindle; and

a tool comprising a tool body having fingers projecting from an edge surface of the tool, the fingers being equal in number to the number of notches in the flange of the nut, and configured to prevent entry of the ends of the spring fingers into the notches when the tool is engaged with the nut.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the spring fingers of the locking spring project radially from the body of the locking spring and are generally linear in configuration.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the spring fingers of the locking spring each comprise a stem projecting radially from the body of the locking spring, and, on the end of the stem, a tab that extends circumferentially from the stem, the tab forming the biased end of the spring finger.

19. A method of securing a nut in position on a threaded spindle comprising the steps of:

placing a spring having an aperture for receiving the spindle onto the spindle such that the spring cannot rotate relative to the spindle, the spring defining a first plane that is generally normal to a longitudinal axis of the spindle;

providing at least one spring finger on the spring, the spring finger being biased so as to extend from the first plane;

threading a nut having a first side onto the spindle such that the first side abuts the first plane, the nut having at least one notch open to the first side;

placing a tool in the notch to press the spring finger toward the first plane as the nut is threaded onto the spindle; and

removing the tool from the notch to allow the spring finger to extend from the first plane and engage the slot so as to prevent rotation of the nut relative to the spindle.