Locking nut, bolt and clip systems and assemblies

• US 6,010,289 A
• Filed: 04/07/1998
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Permanent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Permanent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: DiStasio, Robert J., Feick, William Kurt, Bowling, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US09/056,292
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 411/174, 411/175, 411/112, 411/296, 411/299, 411/300, 411/326, 411/327, 411/329, 411/941.1, 411/950, 411/951, 411/952, 411/114, 411/115, 411/7
• US Class Current: 411/174
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 213/10 Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 215/60 the chain having two carbon atoms between the amino groups and the six-membered aromatic ring or the condensed ring system containing that ring
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 217/30 having the oxygen atom of at least one of the etherified hydroxy groups further bound to a carbon atom of a six-membered aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 227/34 by separation of optical isomers
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 229/08 the nitrogen atom of the amino group being further bound to hydrogen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 269/08 Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 271/22 to carbon atoms of hydrocarbon radicals substituted by carboxyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 207/16 Carbon atoms having three bonds to hetero atoms with at the most one bond to halogen, e.g. ester or nitrile radicals
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/32 Locking by means of a pawl or pawl-like tongue
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/95 Rachet and nut-carried pawl
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/951 Flexible

Abstract

The locking nut and bolt system utilizes a bolt with thread having a plurality of notches generally longitudinally spaced in a predetermined pattern. Each notch has a lock face and an opposing slope. The locking unit carries one or more tines. The tine has a distal tine end adapted to latch onto the lock face of the notch on the bolt and, when the distal tine end is not disposed in one or more notches, the tine end moves on the bolt thread crest. When the distal tine end is in the notch or notches, the lock face of the notch prevents counter-rotational movement of the bolt with respect to the nut when the distal tine end abuts the lock face. The locking unit supports the tine and may be cylindrical, rectangular or on a perpendicular support face normal to a radial plane through the axial centerline of the nut thread. The locking unit may be on a nut insert or may be carried on the leg of a U, J or S-shaped clip. The locking unit may be recessed as a blind hole.

Claims

1. An S-shaped locking nut and bolt assembly for a bored panel comprising:

an elongated bolt having a stem and a bolt thread on said stem, said bolt thread defining bolt thread crest and bolt thread troughs, said bolt having a plurality of notches defined on said bolt thread generally longitudinally in a predetermined pattern with proximal notches being longitudinally adjacent each other on said bolt thread, each notch having a lock face and an opposing slope on said bolt thread which form a locking channel on said stem;

an S-shaped member having first, second and third elongated, generally planar legs;

a nut formed on one of said second and said third legs, said nut having a nut thread about an axial centerline which is complementary to said bolt thread;

a locking element formed on the other of said second and third legs, said locking element having a locking element bore coaxial with respect to said axial centerline, said locking element having a plurality of axially protruding legs perpendicular to said planar other leg and having a corresponding plurality of tines, each tine protruding tangentially and radially inward toward said axial centerline, said axially protruding legs depending from said planar other leg, each said tine having a distal tine end adapted to latch on said lock face of said notch and a proximal tine portion attached to said corresponding axially protruding leg;

said S-shaped member adapted to be mounted on said panel with said axial centerline of said nut, said panel bore and said locking element bore being substantially coaxially aligned;

one of said plurality of distal tine ends being adapted to move radially inward when said distal tine end is disposed in one or more notches and move radially outward when said distal tine end rides on said bolt thread crest, and the position of said distal tine end being visible due to the disposition of said elongated locking element on said third leg.

2. A locking nut and bolt assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of tines are disposed circumferentially about said locking element bore.

3. An S-shaped locking nut assembly for a bored panel and an elongated bolt having a stem and a bolt thread on said stem, said bolt thread defining bolt thread crest and bolt thread troughs, said bolt having a plurality of notches defined on said bolt thread generally longitudinally in a predetermined pattern with proximal notches being longitudinally adjacent each other on said bolt thread, each notch having a lock face and an opposing slope on said bolt thread which form a locking channel on said stem, said locking nut assembly comprising:

an S-shaped member having first, second and third elongated, generally planar legs;

a nut formed on one of said second and said third legs, said nut having a nut thread about an axial centerline which is complementary to said bolt thread;

an elongated locking unit formed on the other of said second and said third legs, said locking unit formed as a cylinder with its cylindrical axis perpendicular to the plane of said other leg, said locking unit having at least one tine protruding tangentially and radially inward toward said cylindrical axis, said tine having a distal tine end adapted to latch on said lock face of said notch and a proximal tine portion adjacent said cylinder, said cylinder defining a cut-out at said tine;

said S-shaped member adapted to be mounted on said panel with said axial centerline of said nut, said panel bore and said cylindrical axis of said locking unit being substantially coaxially aligned;

said distal tine end being adapted to move radially inward when said distal tine end is disposed in one or more notches and move radially outward when said distal tine end rides on said bolt thread crest, and the position of said distal tine end being visible due to the disposition of said elongated locking unit on said other leg.

4. A locking nut assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said cylinder carries a plurality of tines protruding tangentially and radially toward said axial centerline, said plurality of tines disposed circumferentially about said cylinder.

5. An S-shaped locking nut assembly for a bored panel and an elongated bolt having a stem and a bolt thread on said stem, said bolt thread defining bolt thread crest and bolt thread troughs, said bolt having a plurality of notches defined on said bolt thread generally longitudinally in a predetermined pattern with proximal notches being longitudinally adjacent each other on said bolt thread, each notch having a lock face and an opposing slope on said bolt thread which form a locking channel on said stem, said locking nut assembly comprising:

an S-shaped member having first, second and third elongated, generally planar legs;

a nut formed on one of said second and said third legs, said nut having a nut thread about an axial centerline which is complementary to said bolt thread;

a locking element formed on the other of said second and said third legs, said locking element having a locking element bore coaxial with respect to said axial centerline, said locking element having a plurality of axially protruding legs perpendicular to said planar other leg and having a corresponding plurality of tines, each tine protruding tangentially and radially inward toward said axial centerline, said axially protruding legs depending from said planar other leg, each said tine having a distal tine end adapted to latch on said lock face of said notch and a proximal tine portion attached to said corresponding axially protruding leg;

said S-shaped member adapted to be mounted on said panel with said axial centerline of said nut, said panel bore and said locking element bore being substantially coaxially aligned;

one of said plurality of distal tine ends being adapted to move radially inward when said distal tine end is disposed in one or more notches and move radially outward when said distal tine end rides on said bolt thread crest, and the position of said distal tine end being visible due to the disposition of said elongated locking element on said other leg.

6. A locking nut assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said plurality of tines are disposed circumferentially about said locking element bore.