Locking nut, bolt and clip systems and assemblies

• US 6,679,663 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2001
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• 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., Stanley, Carl Richard, Luster, David Ruyl, Silberman, Irwin I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US09/850,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20020168244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 411/326-329, 411/950, 411/951
• US Class Current: 411/329
• 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. A locking nut and bolt system comprising:

a bolt having a bolt stem along and an axial centerline and a bolt thread formed on said bolt stem, said bolt thread defining bolt thread crests and bolt thread troughs;

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;

a nut having a nut thread defined in an internal passageway and an end face, said nut thread being complementary to said bolt thread;

a recess defined on said end face of said nut below said nut end face;

an elongated locking unit formed as a cylinder, said locking unit cylinder having a forward axial edge, an aft axial edge and a central region therebetween, at least one tine formed in said central region away from said forward and said aft axial edge and protruding tangentially and radially inward toward said axial centerline, said locking unit sized to fit within said nut recess, said forward axial, edge swaged on said end face of said nut, 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 distal tine end moves radially inward when said distal tine end is disposed in one or more notches and moves radially outward when said distal tine end rides on said bolt thread crest, and said radially inward and outward movement being visible due to the disposition of said elongated locking unit on said end face of said nut, and said lock face of said notch preventing counter-rotational movement of said bolt with respect to said nut when said distal tine end abuts said lock face.

2. A locking nut and bolt system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said forward axial edge includes at least one V-shaped cut-out along its periphery to enable fixation by swage with said nut end face.

3. A locking nut and bolt system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cylinder forming said locking unit includes a forward cylinder wall segment and a rearward cylinder wall segment respectively defining said forward and aft axial edges, said at least one tine located in said central region between said forward and rearward cylinder wall segments.

4. A locking nut and bolt system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said nut end face includes a shallow radial ledge peripherally disposed about said nut end face recess and said locking unit having an axial end ring member disposed on said shallow radial ledge.

5. A locking nut and bolt system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said axial end ring carries a plurality of cut-outs or notches.

6. A locking nut and bolt system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said axial end ring and said plurality of cut-outs or notches are swaged into said nut recess.