Positive self-locking fastening means

Claim 1

A FASTENING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CLAMPED MEMBER, A BOLT PASSING THROUGH SAID CLAMPED MEMBER, A NUT THREADED ON SAID BOLT, A WASHER BETWEEN SAID BOLT AND SAID CLAMPED MEMBER, THE THREAD ON SAID BOLT HAVING A PITCH, SAID WASHER HAVING A DISHED PORTION DEFINED BY A RATCHET-LIKE SURFACE WHICH TAPERS BOTH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND RADIALLY, SAID NUT HAVING A RATCHETLIKE SURFACE ON THE END THEREOF COOPERATING WITH THE RATCHET-LIKE SURFACE OF SAID WASHER, SAID COOPERATING RATCHET-LIKE FACES ON THE WASHER AND NUT EACH HAVING SHOULDERED PORTIONS WHICH ARE ENGAGEABLE UPON ROTATION OF SAID NUT IN ITS TIGHTENING DIRECTION, SAID COOPERATING SURFACES ON SAID WASHER AND NUT COMPRISING CAMMED SURFACES WHICH ARE TAPERED BOTH RADIALLY AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND WHICH UPON UNTIGHTENING MOVEMENT OF THE NUT PRODUCE RELATIVE MOVMENT BETWEEN THE NUT AND WASHER IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION A GREATER DISTANCE THAN THE CORRESPONDING PITCH OF THE THREAD, SAID COOPERATING SURFACES ON SAID WASHER AND NUT BEING SUFFICIENTLY RAISED AND PROLONGED TO PREVENT THEIR DISENGAGEMENT WHEN SAID NUT IS TURNED IN AN UNTIGHTENING DIRECTION, AND SAID WASHER HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ARRANGED BARBED SHOULDERS ENGAGING AND DIGGING INTO SAID MEMBER WHEN SAID WASHER TENDS TO MOVE IN THE UNTIGHTENING DIRECTION, SAID WASHER HAVING A CENTRALLY APERTURED PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH AND COAXIAL WITH SAID DISHED PORTION, SAID APERTUREED PORTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID BOLT FOR RADIAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID BOLT WHEN THE SAME IN BEING CAMMED BY SAID NUT TO THEREBY MOVE THE WASHER RADAILLY TO EQUALIZE FORCES THEREON, THE ENGAGING SURFACES ON SAID NUT AND WASHER BEING INCLINED AT DIFFERENT ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID BOLT AND ENGAGING ON A LINE CONTACT TO PRODUCE LESS INTERLOCKING BETWEEN THE NUT AND SAID WASHER THAN BETWEEN SAID WASHER AND SAID MEMBER ENGAGED BY SAID BARBED SHOULDERS, THE INCLINATION OF THE NUT ENGAGING SURFACE ON SAID WASHER RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF SAID BOLT BEING GREATER THAN THE INCLINATION OF THE COOPERATING AND WASHER ENGAGING SURFACE OF SAID NUT.