Mechanism for securing a nut against loosening

Claim 2

Mechanism for locking a nut on a threaded spindle having a central longitudinal axis, comprising: a washer member adapted to fit over said spindle, having a rear face and washer engaging means; means for keying said washer member to said spindle so that the washer member cannot rotate but can slide axially relative to said spindle; a lock-ring member having a forward face rearward of, and spaced from, and facing, said rear face of said washer member, so that there is an annular space between the lock-ring member and the washer member said lock-ring member having lock-ring engaging means at least part of which engages said washer engaging means; at least one of said washer and lock-ring members having a portion bordering said annular space which is slanted obliquely radially and axially; a threaded nut adapted to thread on the threaded spindle, having a rear portion for engagement by a wrench and an annular forward portion protruding forwardly from the rear portion to a position between the spindle and at least part of the lock-ring member and adapted to abut the washer member, said forward portion having nut engaging means extending radially outward and adapted to engage at least part of said lock-ring engaging means, a resiliently strainable ring whose diameter can be enlarged and contracted, within said annular space and adapted to engage said obliquely slanted portion; whereby when pressure is applied to the lock-ring member in the forward direction the lock-ring member moves axially forward to disengage its lock-ring engaging means from said nut engaging means and the diameter of the strainable ring is altered by camming action on the obliquely slanted portion, whereupon the nut can be turned on the spindle, and when said pressure is released the strainable ring returns to its normal unstrained unstrained diameter and pushes the lock-ring member rearwardly to a position where the lock-ring engaging means engages the nut engaging means, thereby locking the nut.

Claim 3

Mechanism according to claim 1 in which said one of said washer and lock-ring members is said washer member.

Claim 4

Mechanism according to claim 1 in which both the lock-ring member and the washer member have portions bordering said annular space, which slant obliquely radially and axially.

Claim 5

Mechanism according to claim 1 in which the cross-section of the resiliently strainable ring is circular.

Claim 6

Mechanism for locking a nut on a threaded spindle having a central longitudinal axis, comprising: a washer adapted to fit over said spindle, having an outer portion provided with washer-engaging means; means for keying said washer to said spindle so that the washer cannot rotate but can slide axially relative to said spindle; a lock-ring having a forward face rearward of, and spaced from said washer, said forward face having an inner hub portion adapted to be placed around said spindle behind the washer and having an outer portion provided with a first portion of a lock-ring engaging means; said hub portion having a second portion of said lock-ring engaging means extending radially inward; at least one of said outer portions slanting obliquely outward, and toward, and meeting, the other outer portion so that said washer-engaging means engages said first portion of the lock-ring engaging means; a threaded nut adapted to thread on the threaded spindle and having a forward portion comprising an annulus around the spindle and within the hub of the lock-ring and adapted to abut the washer, and having nut engaging means extending radially outward and adapted to engage said second portion of said lock-ring engaging means, there being an annular space between the lock-ring and the washer located radially inward from the position of engagement of the washer engaging means with said first portion of the lock-ring engaging means and radially outward from the hub of the nut; a resiliently strainable ring whose diameter can be enlarged and contracted, within said annular space; whereby when pressure is applied to the lock-ring in the forward direction the lock-ring moves axially forward to disengage said second portion of the lock-ring engaging means and the diameter of the strainable ring is contracted by camming action from said obliquely slanted portions, whereupon the nut can be turned on the spindle, and when said pressure is released the strainable ring returns to its normal larger diameter and pushes the lock-ring rearwardly to a position where said second portion of the lock-ring engaging means engages the nut engaging means, thereby locking the nut.

Claim 7

Mechanism for locking a nut on a threaded spindle having a central longitudinal axis, comprising: a washer adapted to fit over said spindle, having an outer portion provided with washer-engaging means; means for keying said washer to said spindle so that the washer cannot rotate but can slide axially relative to said spindle; a lock-ring having a forward face rearward of, and spaced from said washer, said forward face having an inner hub portion adapted to be placed around said spindle behind the washer and having an outer portion provided with a first portion of a lock-ring engaging means; said hub portion having a second portion of said lock-ring engaging means extending radially inward; at least one of said outer portions slanting obliquely outward, and toward, and meeting, the other outer portion so that said washer-engaging means engages said first portion of the lock-ring engaging means; a threaded nut adapted to thread on the threaded spindle and having a forward portion comprising an annulus around the spindle and within the hub of the lock-ring and adapted to abut the washer, and having nut engaging means extending radially outward and adapted to engage said second portion of said lock-ring engaging means, there being an annular space between the lock-ring and the washer located radially inward from the position of engagement of the washer engaging means with said first portion of the lock-ring engaging means and radially outward from the hub of the nut; a resiliently strainable ring whose diameter can be enlarged and contracted, within said annular space; whereby when pressure is applied to the lock-ring in the forward direction the lock-ring moves axially forward to disengage said second portion of the lock-ring engaging means and the diameter of the strainable ring is contracted by camming action from said obliquely slanted portions, whereupon the nut can be turned on the spindle, and when said pressure is released the strainable ring returns to its normal larger diameter and pushes the lock-ring rearwardly to a position where said second portion of the lock-ring engaging means engages the nut engaging means, thereby locking the nut.

Claim 8

Mechanism according to claim 5 in which both of said outer portions slant obliquely and axially.

Claim 9

Mechanism according to claim 6 in which the axial slant of said outer portion of the washer is rearward and the axial slant of the outer portion of the lock-ring is forward.

Claim 10

Mechansim according to claim 7 in which the engaging means of the washer comprises indents and said first portion of the engaging means of the lock-ring comprises lugs.

Claim 11

Mechanism according to claim 5 in which the resilient ring engages said outer portions of the lock-ring and of the washer.

Claim 12

Mechanism according to claim 7 in which the resilient ring engages the forward slanting outer surface of the lock-ring and the rearward slanting outer surface of the washer.

Claim 13

Mechanism according to claim 5 in which a portion of the nut forward of the lock-ring is provided with means preventing the lock-ring from becoming disassembled from the nut when the nut is removed from the spindle.

Claim 14

Mechanism according to claim 11 in which said means preventing the lock-ring from becoming disassembled from the nut is at a distance forward of the hub portion of the lock-ring, permitting the lock-ring to be pushed forwardly from its rearmost position on the nut regardless of whether the nut is abutted to the washer.

Claim 15

Mechanism according to claim 5 in which the engaging means of at least one of said washer and lock-ring is provided with means preventing disengagement of said first portion of the lock-ring engaging means from the washer engaging means.

Claim 16

Mechanism according to claim 11 in which said means preventing the lock-ring from becoming disassembled from the nut is on the nut at a distance forward of the hub of the lock-ring when the lock-ring is in its rearmost position on the nut, thereby permitting the lock-ring to be pushed forwardly from its rearmost position on the nut regardless of whether the nut is abutted to the washer, and in which the engaging means of at least one of said washer and lock-ring is provided with means preventing disengagement of the lock-ring engaging means from the washer engaging means.

Claim 17

Mechanism according to claim 5 in which said second portion of the engaging means of the washer comprises radially inwardly directed splines and the engaging means of the nut comprises radially outwardly directed splines adapted adapted to engage the inwardly directed splines of the washer.

Claim 18

Mechanism according to claim 15 in which a rear part of the lock-ring contains markings opposite respective ones of said splines of the annular lock-ring to show the location of the last-mentioned splines.

Claim 19

Mechanism according to claim 16 in which a rear part of the nut contains a marking to indicate when the splines of the nut are in registration with the splines of the annular lock-ring.