Preassembled spring washer fastener unit

Claim 1

A preassembled locking fastener unit including a nut member with a threaded bore formed therein, a compressible, generally conical spring washer with a substantially circular outer periphery and substantially circular, uninterrupted inner periphery formed by an aperture therein, the outer periphery being concentric with the uninterrupted inner periphery, a generally annular means formed on the clamping surface of the nut with a central axis offset laterally from the central axis of the threaded bore of the nut, the outer periphery of the washer member including locking teeth means to retard free movement of the washer relative to a work surface when associated therewith, the clamping surface of the nut further including a plurality of teeth integral therewith and spaced circumferentially about the axis of the threaded bore and positioned to overlie the inner marginal surface of the washer member, each tooth including a locking surface extending substantially perpendicular to the clamping surface of the nut and a camming surface, the associated inner marginal surface of the washer including locking recesses including camming surfaces and locking surfaces complementary to the camming and locking surfaces of the teeth on the clamping surface of the nut wherein the substantially perpendicular surfaces are forward when the nut member is rotated in a tightening direction to urge the washer to rotate therewith in said tightening direction creating visible scribe marks in the workpiece, while the camming surfaces allow relative rotation between the washer and nut when the nut is rotated in an untightening direction but in such a manner that the washer is forced to move laterally across the workpiece thereby resisting unauthorized loosening of the joint formed thereby.