Fastener assembly

Claim 2

A fastener assembly for use in conjunction with a threaded section of a first member to secure the first member to a second member, said assembly comprising, a threaded element rotatable about an axis to mate with the threaded section for fastening the members together, a washer adapted to fit between said element and the second member, said washer having a central opening and having upper and lower surfaces, angularly spaced sets of first and second locking teeth integrally formed with said washer adjacent the outer periphery thereof and projecting substantially downwardly from the lower surface of said washer for embedding in the second member, the teeth of each of said sets being relatively close to each other and each set being spaced a substantial distance from the adjacent sets, the first teeth of each set facing in one substantially circumferential direction to keep said washer from turning in a tightening direction as said element is tightened down, the second teeth of each set facing the opposite substantially circumferential direction to keep said washer from turning in a loosening direction after said element is tightened down, the teeth of each set being located at opposite edges of a substantially U-shaped notch formed through and extending substantially radially of said washer and opening out of the outer periphery thereof, and a continuous bridge section displaced downwardly throughout the extent thereof from the upper and lower surfaces of said washer and extending around the closed end of each notch and between said first and second teeth in each set of said teeth to support the latter against substantial upward bending as said element is tightened down.

Claim 3

A fastener assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said first and second locking teeth include opposing, radially extending first and second faces, respectively, defining the opposite sides of the intervening notch, said faces converging toward each other at an acute included angle upon progessing axially upward from the lower surface of said washer, first and second trailing walls intersecting with said first and second faces, respectively, and diverging from each other at an obtuse included angle upon progressing in an axial direction upwardly from said intersection, and first and second generally radial edges being defined by the intersections of said faces with said trailing walls.

Claim 4

A fastener assemby as defined n claim 1 in which said washer includes an upwardly protruding central section of predetermined diameter for engagement with the lower side of said element, a substantially continuous interior wall formed within said protruding section and defining said central opening through said washer, an annular flange section formed integrally with the lower base of said protruding section and extending outwardly therefrom in a generally radial direction, said notches being formed through said flange, and an annular recess in the lower surface of said washer and having a maximum diameter less than said predetermined diameter of said protruding section.

Claim 5

A fastener assemby as defined by claim 3 wherein said annular recess is of a generally frustoconical shape having a base diameter less than said predetermined diameter of said protruding section.

Claim 6

A fastener assembly as defined in claim 1 further including a first series of generally circumferentially facing ratchet teeth formed integrally with the lower side of said element and spaced angularly from one another around the axis of said element, and a second series of generally circumferentially facing ratchet teeth formed integrally with the upper surface of said washer to interfit with said first series of ratchet teeth so as to enable said element to be rotated in a tightening direction relative to said washer and to hold said element against turning relative to said washer in a loosening direction once said element is tightened down.

Claim 7

A fastener assembly as defined by claim 5 wherein said ratchet teeth in one of said series are of a height less than the height of said ratchet teeth in the other of said series.

Claim 8

A fastener assembly as defined by claim 6 wherein said ratchet teeth in said second series are of a height greater than one-half the height of said ratchet teeth in said first series but less than the full height of said latter teeth.

Claim 9

A fastener assembly for use in conjunction with a threaded section of a first member to secure the first member to a second member, said assembly comprising, a threaded element rotatable about an axis to mate with the threaded section for fastening the members together, a washer adapted to fit between said element and the second member, said washer having upper and lower surfaces and including an upwardly protruding central section of a predetermined diameter for engagement with the lower side of said element, a substantially continuous interior wall formed within said washer, an annular flange section integrally formed with the base of said protruding section and extending outwardly therefrom in a generally radical direction, an annular recess formed within the lower surface of said washer and having a maximum diameter less than the predetermined diameter of said protruding section, a first series of generally radial ratchet teeth integrally formed with the lower side of said element and angularly spaced from each other around the axis of said element, a second series of radial ratchet teeth integrally formed with the upper surface of said protruding section to interfit with said first series of ratchet teeth, said ratchet teeth in said second series having a height less than the height of said ratchet teeth in said first series but greater than one-half the height of said teeth in said first series to said element may be rotated in a tightening direction relative to said washer and so as to hold said element against turning relative to said washer in a loosening direction once said element is tightened down, a plurality of angularly spaced sets of first and second locking teeth integrally formed with said flange section on the lower surface thereof and being spaced radially outward from said ratchet teeth, a generally U-shaped and radially extending notch formed through said flange section between said first and second locking teeth in each of said sets and opening out of the outer periphery of said flange section, the teeth of each of said sets being relatively close to each other and each set being spaced a substantial distance from the adjacent sets, said first and second locking teeth of each set including opposing, radially extending first and second faces, respectively, defining the opposite sides of said notch, said faces converging toward each other at an acute included angle upon progressing upwardly from the lower surface of said flange section, first and second trailing walls intersecting with said first and second faces, respectively, and diverging from each other at an obtuse included angle upon progressing upwardly from said intersections, first and second generally radial edges in said first and second teeth, respectively, defined by the intersections of said faces with said trailing walls, said edges embedding in the second member so one of said edges keeps said washer from turning in a tightening direction relative to said second member as said element is being tightened and the other of said edges keep said washer from turning in a loosening direction after said element is tightened down, and a continuous bridge section displaced downwardly throughout the extent thereof from the upper and lower surfaces of said flange section and extending in a generally circumferential direction around the closed end of each notch and between said first and second teeth in each set of teeth to support the latter against substantial upward bending as said element is tightened down.

Claim 10

A fastener assembly for use in conjunction with a threaded section of a first member to secure the first member to a second member, said assembly comprising, a threaded element rotatable about an axis to mate with the threaded section for fastening the members together, a washer adapted to fit between said element and the second member, said washer having upper and lower surfaces and including an upwardly protruding central section of a predetermined diameter for engagement with the lower side of said element, a substantially continuous interior wall formed within said washer, an annular flange section integrally formed with the base of said protruding section and extending outwardly therefrom in a generally radical direction, an annular recess formed within the lower surface of said washer and having a maximum diameter less than the predetermined diameter of said protruding section, a first series of generally radial ratchet teeth integrally formed with the lower side of said element and angularly spaced from each other around the axis of said element, a second series of radial ratchet teeth integrally formed with the upper surface of said protruding section to interfit with said first series of ratchet teeth, said ratchet teeth in said second series having a height less than the height of said ratchet teeth in said first series but greater than one-half the height of said teeth in said first series to said element may be rotated in a tightening direction relative to said washer and so as to hold said element against turning relative to said washer in a loosening direction once said element is tightened down, a plurality of angularly spaced sets of first and second locking teeth integrally formed with said flange section on the lower surface thereof and being spaced radially outward from said ratchet teeth, a generally U-shaped and radially extending notch formed through said flange section between said first and second locking teeth in each of said sets and opening out of the outer periphery of said flange section, the teeth of each of said sets being relatively close to each other and each set being spaced a substantial distance from the adjacent sets, said first and second locking teeth of each set including opposing, radially extending first and second faces, respectively, defining the opposite sides of said notch, said faces converging toward each other at an acute included angle upon progressing upwardly from the lower surface of said flange section, first and second trailing walls intersecting with said first and second faces, respectively, and diverging from each other at an obtuse included angle upon progressing upwardly from said intersections, first and second generally radial edges in said first and second teeth, respectively, defined by the intersections of said faces with said trailing walls, said edges embedding in the second member so one of said edges keeps said washer from turning in a tightening direction relative to said second member as said element is being tightened and the other of said edges keep said washer from turning in a loosening direction after said element is tightened down, and a continuous bridge section displaced downwardly throughout the extent thereof from the upper and lower surfaces of said flange section and extending in a generally circumferential direction around the closed end of each notch and between said first and second teeth in each set of teeth to support the latter against substantial upward bending as said element is tightened down.

Claim 11

A fastener assembly as defined in claim 5 in which said washer includes an upwardly protruding central section of predetermined diameter for engagement with the lower side of said element, a substantially continuous interior wall formed within said protruding section and defining said central opening through said washer, an annular flange section formed integrally with the lower base of said protruding section and extending outwardly therefrom in a generally radial direction, said notches being formed through said flange and said second series of ratchet teeth being formed on the upper surface of said protruding section, and an annular recess in the lower surface of said washer and having a maximum diameter less than said predetermined diameter of said protruding section.