Thread compliance gauge

Claim 2

A thread compliance gauge for determining the accuracy with which screw threads have been formed on a shaft comprising first and second ring members formed with internally threaded apertures which are threadably engagable with said shaft, means for interlocking said ring members together and permitting relative rotation thereof with respect to each other for a portion of a revolution whereby as said members are rotated apart when interlocked and engaged on said threaded shaft the members tighten on the flank surfaces of the threads of the shaft and thereby center on the axis of generation of the threads of the shaft, said means for interlocking said ring members including at least one projecting stud formed on one of said ring members and disposed parallel to the axis of generation of the internal threads of said ring member, said stud extending through a corresponding arc shaped slot formed in the other of said ring members and having a flange which is disposed on the opposite side of the slotted ring member from the studded ring member so that as said ring members are moved apart by rotation during the centering process said flange prevents said ring members from separating beyond a limit permitted by the flange on the stud whereby said ring members are interconnected and permit limited relative rotation with respect to each other, said stud and flange being formed to create an equidistant gap between the ring members when said members are separated to the limit permitted by the flange on the stud; and a cylindrical surface formed on one of said members concentric to the axis of generation of the internal threads thereof whereby when said members are interlocked and engaged with said shaft and centered with respect to the axis of generation of the threads thereof the shaft may be rotated and the concentricity of the screw threads formed thereon may be checked with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft by measuring the concentricity of the rotating cylindrical surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft.

Claim 3

The thread compliance gauge of claim 1 wherein a flat surface is formed on one of said ring members and is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of generation of the internally formed threads thereof whereby when said members are interlocked and engaged with said shaft and centered with respect to the axis of generation of the threads formed on said shaft the shaft may be rotated and the skewedness of the screw threads formed thereon may be checked with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft by measuring the wobble of the rotating perpendicular surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft.

Claim 4

The thread compliance gauge of claim 1 wherein means are provided to urge said ring members apart.

Claim 5

The thread compliance gauge of claim 1 wherein said threaded apertures of said ring members are formed as removable threaded inserts, allowing a user to utilize threaded inserts having different types and sizes of threads in a single gauge.

Claim 6

A thread compliance gauge for determining the accuracy with which screw threads have been formed on a shaft, comprising first and second ring members formed with internally threaded center holes of a preselected standard thread gauge and being threadably engagable with said shaft, means interlocking said ring members including at least three equally spaced flanged studs which are disposed parallel to and equidistant from the axis of generation of said internal threads of said ring members, said studs projecting from one of said ring member and designed to project through corresponding arc shaped slots formed in the other of said ring members and acting to interlock the two ring members yet permitting the two ring members to have sufficient play to be rotated with respect to each other a portion of a rotation on said shaft whereby as the ring members are rotated apart when interlocked and engaged on said shaft the two ring members separate to the extent permitted by the flanges of the studs and center on the axis of generation of the threads formed on the shaft, said studs being formed by cap screws screwed into screw holes formed through said studded ring member and set screws being disposed in said screw holes at a predetermined depth to provide an equidistant gap between said ring members when said cap screws are bottomed out against set screws and the ring members are separated to the fullest extent permitted by said cap screws, a retaining ring with holes formed therein to permit the shafts of said studs to extend therethrough, said retaining ring being disposed between the flanges of the studs and the slotted ring member, a multiplicity of coil springs disposed between said ring members urging said ring members apart, one of said ring members having a flat surface disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of generation of the internally formed threads thereof whereby when said ring members are engaged with said shaft and centered with respect to the axis of generation of the threads formed on said shaft, the shaft may be rotated and the skewedness of the screw threads formed thereon may be checked with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft by measuring the wobble of the rotating perpendicular surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and one of said ring members having a cylindrical surface which is formed concentric with the axis of generation of the internally formed threads thereof whereby when said ring members are interlocked and engaged with said shaft and centered with respect to the axis of generation of the threads formed on said shaft, the shaft may be rotated and the concentricity of the screw threads formed thereon may be checked with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft by measuring the concentricity of the rotating cylindrical surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft.

Claim 7

A thread compliance gauge for determining the accuracy with which screw threads have been formed on a shaft, comprising first and second ring members formed with internally threaded center holes of a preselected standard thread gauge and being threadably engagable with said shaft, means interlocking said ring members including at least three equally spaced flanged studs which are disposed parallel to and equidistant from the axis of generation of said internal threads of said ring members, said studs projecting from one of said ring member and designed to project through corresponding arc shaped slots formed in the other of said ring members and acting to interlock the two ring members yet permitting the two ring members to have sufficient play to be rotated with respect to each other a portion of a rotation on said shaft whereby as the ring members are rotated apart when interlocked and engaged on said shaft the two ring members separate to the extent permitted by the flanges of the studs and center on the axis of generation of the threads formed on the shaft, said studs being formed by cap screws screwed into screw holes formed through said studded ring member and set screws being disposed in said screw holes at a predetermined depth to provide an equidistant gap between said ring members when said cap screws are bottomed out against set screws and the ring members are separated to the fullest extent permitted by said cap screws, a retaining ring with holes formed therein to permit the shafts of said studs to extend therethrough, said retaining ring being disposed between the flanges of the studs and the slotted ring member, a multiplicity of coil springs disposed between said ring members urging said ring members apart, one of said ring members having a flat surface disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of generation of the internally formed threads thereof whereby when said ring members are engaged with said shaft and centered with respect to the axis of generation of the threads formed on said shaft, the shaft may be rotated and the skewedness of the screw threads formed thereon may be checked with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft by measuring the wobble of the rotating perpendicular surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and one of said ring members having a cylindrical surface which is formed concentric with the axis of generation of the internally formed threads thereof whereby when said ring members are interlocked and engaged with said shaft and centered with respect to the axis of generation of the threads formed on said shaft, the shaft may be rotated and the concentricity of the screw threads formed thereon may be checked with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft by measuring the concentricity of the rotating cylindrical surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft.