Assembly with relatively displaceable members

Claim 1

An assembly comprising an inner and an outer cylindrical member, respectively, the inner member being relatively axially displaceable along the inner peripheral surface of the outer member, means for axially displacing said inner member relatively to said outer member, the inner member being provided with an annular peripheral recess, a resilient split ring being lodged in the recess fully retractable into same but elastically biased in radial direction toward the inner peripheral surface of the outer member, the recess having a first flank and a second flank, the first flank lying in a radial plane of the inner member, the second flank extending in a plane oblique to the longitudinal center line of the inner member, forming an angle with the longitudinal axis of said inner member that is less than 30°, the first flank bearing equatorially on the ring upon axial displacement of the inner member relative to the outer member in a first direction, and upon axial displacement of the inner member relative to the outer member in a second direction said ring is displaced from bearing upon said first flank and said ring is caused to move along said second flank such that the second flank is applying to the ring a substantially radial outward jamming pressure toward the inner peripheral surface of the outer member whereby the ring is jammed like a wedge and locks the inner member against substantial displacement in the second direction.