Locking fastener assembly

Claim 2

An annular locking fastener assembly adapted for coaction with an elongated threaded fastener, said assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a first annular face; a second annular member defining a second annular face; and coacting means on said faces operative in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation to lockingly engage said faces in a sense to preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members in the opposite direction, said coacting means comprising a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced first cam surfaces on said first annular face and a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced second cam surfaces on said second annular face having a lead greater than the lead of said cam surfaces on said first annular face.

Claim 3

A fastener assembly according to claim 1 wherein: said first annular member is formed of a relatively soft material; and said second annular member is formed of a relatively hard material.

Claim 4

A fastener assembly according to claim 1 wherein: said first member is a nut having internal threads with a lead equal to or less than the lead of said first cam surfaces; said first cam surfaces are defined on the lower annular face of said nut; said second member is a washer; and said second cam surfaces are defined on the upper annular face of said washer.

Claim 5

A fastener assembly according to claim 3 wherein: said washer has wrenching flats at its outer periphery.

Claim 6

A fastener assembly according to claim 4 wherein: the effective diameter of said washer wrenching flats is greater than the effective diameter of the wrenching flats on said nut.

Claim 7

A fastener assembly according to claim 3 wherein: said washer has serrations on its lower face.

Claim 8

A fastener assembly according to claim 1 wherein: said first member is constituted by a first washer; said second member is constituted by a second washer; said first cam surfaces are defined on the lower annular face of said first washer; and said second cam surfaces are defined on the upper annular face of said second washer.

Claim 9

A fastener assembly according to claim 7 wherein: each of said washers has wrenching flats at its outer periphery.

Claim 10

A fastener assembly according to claim 8 wherein: the wrenching flats on said second washer have a greater effective diameter than the wrenching flats on said first washer.

Claim 11

A fastener assembly according to claim 8 wherein: said fastener assembly further includes a nut having wrenching flats having the same effective diameter as the wrenching flats on said first washer and having internal threads having a lead equal to or less than the lead of said cam surfaces.

Claim 12

A fastener assembly according to claim 10 wherein: said first washer has serrations on its upper face and said second washer has serrations on its lower face.

Claim 13

An annular locking fastener assembly adapted for coaction with an elongated threaded fastener, said assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a first annular face; a second annular member defining a second annular face; and coacting means on said faces operative in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation to lockingly engage said faces in a sense to preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members in the opposite direction; said first annular face on said first annular member including a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced first cam surfaces separated and delineated by a plurality of generally radial ledges; said second annular face on said second annular member including a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced second cam surfaces separated and delineated by a plurality of generally radial ledges and conforming in number to said first cam surfaces; said coacting means comprising at least one tooth on at least one cam scarce of one of said members sized and configured for locking coaction with the other member and operative in response to relative rotation of said members in a direction to move said first surfaces up said second surfaces to lockingly engage a cam surface on the other member to preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members.

Claim 14

An annular locking fastener assembly adapted for coaction with an elongated threaded fastener, said assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a first annular face; a second annular member defining a second annular face; and coacting means on said faces operative in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation to lockingly engage said faces in a sense to preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members in the opposite direction; said first annular face on said first annular member including a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced first cam surfaces separated and delineated by a plurality of generally radial ledges; said second annular face on said second annular member including a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced second cam surfaces separated and delineated by a plurality of generally radial ledges and conforming in number to said first cam surfaces; said coacting means comprising at least one tooth on at least one cam scarce of one of said members sized and configured for locking coaction with the other member and operative in response to relative rotation of said members in a direction to move said first surfaces up said second surfaces to lockingly engage a cam surface on the other member to preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members.

Claim 15

An annular locking fastener assembly comprising: a fastener member having threads; a washer defining a first annular face; means defining a second annular face; and coacting means on said faces operative in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation to lockingly engage said faces ana sense to preclude relative rotation of said faces in a retrograde direction, said coacting means comprising a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced first cam surfaces on said first annular face having a lead at least equal to the lead of said threads and a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced second cam surfaces on said second annular face having a lead greater than the lead of said cam surfaces on said first annular face.

Claim 16

An annular locking fastener assembly comprising: a fastener member having threads; a washer defining a first annular face; means defining a second annular face; and coacting means on said faces operative in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation to lockingly engage said faces ana sense to preclude relative rotation of said faces in a retrograde direction, said coacting means comprising a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced first cam surfaces on said first annular face having a lead at least equal to the lead of said threads and a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced second cam surfaces on said second annular face having a lead greater than the lead of said cam surfaces on said first annular face.

Claim 17

A fastener assembly according to claim 13 wherein: said washer is formed of a relatively soft material; and said second annular face is formed of a relatively hard material.

Claim 18

A fastener assembly according to 14 wherein: said threaded fastener is a nut; and said second set of cam surfaces are defined on the lower face of said nut.

Claim 19

A fastener assembly according to 14 wherein: said threaded fastener is a nut; and said second set of cam surfaces are defined on the lower face of said nut.

Claim 20

A fastener assembly according to claim 14 wherein: said threaded fastener is a bolt having a head; and said second set of cam surfaces are defined on the lower face of the head of the bolt.

Claim 21

A fastener assembly according to claim 13 wherein: said second set of cam surfaces is defined on the lower face of said threaded fastener member.

Claim 22

An annular locking fastener assembly adapted for coaction with an elongated threaded fastener, said assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a first annular face; a second annular member defining a second annular face; and coacting means on said faces operative in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation to lockingly engage said faces in a sense to preclude retrograde relatively rotation of said members in the opposite direction; said coacting means being operative in response to relative rotation of said members in said one direction to create spaces between confronting ledges on said members; and said assembly further including wedge means sized to fit into said spaces so as to further preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members in said opposite direction.

Claim 23

An annular locking fastener assembly adapted for coaction with an elongated threaded fastener, said assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a first annular face; a second annular member defining a second annular face; and coacting means on said faces operative in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation to lockingly engage said faces in a sense to preclude retrograde relatively rotation of said members in the opposite direction; said coacting means being operative in response to relative rotation of said members in said one direction to create spaces between confronting ledges on said members; and said assembly further including wedge means sized to fit into said spaces so as to further preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members in said opposite direction.

Claim 24

An annular locking fastener assembly according to claim 18 wherein: said wedge means comprise a snap ring having end portions sized to fit into opposed spaces created during the relative rotation of said members in said one direction.

Claim 25

An annular locking fastener assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a first annular face having a plurality of first generally radially extending ledges; a second annular member defining a second annular face having a plurality of second generally radially extending ledges movable into respective abutting engagement with said first radially extending ledges in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation and movable out of respective abutting engagement with said first radially extending ledges in response to relative rotation of said members in the opposite direction to define a plurality of circumferentially spaced spaces between said first and second ledges; and wedge means sized to fit in said spaces to preclude retrograde relative movement of said members in said one direction.

Claim 26

An annular locking fastener assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a first annular face having a plurality of first generally radially extending ledges; a second annular member defining a second annular face having a plurality of second generally radially extending ledges movable into respective abutting engagement with said first radially extending ledges in response to relative rotation of said members in one direction with said faces in confronting relation and movable out of respective abutting engagement with said first radially extending ledges in response to relative rotation of said members in the opposite direction to define a plurality of circumferentially spaced spaces between said first and second ledges; and wedge means sized to fit in said spaces to preclude retrograde relative movement of said members in said one direction.

Claim 27

An annular locking fastener according to claim 20 wherein said wedge means comprises a snap ring having end portions adapted to be fitted into generally diametrically opposed spaces.

Claim 28

A fastener assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a lower annular face having a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced cam surfaces; a second annular member defining an upper annular face having a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced cam surfaces; and coacting means on said faces, including means defining a plurality of generally radially extending edges on one of said faces, operative in response to relative rotational movement between said members in a predetermined direction to lockingly engage said edges with the cam faces of the other member to preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members in the opposite direction.

Claim 29

A fastener assembly comprising: a first annular member defining a lower annular face having a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced cam surfaces; a second annular member defining an upper annular face having a plurality of angled circumferentially spaced cam surfaces; and coacting means on said faces, including means defining a plurality of generally radially extending edges on one of said faces, operative in response to relative rotational movement between said members in a predetermined direction to lockingly engage said edges with the cam faces of the other member to preclude retrograde relative rotation of said members in the opposite direction.

Claim 30

An annular fastener assembly adapted for coaction with a threaded fastener and including first and second annular members having coacting and confronting wedge cam surfaces having a lead greater than the lead of the threaded fastener so that backing off rotation of one member relative to the other member following tightening of the joint moves the cam surfaces on the one member upwardly on the cam surfaces on the other member to increase the tension in the threaded fastener, characterized in that the assembly includes locking means operative to preclude retrograde movement of the cam surfaces on the one member downwardly on the cam surfaces of the other member following the backing off operation.

Claim 31

An annular fastener assembly adapted for coaction with a threaded fastener and including first and second annular members having coacting and confronting wedge cam surfaces having a lead greater than the lead of the threaded fastener so that backing off rotation of one member relative to the other member following tightening of the joint moves the cam surfaces on the one member upwardly on the cam surfaces on the other member to increase the tension in the threaded fastener, characterized in that the assembly includes locking means operative to preclude retrograde movement of the cam surfaces on the one member downwardly on the cam surfaces of the other member following the backing off operation.

Claim 34

A method according to claim 24 wherein: said locking step is accomplished by establishing a lead differential as between the cam surfaces of said first annular member and the cam surfaces of said second annular member.

Claim 35

A method according to claim 24 wherein: said locking step comprises providing at least one tooth on at least one cam surface of one of said members sized and configured for locking coaction with the other member in response to the backing off movement of said members.

Claim 36

A method according to claim 24 wherein: said locking step is accomplished by inserting wedge means in said spaces following the backing off operation.

Claim 39

A method according to the claim 28, including the further steps of: forming said first annular face of a relatively soft material; and forming said second annular face of a relatively hard material, so that said second cam surfaces are driven into said first cam surfaces as said threaded fastener member is loosened.

Claim 40

A method according to claim 29 including the further steps of: forming said second annular face as the upper face of a washer having flat wrenching sides so that the washer may be held against rotation as said threaded fastener member is moved in the loosening direction.