Locking or securing device for a rotatable machine element, such as a bolt or a nut

A locking device for fasteners such as hex nuts and bolt heads comprises plate-like body having an opening with centrally directed teeth which engage the nuts or heads when the device is pressed over them. A spring device or a bolted connector forces the locking device into a canted position in which it locks itself to the nut or head. By connecting pairs of such locking devices to each other, adjacent nuts or heads are prevented from rotating.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to a locking or securing device for a 
rotatable machine element having an edged, preferably a hexagonal portion, 
such as a bolt or a nut. 
BACKGROUND ART 
It is often necessary to lock or secure rotatable machine elements so that 
they are not unintentionally rotated or turned under the influence of 
vibrations or other movements to a position in which they do not fulfill 
their intended function. In the case of machine elements provided with 
edged portions, such as bolts and nuts, it is for this purpose previously 
known to use a locking or securing device comprising a locking or securing 
element in the form of a washer which is movable to a position, in which 
an opening formed in the locking or securing element receives the edged 
portion of the machine element under a firm engagement between the 
surfaces thereof and the portions of the locking or securing element 
defining the opening therein and which locking or securing element is 
adapted to be secured against turning at a point positioned at a distance 
from the opening. 
However, the previously known locking or securing devices of this kind are 
either unsatisfactory with regard to their security or complicated with 
regard to construction and use and thereby unsatisfactory from the 
economical point of view. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is to obviate these drawbacks and to 
provide a simple, easily mounted and reliable locking or securing device 
of the kind described above, which is especially well suited for the 
locking or securing of nuts and bolts of vehicle wheels. 
In order to comply with this object the locking or securing device 
according to the invention is characterized in that the portions of the 
locking or securing element defining the opening thereof are adapted to be 
displaced into a firm engagement with the surfaces of the edged portion of 
the machine element while being deformed, when the edged portion is 
received in the opening of the locking or securing element. Further the 
locking or securing element is provided with a device for canting at least 
the portion of the locking or securing device in which the opening for 
receiving the edged portion of the machine element is formed in relation 
to a plane extending at right angles to the surfaces of the edged portion 
of the machine element after the edged portion of the machine element has 
been received in the opening of the locking or securing element. 
Thereby, it is suitable that the portions of the locking or securing 
element defining the opening are constituted by teeth which are adapted to 
be deflected when the edged portion of the machine element is received in 
the opening of the locking or securing element. 
In a preferred embodiment of the locking or securing device according to 
the invention the canting device is constituted by an element connected 
with the portion of the locking or securing element in which the opening 
for receiving the edged portion of the machine element is formed, this 
element being adapted to provide the canting of the portion of the locking 
or securing device by being pressed against a surface positioned beside 
the machine element.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1 there is shown the central part of a vehicle wheel 1 having ten 
hexagonal wheel nuts 2. According to FIG. 1 seven of the wheel nuts 2 are 
secured by means of locking or securing devices 3, 4, 5 and 6 according to 
different embodiments of the invention. The securing of the wheel nuts 2 
is provided by having each wheel nut received in an opening in the locking 
or securing devices at a firm engagement between the portions of the 
locking and securing devices defining the openings therein and the outer 
surfaces 7 of the wheel nuts 2 and by the fact that the locking or 
securing devices are secured against rotation. 
As appears from FIGS. 2a and 2b, the locking or securing device 3 is 
constituted by a substantially rectangular washer 8 which preferably is 
made of sheet metal. The four corners of the washer 8 are cut and bent as 
shown in FIG. 2b for constituting four downwardly directed projections 9. 
The projections 9 constitute spacing means for defining the distance of 
the washer 8 from the wheel 1. The washer 8 can be considered to comprise 
two locking or securing elements 10 and 11 connected with each other and 
each provided with an opening 12 and 13, respectively. The elements 10 and 
11 are connected with each other by means of a bent connection portion 14 
which in its unstressed condition retains the elements 10 and 11 in such a 
relative position that elements form an angle in relation to each other. 
The connection portion 14 is resilient so that the elements 10 and 11 can 
be elastically positioned in alignment with each other. 
The portions 15 and 16 of the elements 10 and 11 defining the openings 12 
and 13, respectively, are designed so as firmly to engage the wheel nuts 2 
while being deformed when the locking or securing device is applied to the 
nuts. According to FIG. 2a the portions 15 and 16 are provided with slots 
17 and 18, respectively, forming teeth 19 and 20, respectively, between 
themselves. It is, of course, possible to design the teeth in any desired 
way by providing slots 17 and 18 having desired width and shape. 
In FIG. 3 there is shown how the locking or securing device according to 
FIGS. 2a and 2b is applied to a pair of wheel nuts 2. The locking or 
securing device 3 is pressed onto the wheel nuts 2 while the elements 10 
and 11 are in a position which is substantially perpendicular to the 
planes of the outer surfaces 7 of the nuts. Thereby, the teeth 19 and 20, 
respectively, are deformed by being deflected in the manner shown in FIG. 
3, so that there is established a firm engagement between the teeth 19 and 
20 on one side and the outer surfaces 7 of the nuts 2 on the other side. 
The locking or securing device 3 is displaced so far onto the nuts 2 that 
the projections 9 will engage the side surface of the vehicle wheel 1. 
The appliance of the locking or securing device 3 on the wheel nuts is 
preferably conducted by means of a special tool (not shown). When the 
position according to FIG. 3 has been reached, the tool is removed, 
whereby the locking or securing device attempts to revert to the position 
shown in FIG. 2b, wherein the elements 10 and 11 form an angle in relation 
to each other. Thus, the elements 10 and 11 are striving to take a canted 
position in relation to a plane extending perpendicular to the outer 
surfaces 7 of the nuts 2. Thereby, there is provided a fastening of the 
elements 10 and 11 on the nuts 2 engaged thereby. The elements 10 and 11 
secure each other with regard to rotation which provides that the elements 
10 and 11 prevent an unintentional rotation of the nuts 2. 
FIGS. 4a and 4b show a plan view and a side view, respectively, of the 
locking or securing device 4. The locking or securing device 4 comprises a 
washer 21 made from sheet metal material and comprising a locking or 
securing element 22 and an element 23 formed in one piece therewith which 
by means of a bent connection portion 24 is connected with the locking or 
securing element 22. An opening 25 is formed in the locking or securing 
element 22. Like the openings 12 and 13 in the embodiment according to 
FIGS. 2 and 3, the opening 25 is restricted by teeth 26 formed by slots 27 
in the sheet metal material. The corners of the locking or securing 
element 22 are cut and bent downwards for constituting projections 28 of 
the same kind as the projections in the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 
and 3. The locking or securing device 4 is applied to a nut by being 
pressed onto the nut while the teeth 26 are deformed to a position in 
which the teeth 26 firmly engage the side surfaces 7 of the nut and the 
projections 28 engage the side surface of the wheel. Thereby, the element 
23 engages the side of the wheel and is acting for canting the locking or 
securing element 22 in relation to a plane which is perpendicular to the 
side surfaces 7 of the nut. As is the case in the embodiment of the 
locking or securing element described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, 
this canting provides an effective retaining and securing of the locking 
or securing device on the nut and an effective locking thereof. The 
locking device itself is secured against rotation by contact with adjacent 
structure, as shown in FIG. 1. 
The embodiment of the locking or securing device according to the invention 
shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c comprises two locking or securing elements 29 
and 30, the element 29 having an angularly deflected portion 31 while the 
element 30 is straight. The elements 29 and 30 are connectable with each 
other by means of a bolt 32 welded to the portion 31 of the element 29 and 
extending through a slot 33 in the element 30. The bolt 32 is provided 
with a washer 34 and a nut 36. The elements 29 and 30 are formed with 
openings 37 and 38, respectively, enclosed by teeth 39 and 40, 
respectively. 
The locking or securing device 5 is applied to two adjacent wheel nuts by 
being pressed onto the nuts so that the nuts are received in one of the 
openings 37 and 38 each. Thereby, the connection between the elements 29 
and 30 by means of the bolt 32, the washer 34 and the nut 36 is 
untightened in such a way that the two elements 29 and 30 can be pressed 
onto the wheel nuts in a position substantially perpendicular against the 
planes through the side surfaces of the nuts. Thereupon the nut 36 is 
tightened, the elements 29 and 30 thereby being canted in relation to said 
plane so that there is provided a firm and secure engagement between the 
teeth 39 and 40 on one side and the side surfaces 7 of the wheel nuts 2 on 
the other side. 
The embodiment of the locking or securing device according to the invention 
shown in FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c comprises two locking or securing elements 41 
and 42 having angularly deflected portions 43 and 44, respectively, and a 
connection element 45. The connection element 45 connects the elements 41 
and 42 by means of bolts 46 and 47 which are welded to the portions 43 and 
44, respectively, and extend through a slot 48 formed in the element 45. 
The bolts are provided with washers 49 and 50, respectively, and nuts 51 
and 52, respectively, for fastening the elements 41 and 42 to the 
connection element 45. The elements 41 and 42 are formed with openings 53 
and 54, respectively, for receiving one wheel nut 2 each. The openings 53 
and 54 are enclosed by teeth 55 and 56, respectively, adapted firmly to 
engage the side surfaces 7 of the wheel nuts 2. When the locking or 
securing device is applied to two adjacent wheel nuts the nuts 51 and 52 
are in untightened positions in such a way that the elements 41 and 42 can 
be applied to the wheel nuts 2 in a position, in which the elements 41 and 
42 are substantially perpendicular to a plane through the side surfaces 7 
of the wheel nuts 2. After the elements 41 and 42 have been applied to the 
wheel nuts 2 the nuts 51 and 52 are tightened whereby the elements 41 and 
42 are canted in order to take a position in which they firmly engage the 
side surfaces 7 of the wheel nuts 2. 
In the embodiments of the locking or securing device according to the 
invention shown in FIGS. 5a-5c and 6a-6c the wheel nuts can be released by 
untightening the nuts 36 and the nuts 51 and 52, respectively, so that the 
locking or securing elements can be moved to a position, in which they are 
substantially perpendicular to the side surfaces of the wheel nuts. In 
this position the locking or securing devices can be removed from the 
wheel nuts. In all embodiments shown in the drawings the wheel nuts can be 
released also by being untightened while the locking or securing devices 
are still attached to the wheel nuts, the teeth of the locking or securing 
elements being thereby deformed to such a degree that the locking or 
securing devices can be removed. Of course, it is also possible to 
displace the locking or securing elements of the locking or securing 
devices into a position perpendicular to the side surfaces of the wheel 
nuts by means of any kind of tool, in which position the retaining forces 
are reduced so that the locking or securing devices can be removed. 
The invention can be modified within the scope of the following claims.