Improvements in Locking Nuts.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
Improvements in Locking Nuts.
1, THEODORE CASIMIR ROUSSEL, of Belfield House, Parson's Green, in the
County of Middlesex, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to means for locking nuts in position, and includes the
employment of special devices, whereby, after the nut is screwed home, it cannot
be unscrewed until the locking device has been released.
A lock-nut made in accordance with the present invention can be screwed up to
any desired extent and can then be immediately locked in position; no labour
being required after the screwing home of the nut beyond that involved in
applying the locking device.
According to one mode of carrying out my invention, I make a longitudinal
slot through the bolt. This slot may terminate near the end of the bolt, or it may
be a saw-cut extending from the end of the bolt for the requisite distance
longitudinally. In the latter case, the ends of the divided part of the bolt may,
near their extremities, be pressed over into, or nearly into, contact with one
The
another in order to close the slot and facilitate the application of the nut.
nut may be stamped or otherwise formed with an outer face having a series of
transverse grooves crossing one another; three being a convenient number for a
hexagonal and two for a square nut. This face of the nut is also provided with
a flange. The inner face of the nut bears a series of projections; six being a
convenient number. These projections are flat and may reach from the periphery
of the nut to that of its central orifice. A flat circular washer of comparatively
soft metal or equivalent material is used between the inner face of the nut and
the fish-plate or other part against which the nut is screwed. The nut is screwed
up until one of the transverse grooves coincides with the slot in the bolt; the
soft metal or other washer yielding if necessary and permitting an exact
alignment to be attained. A cotter with a T-shaped head is then passed along
the first part of the aligned groove, through the slot, and then along the last part
of the groove, whereupon a lynch-pin is inserted in a hole in its extremity; the
pin and the head of the cotter lying under the flange of the nut, and being
thereby retained in position. Instead of the cotter and pin, a split cotter or
equivalent device may be employed. If preferred, the inner face of the nut may
be smooth and the washer corrugated or made with projections; the object in
either case being to impart a yielding character to the washer, and thus to enable
one of the transverse grooves to be brought into alignment. The soft washer may
in some cases be put under the head of the bolt instead of under the nut, or
between the fish-plates or other parts to be drawn together.
According to another mode of carrying out my invention, instead of a cotter
arranged at right angles to the bolt, a pin or stud is employed and placed parallel
therewith. In this construction, two nuts are used; one having a right-hand and
the other a left-hand thread. The outer edge of the inner nut and the inner edge
of the outer nut are cut away so as to leave an annular space between the two
Duts. The bolt is screwed to correspond with the nuts; part having a right-
hand thread and part a left-hand thread. The inner nut, having been screwed
home, a flat soft metal or other washer is slipped on the bolt, and the outer nut
screwed up against it. The inner face of the outer nut is formed with projections
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page_text: The
similar to those previously described with reference to the nut used in the first
construction. Or the washer may be corrugated or made with projections; the
inner face of the nut being under such circumstances flat. A hole parallel with
the bolt is drilled near each angle of each nut; though any other convenient
number of holes may be used. These holes are equidistant from the bolt.
outer nut is screwed up until one of the holes therein is brought exactly over one
of the holes in the inner nut. The pin or stud is then passed through the hole in
the outer nut and into the hole in the inner nut; part of this pin being visible in
the annular space between the nuts. A lynch-pin is thereupon passed through a
hole in that part of the locking pin lying in the annular space; the nuts being
thus securely locked in place.
I, THEODORE CASIMIR ROUSSEL, of Belfield House, Parson's Green, in the
County of Middlesex, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to means for locking nuts in position, and includes the
employment of special devices, whereby, after the nut is screwed home, it cannot
be unscrewed until the locking device has been released.
A lock-nut made in accordance with the present invention is capable of being
screwed up or tightened to any desired extent and then immediately locked in
position; no labour being required after the screwing home of the nut beyond
that involved in applying the locking device.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of one form of locking device constructed according to
my invention. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan.
Fig. 3 is a detached view of the bolt employed in this construction, and
Fig. 4 is a plan showing the under side of the improved nut.
Fig. 5 is an elevation and Fig. 6 a corresponding plan showing a modified
construction.
Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively detached views of the bolt and of the cotter
employed with this construction."
Fig. 9 is a vertical section of another modification; Fig. 10 being a corre-
sponding plan.
Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate two examples of yielding washers suitable for
employment with my improved locking devices ;
Fig. 11 being a concentrically corrugated washer and Fig. 12 a radially
corrugated washer.
According to one mode of carrying out my invention, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4,
I make a longitudinal slot a through the bolt A. This slot may be of any desired
length and may terminate near the outer extremity of the bolt; or it may be a
saw-cut extending from the end of the bolt for the requisite distance longitudinally,
as will be hereinafter explained. The nut B is formed on its outer face with a
series of transverse grooves bb crossing one another; three being a convenient
number for a hexagonal and two for a square nut. This outer or upper face of
the nut is also provided with a flange 61. The inner or under face of the nut

page_text: bears a series of radial projections 63 62; six being a convenient number when
the nut employed is hexagonal. These projections 66 are flat and extend
from the central orifice to the periphery of the nut. A flat washer C, of com-
paratively soft metal or equivalent material, is placed between the inner face of
the nut B and the fish-plate or other part D against which the nut is screwed.
The nut B is screwed up until one of the transverse grooves coincides with the
slot a in the bolt A; the soft metal or other washer C yielding if necessary and
permitting the exact alignment of one of the transverse grooves b with the slot a.
A cotter E with a T-shaped head is then passed along the first part of the aligned
groove b, through the slot a, and along the last part of the groove b, whereupon
a lynch-pin c is inserted in a hole made for its reception in the extremity of the
said cotter E; both the pin c and the T-shaped head of the cotter E lying under
the flange of the nut, and being thereby retained in position. Instead of the
cotter and pin above referred to, a split cotter or equivalent device may be
employed.
The construction illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 is more particularly applicable for
employment in cases where the variations in the thickness of the plates or parts
to be drawn and secured together may be readily provided for.
In this con-
struction, a longitudinal saw-cut a¹ in the bolt A takes the place of the longitudinal
slot a in the previously described arrangement; saw-cuts a being made near the
outer extremity of each divided part. These divided parts of the bolt may, near
their extremities, be pressed over into, or nearly into, contact with one another,
with the object of facilitating the application of the nut. The nut B is provided
on its outer or upper face with transverse grooves bb, somewhat deeper than
those shown in Fig. 1, and on its inner or under face is furnished with a series
of flat radial projections 6² 62. On the nut B being screwed home, a cotter E'
is inserted in the saw-cut a¹ and in the portions of the grooves b in alignment
therewith. A U-shaped piece c' is then passed through the saw-cuts a° a" in the
bolt and the saw-cuts e e in the cotter E. The bottom of the U-shaped piece fits
snugly against one side of the bolt; the extremities, which project from the
opposite side of the bolt, being turned down so as to lie against the face of the
cotter.
According to another mode of carrying out my invention, illustrated in Fig. 9,
instead of a cotter arranged at right angles to the bolt, a pin or stud E2 is
employed and placed parallel therewith. In this construction, two nuts B B¹ are
used; one having a right-hand and the other a left-hand thread. The outer edge
of the nut B' and the inner edge of the nut B are cut away so as to leave an
annular space B' between the two nuts. The bolt A¹ is screwed to correspond
with the nuts; part having a right-hand thread and part having a left-hand
thread. The nut B having been screwed home, a flat, soft metal or other
washer C is slipped on the bolt, and the nut B screwed up against it. The inner
face of the outer nut bears projections as previously described. Parallel with
the bolt, a perforation 63 is made near each angle of the upper nut B, a hole 64
being also drilled in each angle of the lower nut B¹. Any convenient number
of holes may, however, be used; these perforations or holes being equidistant
from the bolt. The nut B having been tightened until one of the perforations 6³
exactly coincides with one of the holes 6' in the nut B', the said pin or stud E2 is
passed through the perforation 63 and into the hole in the nut B'; a lynch-pin c²
being passed through a hole made for its reception in the part of the pin E which
is visible in the annular space B' between the nuts.
If preferred, the projections 62 on the inner or under face of the tightening
nut B may be dispensed with, and that face be made smooth; the washer, under
such circumstances, being corrugated or made with projections, see Figs. 11 and 12.
The object in either case is, however, to impart a yielding character to the
washer, and thus to enable the parts to be brought into the necessary alignment.
The soft metal or other yielding washer may, in some cases, be put under the

page_text: head of the bolt, instead of under the nut, or between the fish-plates or other parts
to be drawn together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. The improved means for locking nuts, substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, and consisting in the
employment of a yielding washer in conjunction with a nut having transverse
grooves in its outer face and a slotted bolt, so that, the nut having been tightened
to the desired extent, a cotter may be passed into one of the transverse grooves
and through the slot in the bolt, the head of the said cotter engaging beneath
a flange on said nut and the opposite extremity being secured by a lynch-pin.
2. The improved means for locking nuts, substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings, and consisting in the
employment of a yielding washer in conjunction with a nut, having transverse
grooves in its outer face, and a bolt having saw-cuts in its extremity, so that,
the nut having been tightened to the desired extent, a cotter may be passed
into one of the transverse grooves and through one of the saw-cuts, the cotter
being secured by a U-piece arranged as shown.
3. The improved means for locking nuts, substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings, and comprising a
yielding washer in conjunction with a bolt having right- and left-hand threads
and correspondingly threaded nuts, the latter being drilled for the reception of
a locking pin arranged parallel with the bolt and secured by means of a lynch-pin.
4. For employment in connection with nut-locking devices, a yielding washer
formed substantially as herein described, and adapted to permit the necessary
amount of adjustment for enabling parts intended to coincide to be brought into
alignment.
T
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