Improvements in Locking or Fixing Nuts, and in Apparatus or Means Employed therein, which Apparatus is also Partly Applicable to the Fastening of Windows, Doors, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Locking or Fixing Nuts, and in Apparatus or
Means Employed therein, which Apparatus is also Partly
Applicable to the Fastening of Windows, Doors, and the like.
I WILLIAM PURVIS WILSON of 18 Great George Street in the City of Westminster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a mode of and apparatus or means for ensuring an absolute
locking or fixing of nuts on their screws or bolts applicable in all cases where separate
lock nuts have usually been employed which lock nuts are entirely dispensed with by
my invention.
According to my invention I employ a combined tongue-washer and lock plate
made either in one piece or in two or more separate parts united or jointed together
according to the size of the nuts to be locked. In its simplest form suitable for
single screws or bolts my locking apparatus consists of a metal plate having a tongue
which forms the washer cut therein the opening in the plate so cut forming the lock
or guard by fitting more or less round the contour of the nut after it has been screwed
home. The tongue washer formed out of the said plate is perforated for the passage
of the screw or bolt and the nut is screwed up tight against it. By raising or
bending up that portion of the plate which forms the lock or guard it will embrace
the nut on two or more of its flat sides and effectually prevent any movement
therein, the said combined tongue washer and lock plate being itself fixed in position
by the presence of the screw or bolt in the washer and a stop piece formed on or
fitted to the lock or guard plate. In some cases I introduce a plain or recessed key
between the tongue-washer and the lock plate in order to maintain the latter in its
raised position when locking the nut. Where two or more screws or bolts are
employed as for example in Fish plates I combine two or more tongue-washers in one
and the same lock plate made to fit onto the two or more screws or bolts which of
themselves maintain the combined tongue washers and locks in position without other
stops or means of fixing the same.

page_text: The same arrangement of combined tongue and guard frame or plate formed in one
piece or separately as described is also applicable as a locking catch for windows doors
and the like, one end of the guard frame when used as a window fastening being
suitably shaped and secured by screws or otherwise to the inner face of the lower bar
of the outer or top sash, the tongue being bent outwards and bearing with its free
end upon the top of the lower or inner sash when the window is closed. To open the
window it is only necessary to push in the tongue so as to cause it to lie flush with
the guard frame or plate and the sash is free to be raised. When the sash is lowered
the tongue springs back to its original position and may be locked by the insertion of
a plain or recessed key between it and the guard frame as already described. I prefer
to bend back a portion of the free end of the tongue to a right angle or thereabouts
so as to present a smoother surface to the lower sash. A similar arrangement
may be applied to doors the guard frame or plate being in this case secured to
the inner part of the door frame and the tongue or catch bearing against the face of
the door.
D
171
1
D
1
100

page_text: combined tongue-washer and lock or guard frame or plate complete in one piece
illustrating the simplest mode of carrying out my invention as applied to the locking
or fixing of single nuts.
Figure 2 is an end view thereof.
Figure 3 is a plau corresponding to figure 1.
Figure 4 is a face view of the key to be inserted between the tongue and lock or
guard frame or plate for maintaining such plate raised in order to lock the nut.
Figure 5 is a side view thereof shewing the recessed portion which fits over the
tongue-washer.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of two combined tongue-washers and lock or guard
frames or plates in one applicable for locking two nuts as for example in the case of
securing Fish plate nuts.
Figure 7 is a corresponding plan thereof.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of a tongue washer and lock or guard
plate constructed in separate parts according to a modified arrangement.
Figure 9 is a plan thereof.
A is a metal plate having a tongue a cut therein which forms the washer, the
frame & produced by cutting the tongue forming the lock or guard plate which fits
around the nut. The tongue washer a is perforated at c for the passage of the screw
or bolt, and the nut is screwed up tight against it. By raising or bending up that
portion of the plate A which forms the lock or guard frame bit will be caused to
embrace closely the sides of the nut and thus effectually prevent any movement
thereof the said combined tongue washer and lock frame or plate being retained in
position by means of the screw or bolt and nut and prevented from turning by a
stop piece & formed on or fitted to the lock or guard frame.

page_text: In order to maintain the lock or guard frame in its raised position so as to
lock the nut I prefer to employ a key e (figures 4 and 5) preferably recessed as
shewn and bevilled at one end to facilitate its introduction between the tongue
washer a and the lock frame the said lock frame resting upon the upper or
smooth side of the key and the tongue-washer fitting into the recess on the
underside thereof which recess prevents any longitudinal movement of the key,
lateral movement being also prevented by the stops or projections y formed on
the tongue-washer by bending up portions thereof as shewn clearly in the drawings.
This arrangement of combined tongue-washer and lock or guard frame or plate
is intended for locking single nuts and as illustrated in figures 1, 2, and 3, is specially
applicable to the nuts employed for securing fish plates to rails when such nuts are
unevenly spaced as frequently occurs at crossings on railways in which case the stop d
formed on the guard plate engages with the edge of the fish plate and thereby
prevents the locking device from turning when secured in position by the nut.
Where two or more screws or bolts and nuts are employed placed at equal distances
apart as is usual in fish plates for example I form two or more tongue washers a a
and lock or guard frames from a single plate A (see figure 6 and 7) the said
tongue washers and guard frames fitting over two or more screws or bolts and being
thus prevented from turning without necessitating the employment of stops, the before
mentioned key e being employed if desired for raising the lock or guard frames and
maintaining them in sucli raised position as will be readily understood on reference to
the drawings.
In cases where extra strength and stability are required I construct the tongue
washer and guard frame or plate of stouter metal and in separate parts as shewn in
the modified arrangement at figures 8 and 9.
In this arrangement, a a are the two tongue washers made in one piece and
suitably bent or shaped at a to permit of the introduction beneath said tongue
washer of the portions of the lock or guard frames bb said portions being
preferably of square or angular section the pressure of the tongue washer upon the
flat sides (when the nuts are screwed home) maintaining the lock or guard frame
elevated as shewn clearly in figure 8 the key e not being necessary. When it
is desired to loosen or detach a nut it is simply requisite to press the lock frame
downwards (the spring of the tongue washer permitting such movement) when the
nut may be unscrewed and released.
If desired the portions may be slightly rounded or curved on the lower side to
facilitate raising or lowering the lock or guard frame.
Figure 10 shews my invention as applied to the fish plates of permanent way.for
locking single nuts.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of a railway rail and fish plates illustrating my
invention as arranged for locking a pair of nuts.
Figure 12 is an end view thereof with the rail in section.
B is the rail and C the fish plate. D D are the bolt heads and EE the nuts the
latter being shewn locked by the lock or guard plates which are maintained
elevated by the keys e e as before explained.
d (figures 1 and 10) is the stop piece formed on the guard frame for preventing
the locking device from turning.
The arrangement of combined tongue and guard frame or plate herein before
described is also applicable as a locking catch for windows doors and the like the
tongue serving as a catch and bearing with its free end upon the window sash or door
and being locked in position if desired by the insertion of a key between it and the
guard frame as before described the guard frame or plate being. provided with
suitable means for attachment to a window sash or door frame as the case may be.
Figure 13 is an elevation illustrating the mode of applying my combined tongue
and guard frame to window sashes for fastening the same.
Figure 14 is a vertical section thereof.
Figure 15 is a plain of figure 13.
In these figures F is the middle bar of the top sash and G the middle bar of the

page_text: lower sash. The guard frame or plate having the tongue a formed therein is
preferably made from one piece of metal and secured at h h to the top sash, a portion
of the guard frame a being bent back at all for the purpose of adding strength and
stability and the lower extremities of the said portions all being bent outwards and
provided with holes for the reception of the retaining screws. In order to
present a smooth surface to the lower sash I prefer to bend back the lower or free
end of the tongue a to a right angle or thereabouts as shown clearly in figure 14.
In in order to raise the sash it is simply necessary to push in the tongue a until it
is flush with the face of the guard frame b when the sash is free to be elevated. On
lowering the sash the tongue a will spring back again to its original position as shewn
in figure 14 and maintain the sash securely fastened.
It will be obvious that a similar arrangement to that above described is equally
well adapted for fastening doors (see figures 16, 17, 18) which represent respectively
front elevation side elevation and plan illustrating the simplest mode of applying
same.
The frame is secured as in the case of the sash fastening to the inner part of the
door frame or jamb H the free end of the tongue a bearing upon the face of the
door I. To open the door it is only necessary to push back the tongue until it
is flush with the guard frame when the door is free to be opened whilst upon closing
the door the tongue will spring back to its original position and fasten the door.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. The improvements in locking or fixing nuts upon their screws or bolts by means
of a tongue-washer combined with a lock or guard plate or frame arranged and
constructed substantially as specified.
2. In apparatus for locking or fixing nuts upon their screws or bolts the peculiar
construction and arrangement of combined tongue-washer and lock or guard plate or
frame formed out of a single piece of sheet metal whether adapted for fixing one two
or more nuts substantially as specified and illustrated by figures 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7
of my drawings.
3. In apparatus for locking or fixing nuts upon their screws or bolts the peculiar
construction, arrangement and combination of tongue-washer and lock or guard frame
formed in separate parts whether adapted for one two or more nuts substantially
as described and illustrated with reference to figures 8 and 9 of my drawings.
4. The application and use to and in connection with window sashes and doors for
the purpose of fastening same of the peculiar construction and arrangement of
combined tongue and guard frame substantially as described and illustrated by
figures 13 to 18 of my drawings.
5. The use in combination with the apparatus described for locking or fixing nuts
upon their screws or bolts and fastening windows and doors of a plain or recessed koy
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
6. In apparatus for locking or fixing single nuts upon their screws or bolts the
combination with the guard frame or plate of a stop piece d substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
Dated October 17th 1888.