Improvements in and relating to Lock Nuts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Lock Nuts.
I THOMAS WALKER FOWLER of No. 317 Collins Street Melbourne in the
Colony of Victoria Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing some simple yet
efficient means whereby nuts may be securely locked upon screw-threaded bolts,
studs, or rods. The essential feature of my invention consists in providing a
number of ratchet teeth on the outside edge of a ring or collar formed on or
secured to the forward face of the nut, and in providing a curved spring pawl
secured either to a washer prevented from rotating upon said bolt or other screw-
threaded rod or to any other non-rotating object, such for instance, as a fish plate,
against which said nut is to work. This said curved spring pawl is secured to said
immovable washer or other non-rotating object by fitting its downwardly bent end
into a correspondingly shaped hole therein. Said pawl is arranged to partially
encircle the nut, whilst its end is adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth which,
as above mentioned, are formed around the outer edge of a ring or collar upon the
forward face of the nut.
The spring retaining pawl above referred to may be made comparatively short if
desired, in which case I prefer to provide it with a second projecting pin adapted
to fit into another hole in the above mentioned washer or other non-rotating object.
In order to prevent the end of the pawl from becoming disengaged from the ratchet
teeth on the lock nut, I sometimes form a groove or recess between the inner end
of that portion upon which as above stated said teeth are cut and the body of
the nut, and I form a projection on said pawl and arrange said projection to
engage with said groove so as to retain said pawl in engagement with said teeth, as
just mentioned.
Instead of the spring pawl above referred to I may use a washer formed with a
flat, or otherwise arranged in such a manner that it is unable to turn upon the bolt
or other screw-threaded rod, and at or near the edge of said washer I weld, rivet,
or otherwise secure a spring pawl similar to that already described or I form a
pawl consisting of a narrow strip cut out of the edge of said washer and bent
forward into such a shape as to serve the purpose of the retaining pawl above
referred to.
In constructing a lock nut according to my invention, I prefer to provide a
circular ring of metal, having ratchet teeth cut in its outer edge, and to lay same
whilst hot upon the face of a hot nut blank, and then by means of hydraulic or
other pressure to cause said toothed ring to unite with said nut blank. I prefer to
form a circular V-shaped groove in the face of said blank, and a correspondingly
shaped projection on the face of the above mentioned toothed ring in order that
the latter may fit into the former and so be more securely fastened to said nut
when welded as above described.
Dated this Twenty-second day of May One thousand eight hundred and

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Lock Nuts.
I, THOMAS WALKER FOWLER of No. 317 Collins Street Melbourne in the
Colony of Victoria, Civil Engineer, 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 has been devised for the purpose of providing some simple yet
efficient means whereby nuts may be securely locked upon screw-threaded bolts,
studs, or rods.
It consists in the combination with a nut having a number of ratchet teeth
provided on a collar, ring or shoulder projecting from its forward face, of a spring-
pawl secured to some non-rotating object (such for instance, as the washer or fish-
plate) against which said nut is to work and adapted to engage with the ratchet
teeth on the latter, as will be well understood from the following description,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a plan of a screw-threaded bolt, washer, and lock-nut constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a plan of said washer with the curved spring pawl above referred to
secured to it.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of said spring pawl showing same detached.
Figure 5 is a similar view of a modified form of said spring pawl.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of part of a fish-plate illustrating the way in which
the spring pawl may be connected to it.
Figure 7 is a side elevation, and
Figure 8 a plan of a lock nut constructed according to my invention, and
provided with special means whereby the spring pawl may be maintained in
engagement with it.
Figure 9 is a plan, and
Figure 10 a side elevation of the spring pawl which I use with this modified
nut.
Figure 11 is a plan of a non-rotating washer such as may be used for the purposes
of my invention, and having a curved spring pawl cut out of its outer edge,
whilst,
Figure 12 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 13 a plan of a nut illustrating the method of construction I prefer to
employ.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or equivalent parts in all the
figures.
A represents a screw-threaded nut which it is desired to lock upon the bolt or
other screw-threaded rod B whilst C represents a projecting collar, ring or shoulder
whose periphery is formed with a number of ratchet teeth c with which the outer
end d of the curved spring pawl D engages, so as to prevent said nut from rotating
rearwardly whilst admitting of its being turned forwardly to screw it on to said
bolt B.
This ring might be of such a diameter as to allow said teeth to project slightly
beyond the sides of the nut, or it might be arranged as illustrated.
The rear end of this curved spring pawl is provided with a projection or lug d
.which is fitted into a correspondingly shaped hole or recess d² provided for it
either in the washer E (Figures 1, 2, and 3) which is prevented from rotating in
any suitable manner) or else in the fish-plate E (Figure 6) or other fixed object
against which the nut is intended to work. This said pawl is so constructed and
arranged that its end will engage with the ratchet teeth c on the nut A so as to
effectually prevent the latter from rotating in one direction whilst leaving it free to
be turned in the other, the result being that although said nut may be readily

page_text: screwed tightly against a washer, fish-plate or other fixed object, it cannot be
rotated in the opposite direction by reason of the pawl D.
This said pawl preferably extends rather more than half-way round the nut, and
as it were, clasps it, thus maintaining said pawl in engagement with the teeth on
said nut, and at the same time more effectually retaining said nut from any
backward rotation without causing so much strain on the projection d' and at the
same time admitting of this latter, together with the hole in which it works, being
made round instead of square, as shown.
If required, said spring pawl D may be made shorter in which case I prefer to
provide it with a second downwardly projecting pin or lug d* (as illustrated in
Figure 5) adapted to fit into a corresponding hole or recess in the washer E or
other non-rotating object.
In order to prevent the end of the pawl D from being disengaged from the
ratchet teeth c on the nut A, I sometimes form a groove or recess F between the
body of the nut A and said teeth, and I form a projecting flange or web fon said
pawl (as illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10) and arrange said flange or web to
engage with said groove F so as to retain said pawl in engagement with said teeth,
as just mentioned.
The washer E may be prevented from rotating upon the bolt B by forming a
flat g upon the latter and providing a corresponding flat G upon the inside of said
washer or if preferred any other suitable means may be employed for effecting the
same object. It will of course be obvious that a V-shaped or other convenient
groove or projection may be used instead of the flats G.
Instead of using the detached spring pawl D above described, I sometimes use a
washer E formed with a flat G or otherwise prevented from turning upon the
bolt B and having at or near its edge a spring pawl D constructed somewhat as
above described, welded, rivetted or otherwise secured to it, or I sometimes form a
pawl out of a narrow strip D stamped or otherwise cut out of the edge of said
washer and bent into a suitable shape, as illustrated in Figure 11.
In constructing a lock nut according to my invention I prefer to provide a
circular metal ring C (Figure 12) having ratchet teeth on its periphery, and to lay
same whilst hot upon the face of a hot nut blank A and then by means of hydraulic
or other pressure cause said toothed ring to unite with said nut blank. I prefer
moreover, as illustrated in said figure, to form a V or other shaped groove h across
the face of said nut blank and to provide a correspondingly shaped ridge or
projection H across the face of the above mentioned toothed ring in order that by
fitting the latter into the former, the said toothed ring may be more securely
fastened to the nut when welded, as above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The combination with a screw-threaded nut having a projecting peri-
pherally toothed ring, collar or shoulder (such as C) on its forward face of a
spring pawl (such as D) secured to a fixed washer or other non-rotating object,
and adapted to engage with said teeth, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The combination with a screw-threaded nut having a peripherally
toothed projecting ring, collar or shoulder (such as C) of a spring pawl (such
as D) either secured to or made integral with a washer provided with a flat (such
as G) or otherwise prevented from rotating upon the bolt or other screw-threaded
rod, the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
Third. The combination with a screw-threaded nut having a peripherally
toothed projecting ring, collar or shoulder (such as C) and having a groove (such
as F) formed between the body of the nut and said teeth of a spring pawl (such
as D) formed with a projecting web or flange (such as f) adapted to fit in said

page_text: groove, said pawl being either secured to or else made integral with a non-rotating
washer or other fixed object and the whole being constructed and arranged
substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in Figures 7 to 10
of my drawings.
Fourth. The combination with a nut blank (such as A Figure 12) of a ring
(such as C) having teeth cast or otherwise formed on its periphery, said ring being
secured to said nut blank by laying it when hot upon the latter and then forcing
them together by pressure a V-shaped groove (such as ) being preferably formed
across the forward face of said nut blank and a correspondingly shaped ridge or
projection (such as H) on the adjacent face of said ring, a spring pawl (such as D)
being connected to some non-rotating object and adapted to engage with said
teeth, substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in Figure 12
of my drawings.
Dated this 24th day of March One thousand eight hundred and ninety-one.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.