Improvements in Locking Nuts.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locking Nuts.
I, WILLARD REED GREEN, of No. 1325, Gilpin Street, in the City of Denver,
County of Arapahoe, and State of Colorado, United States of America, Engineer,
do 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:-
My invention relates to what are technically called lock nuts; screw nuts,
that are provided with a detent that prevents their coming loose. under jarring
action as in the case of fastening fish plates on railway rails.
My improvements consist in providing such screw nuts with a feather or key
inserted at the side, in the plane of and through the screw threads of both the
nut and the bolt, acting as a key, preventing movement between the two, the
key or detent being of malleable metal, capable of being upset or deflected by
blows on the projecting end, and formed with projections or raised portions on
the outer or inner face, or with recesses on the sides of the grooves in which the
key is fitted, so that when the key is struck and upset it will expand and engage
either the screw bolt or the nut, forming a mechanical fastening for the key so
that it cannot be withdrawn except by intention and the force of a special
implement. The object of my invention is security from the coming loose of
screw nuts upon the moving parts of machinery or in structures of any kind sub-
ject to concussion or jar.
To this end I provide devices as illustrated in the drawing herewith, forming a
part of this specification, in which:
Fig. I is a side elevation, partially in section, showing a bolt and screw nut
provided with my improved locking device.
Fig. II is an elevation of the same bolt and nut, at a right angle to Fig. I.
Fig. III is an enlarged side view of one of the keys or feathers detached.
Fig. IV is a top view. of the nut.
Similar numerals of reference are applied to like parts throughout the severa
figures of the drawing.
The bolts 1, can be of any form or material such as is commonly employed.
being always of a malleable nature and soft enough to be screw threaded.
The nuts 2, may be square, polygonal or round and of any depth, the methcl
of fastening remaining the same.
Shallow grooves 3, are formed in both the bolt 1 and the nut 2, preferably
a little deeper than the screw thread in the bolt 1, and the key 4, is inserted as
shown in Fig. I.
These keys are made to fit loosely, but to as nearly as possible fill the grooves,
and are made with a hook-head 5, adapted for withdrawal by means of a crab-
bar or other suitable implement. At, or near, the inner end are formed pro-
jections 6, as seen in Figure III, slightly raised above the surface, or face line
of the key, or what is equivalent slight recesses are formed in the bottom of the
grooves 3, on the nut or bolt so the key 4, when struck will expand or be
deflected into these recesses as seen at 8, in Fig. I.

page_text: The key 4, when inserted is struck on the head and driven down at 7, against
the bottom of the groove 3, so as to upset its central section and thus force out-
ward the projections 6, which impinge upon and cause a slight depression in the
soft metal of the nut, or of the bolt as the key may be turned to the right or left,
or the key will be expanded or bent into a recess formed in the bolt or nut, and
thus guard against its withdrawal except by intention and with a suitable
implement.
The upsetting of the key 4, can also be accomplished by providing a shallow
recess at the bottom of the grooves 3, in which the key may bend or expand as
at 8, in Fig. I, preventing it from coming out when upset by driving in the
manner before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
In a nut locking device, the combination of a bolt and a nut having corre
sponding grooves in their adjacent faces, and a key or feather forcibly seated
lengthwise therein, whereby the said key or feather is given an endwise upset
or expansion within the grooves to prevent displacement and lock the parts
against relative movement, substantially as specified.
Dated the 20th low of Danamt 1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London, for the Applicant.