Improvements in Nut Locks.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Nut Locks.
I, WILLIAM HARRISON, of Kington in the Province of Ontario, and Dominion of
Canada, Gunsmith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain improvements in nut locks, and consists in certain
novel features of construction and in combinations of parts more fully described
hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings;-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail showing two nuts, one in position just before
being locked by the present invention, and the other nut being in locked adjustment.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing a single nut without a washer locked by a some-
what different form from that of figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detail perspective of the key of figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective of the key of figure 2.
Figure 5 is a view of a single locking key for two adjacent nuts.
Figure 6 is an edge view of the key of figure 3.
.
In the drawings the reference letter a, indicates a rail; b, indicates an angle bar,
c indicates the bolts, and d, angular or square nuts thereon.
The locking key e, consists of an integral substantially right angle piece of metal
having the lower arm formed to rest in the angle of the angle bar beneath the nut,
and the upwardly extending arm g, to extend up beside and partially beneath one side
of the nut.
On the outer side of the lower arm, near the inner end thereof is formed an
upwardly bevelled shoulder h, as clearly shown, and the inner end of the arm beyond
said shoulder and the upper arm are reduced in thickness so that the end of the nut
can turn over the same. The key shown in figure 4, is further provided with an
upwardly and outwardly bevelled shoulder hat the upper end of its upright arm, and
the inner edges of the inner ends only of the two arms are reduced to admit the
passage of the nut.
Before placing the key. the nut should be screwed up against the angle bar as
tightly as possible with its lower side parallel with the lower side of said bar; the
lower end of the key is then inserted (from the left if it is a right hand nut) into
the space between the angle bar and the lower side of the nut until the upper arm
of the key tightly engages the periphery of a washer i, beneath the nut, or the
bevelled edges of the key of figure 4, fit beneath the edge of the nut where no
washer is employed, as clearly shown by the left hand nut of figure 1, now to lock
the nut it should be turned a partial revolution in the direction to unscrew the
nut from the bolt and the two left hand corners of the nut will slip over the
upper end of the upper arın and the inner end of the lower arm and the lower
left hand corner of the nut will engage and tightly lock and wedge upon the
bevelled shoulder h, and absolutely and positively prevent further loosening or
rotation of the nut, for the greater force applied towards loosening the nut simply
binds it tighter on said shoulder, as clearly shown in figures 1 and 2. Where the
key of figure 3 is used the upper left hand corner of the nut rests on the upper portion
of the upper arm of the key but where no washer is employed and the key of figure 4
is used the upper left hand corner of the nut is also wedged upon and binds on the
upper bevelled shoulder h¹ (see figure 2).
When the nut is locked on the shoulders of the key it firmly holds the key in
position against any tendency to jar or shake out of place, but the nut can be unlocked
when necessary by simply turning the nut in a direction to screw it up until released

page_text: from the locking shoulder and then slipping out the key. These keys are, preferably,
although not necessarily, composed of some metal, softer than the metal of which the
nut is composed, so that the nut can bite into the same.
In figure 5, a double lock or key is shown for two adjacent nuts, and this lock
consists of a key such as shown in figures 1 or 2 provided with a horizontal rod or
extension integral therewith and of a length to extend to and beneath the next nut
and the outer end of this rod is provided with a bevelled shoulder k, corresponding
with shoulder h, to fit beneath one of the adjacent nuts.
The key on one end of the rod is inserted beneath one of the nuts as before
described and the opposite end of the rod fits beneath the next nut; the nut against
which the key fits in then reversed sufficiently to lock itself and the key which
holds the opposite end of the rod in position to lock the nut at that end without
reversing it.
A novel feature of this invention is that in order to firmly lock the nut it is
reversed.
It is evident that this lock can be employed with nuts used for other purposes than
those here shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim, is:―
1st. As a new article of manufacture an integral locking key comprising an upper
and a lower arm adapted to fit the side of a nut, one or both of said arms being pro-
vided with a bevelled shoulder upon which the nut binds and locks when reversed,
substantially as described.
2nd. As a new article of manufacture, a locking key for nuts comprising two arms
extending substantially at right angles from each other, the lower arm adapted to lie
between the lower edge of the nut and an angle bar provided with a bevelled shoulder
so that when the nut is reversed its corner will tightly bind and lock on said shoulder,
substantially as described.
3rd. As a new article of manufacture a right angled integral metal locking key for
nuts to fit against the sides of a nut, and the body against which it is clamped, said
key being of variable thickness so that the corners of the nut can extend over portions
of the same, and having one or more shoulders against which the corners of the nut
are adapted to bind and wedge when the nut is reversed, substantially as described.
4th. The combination with the two adjacent nuts and the angle bar against which
they are clamped, of a double locking key for said nuts consisting of a rod having a
right angled key at one end to fit against the sides of one nut provided with a bevelled
shoulder against which a corner of said nut tightly binds when the nut is reversed,
said rod at the opposite end having a corresponding shoulder against which the other
nut binds, substantially as described.
5th. The herein described double lock consisting of a rod having a right angled
key formed on one end provided on one or both arms with bevelled shoulders against
which the corners of the nut are adapted to bind when the nut is reversed, said rod
having a corresponding shoulder on the other end against which another nut is
adapted to bind, when reversed, substantially as described.
6th. As a new article of manufacture, the herein described nut lock.
W. HARRISON,
By L. W. per F. B.