Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 17th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th Aug., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by FRANCIS REDMOND, of 96, Newgate Street, in the
City of London, but temporarily residing at Newport, Rhode Island, in the
United States of America, Manufacturer's Agent.]
I BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The invention has for its object to produce a nut which will automatically lock or
fasten itself upon its bolt when screwed into the desired position.
For this purpose I form two saw cuts or slots completely through one side of an
ordinary nut and for a considerable part of its depth in such manner as to leave a
tongue of metal without any support except at its base.
This tongue of metal is then pressed slightly inwards in order to give it a permanent
set in that direction so that in the act of screwing it upon the bolt and when screwed
home, it shall constantly exert a spring pressure upon the bolt.
If desired the saw cuts or slots may be formed at such an angle, and in such
direction to each other as to reduce the section of the spring tongue and thereby
increase its elasticity.
This construction also serves to ensure the spring tongue being depressed only to
the required extent in the process of manufacture.
In order to weaken the spring tongue and render it more elastic its section may be
reduced by forming a groove on its outer or inner surface or otherwise.
By these means I obtain a nut which will automatically lock itself upon its bolt and
will there remain notwithstanding any vibration to which it may be subjected, until
it is forcibly moved by means of a spanner.
Dated the 17th atomb 1000
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Screw Nuts.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Francis
Redmond of 96 Newgate Street in the City of London, but temporarily residing at
Newport, Rhode Island in the United States of America, Manufacturers Agent,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its object to produce a nut which will automatically lock or
fasten itself upon its bolt when screwed into the desired position.
For this purpose I form two saw cuts or slots completely through one side of an 1
ordinary nut and for a considerable part of its depth in such manner as to leave a
tongue of metal without any support except at its base.
This tongue of metal is then pressed slightly inwards in order to give it a
permanent set in that direction so that in the act of screwing it upon the bolt and
when screwed home it shall constantly exert a spring pressure upon the bolt.
If desired the saw cuts or slots may be formed at such an angle and in such
direction to each other as to reduce the section of the spring tongue and thereby
increase its elasticity. This construction also serves to ensure the spring tongue being
depressed only to the required extent in the process of manufacture.
In order to weaken the spring tongue and render it more elastic its section may be
reduced by forming a groove on its outer or inner surface or otherwise.
By these means I obtain a nut which will automatically lock itself upon its bolt and
will there remain notwithstanding any vibration to which it may be subjected until it
is forcibly moved by means of a spanner.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully to
describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent one form in which the invention may be carried into
effect. Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent another form and Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10:
represent slight modifications of nuts constructed according to this invention.
In all the figures a represents the body of the nut which may be of any ordinary
form; a¹, a¹ represent two saw cuts or slots which I make completely through the
thickness of one side of the nut and for a considerable part of its depth in such a
manner as to leave a tongue of metal a² without any support except at its base a³.
This tongue a² between the two slots a¹, a', is then forced slightly inwards in order
to give it a permanent set in that direction so that it shall be impossible to screw the
bolt 6 into the nut without forcing back this tongue a² into its original position or

page_text: nearly so. This tongue a² therefore acts as a kind of spring and presses against the
bolt with a considerable amount of force thereby securing the nut a firmly upon the
bolt and consequently preventing the possibility of their chattering loose in relation
to each other notwithstanding any amount of vibration to which they may be
exposed.
In the form represented at Figures 1, 2 and 3 the saw cuts a¹, a¹ are formed parallel
to each other but if desired they may as represented in the form shown at Figures 4
and 5 be formed at such angles in relation to each other as to reduce the section of
the spring tongue at its base a³ as shown at Figure 6 and thereby increase its
elasticity whilst the top of the spring tongue a² will be of such width as to afford
ample area of bearing between the top threads of the spring tongue a² and the threads
of the bolt.
The spring tongue a² when of either form shown at Figures 1 to 6 may be made
more elastic by reducing its section externally as shown at Figure 7 or internally as
shown at Figure 8 which can be effected by grooving or otherwise at the point where
it joins the solid part of the nut.
In the modification shown at Figures 9 and 10 the spring tongue a³ is formed taper
in section from its junction a³ with the solid part of the nut to its upper or free end
in order to render it more elastic; in this modification I prefer to make the cuts a¹
to a greater depth in the side of the nut than in the previously described forms.
In screwing the nut upon an ordinary bolt it is preferable to put the solid end of
the nut on first as shown at Figure 1 but the bolt 6 can if desired be inserted in the
other end of the nut if the point of the bolt is somewhat reduced in size to permit it
to enter and force back the spring tongue a².
In figure 1 the bolt b is shown in elevation and the nut a in section it will be seen
that the nut could be easily screwed upon the bolt as far as shown, but the use of a
spanner would be required to screw the nut completely upon the bolt thus forcing back
the spring tongue a² which exerts considerable pressure on the bolt.
In the form of nut represented at Figures 4, 5 and 6 the spring tongue a² could not
be pressed in two far as the sides of saw cuts a¹ will form a kind of gauge which
would be an advantage in the manufacture.
I would here remark that I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to cut
one or more slots across the top of a nut so as to divide the nut to given depth into a
number of equal sized jaws which were all forced inwards so as to give a permanent
set to them in that direction but this resulted in an undue weakening of the nut, but
according to the present invention the nut is left intact for a considerable portion of
its circumference and a spring tongue is formed only in one side thereof by which
means the strength of the nut is not materially impaired and a sufficient lock is
obtained in a nut of the ordinary thickness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
A screw nut formed with a spring tongue in one side of it and having the greater
portion of its circumference or body solid or intact substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
n
1
1712
CT 1007