Spring Locking, Expanding, and Contracting Nuts for Sorewed Bolts and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Spring Locking, Expanding, and Contracting Nuts for Sorewed
Bolts and the like.
FRANK MOTTERSHALL 25 Birkin Avenue Hyson Green Nottingham
Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of an improved nut, constructed so that the hole through
same will contract or diminish in size, to bind or lock on to the bolt, stud, or
screwed part of the contrivance intended for and to which a nut or similar
contrivance is applied.
This mode of binding or locking does not strain or injure the bolt stud or
screwed part in any way, as the device causes the nut or like contrivance to cling
to the bolt spirally and equally round the circumference of the bolt or screwed
part, yet not to injure the thread.
A key or lever is used to expand the hole in the nut or like contrivance, to allow
the nut to turn freely backwards and forward on the bolt, stud, or screwed part at
any time, even after the bolt and nut has become fixed by age, corrosion or other
causes.
For this purpose I construct the nut as follows-Iron, steel, metal or other
material in strips, rods or wire, of different lengths sizes, and shapes, is wound,
coiled or rolled, spirally on a mandril or in any other way shaped to form a nut or
similar contrivance having one or any number of coils or rings to form the nut of
the size, strength and thickness required.
If a nut consists of two continuous coils or rings of metal or other material,
half a coil or ring is formed on each side of a complete coil or ring, the ends of
the half coils are equal to each other or nearly so, that when a key, lever or
device, is placed across the nut in such a manner as to butt against the end of each
half circle coil or ring, when the lever is strained the reverse way to the winding
of the continuous coils or spiral rings which form the nut or contrivance it increases
the size of the hole through the nut, as a means of keeping open the coils a slot is
cut in the complete ring or rings, and a pin fitted the depth of the nut, this pin
when placed in the slot butts against the ends of the half circle coils and will not
allow them to contract or return to their normal position until the pin has been
removed, or I may devise other means to keep open the half coils of the nut.
Preferably I wind the continuous coils or spiral rings which form the nut left
hand so that when the nut is screwed forward on the bolt the coils will when com-
pressed bind and contract according to the pressure or strain on the nut, but will
release and expand when the nut is screwed backwards on the bolt.
I do not bind myself to any size, shape, or material in carrying out my invention
so long as the nut or contrivance is formed of continuous spiral coils or rings of
metal or other material that will contract and expand so that the nut will bind or
lock on the bolt stud or screwed part in the manner described.
Dated this 6th day of April 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Spring Locking, Expanding, and Contracting Nuts for Screwed
Bolts and the like.
I, FRANK MOTTERSHALL, of 25 Birkin Avenue, Hyson Green, Nottingham,
in the County of Nottingham Commercial Traveller, 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 :-
My invention consists of a screwed nut so constructed that the threaded hole
through it will contract or diminish in size to bind or lock on the bolt, stud, or
screwed part of the contrivance to which it is applied. This mode of binding or
locking nuts does not strain or injure the bolt, stud, or screwed part in any way as
the device causes the nut or like contrivance to cling to the bolt spirally and
equally round the circumference of the bolt or screwed part and yet not to injure
the thread. By means of a key or lever the hole in the nut is expanded to allow
it to turn freely backwards and forwards on the bolt stud or screwed part at any
time even after the bolt and nut have become fixed by age, corrosion or other
cause.
A strip, rod or wire of any length, size and shape is wound coiled or rolled
spirally on a mandril or in any other way shaped to form a nut or similar con-
trivance having one or any number of coils or rings to form the nut of the size
strength, and thickness required. It is then screw threaded by means of a tap of
smaller diameter than the bolt to which it is intended to apply it; or it is threaded
by a full sized tap, the nut being held in an expanded condition during the
operation.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings,—
Figure 1 represents a vertical section, Figure 2 an elevation and Figure 3 a plan
of a spiral nut in its normal or unstrained condition, constructed according to this
invention.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a nut in an open or expanded condition.
In a nut consisting of two continuous coils or rings as shown, half a coil or
ring a is formed on each side of a complete coil or ring, the ends of the half coils
being equal to each other or nearly so, so that when a key, lever, or other device
is placed across the nut in such a manner as to abut against the tail ends of the
coil and strained in the reverse direction to the winding of the coils or spiral rings,
it has the effect of opening or expanding the continuous coils which form the nut
and increases the size of the hole through the nut.
As a means of keeping open the coils slots b are cut in them and a pin or key c,
when placed in the slots prevents them from contracting or returning to their
normal positions until the pin or key is removed.
Preferably I wind the coils or spiral rings forming the nut left-handed so that
when the nut is screwed forward on the bolt the coils will when compressed bind
and contract according to the pressure and strain on the nut, but will release and
expand when the nut is screwed backwards on the bolt.
do not bind myself to any size, shape, or material in carrying out my invention
so long as the nut or contrivance is formed of continuous spiral coils or rings of
metal or other material which will contract and expand so that the nut will bind or
lock on to the bolt, stud, or screwed part in the manner 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 :-
1. A spring locking nut consisting of a coil or coils wound spirally or helically
and having a hole of smaller diameter than the bolt or other screwed part to which
it is applied so as normally to cling to the bolt or other said screwed part and
automatically lock itself in any position substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In spring locking, expanding and contracting nuts for screwed bolts and the
like maintaining the nut in its open or expanded condition by means of a pin or
key inserted into a slot in the circumference of the nut substantially as described.
3. The construction of spring locking, expanding and contracting nuts sub-
5 stantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of February 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.