IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING NUTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, RICHARD DAVID SANDERS, of Norwood, Lenzie, in the county of Dumbarton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCKING NUTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to improved means for locking nuts, consists in
employing a plug of soft metal, or other suitable material, which is driven into
grooves or holes formed in or between the nut and the work, or in or between two
nuts, or in a nut and fixed washer.
This mode of securing nuts upon bolts may be adapted to suit any circumstances
in which screw bolts and nuts are commonly used.
In the ordinary case in which the nut is screwed hard up against a flat surface
on the work, I use a nut having a flange round its inner or bearing edge. In this
"flange one or more holes is or are drilled or formed, and into the face of the work
one or more holes is or are drilled, so that when the nut is tightened up, one of the
holes in the flange may come opposite a hole in the work; or a groove may be
cut in the side of the nut to correspond with a hole in the work. Into this hole
the plug of lead, solder, or other suitable material, is driven. The hole in the
Hange of the nut may be slightly tapered, or countersunk, or the hole in the work
or washer may be slightly larger than that in the nut, so that, when the soft metal
is driven in, it takes the shape of the holes, and is securely retained.
Instead of forming the flange on the nut, a loose washer, formed with a recess
into which the nut fits, may be passed over the bolt; and when the nut is screwed
home, the plug of soft metal is driven through one of a number of holes formed in
the washer, and into a hole in the work to prevent the washer turning; and as the
nut fits the recess in the washer, it is prevented from turning also.
For the fish-plates of railways, which are sometimes formed with a longitudinal
channel, a metal washer suitably formed to fit the channel, is passed over the bolt,
and is held in the channel, so that it cannot turn. In the washer, and in the flange
of the nut, holes are drilled or formed, and the metal plug is driven in through the
flange into the washer when the nut is screwed home, to prevent the nut shaking
loose.
When it is desired to use a screw nut without a flange on it, a thick washer, or
a nut having no screw thread, is fitted on the bolt, and into the channel in the
fish-plate; and a nut of ordinary form is screwed on the end of the bolt to bear against
the first nut or washer. The faces of the nuts which bear against each other, are
grooved, slotted, or indented radially at different points, or between the faces holes

page_text: are drilled; and when the nuts are tightened up, one (or more) of the grooves in
the one nut comes opposite the corresponding grooves in the other nut or washer
and they form a hole (or holes) into which the plug is driven. The grooves may be
so formed that the holes formed between the nuts may be slightly tapered to prevent
the plug slipping out; or the grooves may be notched or indented laterally for this
purpose.
In the case of bolts having screwed on them both a right and a left hand thread,
two nuts with screw threads to correspond to those of the bolt, are fitted on.the
end of the bolt. Upon the bearing faces of the nuts, corresponding grooves, slots,
or indentations are formed, one or more of which come opposite each other when
the nuts are tightened up, and form holes into which the plug of lead, or other
material, is driven. The bolt is by preference reduced in diameter at its extreme
end, which is screwed in the direction-opposite to that of the thread on the thicker
portion. Instead of grooving the bearing faces of the nuts, flanges may be formed
round the bearing faces and holes drilled in the flanges; so that a plug or plugs of
soft metal may be inserted to prevent the nuts turning; or holes may be drilled
through the outside nut to correspond with the holes in the other nut..
When the boit and nut are fitted near the edge of the work, or when a flange
cannot conveniently be used, a hole or holes, or grooves, is or are drilled or formed
from the side, between the bearing surfaces of the nut and of the work, and into
the hole a plug of soft metal is driven. This mode of applying the retaining plug
inay be used for securing nuts of fish-plate bolts, by forming the fish-plates with a
longitudinal or transverse groove across the hole, and grooving or indenting the
bearing face of the nut, so that the retaining plug,may be inserted between the nut
and the fish-plate when the nut is screwed home.
In each case the nut is unscrewed by turning it with a screw key with
such force as to shear the metal plug, which otherwise prevents the nut shaking
loose.
Dated this 1. ..
1004.

page_text: I, RICHARD DAVID SANDERS, of Norwood, Lenzie, in the county of Dumbarton;
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCKING NUTS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention, which relates to improved means for locking nuts consists in
employing a plug of soft metal, or other suitable material, which is driven into
grooves or holes formed in or between the nut and the work, or in or between two
nuts, or in a nut and fixed washer..
This mode of securing nuts upon bolts may be adapted to suit any circumstances
in which screw bolts and nuts are commonly used. Various applications of my
invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In the ordinary case in which the nut is screwed hard up against a flat surface
on the work, I use a nut A having a flange a round its inner or bearing. edge, as
illustrated in plan and elevation in figures 1 and 2. In this flange a one or more
holes bis or are drilled or formed, and into the face of the work one or more holes c
is or are drilled, so that when the nut is tightened up, one of the holes b in the.
flange a may come opposite a hole c in the work, Or a groove may be cut in the
side of the nut to correspond with a hole in the work. Into this hole b, c, the
plug & of lead, solder, or other suitable material is driven. The hole in the flange
of the nut may be slightly tapered, or countersunk, or the hole c in the work may
be slightly larger than that in the nut, so that when the soft metal is driven 'in, it
takes the shape of the holes, and is securely retained.
· Instead of forming the flange a on the nut A a loose washer a¹ formed with a
recess into which the nut fits, may be passed over the bolt B, as is indicated in
figures 3 and 4, and when the nut is screwed home the plug d of the soft metal is
driven through one of a number of holes b formed in the washer a¹ and into a hole c
in the work to prevent the washer .turning, and as the nut fits the recess in the
washer, it is prevented from turning also.
For the fish-plates of-railways, which are sometimes formed with a longitudinal
channel C, as in figures 5 and 6, a metal washer a¹ suitably formed to fit the
channel, is passed over the bolt, and is held in the channel, so that it cannot turn.
In the washer a¹, and in the flange a of the nut A, holes bare drilled or formed, and.
the metal plug d is driven in through the flange into the washer when the nut is
screwed home, to prevent the nut shaking loose..
When it is desired to use a screw nut without a flange on it, a thick washer, or
a nut A¹ having no screw thread, is fitted on the bolt B and into the channel, as
illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, in the fish-plate, and. a nut A of ordinary form is.
screwed on the end of the bolt to bear against the first nut or washer A. The
faces of the nuts A, A¹, which bear against each other, are grooved, slotted, or
indented radially at different points, or between the faces holes 6 are drilled; and
when the nuts are tightened up, one (or more) of the grooves in the one nut comes
opposite the corresponding grooves in the other nut or washer, and they form a
hole 61 (or holes) into which the plug d is driven. The grooves may be so formed
that the holes formed between the nuts may be slightly tapered to prevent the
plug slipping out; or the grooves may be notched or indented laterally for this
purpose.
In the case of bolts having screwed on them both a right and a left hand thread,
as illustrated in figures 9 and 10, two nuts A, A¹, with screw threads to correspond
to those of the bolt are fitted on the end of the bolt B. Upon the bearing faces of

page_text: the nuts, corresponding grooves, slots or indentations bare formed, one or more of
which come opposite each other when the nuts are tightened up, and form holes
into which the plug or lead or other material is driven. The bolt B is by preference
reduced in diameter at its extreme end which is screwed in the direction opposite
to that of the thread on the thicker portion.,
Instead of grooving the bearing faces of the nuts, flanges may be formed round
the bearing faces and holes drilled in the flanges, so that a plug or plugs of soft
metal may be inserted to prevent the nuts turning; or holes may be drilled through
the outside nut to correspond with the holes in the other nut.
When the bolt and nut are fitted near the edge of the work, or when a flange
cannot conveniently be used, a hole or holes, or grooves, is or are drilled or formed
from the side between the bearing surfaces of the nut and of the work, and into
the hole a plug of soft metal is driven. This mode of applying the retaining plug,
as indicated in figures 11 and 12, may be used for securing nuts of fish-plate bolts,
by forming the fish-plates with a longitudinal or transverse groove C¹ across the
hole, and grooving or indenting the bearing face of the nut A, so that the retaining
plug d may be inserted between the nut and the fish-plate when the nut is screwed
home.
"In each case the nut is unscrewed by turning it with a screw key with such
force as to shear the metal plug & which otherwise prevents the nut shaking loose.
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,―
The means herein described of locking nuts on their bolts, such means consisting
. essentially in employing a plug of soft metal or similar material adapted to a hole,
groove, or channel between the nut and washer, or between the nut and the work,
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
„Dated this Seventh day of November 1884.