Improvements in Lock Nuts.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
Improvements in Lock Nuts.
We, CHARLES HENRY CROSTHWAITE of Canyon, County of Fremont, State
of Colorado, U.S.A., Inventor, and MICHAEL DAVID TIGHE of same place,
County and State, Miner, 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:-
This invention is designed to provide an improved lock nut which is simple
and efficient and dust and waterproof and is intended for general use wherever
a nut of this character is desired.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a sectional view, shewing the application of the lock nut of this
invention to a railway rail on line - of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 an end view of the
same.
Fig. 3 a front view of the washer.
Fig. 4 a perspective view of a screw bolt suitable for the lock nut.
Fig. 5 a perspective view of the nut.
Fig. 6 a detail sectional view of the washer, nut, and portion of the bolt in the
assembled position and shewing a modified form of the locking device.
Fig. 7 shews small details.
A is the threaded end of a bolt, shaft, axle, spindle or the like to which the nut
may be applied and which is provided with a longitudinal groove or key way a.
Ba washer designed to seat either against a shoulder of the bolt or against the
face of the part to which the bolt is applied. The said washer has an axial
opening to receive the bolt and an internal key projection b which is desinged to
engage the groove or keyway a for the purpose of preventing it from turning upon
the bolt. On its outer face the washer has a marginal flange or rim extension C,
which forms a cylindric socket or cavity designed to seat the nut. This socket or
cavity may be made sufficiently deep to entirely seat the nut, as shewn in Fig. 1, or
it may be shallow, and seat only the inner or base portion thereof, as shewn in
Fig. 6. Formed in the bottom of the socket or cavity below the level of the
angular surface or shoulder d upon which the nut seats when screwed home, and a
similar plain surface d¹ which surrounds the central opening and between these
two surfaces, is an annular series of ratchet-teeth or projections f
The nut B has an inner or base portion 6' of circular form, which is turned to fit
neatly the walls of the socket or cavity of the washer, and an upper portion b³
fitted to form a wrench seat.
G is a locking device which consists of a small bent spring plate seated within a
small cavity in the inner face of the nut and whose free ends form a dog which is
arranged to engage with the ratchet teeth f upon backward rotation of the nut and
thereby lock the same. Connected to this free end portion of the spring is a
headed pin or stud g which extends up through a small aperture in the nut, and by
means of which the locking device may be retracted whenever it is desired to
remove the nut.
In place of the locking device G we may, however, use the device shewn in
Fig. 7 which consists of a pin or plunger H which works loosely through an
aperture in the nut and the points of which constitute a dog for engagement with
the ratchet teeth. The outer end of the pin or plunger is headed, and coiled

page_text: around the pin between its dog and a bearing near the outer end of the said
aperture is a spring I. Both the pius g and H are formed with a flange at their
heads for the purpose of closing the aperture through the nut in which the pin
works, to exclude the dust and water.
Owing to the manner in which the nut fits the washer and its contact with the
bearing surfaces d', it will be observed that it will be almost impossible for dust
or water to enter. The spring which engages the ratchet teeth, being counter-
sunk into the inside face of the nut, is rigidly supported on all sides and cannot
break.
We prefer to make the spring and pin (or plunger) of one piece ending in a
button outside the nut. This refers to the snap spring only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The combination of a bolt having a longitudinal keyway formed therein, a
washer fitting the same, and having a projection engaging the said keyway, said
washer having on its outer face a marginal flange or rim extension in the plane
of its laterial faces, and surrounding the nut seat, the bottom of said seat having
the concentric annular bearing surfaces d, d', and the annular series of the ratchet
teeth formed between and below the plane of said surfaces, a nut having a circular
base portion adapted to fit closely with the said seat, a spring pressed dog carried
by the said nut and adapted to engage the said ratchet teeth, and a headed pin
or shank attached to said dog and extending out through the nut, substantially
as described and shewn.
Dated this 8th day of December 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.