IMPROVED RATCHET LOCKING NUTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I SAMUEL THOMAS CROASDELL, of Springbank Villas, Workington, in the County
of Cumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVED RATCHET LOCKING NUTS to be as follows:-
The improved ratchet locking nut constructed in accordance with my invention
is more particularly applicable for use, in combination with any suitable bolt, as a
means of securing in place the fish-plates used on railways, though, as is obvious,
it is also applicable to other purposes.
o
The object of my invention is to provide a flanged nut so formed and constructed
as to be absolutely secure, when onco screwed home, from any risk whatever of its
becoming loose or backing off under the influence of any vibration or other such
Causo.
In constructing the improved ratchet locking nut according to my invention,
I take a nut, preferably made of steel or wrought iron, but which may be made of
any other suitable material, having any suitable number of sides or faces, and in
the process of manufacturing the same I stamp out or otherwise suitably form on
one of its ends a thin circular disc like flange having a diameter somewhat greater
than would be that of a washer ordinarily suitable for a nut of the same size, and
also having a certain degree of flexibility. On the outer face of this disc-like
flange I form about its circumference and extending inwardly towards its centre
an annular projection of a sufficient width, as measured radially, and of a sufficiont-
depth, as projecting from the face of the flange, for my purpose.
The annular projection has circumferentially cut, stamped or otherwise formed,
in or upon it, either during the process of its manufacturo or as a separate operation
performed afterwards, a series of serrated teeth, or alternate undulating projections
and indentations; and these are formed, in the case of the serrated teeth, ratchet-wise,
and in the case of the alternate undulating projections and indentations with any
suitably curved outlino so as to admit of the nut being screwed home and against,
or in opposition to, other similar and suitably disposed serrated teeth or alternate
undulating projections and indentations formed in or upon the fish plate or other
article which the nut may be used in conjunction with.

page_text: The degree of flexibility of the disc like flange, which may be enhanced if
necessary by any suitable process of tempering or hardening, is such as to permit
of the serrated teeth, or alternate undulating projections and indentations formed
in or upon the annular projection riding over the similar serrated teeth or
alternate undulating projections and indentations formed in or upon the fish plate
or other article, to which the purposes of the nut are applicable, when the nut is
being screwed up, and to offer a powerful opposing force to the backing off of the
nut after it has once been screwed home, and in the case of the serrated teeth it
maintains, when screwed home, the nut and the fish plate or other article, in such
intimate contact, by reason of their respective and opposing teeth, as to entirely
prevent any possibility of the backing off of the nut.

page_text: · I SAMUEL THOMAS CROASDELL of Barrs View Brigham Carlisle in the County of
Cumberland Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVED
RATCHET LOCKING NUTS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The improved Ratchet Locking Nut constructed in accordance with my invention
is more particularly applicable for use in combination with any suitable bolts, as a
means of securing in place the fish plates used on railways, though as is obvious, it
is also applicable to other purposes.
The object of my invention is to provide a flanged nut so formed and constructed
as to be absolutely secure when once screwed home, from any risk whatever of its
becoming loose or backing off under the influence of any vibration or other such
cause.
In constructing the improved Ratchet Locking Nut according to my invention,
I take a nut, see Drawing Figs. 1 & 2 preferably made of steel or wrought iron but
which may be of any other suitable material having a suitable number of sides or
faces, and in the process of manufacturing the same I stamp out or otherwise
suitably form on one of its ends a thin circular disc like flange, marked A on all
the Figs. in which it is shown, having a diameter somewhat greater than would be
that of a washer ordinarily suitable for a nut of the same size and also having a
certain degree of flexibility; on the outer face of this disc like flange ▲ I form about
its circumference and extending inwardly towards its centre an annular projection B
of a sufficient width as measured radially Figs. 3 & 4 and of a sufficient depth as
projecting Figs. 5 & 6 from the face of the flange or nut for my purpose.
The annular projections B Figs. 5 & 6 has circumferentially cut, stamped, or
otherwise formed, in or upon it, either during the process of its manufacture or as
a seperate operation performed afterwards a series of serrated teeth or alternate
undulating projections and indentations C shewn in Figs. 5 & 6 and these are
formed in the case of the serrated_teeth ratchetwise Fig. 5 and in the case of the
alternate undulating projections Fig. 6 with any suitably curved outline so as to
admit of the nut being screwed home as shewn in section Fig. 7 and against the
face or in opposition to other similar and suitably disposed serrated teeth or
alternate undulating projections and indentations formed in or upon the fish plate
or other article which the nut may be used in conjunction with.
The degree of flexibility of the disc like flange which may be enhanced, if
necessary by any suitable process of tempering or hardening, is such as to permit
of the serrated teeth or alternate undulating projections and indentations formed in
or upon the annular projection riding over the similar serrated teeth or alternate
undulating projections and indentations formed in or upon the fish plate or other
article to which the purposes of the nut are applicable, when the nut is being
screwed up, and to offer a powerful opposing force to the backing off of the nut
after it has once been screwed home, and in the case of the serrated teeth it
maintains, when screwed, the nut and the fish plate or other article in such
intimate contact by reason of their respective and opposing teeth as to entirely
provent any possibility of the backing off of the nut,

page_text: 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
1st The construction of a flexible flanged Locking Nut, having serrated pro-
jections, undulations, or indentations formed in or upon a flange forming part of
and in combination with the nut itself, substantially as described and shewn.
2nd The formation and combination of such flange to the nut, as will insure its
flexibility or spring as and for the purposes hereinbofore described and shewn.