Improvements in Nut-locks.
Year: 1891

page_text: ate of Application, 17th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 23rd Jan. 1892
OUBLE IN DI MUIFICATION.
Improvements in Nut-locks.
I, MARCUS B. EARNEST, of Fort Madison, in the County of Lee, and State of
Iowa, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 relates to improvements in mut-locks, the object in view being to
provide a cheap and efficient device for locking the nuts upon bolts.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following
description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the
claim.
Referring to the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bolt having a nut-lock constructed in accordance
with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of the bolt and nut.
Fig. 3 is a detail of the nut.
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the spring-locking pawl.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
1 designates a bolt, having a threaded portion 2 and at its extremity squared, as
at 3, and provided with a transverse perforation 4.
5 designates the rectangular body portion of the nut, which body portion is
adapted to receive the jaws of a wrench, whereby the nut may be rotated upon the
bolt, for which purpose said nut is bored and interiorly threaded, as is usual.
From the front face or crown of the nut there extends forwardly a cylindrical
threaded hub 6, the threads of which form a continuation of those of the body of
the nut and the exterior of the hub is provided with a series of longitudinally-
disposed ratchet-teeth 7.
8 designates a spring-pawl, said pawl consisting of the tooth-engaging end 9 and
the bolt-receiving eye 10, the latter located at the outer end of the pawl and being
rectangular to receive the correspondingly-shaped outer end of the bolt, said pawl
being held in position by means of a pin or key 11, passed through the perforation
in the end of the bolt.
Between its eye and engaging end the pawl is twisted as at 13, so as to bring the
longitudinal edge of the pawl parallel with the bolt and adapted to engage the
teeth of the hub and resist movement of the nub or nut in one direction while
permitting of the same in the opposite direction. The pawl is formed from a strip
of spring sheet steel, said strip being bent as shown, to form the eye and
subsequently twisted to form the engaging end.
In operation the nut is threaded on the bolt and tightened by means of a wrench,
after which the pawl is placed in position, as heretofore described, so that its inner
end engages the teeth of the hub and said pawl is locked in position by means of
the locking pin 11, whereby it is prevented from slipping from the bolt. It will be
obvious that the pawl is so disposed as to permit of the bolt being retightened if at
any time it should require it, said pawl slipping over the teeth of the hub, and also
that by reason of its disposition and those of the teeth it will resist any retrograde
movement upon the part of the nut.
It will be seen that the invention while reliable and extremely efficient is very
simple and may be produced at a small cost and easily assembled.'
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
The combination, with the bolt having the threaded portion and terminating in

page_text: the squared end, of the nut threaded on the bolt and having the rectangular body
portion and cylindrical crown or hub, the latter provided with longitudinally-
disposed inclined ratchet-teeth, the flat spring-pawl engaging the teeth and twisted
and bent to form the eye for engaging the square end of the bolt, and means for
retaining the pawl on the bolt, substantially as specified.
Dated this 17th day of December 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.