IMPROVEMENTS IN "LOCK NUTS
Year: 1884

page_text: 1 SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES Civil Engineer of 8 Willoughby Terrace, Tottenham
in the County of Middlesex England do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN "LOCK NUTS" to be as follows:-viz To prevent the nuts
of screw bolts working loose by vibration.
In connection with a screw nut either of the ordinary or slightly modified type
I employ a circular or spiral spring having one or two turns (more or less) made
smaller in diameter than the screw bolt it is intended to grip, but having a similar
pitch of screw and preferably (but not necessarily) a similar section to the screw
thread, One end of this spring is or may be permanently attached to the nut
leaving the other end free to grip the thread of the bolt. Where preferred I make
the spring entirely separate, and in that case bend over the two ends or extremities
of the spring so that they may overlap & catch the sides of the nut allowing
sufficient room for " play in order that one end may always be free I do not
always bend over both ends of the spring for if one end only is bent over it is
sufficient provided the other end is free to grip the bolt.
"
The spring & nut are screwed on to the bolt simultaneously
In this latter case
the springs can be used in conjunction with any existing nuts without
modification.
I make the springs from ordinary steel wire (flat, round or oval) subsequently
tempered, or where desired of other suitable material as well as of different
sections as occasion may require.
The especial feature of novelty of this invention is the addition to an ordinary
screw nut of a spiral spring or "washer," one end or continuation of which is
either permanently attached to the nut or caught in some manner by some part
thereof, while the other end of the spring or "washer" is free or partially free to
allow a grip round the bolt for the purpose of obtaining a lock screw nut or partial
lock according to the strength & number of turns of the spiral spring or "washer
Dated this 8th day of January 1884.

page_text: 1 SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES of 8 Willoughby Terrace, Tottenham in the County
of Middlesex England Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCK NUTS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
"
Object" To prevent the nuts of screw bolts working loose by vibration &c.
In connection or combination with a screw nut either of the ordinary or slightly
modified type I employ a circular or spiral spring having one or two turns (more
or less as desired) male sinaller in diameter than the screw bolt it is intended to
grip, having a similar pitch of screw and preferrably the gripping side of the
spring having a corresponding section to that of the screw thread, One end of
this spring being attached either permanently by being welded, screwed rivetted
or soldered to the nut, or dropped or fixed into a slot or hole therein or caught in
some manner by some part of the nut or the side thereof while the other end of
the spring is free or partially free to grip the bolt.
By reference to the drawing it will be seen from Fig. 1. that in this case, one
end of the spring is bifurcated at Z and these divided ends are continued over the
sides of the nut forming a clamp keeping the spring in position the other end "b"
being free to grip the bolt.
Fig. 2 is the same thing without the part y z which is unnecessary except to
keep the spring and nut together when separated from the bolt. Fig. 5 shews the
spring made out of ordinary steel wire bent one complete turn round and the two
ends thereof both bent over the sides of the nut but it will be observed that while
the end
" a " is sbewn butt up against the side of the nut, the other or free
end "b" is not, but a space intervenes so that that end of the spring being free
allows the spiral part to grip and adapt itself to the bolt.
Figures 6 & 7 shew other views of the springs having one or more round turns.
The foregoing description together with drawings or fig. 1. 2 & 5 shew the
application to an ordinary screw nut without any modification of the nut thus
utilizing all existing nuts by simply placing the spring on the nut in the position
shewn & screwing both on to the bolt together.
Where desired I modify the ordinary nut by cutting or shaping a slot or boring
a hole as shewn in figs. 3 & 4 respectively for the purpose of dropping or fixing one
end of the spring into it as shewn at "a" I also make this slot or hole bigger at
the bottom than at the top in order that by forming the end "a" of the springs as
shewn (in figs. 8 & 9) with a crook or bend or open split they shall when once
put into their places bold with sufficient force to keep them from falling out, This
hole or slot can be formed or shaped at the same time as the nut is made by
forming the mould to correspond with it or using double punches.
Where desired I countersink the first thread of the nut so that the springs may
fit loosely into it & be to all intents & purposes a spring continuation of the female
thread having one end fixed & the other free as shewn in figs. 10 and 14.
Fig. 13 shews the slot cut or shaped on the inside of the nut for the end of the
spring to drop into it where such position is desirable.
Fig. 12 is intended to shew the fixed end of the spring welded, screwed, rivetted,
soldered or brazed to the nut at "a."
If desired I make the spring from a flat bar or band of steel & fix it on the nut
before the nut is tapped so that both nut & spring are tapped at one operation, but
in this case the tap should go right through & not be reversed as reversal would
cause an automatic lock unless other precautions were observed.

page_text: In all cases the free end of the springs may if desired be continued so as to
project beyond & over the side of the nut (or otherwise) as shewn at "b" in fig. 5
in which case a slight pressure with the thumb or spanner will so weaken the grip,
that the nut will readily unscrew, other things being equal the stronger & greater
number of turns of the spring the more perfect the lock, but one or one and a half
turns will generally be sufficient for all practical purposes.
I prefer to place the spring on the top of the nut, but obviously if countersunk
it could be placed underneath or reversed.
I do not limit myself to any special method of fixing nut and spring together
nor to any particular method of forming the holes or slots in the nuts nor to any
special material as many methods and several substances might be found convenient
and as previously shewn it is not necessary to fix nut and spring together.
This combination of nut and spring is more difficult to unscrew than to screw
up, or vice versa according to which end of the spring is attached to or caught
by the nut.
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
Firstly the application of the Combination formed by the use of an ordinary or
modified screw nut together with a circular or spiral screw spring or "washer" one
end of which spiral screw spring or " washer" is either permanently attached to,
dropped into or caught in some way by some part of the nut while the other end
of the said spring is free or partially free to close round & grip the bolt for the
purpose of obtaining a "lock screw nut or partial lock according to the strength
& number of turns of the spring or "washer" substantially as described herein.
"
2ndly I clain the continuation of the female thread of a screw nut by means of a
spring one end of which is attached to the nut, for the purpose of obtaining a "lock
screw nut" substantially as described herewith.
Dated this 6th of Why 1001