Patent ID: 8177468

Claim:
A locking threaded connection comprising: a nut having a plurality of corners and defining an internally threaded portion, the nut configured to be engaged by a conventional wrench socket, the nut defining a second slot communicating with the internally threaded portion through one of the corners; a male portion defining an externally threaded portion received within the female threaded portion; and a helical spring having a pitch corresponding to the pitch of the female and male threaded portions, the spring threadedly receiving the male portion, the spring permitting relative rotation of the male and female portions in a first direction, the spring preventing unintended relative rotation of the male and female portions in a second opposite direction, the spring permitting intended relative rotation of the male and female portions in the second direction, the spring including a second tang extending through the slot and aligned with the one corner, the second tang having a length such that the second tang is adapted to be engaged by the wrench socket when the wrench socket engages the nut, whereby during removal of the nut the tang is held in alignment with the nut corner by the wrench socket and the spring is prevented from tightening on the threaded member.