Patent ID: 7674080

Claim:
A retaining washer for retaining a bolt or a threaded fastener inadvertently loosened, in use, by relative rotation, the bolt comprising a shank and a head, the threaded fastener comprising a stud part and a nut part, the washer comprising: a base member having a plurality of apertures each for receiving the shank of the respective bolt or the stud part of the threaded fastener; and engagement means extending from the base member for engagement with the head of the bolt or the nut part of the fastener to retain the head or the nut part with respect to the washer in the event of inadvertent loosening, wherein the base member comprises a base of a channel and the engagement means comprises one or both side portions of the channel extending from the base, wherein the side portions are bent over and into an interior of the channel to provide a pair of opposed bolt head or nut engagement members in the interior of the channel, and wherein the engagement means define a first section distal to the base member which converges towards the base member and a second section which diverges from the end of the convergent first section towards the base member.