Patent ID: 7641429

Claim:
A locking nut and bolt system operable with a plate having a bore therethrough and a coaxial recess thereon comprising: a bolt having a bolt head and a bolt stem along an axial centerline and a bolt thread formed on said bolt stem, said bolt adapted to pass through said bore of said plate and said bolt head adapted to fit within said recess; a plurality of notches defined on said bolt head, each notch having a lock face and an opposing slope; a female threaded unit with a nut thread complimentary to said bolt thread; a locking unit having a peripheral wall complementary to said recess and adapted to fit within said recess and having at least one tine protruding tangentially and radially inward toward said central axis, said tine defined in a cut-out on said peripheral wall, said locking unit disposed in said recess, said tine having a distal tine end adapted to latch on said lock face of said notch and a proximal tine portion adjacent said peripheral wall; said distal tine end moves radially inward when said distal tine end is disposed in one of said notches and moves radially outward when said distal tine end rides on said opposing slope and is otherwise beyond said one of said plurality of notches, and said lock face of each said notch preventing counter-rotational movement of said bolt with respect to said plate when said distal tine end abuts said lock face.