Patent ID: 6881019

Claim:
A locknut assembly comprising: (a) a locknut body heat-treated to a first hardness with a central bolt-receiving void formed about a central axis, the void having an upper end and a lower threaded body length; (b) the lower threaded body length having a plurality of internal threads with a common thread diameter defined from the central axis, the threads disposed along a body length dimension about equal to the thread diameter; (c) an aperture formed at the locknut upper top end, the aperture defined by an array of forged splines, each spline having a first and a second spline wall intersecting at an engagement edge, the engagement edges disposed about the central axis on an engagement edge diameter greater than the thread diameter; (d) a plurality of spline voids each defined between a first sidewall of one of the splines and a second sidewall of an adjacent spline; and (e) a locking member heat-treated to a second hardness and having a top bolt thread engaging region and a cylindrical outer surface, the outer surface defined along an outer surface diameter larger than the spline engagement edge diameter, wherein the locking member is inserted into said aperture, the outer surface is engaged and deformed by the spline engagement edges to form spline engagement regions configured to retain the locking member with in the aperture; wherein the locking member outer surface is further configured to further deform and flow into the spline voids upon compressive engagement with a work-piece and to remain engaged by the splines and rotate with the locknut when the locknut is loosened about the work-piece bolt; wherein the locking member thread engagement region is configured to engage work-piece threads having a third hardness responsive to said compressive engagement, one of the member thread engagement region and the work-piece threads deforming responsive to said compressive engagement and thereby locking the locknut into a fixed position relative to the work-piece threads; and wherein the locking member second hardness is greater than the work-piece threads third hardness, and the work-piece threads deform responsive to said compressive engagement.