Patent ID: 7344005

Claim:
A self locking apparatus comprising: a housing; a load initiating element located within the housing so as to provide an axial frictional force between the load initiating element and the housing; a spring located adjacent to the load initiating element, and configured to expand in compression against the housing in response to a compressive load; and a compression member slideably disposed within the housing and configured to compress the spring from a side opposite the load initiating element, the spring being disposed between the compression member and the load initiating element; the load initiating element, spring, and compression member being slideable within the housing in a first axial direction and in a second opposite axial direction in response to an axial load on the load initiating element in each of the first and second directions, respectively, and lockable within the housing in the second axial direction in response to an axial load on the compression member in the second axial direction; the load initiating element being disposed to resist a force exerted by the compression member acting on the spring in a compressive manner in the second direction.