US1963800A

US1963800A - Lock washer

Info

Publication number: US1963800A
Application number: US658738A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl G Olson
Original assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Current assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Priority date: 1933-02-27
Filing date: 1933-02-27
Publication date: 1934-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1951-06-19
Also published as: FR753500A; GB406556A

Description

June 19, 1934. C; G, QLSON 1,963,800

LOCK WASHER Filed Feb. 27. i953 Patented June 19, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1,963.8 l Loox wssnnn Carl G. Ison, Chicago, lll., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application February 27, 1933, Serial No. 658,738

8Claims.

My invention relates generally to locking devices and particularly to locking devices or washers of the pronged type, namely, the typeprovided with radial prongs along one margin of an annular body.

, One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a locking device of improved practical construction, which may be readily formed from fiat spring stock.

More specically, my invention contemplates the provision of, a locking device equipped with warped prongs which are conflgurated in a novel manner so as to improve the locking characteristlc thereof, and to this end I propose to so shape 35 and warp theprong that a curved locking edge will project above and below the plane of the washer body so as to aggressively engage the work piece and the surface of a nut or screw head to thereby positively secure said parts against relative movement.

Still more specifically, my invention contemplates the provision of Vprongs provided along at least one of an annular body of fiat stock, which prongs are so warped, twisted, or flexed 2 out or the plane of the body to present edges which partake of a reverse curvature in extend ing from the body to thev free extremity of the prong. v I A further o bject of my invention contemplates 3 the provision of a locking device, as set forth above, in which the locking edges of the prongs projecting on opposite sides of the washer body are so curved that the portion of the edge in the vicinity ofthe free extremity of the prong is tangent to a une parallel with the piane or the washer body, and in this manner I present locking edges asdistinguished from sharp work en- Sling corners, said edges extending over a radial distancewhich is suicientto effectively resist .retrograde movement of the screw head or nut clamped thereagainst.

,'YIt has been found that in someinstances a flocking edge, as distinguished from a sharp work engaging corner,`is preferable. Sharp work en- 5 gaging corners have`a tendency to mill a groove in the-work. This is particularly true in instances where a nut or screw head must be loosened from time to time. When the nut is loosened by the application of considerable force,

5 the sharp work engaging corners of the prongs in opposing retrograde movement causes a groove of V-shaped crosssection to'be milled or formed upon the clamping surface.

It is an. object of my invention to provide a 5 locking edge which will not produce the above mentioned milling or grooving effect, and to this end I propose to produce a locking edge which does not extend over the greater portion of the radial length of the prong,.but which, due to its curvature, will imbed itself within the work with, an effectiveness equal to or greater than a straight locking edge of greater length.

The vforegoing and numerous other objectsand advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in .connection with the. accompanying drawing,

wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a locking device or washer constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention; f

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, a work piece and nut being indicated by dotted lines in operative association with the washer;

' Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the prong shown 75 at the left side of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is similarly an enlarged fragmentary view of the central prong of Figure 2, said view being taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the prong 8 shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a washer provided with my improved prong construction Aalong the outer margin of the body, as distinguished from the internal tooth construction showninli'igures1and2;and Figure 7 is a-plan view of an electrical terminal which is lprovided at one extremity with my improved prong construction.

Referring now tothe drawing more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that my invention contemplates a locking device or washer, which includes an annular body 10 and a plurality of radial 95 prongs 12 formed and spaced along the inner margin thereof (see Figures 1 to 5, inclusive). It will be seen that each of the prongs 12 is warped or twisted in such a'manner as to present work eni gaging' edges 14 on opposite sides of the plane of 100 the washer body 10. Each prong is substantially rectangular in cross section and is preferably of slightly greater thickness at the root than atthe free extremity thereof. However, the taper of the tooth is very slight.

It will be observed that the edges 14 (see particularly Figure 3) partake of a reverse curvature. That is to say, the outer portion of the edge, namely, the portion A positioned toward the free end of the prong. has a curvature reverse to the. 110

curvature o the edg'e where it joins the body iii, namely, the portion B. It will m seen that the work engaging portion A (Figure 3) of the edges 14, positioned in the vicinity of the free extremity of the prong, is tangent at its outermost point to 4a. line 16, and this line is substantially parallel with the plane of thev washer body 10. The portion B (Figure 3) of the curvature positioned at the root of the prong is tangent to a line 18 which is coincident with the plane, which includes one of the bounding surfaces oi the body is.

The portion A of each edge i4 is adapted to lmbed itself within theclamplng surface oil the nut 19 and work piece 21 in a very eiilecw tive manner. The curvature of this portion A materially assists in causing the edge to more readily imbed itself'than a straight edge of equal or greater length. In other words, ii the edge 14 were straight over a greater portion of the radial length of the prong, it would require greater clamping force to cause said edge to imbed itself than when the relatively short curved section A is employed. The action of the portion or section A upon the adjacent surface of the work or nut diiers materially from the action of a sharp work engaging corner. That is to say, ii the line 14 of Figure 3 curved out of the plane of 'the washer body until it terminated at the free end of the prong, a sharp three-sided corner would be presented. Such a corner, while it readily imbeds itself within the work and nut and serves to secure the parts against relative movement. has a tendency in some instances to cause a groovel of V;- shaped cross section to be formed or milled within the surface of the nut. 'I'his is particularly true when the washer is used in combination with a nut orscrew head which must from time to time be loosened for purposes of replacement or repair. In loosening the nut or screw, the opposition afforded by the sharp work engaging corner is sufilcient to cause a groove to be formed. Then, when the nut or screw is again applied to the washer, the locking effectiveness of the teeth is materially reduced. By employing prongs of my improved construction, wherein a relatively short but effective section of a curved edge projects out of the plane' of. the washer body, this milling or grooving action is materially reduced without impairing but rather increasing the locking effectiveness ofthe prong.

The cross section of the prong is substantially rectangular, and an effective strutting action. as indicated by the dot-and-dash line in Figure 4,

takes place between the oppositely 'disposed edge sections A. It will beA apparent that the invention is not limited to the washer shown in Figure 1, wherein the teeth or prongs are provided along the inner margin, but is also capable of application in the type of washer shown in Figure 6, wherein prongs I12a are provided along the external margin of an annular body portion 10a. Likewise, my improved prong construction may be used on devices, such as theelectrical terminal 20 shown in Figure 7. This terminal includes a body portion 23 and is provided at one extremity with an aperture 24 for receiving the free end of an electrical conductor. and is formed at its opposite end with a plurality of prongs 12b, which correspond structurally with the prongs 12 shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my washer presents a marked improvement over washers of this general type which have been employed heretofore, in that the arrangement of the work engaging edges is such as to present a curvd 'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. i locking device including an annular body portion formed from dat spring stock and a pluf rality of radially extended prongs provided along 'at least one margin thereof, said prongs being warped so as to present radially disposed work engaging edges on opposite sides of the plane of the body portion, the sections of said edge in the vicinity of the free extremity of the prong being curved and providing an effective locking medium when'clamped between two surfaces.

2. A locking device including an annular body IBG portion formed from fiat spring stock and a plurality of prongs provided along at least one margin thereof, said prongs being warped so as to present work engaging edges on opposite sides of the plane o! the body portion. the sections of said edge in the vicinity of the free extremity of the prong being curved and providing an eiective locking medium when-clamped between two surfaces.4 said curved portion having a length which fis not greater than half the radial length of the prong. Y

3. A locmng device including an annular body portion'iormed from :dat spring stock and a plu rality of radially'extended prongs provided along -at least one margin thereof, said prongs being warped so as to present radially disposed work enssins edges on opposite sides of the plane of -the body portion, the sections of said edge in the vicinity o! the free extremity of the prong being curved and providing an effective locking medi- `121i um when clamped between two surfaces, one point on said curved section being coincidentl with a tangent parallel with and spaced from the plane of the body.

4. A locking device including anannular body 125 portion formed from at spring stock and a plurality of radially extended prongs provided along at least one margin thereof, said prongs being warped so as to present radially disposed work engaging edges on opposite sides of the plane of the body portion, each edge including sections curved in opposite directions, one of said section: being located in the vicinity ofthe free extremity ofthe prong in position to lockingly engage a work piece when clamped thereagainst.

5. A locking device including an annular body portion formed from ilat spring stock and a plurality of radially extended prongs provided along at least one margin thereof,L said prongs being warped so as to present radially disposed work engaging edges on opposite sides oi' the plane of. the body portion, said edge including sections curved in opposite directions, one of said sections being located in the vicinity of the free ex-` tremity of the prong in position to lockingly engage a work piece when clamped thereagainst, another portion oi' said -curved edge in the vicinity of the root of the prong blending with one of the bounding surfaces of the body portion. 1

6, A )NUDE device including an annular body 15.`

portion formed from at spring stock and a plurality of radially extended prongs provided along' at least one margin thereof, `said prongs being warped so as to present radially disposed work engaging edges on opposite sides of the plane of the body portion, said edge including sections curved in opposite directions, one of said sections being located in the vicinity of the free extremityjof the prong in position to lockingly engage a work piece when` clamped thereagainst, a point on said last mentioned curved section being tangent to a line parallel to and spaced from the plane of the washer body.

7./A locking device including an annular body portion formed from flat spring stock and a plurality of prongs provided along at least one margin thereof, said prongs being warped so as to present work engaging edges on opposite sides of the plane of the body portion, each edge including sections curved in'opposite directions, one of said sections being located in the vicinity of the free extremity of the prong in position to lockingly engage a work piece when clamped thereagainst, another portion of said curved edge in the vicinity of the root of the prong blending with a tangent coincident with a plane which includes one of the bounding surfaces of said body portion.

8. A locking device including an annular body portion formed from flat spring stock and a plurality of radial prongs spaced along at least one margin thereof, said prongs being 'twisted from their roots to their free ends so as to present work engaging edges on opposite sides of the plane of -the body portion, the sections of each edge in the vicinity of the free extremity of the prong being curved and providing an eifectivelocking medium when clamped between two surfaces.

CARL G. OISON.

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