Fastener
AssigneeSentient Design, Inc.
InventorDouglas E. Hersh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nut-and-bolt fastener is provided. The nut and bolt are configured with a plurality of interlocking teeth that provide unidirectional travel of the nut with respect to the bolt. In particular, the configuration of the teeth arrest separation of the nut from the bolt while permitting the nut to move toward the head of the bolt into a fastened engagement. The teeth are non-helical and arranged concentrically around the longitudinal axis in evenly-spaced steps or segments along the longitudinal axis and around the shaft of the bolt and bore of the nut. Integral winged washers are provided on the bolt head as well as on the nut. Variations with different rake angles of the teeth as well as an expandable nut are also provided.
Claims11
A fastener, comprising:
- a bolt having a head at a proximal end and a cylindrical shaft extending from the head to a distal end along a central longitudinal axis;
- the head having a diameter larger than the shaft;
- the bolt including a plurality of non-helical, uniformly-spaced teeth formed in rings circumferentially around the shaft;
- each tooth having a load-bearing surface facing the proximal end;
- and
- a nut defining a cylindrical bore extending through the nut along the longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end of the nut;
- the bore being sized and configured to receive the shaft inside the bore;
- the nut including a plurality of non-helical, uniformly-spaced ridges formed in rings circumferentially around the bore;
- each ridge having a load-bearing surface facing the distal end;
- each ridge being sized and configured to mate between the teeth such that the load-bearing surfaces of the teeth abut the load-bearing surfaces of the ridges;
- the nut being configured to move along the bolt only in a direction toward the head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.