Hybrid washer
OwnerJohn Eric Chapmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid washer has an essentially disk-shaped body having an outer ring, an inner ring, and a bore extending through the inner ring. The outer ring has an engagement surface having a plurality of wedges with each wedge having a raised edge that extends radially and perpendicularly from a longitudinal axis projecting through the bore. The inner ring has a pair of spaced-apart essentially flat surfaces in overlying relation with one another. The wedges form a plurality of crests contoured to frictionally engage a mating surface from a locking washer to fix the locking washer against the hybrid washer.
Claims16
A hybrid washer for a fastening system having a shank member, a nut positioned at one end of the shank member, and a bearing element receiving the other end of the shank member, the hybrid washer comprising:
- an essentially disk-shaped body having an outer ring, an inner ring, and a bore extending through the inner ring, the outer ring including an engagement surface with a plurality of wedges forming a plurality of crests and troughs, the inner ring including a pair of spaced-apart essentially smooth flat surfaces in overlying relation with one another,
- wherein the inner ring is essentially a smooth flat surface from the bore to the outer ring;
- wherein the shank member inserts through the hybrid washer inner ring bore;
- and
- wherein the hybrid washer outer ring engagement surface frictionally engages the bearing element.
A fastening system comprising:
- a shank member,
- a nut positioned at one end of the shank member,
- a bearing element receiving the other end of the shank member, and
- a hybrid washer having an essentially disk-shaped body having an outer ring, an inner ring, and a bore extending through the inner ring, the outer ring including an engagement surface with a plurality of wedges forming a plurality of crests and troughs, the inner ring including a pair of spaced-apart essentially smooth flat surfaces in overlying relation with one another,
- wherein the inner ring is essentially a smooth flat surface from the bore to the outer ring;
- wherein the shank member inserts through the hybrid washer inner ring bore;
- and
- wherein the hybrid washer outer ring engagement surface frictionally engages the bearing element.
A method of producing a hybrid washer, the method comprising:
- compacting a metal powder into a washer preform, and
- sintering the washer preform to form a hybrid washer having an essentially disk-shaped body having an outer ring, an inner ring, and a bore extending through the inner ring, the outer ring including an engagement surface with a plurality of wedges forming a plurality of crests and troughs, the inner ring including a pair of spaced-apart essentially smooth flat surfaces extending from the bore to the outer ring in overlying relation with one another and the engagement surface being configured to frictionally engage a bearing element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.