Method and structure for locking nut with deformable member

A method for locking a nut onto a bolt, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a nut body with a central axis and top and bottom ends and having a top surface;
• (b) forging a circular array of a plurality of forged splines each having an engagement edge disposed between a spline top end and a spline bottom end and first and second sidewalls, the spline top ends aligned with the nut body top surface and along a top spline radius defined about the central axis, the spline bottom ends aligned along a bottom spline radius defined about the central axis
• (c) defining a plurality of spline voids, each defined between the first sidewall of one of the splines and the second sidewall of an adjacent spline;
• (d) forging an actuating wall at the nut body top end, the actuating wall being defined between an outer actuating wall end aligned along the bottom spline radius and an inner actuating wall end;
• (e) the circular array of a plurality of forged splines and the actuating wall defining an aperture about the central axis having a first volume dimension;
• (f) internally threading the nut body with a plurality of internal threads from the inner actuating wall end to the nut body bottom end, the threads having a common thread diameter defined from the central axis, wherein a distance dimension from the inner actuating wall end to the nut body bottom end is about equal to the common thread diameter, and wherein the top spline radius and the bottom spline radius are greater than the common thread diameter;
• (g) forming a resilient deformable locking member;
• (h) inserting the resilient deformable locking member into the aperture and thereby into compressive contact with the spline engagement edges, the deformable member having a top workpiece engagement surface, a cylindrical inner surface defined on a radius about the central axis, a deformable outer surface defined on a radius about the central axis larger than at least one of the spline top end radius and the spline bottom end radius, and a bottom actuating surface, and further having a second volume dimension larger than the aperture first volume;
• (i) threading the nut body onto a bolt having the corresponding common thread diameter;
• (j) rotating the nut body about the bolt and thereby causing the nut body to travel along the bolt until the deformable member top workpiece engagement surface engages a workpiece surface;
• (k) further rotating the nut body about the bolt, the deformable member thereby compressively engaging the spline engagement edges, the actuating wall, the workpiece surface and the bolt threads;
• (l) deforming and cold-flowing the deformable member inner surface into and about the bolt threads and the deformable outer surface about the spline walls and into the spline voids responsive to said compressive engagement;
• and
• (m) the cold-flowed deformable member exerting expansion forces against said compressively engaging spline engagement edges, actuating wall, workpiece surface bolt threads and spline walls, thereby providing frictional locking forces locking the nut body into a fixed position relative to the bolt;
• wherein the deformable member is configured to substantially flow into the spline voids sufficient to cause the cold-flowed member to remain engaged by the spline voids and rotate with the nut body when the nut body is loosened about the bolt.