Lock nut member

A lock nut adapted to receive an externally threaded member comprising:

• a substantially rigid body having a circular opening extending through the body;
• and
• a plurality of resilient, circumferentially-spaced locking beams integral with the rigid body and projecting outwardly from one end thereof, each of the locking beams has an inner surface that defines an opening aligned with the circular opening in the body, the locking beams tapering radially inwardly such that the opening defined thereby has a uniformly-decreasing diameter,
• wherein the aligned openings defined by the respective rigid body and plurality of locking beams contain threads for receiving the externally threaded member, the locking beams resiliently deflecting radially outwardly to lock the member in place,
• wherein the plurality of locking beams each have sidewalls arranged in spaced relationship with the sidewalls of circumferentially-adjacent locking beams, each sidewall being continuous, from the beam's inner, threaded surface to the beam's outer surface,
• wherein the inner surface of each locking beam has an angled surface along each edge extending radially inwardly to form a substantially V-shaped slot between each beam, and
• wherein the angled surface on the inner surface of the locking beams has a maximum diameter extending between opposite V-shaped slots which is about equal to or slightly greater than a major diameter of the threads.