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US 4,498,825 AGranted
Load indicating flange
AssigneeRussell, Burdsall & Ward Corporation
InventorsWalter R. Pamer, James A. Zils, Terry D. Capuano
Life of this patent
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AssigneeRussell, Burdsall & Ward Corporation
InventorsWalter R. Pamer, James A. Zils, Terry D. Capuano
Estimating the term…
A load indicating flange is provided either separately or on a nut or a bolt head. This load indicating flange has an axially directed face which has a wavy surface on which a plurality of crests are disposed for initial engagement with a work surface. A plurality of troughs are provided on the wavy surface one each between two of the crests. A gauge groove is provided at each trough and when the bolt and nut combination is properly tightened on a workpiece, the troughs are flattened toward the work surface to such an extent that a relatively thick gauge cannot enter the gauge groove. If the bolt and nut are improperly tightened, then the gauge will enter the gauge groove. A narrow band peripheral bearing surface is provided on the outer periphery of the face to prevent defacing the work surface. The foregoing abstract is merely a resume of one general application, is not a complete discussion of all principles of operation or applications, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A load indicating annular flange for cooperation with first and second interengaging fasteners, such flange providing a seating surface and resilient portions, said resilient portions operating to engage an associated workpiece before said seating surfaces engage such workpiece, and when said fasteners are tightened to cause engagement of said seating surface with such workpiece, said resilient portions applying a predetermined force to such a workpiece, said flange also providing a peripheral gauging surface, said gauging surface moving to a predetermined minimum spacing from such workpiece when said seating surface is seated thereagainst and being spaced from such workpiece by a distance greater than said predetermined minimum spacing when said seating surface is not seated, whereby a gauge having a thickness slightly greater than said predetermined minimum spacing can be inserted between said gauging surface and said workpiece until such seating surface is seated thereagainst, said predetermined minimum spacing being sufficiently great to render a gauge therefor thick enough to be durable, said gauging surface having a width greater than the thickness dimension parallel to the axis of the fasteners to render a gauge wide enough to be durable.
A load indicating annular flange for cooperation with a first threaded fastener interengageable with a second threaded fastener, said flange having a first axially directed face relative to the axis of the first threaded fastener, said first face having crest means adapted to engage and transmit an axial load force to a cooperable surface upon the fasteners being tightened onto a workpiece, the flange having at least one trough portion in said first face and having portions resiliently deformable to have the trough portion movable toward the cooperable surface upon tightening of the two threaded fasteners onto a workpiece, characterized in that at least one gauge groove is provided in said flange in said trough portion, said gauge groove having a width dimension greater than the thickness dimension parallel to said axis and with the thickness dimension being in the order of 0.005 to 0.030 inch to preclude entrance thereinto of a gauge of a predetermined thickness when the threaded fasteners have been properly tightened on the workpiece and to permit entrance of the gauge when the threaded fasteners have been insufficiently tightened on the workpiece.
A load indicating annular flange for cooperation with a first fastener interengageable with a second fastener, said flange having a first axially directed face relative to the axis of the first fastener, said first face having crest means adapted to engage and transmit an axial load force to a cooperable surface upon the fasteners being tightened onto a workpiece, the flange having at least one trough portion in said first face and having portions resiliently deformable to have the trough portion movable toward the cooperable surface upon tightening of the two threaded fasteners onto a workpiece, characterized in that a narrow band peripheral bearing surface is provided on the radially outer portion of said flange first face, said peripheral bearing surface including said crest means and being a surface in all peripheral parts thereof substantially perpendicular to said axis along each radii to said axis, a gauge groove in said flange first face in said trough portion, said gauge groove being generally radial and having a width exceeding the thickness thereof parallel to said axis and adapted to receive a gauge to determine the tightness of the threaded fasteners.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.