Axial retaining member and method for interconnecting male and female splined members

A unitary axial retaining member for interconnecting a first member with a second member wherein said first member has a splined shaft having an annular channel and wherein said second member has a body having a splined bore therein for insertion of said shaft, a counterbore adjacent said bore, and a radially oriented annular channel extending radially outwardly from said counterbore, said unitary axial retaining member being formed of a resilient material and further comprising:

• a hollow main body having a predetermined thickness, a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a second end, said hollow main body being adaptable to be fitted to said shaft with said second end disposed adjacent said second member;
• an inwardly oriented radial flange extending from said first end of said hollow main body and engageable with said annular channel in said shaft;
• an outwardly oriented radial flange extending from said second end of said hollow main body and engageable with said radially oriented annular channel of said second member;
• a plurality of longitudinal slots extending from said second end of said hollow main body towards said first end of said hollow main body to separate said second end of said hollow main body into a plurality of longitudinally extending flexible fingers;
• and
• a generally longitudinally extending reduced predetermined thickness portion extending from said first end of said hollow main body to one of said plurality of longitudinal axis, said reduced predetermined thickness portion being along a generally longitudinally extending line to permit controlled separation of said hollow main body along said generally longitudinally extending reduced predetermined thickness portion.

A locking arrangement comprising in combination:

• a female member;
• a splined bore extending through said female member;
• a male member comprising a splined shaft, said splined shaft being mounted in said splined bore such that said female member and male member are prevented from rotating relative to each other;
• a counterbore in said female member coaxial with said bore and disposed around a portion of said shaft;
• a first radially oriented annular channel in said female member extending radially outwardly from said counterbore;
• a second radially oriented annular channel in a portion of said shaft remote from said bore;
• a hollow unitary axial retaining member formed of a dimensionally stable, impact-resistant thermoplastic material, said hollow unitary axial retaining member having a first end, second end, and a longitudinally extending main body portion therebetween, said longitudinally extending main body portion having a predetermined radial thickness, said hollow unitary axial retaining member further having a predetermined reduced radial thickness portion along a generally longitudinally extending line extending from said first end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member to said second end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member;
• an inwardly oriented radial flange extending from said first end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member and engaging said second radially oriented annular channel;
• and
• an outwardly oriented radial flange extending from said second end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member and engaging said first radially oriented annular channel.

A method of rotatably interconnecting a partially splined shaft member with a female body member, said female body member having a splined bore for insertion of said partially splined shaft, said comprising the steps of:

• mounting at least one end of a hollow unitary axial retaining member to the peripheral surface of said partially splined shaft member, said mounting of said at least one end separating said hollow unitary axial retaining member to change such hollow unitary axial retaining member to a double-ended hollow unitary axial retaining member;
• rotatably interconnecting said at least one end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member with said partially splined shaft member;
• and
• rotatably interconnecting said female body member with the end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member opposite said at least one end.

A method of rotatably interconnecting a male partially splined shaft having an annular channel with a female member having a splined bore therein for insertion of said male partially splined shaft, said female member further having a counterbore adjacent said splined bore with a radially oriented annular channel extending radially outwardly from said counterbore, said interconnecting method comprising the steps of:

• mounting one end of a hollow unitary axial retaining member into said radially oriented annular channel of said female member, said hollow unitary axial retaining member having flexible fingers on said one end such that said flexible fingers are depressed radially inwardly to mount said hollow unitary axial retaining member to said female member and move radially outwardly to engage said radially oriented annular channel;
• inserting one end of said partially splined shaft into an end opposite said one end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member;
• advancing said one end of said partially splined shaft towards said splined bore of said female member and engaging said splined male member with said splined female member;
• said advancing and engaging step separating said hollow unitary axial retaining member along a generally axially extending reduced radial thickness portion aligned with one of said flexible fingers on said one end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member;
• and
• advancing said male partially splined shaft along said mutually engageable splines of said male and female member until said end opposite said one end of said hollow unitary axial retaining member engages said radially oriented annular channel of said splined shaft to form an interconnecting male shaft and female member.

A method of rotatably interconnecting a male shaft having a plurality of splines thereon and an annular channel therein with a female member having a splined bore therein, a counterbore adjacent said bore and a radially oriented annular channel extending radially outwardly from said counterbore, said method comprising the steps of:

• inserting one end of an annular hollow unitary axial retaining member into said splined bore of said female member;
• said one end of said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member having a plurality of resilient longitudinally extending flexible fingers, defining a plurality of slots therebetween and an outwardly oriented radial flange, the other end of said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member having an inwardly oriented radial flange and a generally longitudinally extending reduced predetermined thickness portion extending longitudinally from said other end of said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member to one of said plurality of slots;
• advancing said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member into said splined bore of said female member until said outwardly oriented flange of said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member moves into said radially oriented annular channel of said female member to lock said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member into said splined bore of said female member;
• inserting said male shaft into said other end of said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member, said inserting of said male shaft into said other end of said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member separating said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member along said longitudinally extending reduced predetermined thickness portion to change said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member to a double-ended annular hollow unitary axial retaining member;
• and
• advancing said male shaft along said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member and along said splined bore of said female member until said inwardly oriented radial flange moves into said annular channel of said male shaft to lock said male shaft to said annular hollow unitary axial retaining member and said female member.