Locking fastener
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorJacques R. Coueron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transmission shift yoke (3) (see FIG. 2) has to slide over the shift bar (1) and then be anchored accurately in the desired position by a fastener, i.e., set screw or bolt (8). The set screw must be locked to prevent its loss or more seriously its falling into machinery. A expansible snap ring (10) is arranged on a spotface (11) in a recess (12) in the bar; it is expanded by the tapered shank (14) of the fastener (8) and then snaps into a waist (19) of the fastener to prevent its being readily unscrewed more than half a turn or so. A really robust torque, however, on the head (9) by means of a spanner/wrench will forcibly expand the snap ring out of the waist (19) and over the widest part of the tapered shank (13).
Claims5
A self-locking assembly for fixing a first object (2 or 3) to a locating station on a second, elongated object (1) over which the first object can slide longitudinally, said station being defined by a conical receiving hole (15) and an annular recess (11) surrounding the mouth of the hole, said first object (2 or 3) having longitudinal bore (2A or 3A) to receive the second object (1), and having an internally threaded bore (6) extending generally radially of and intersecting its longitudinal bore (2A or 3A), said assembly comprising an externally threaded fastener (8) for threadable engagement in said internally threaded bore, said externally threaded fastener (8) comprising in axial order, a gripping portion (9), by which it may be rotated, a threaded shank portion (7) and a tapered down portion (13);
- said assembly characterized by said externally threaded fastener including a waist region (19), of reduced cross-section and axially intermediate the tapered portion (13) and the shank portion (7) and a circular spring clip (10) able when unexpanded to slide over a distal part only of the axial length of the tapered portion, and able when expanded to slide also over the entire length of the tapered portion (13).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.