Nut and washer single assembly structure

A nut and washer combination for providing a connectable assembly comprising:

• a heat treated nut structure including a nut member and an external cage,
• said nut member having a threaded bore,
• a washer member heat treated separately from said nut structure and having a washer bore at least as large as said threaded bore,
• said washer bore having first and second bore poritons,
• said nut member comprising a plurality of conical spring disc washers,
• said cage receiving and holding said disc washers in a stacked, aligned relationship to define a central opening threaded to define said threaded bore, said cage including a ring portion and a plurality of axially extending fingers cooperating with said ring portion to hold said disc washers in said stacked, aligned relationship,
• connecting means on said cage and said washer member for connecting said nut structure to said washer member with said washer bore being generally concentric with said threaded bore after said nut structure and said washer member have been heat treated as separate elements,
• said connecting means including holding means at said first bore portion of said washer bore and resilient means on said cage having an engaging portion defining an interference with said second bore portion of said washer bore and being radially resilient to permit radial deflection past said interference allowing axial movement of said engaging portion into said washer bore and in engagement with said holding means to connect said nut structure and said washer member for free spinning relative to each other.

A nut and washer combination for providing a connectable assembly comprising:

• a nut structure including a heat treated nut member and an external cage,
• said nut member having a threaded bore,
• a washer member heat treated separately from said nut member and having a washer bore at least as large as said threaded bore,
• said washer bore having first and second bore portions,
• gripping means on said cage for gripping said nut member,
• connecting means on said cage and said washer member for connecting said nut structure to said washer member with said washer bore being generally concentric with said threaded bore after said nut member and said washer member have been heat treated as separate elements,
• said connecting means including flexible means operable in response to relative axial movement between said cage and said washer member in a first axial direction to a first axial position and being resiliently operable in one radial direction permitting said relative axial movement to continue in said first axial direction to a second axial position and being resiliently operable in another radial direction at said second axial position to resist relative axial movement of said cage and said washer member in a second axial direction,
• said connecting means holding said cage and said washer member together for free spinning relative to each other when said flexible means is at said second axial position.