March21, 1939. - E.J.

w|T¢HGER ' 2,151,255

SPRING NUT
Filed Jan. 5, 1959

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 -Patented Mar. 21, 1939 i 2,151,255

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 2,151,255

srmNG NUT
Eugene J. Witchger, Saginaw, Mich., assignorto
The Lufkin Rule Company, Saginaw, Mich.,
a corporation of Michigan
Application January 3, 1939, Serial No. 249,039
3 Claims. (Cl. 85-32)
This invention relates to nuts for use on bolts ' namely, the washer andthe threaded member,
and screws and relates more particularly to nuts to act like a solid piece and clamp both the wash
that are capable of exerting yielding pressure er and the nut tightly against « the work piece
when iirst screwed into contact with a work without any further yielding eiîect.
piece, and upon further screwing down will clamp Another and important object of my improve- 5
the work piece unyieldingly, the same as a solid ment is to so co-ordinate the three members that
or unyieldable nut. ' _ ' they'can be quickly assembled by hand, the end
Nuts of the class referred to as yieldable are portions of the spring having snap engagement
especially useful for fastening a pivoted joint with the threaded member and the washer mem
ll() composed of two or more members, as in toggle ber respectively, thereby combining the three
joints and the like, where it is desired to fasten parts into a single unit that will not fall apart if
the jointed members together so as to permit accidentally dropped, yet possesses all of the
them to be moved angularly with relation to above mentioned advantages. '
r each other under different amounts of frictional With the foregoing and certain other objects
in view which will appear later in the specifica
resistance, or else to be clamped together rigidly
in any adjusted position. ' tion, my invention comprises -the devices de
Heretofore such yieldable fastenings have usu scribed and claimed and the equivalents thereof.
ally consisted of a washer, a threaded nut and a In the drawing:
0 spring interposed between the two, so that when Fig. 1 is a side view of the spring nut embody
“ the threaded member is screwed down to com ing my invention in a preferred form, the nut ‘
press the spring the washeris pressed against being threaded on a spindle so as to clamp a bar
the work piece by spring action. A disadvantage member against a flange member on the spindle;
of such devices as usually designed was that the Fig. 2 is a side view of the threaded sectionv
three members, that is, the threaded nut', the of the device; '
' spring and the washer member when unscrewed Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the washer mem
would fall apart and sometimes cause much in ber or bearing element; and
« convenience. This was especially true in meas Fig. 4 is a side view of the spring member.
uring instruments of various kinds wherein The parts shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are shown
swinging arms are pivoted together by fastenings disassembled, the complete assembly being shown 30
that clamp-the pieces together by yieldable fric in Fig. 1.
tional engagement, or else rigidly, as circum The threaded section comprises a head I, pref
stances require. If such devices comprised three erably knurled and having a tubular shank 2
separable and independent pieces the operator with an internal thread 3. Numeral 4 indicates
had diiiiculty in assembling the joints while he a circular boss adjacent the head l having an
attempted at the same time to hold the instru annular channel 5 around its periphery.
ment in its proper place and position. The washer member, Fig. 3, has a Work en
My present improvement has to do with a gaging ñange 6 and a cylindrical boss 'i adjacent
novel co-operative arrangement and structure of the fiange and formed with an annular channel 8.
the three usual elements, namely, the threaded A bore 9 may be provided in the washer to
nut element, the spring, and the y'washer or bear receive the elongated shank 2 of the threaded
ing element; which will be referred to as a spring member, telescopically, when the parts are as
nut. l sembled as shown in Fig. l. A helical compres
The objects are to provide a simplified struc sion spring, Fig. 4, surrounds the boss 'l of the
. ture that will be compact, that is, of substantially washer member and also the boss 4 of the thread- 45
45
as small size as an ordinary solid nut without the ed member. The outer faces of the end con
yieldable feature, yet will be capable of exerting volutions of the spring are preferably ilat to
adequate yielding pressure against the work piece present fair bearing surfaces l0, l0 against thev
when partly screwed down; the amount of such flange 6 of the washer member and against the
pressure varying according to the amount of inner face of the knurled head l of the threaded 50
compression given to the spring. member, respectively. The spring ends, being
Another object is to provide in such a device thus tapered ~or pointed, are preferably bent
a simplified abutment arrangement whereby the radially inward sufficiently to be received by snap
spring, after having been compressed a predeter action in the respective channels 5 and 8 of the
55v mined amount, will permit the other parts, nut and washer members, as is shown in Fig. 1.
 2 2,151,255
‘ The parts are assembled‘by pushing the spring amount of compression within the range of the
_ endwise over the cylindrical boss 1 until an end spring may be exerted/’against the work, and any -
I0 of the' spring snaps into the annular channel >desired further clamping force within the
8, then 'inserting shank' 2 of the threaded section strength of the screw threads may be exerted
"il into bore 9 of thewasher, and pushing the parts without subjecting the spring _to any additional
together until the other tapered end of -the spring strain. Therefore, this device _may be safely sub- .
-snaps into channel 5 on the boss 4 of the threaded. jected in use to as rough treatment as any ordi
member. nary solid nut, yet its yieldable properties‘will ‘I
The parts may be disassembled by forcibly remain unimpaired for purposes of frictional ad
pulling the threaded section and the washer se'c- _v justment against a work piece. . . 10
10
tion apart. Under all ordinary circumstances In the foregoing description of the. preferred
of use and handling the three parts will remain form the effect of the solid nut is produced when
together integrally so that the device can be ap-' the faces I6, I‘I, Fig. 2, come into contact. How
plied, just as an ordinary nut,.to the threaded ever, my invention includes a modiiication of this
end II of a spindle or bolt I2. The bolt may arrangement wherein the length of the shank 2_
-be used to frictionally clamp two or more parts of the head is slightly greater than the lengthI
together; for example, a'bar _I3 and a flange I4, of the bore 9 in the washer 6, so that the end of
Fig. l. h j part 2 will correctly engage the face of the work
InVFig. 1 the dotted -line at I5 shows the longi I3, Fig. 1. .In that event the direct or solid
20 tudinally shifted position of the knurled head I clamping effect is produced by head I instead
when itis screwed down tight, the -spring having 'of being produced as in' the foregoing descrip
been compressed sufficiently to allow the end tion, by the clamping actionY of head I exertedA
faces of the bosses l and 'I to come into con- on the work piece through-the flange. 6. The
tact. While these faces I6 and I'I are separated modiiied form has been found to be advanta
geous in certain kinds of work. `
25 the joint I8 between the two work pieces I3 and
I4 is kept compressed solely by the compressive Having thus described my invention, what I
strength of the‘spring, the amount of pressure claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:
depending upon the degree of compression of the 1. A spring nut ícomprising in combination an
spring. After the two- end faces I6, I'I _have internally threaded section having a circular boss
30 come into contact, furtherr tightening of the formed with an annular peripheral channel and 30
threaded section gives a positive clamping action having a tubular shank projecting axially from
between the work pieces, the .same as with a the boss, a washer member comprising a flange"
solid nut. ' l _ and a tubular boss engaging telescopically with
The .device may be unscrewed and removed said shank and being 'formed with a peripheral
35 from the threaded end I I of the spindle and if it is channel adjacent said ilange.' a helical spring en- u
accidentally dropped the parts can -not come closing said boss' and shank, and connecting said
apart and scatter. ‘ _ ' . i internally threaded section and said washer mem
„In case the work-engaging face of the ñange 'ber in normally extended relation, the ends _of
6 on the washer section is rough or from some said spring being releasably engaged by snap
other cause happens to bind on the face of bar action in said channels, the end convolutions of 40
I3 and hence does not turn freely thereon when said spring being tapered and directed inwardly
- the knurled head‘. I is rotated, the spring -will ' to effect such snap action. y » l
nevertheless permit the threaded 'section to be . 2. A spring nut comprising in combination an
A screwed down further or to be loosened, because internally threaded member having a circular
45 the bearing ends Il, Ilfof the spring in the chan
boss with- an annular peripheral chamiel, a
nels 5 and 8 allow the'threaded section and the `washer member comprising a flange and a'boss
washer section to beV turned relatively to each formed with'a peripheral channel adjacent said
other and relatively to' the However, the flange, a helicalv spring connecting said mem-_
parts are kept from being accidentally sepa bersandhavingitsendsformedtoengageby.K
50 rated in the lengthwise direction. The spring snapactioninsaidrespectivechannels.
cannot be deformed or bulged out of 'shape as -' 3. Aspring nut comprising in combination an
would be the case if the ends-of thespring internallythreadedsectionhavingacircularbœs
were prevented from slidingin the annularfchan-` formed with an annular peripheral channel and
nels 5 and l. » , , Vhaving-al. tubular shank projecting axially from
56
By the means- above described I haveproduced
. . the bona washer-member comprising aiiange
a yieldable nut that is simple and inexpensive andaboasformedwithaperipheralchannelad
to manufacture and is compact.' neat in appear jacent saidñangaahelicai spring enclosingsaid
andcan
ance' andbedurable.-
taken apart
~Itïcan‘be
withoutV,assembled
the use of tools. boss and connecting said section and washer
members innormaily extended relation, theends
yet _will'lnot come apart-with ordinary handling
or when accidentally dropped. ~During the ear
of'saidspringbeingreleasablyengagedby-snaplo
actioninsaidchannels.
liefßtßlesoftiahtenintminltaworkpieceany ` _ IUGINIJ.Wl'll‘tlHGmtr`