Abstract: A spring retaining ring of the type adapted for assembly within a groove provided therefor in a housing bore or on a shaft to form an artificial shoulder for axially locating a machine part in the bore or on the shaft. The spring comprises an open-ended ring body of spring material. The body includes opposite side surfaces, each surface including a generally radial shoulder-forming portion and a groove-seating portion which is inclined at an acute angle relative to the shoulder forming portion. Either of the groove-seating surface portions are adapted to engage a correspondingly inclined wall of the groove to take-up axial play of the machine part. The length of each groove seating surface portion is from 80% to 120% of the minimum groove penetration depth for the ring.

Abstract: A spring retaining ring adapted to self-lock, i.e., friction-grip, itself by spring force to a cylindrical surface such as that of a grooveless carrier member (shaft, rod, pin, etc.), the body of said ring being of novel design and incorporating means endowing it with the capability of being assembled on a grooveless cylindrical carrier member by either the radial or the more conventional axial assembly procedure, whichever is the more convenient.

Abstract: Multiarc (multi-truss) retaining ring adapted for assembly in a circumferential groove provided for its reception on or in a carrier-member surface, such as that of a shaft, spindle and the like or a housing bore, thereupon to form an artificial machine-element (part) retaining and/or locating shoulder on or in said carrier member, the outer and inner edges of the ring body, rather than being continuous, each comprising the arcuate edges of a plurality of short-length circumferentially spaced-apart arcuate "beams," the inner-edge arcuate "beams" being staggered, i.e.

Abstract: An assembly tool for closed, self-locking retaining rings includes an extensible and retractable, tubular, centering sleeve for centering the ring on a ram recessed relative to the sleeve. The sleeve is carried by a housing in telescoping relationship with the ram. One end of the sleeve is fashioned with a plurality of circumferentially spaced guide slots bounded by circumferentially spaced rigid guide and centering fingers that are operable to center the ring by engagement with the ring body and to pilot the tool by engagement with the member to which the ring is to be assembled. Adjustable stops may control the position of the ring in an assembly in axial relationship to the parts of the assembly.

Abstract: A multi-coil helical spring-fastened assembly of first and second sub-assemblies of which one of said sub-assemblies has general housing-member form and the other sub-assembly has general shaft, rod or tube form and being dimensioned for ready insertion in the bore of said housing member; one of said sub-assemblies incorporating a multi-coil helical spring located between an integral shoulder thereof and an artificial shoulder, i.e. a groove-seated spring retaining ring; said helical spring being in torsion responsive to the sub-assemblies being assembled by insertion of one into the bore of the other whereby each of the multi-coils of the spring exerts a gripping force in radial direction on the housing-bore surface, or conversely on the shaft, rod or tube outer surface.