Abstract: A radial-type anti-backlash nut for use upon linear actuator leadscrews uses a separate housing resting upon the actuator's main nut. The anti-backlash action is a multi-finger collet and spring setup located inside the housing. The collet tapers radially inward toward tips of the fingers at a specified taper angle. The whole interior length of an internal thread of the collet engages an external thread of the leadscrew. The housing is a pre-load nut with an internal tapered surface that mates with the collet fingers with substantially the same taper angle. The pre-load nut, when screwed onto external threads of the adjustment nut, both compresses a load spring and applies radially inward adjustable load force to the collet fingers against the leadscrew. Three tolerances adjust load: the taper angle of the main nut's collet fingers, the spring load's compression, and the collet finger mismatch with respect to the lead screw.

Abstract: A fastener system including a nut body and a helical thread insert. The nut body having an internally threaded bore containing a plurality of bore threads, and at least one bore obstruction. The helical thread insert formed to create a plurality of internal HTI threads and a plurality of external HTI threads, with the helical thread insert received in the internally threaded bore and not occupying all of the plurality of bore threads, and having its movement limited by the bore obstruction. The helical thread insert having threads with both circular end profiles and a non-circular end profile. The non-circular end profile including at least three straight segments, and located between circular threads.

Abstract: An apparatus for securing a panel to a structure is provided. In one embodiment, the fastener includes a fastener having a fastener head and a threaded tail, and the fastener may be disposed through a structure and an external panel. The apparatus also includes a retainer housing positioned on the fastener head, where the retainer housing is detached from the fastener. A spring engaging the fastener and the retainer housing is also included within the retainer housing.

Abstract: A pin lock fastener comprises a fastener component (e.g., bolt or nut) having an aperture formed through an outer surface of the fastener component, and a pin supported by the fastener component and slidable through the aperture. The pin can comprise a locking end portion to interface/lock with a pin lock feature of a fastener receiver structure. The pin lock fastener can comprise an actuator cap rotatably coupled to the fastener component, and a torsion spring can have a first end coupled to the fastener component and a second end coupled to the actuator cap. The pin can be secured to the torsion spring that applies a biasing force to the pin in a normal locked position to restrict rotation of the fastener component relative to the fastener receiver structure secured to the fastener component. The pin lock fastener can be repeatedly used. Associated fastened assemblies and methods are provided.

Abstract: A fastener comprising a nut body and an associated Lockone clasp is disclosed. The locking clasp may be maintained in its association by one or more locking clasp retainers, the retainers forming an arc. In one embodiment, the nut body is formed with an internally threaded thread bore partially filled by helical thread insert. In another preferred embodiment the helical thread insert is a free running helically wound wire thread insert.

Abstract: An aircraft assembly having a titanium rod comprising a first threaded portion, and a titanium nut comprising a second threaded portion conforming with the first threaded portion for mating engagement with it. One of the first and second threaded portions defines a male thread and the other one of the first and second threaded portions defines a female thread such that the nut can be wound in threading engagement along the rod. A threaded insert formed from a first metal of different hardness in comparison to titanium is coupled to the rod or the nut to define the first threaded portion or the second threaded portion respectively such that one of the first and second threaded portions is formed from titanium and the other one of the first and second threaded portions is formed from the first metal.

Abstract: An anti-lash nut assembly for installation on a threaded rod and including a lead nut, a collar, and a spring positioned between the lead nut and the collar. The lead nut has a set of tabs extending radially outward from a rear end of the body. The collar has a set of clearance slots on an inside surface. The set of clearance slots are configured for sliding of the set of tabs through the clearance slots in the rear direction. The collar has a set of ramps on an inside surface. Each of the set of ramps is configured for engagement with each of the set of tabs to prohibit axial movement of the collar in the rear direction.

Abstract: The present invention is a lock nut which fastens to enable a downstream bent portion of a spiral coil spring to be a stopper point so that the diameter of the spiral coil spring is extended overall, and which unfastens to release the downstream bent portion from the stopper point and enable an upstream bent portion of the spiral coil spring to be a stopper point so that the diameter of the spiral coil spring is extended overall, thus enabling the lock nut to be easily fasten without sacrificing elastic fastening forces of the conventional lock nut, preventing the lock nut from easily unfastening by unintentional external force, and enabling the lock nut to unfasten only by intentional external force. The above described operation can be performed without increasing manufacturing cost, and the lock nut can be manufactured to be disposable in order to achieve preventing accidents in advance.

Abstract: A nut fastener is provided for locking the nut to prevent inadvertent loosening of the nut. The nut fastener is particularly useful for tightening a wheel onto an axle. The nut fastener includes a nut, a collar and a retaining ring. The nut is unlocked by pushing on an engagement surface of the collar or by riding ratchet teeth over each other. When the collar is released, the collar locks against the nut to resist rotation of the nut.

Abstract: A moldable wire thread insert 1 for reinforcing a screw-in opening of a component has the following characteristics: a cylindrical spiral 20 made of a helically, wound wire 10, the neighboring coils 30 of which are arranged such that a closed cylindrical spiral wall 22, 24 is present, while at least one end of the cylindrical spirals 20 has a fastening flange 40, which extends radially outwards over the cylindrical spiral wall 22, 24 and with which the wire thread insert 1 is anchorable in the component and/or one end of the cylindrical spiral 20 is designed in a planar manner in order to form an even axial front surface of the cylindrical spiral 20.

Abstract: The present invention is a lock nut which fastens to enable a downstream bent portion of a spiral coil spring to be a stopper point so that the diameter of the spiral coil spring is extended overall, and which unfastens to release the downstream bent portion from the stopper point and enable an upstream bent portion of the spiral coil spring to be a stopper point so that the diameter of the spiral coil spring is extended overall, thus enabling the lock nut to be easily fasten without sacrificing elastic fastening forces of the conventional lock nut, preventing the lock nut from easily unfastening by unintentional external force, and enabling the lock nut to unfasten only by intentional external force. The above described operation can be performed without increasing manufacturing cost, and the lock nut can be manufactured to be disposable in order to achieve preventing accidents in advance.

Abstract: A locknut includes a body, a locking element, and a cage. The body has a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion. The locking element includes a coil portion having first and second tangs. The locking element is positioned within the cage, and the cage is secured within the unthreaded portion of the body. The cage includes first and second stops, and the first and second tangs of the coil are proximate the stops to be engaged by the stops during rotation of the locknut.

Abstract: A locking fastener includes a fastener body, a locking band within the fastener body, and a retainer secured to the fastener body to retain the locking band within the fastener body. The locking band includes first and second tangs that fit within recesses in the fastener body to limit angular movement of the tangs. The tangs and the recesses are dimensioned to control the torque required to remove the fastener from a threaded member. The retainer defines a central circular hole corresponding to the diameter of a threaded member on which the fastener is mounted.

Abstract: A device for applying rotational torque to a fastener (such as a nut) on a fastening member (such as a threaded rod) to maintain the tight fastening. One specific embodiment of the device uses a recoil spring to apply such torque directly to the fastener; the device enables continued tightening of the fastener long after the initial fastening occurs.

Abstract: A thread clamping device is described including a plurality of movable nut segments around a threaded rod, and spring members flexibly holding the segments against the rod. Smaller locking distances are shown to result by using at least one double-threaded segment as a component of the thread clamping device. Such a thread clamping device can advantageously be used as a component of a self-adjusting shrinkage compensation device, a coupler for threaded rods, hold-downs, among other uses.

Abstract: A self-locking threaded fastener that can be driven using conventional driving tools. The threaded fastener includes a fastener body and a locking band. The body includes a) a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion and b) an aperture extending radially from the unthreaded portion. The locking band includes a curved portion within the unthreaded portion of the fastener body and a tang extending into the aperture to limit angular movement of the tang with respect to the body. The curved portion terminates at an end having a range of radial movement with respect to the fastener body. When the threaded fastener is turned in a loosening direction, the locking band inhibit loosening of the threaded fastener.

Abstract: A moldable wire thread insert 1 for reinforcing a screw-in opening of a component has the following characteristics: a cylindrical spiral 20 made of a helically, wound wire 10, the neighboring coils 30 of which are arranged such that a closed cylindrical spiral wall 22, 24 is present, while at least one end of the cylindrical spirals 20 has a fastening flange 40, which extends radially outwards over the cylindrical spiral wall 22, 24 and with which the wire thread insert 1 is anchorable in the component and/or one end of the cylindrical spiral 20 is designed in a planar manner in order to form an even axial front surface of the cylindrical spiral 20.

Abstract: A locking fastener includes a fastener body and a locking band. The body includes a tangential slot. The locking band includes a coil portion and first and second tangs extending tangentially from the coil portion. The first tang extends into the slot to limit angular movement of the first tang with respect to the body. When the locking fastener is turned in a loosening direction with sufficient torque, the second tang contacts the fastener body to open the coil portion and to allow removal of the locking fastener.

Abstract: Provided is a saferlock nut for preventing a nut engaged with a spiral shaft of a bolt from being arbitrarily disengaged, and in particular, a saferlock nut by which, when a nut is engaged with a bolt while passing through a spiral shaft of the bolt or is disengaged from the bolt, the engagement and the disengagement can be performed smoothly without damaging the spiral shaft and the nut is not disengaged from the spiral shaft owing to strong engaging force when the nut is spiral-engaged with the spiral shaft, in spite of external vibration.

Abstract: A locking threaded connection (a) providing free relative rotation in a first direction, (b) preventing unintended relative rotation in a second opposite direction, and (c) enabling intended relative rotation in the second direction. The connection includes male and female threaded portions and a helical spring therebetween. The spring is sized and configured to interfit with the male and female threads. The spring enables relative rotation in the first direction, but prevents relative rotation in the second direction. If removability is desired, the spring is provided with an accessible tang, enabling the locking force of the spring to be released.

Abstract: A wire lock includes a body having an opening therethrough, a locking member disposed at least partially within the opening, and a biasing device. The biasing device urges the locking member into a configuration wherein a wire passing through the opening is restrained in at least one direction, and may operate in either tension or compression. The locking member may include one or more locking elements that are compressed about the wire through engagement with a wedge-shaped locking section of the body, with the biasing member urging the locking member against the locking section. In other embodiments, the locking member is a locking pin riding on an inclined surface of an elongate slot extending across the body, with the biasing member urging the locking pin against one end of the slot, and the wire pinched between the pin and a body surface opposite the inclined surface.

Abstract: A vibration and heat insulating board fixed so as to cover at least part of a heat source while forming a gap against the heat source surface, in order to lessen diffusion of heat from the heat source fixed in a vibration source, in which the heat source and the vibration and heat insulating board are coupled by means of a collar member having a pair of locking pieces fitted to the vibration and heat insulating board main body and bolted to a mounting part of the heat source, and ring-shaped coil members interposed between the pair of locking pieces of the collar member and the vibration and heat insulating board main body.

Abstract: A secure threaded fastener, prevented from unexpectedly coming loose, is described. The fastener or a nut or bolt has a coil spring capable of stopping the fastener when the fastener may be unexpectedly rotated in a loosening direction due to an outside force. The coil spring is received in a smooth section of the fastener with one end of the spring being fixed and the other end being movable and so the spring's diameter is changeable in accordance with a rotating direction of the fastener. When the fastener is rotated in a tightening direction, the spring allows the fastener to be smoothly tightened. However, when the fastener is unexpectedly rotated in a loosening direction, the spring prevents the fastener from unexpectedly coming loose.

Abstract: A low profile latch mechanism for an access panel that minimizes external structural discontinuities while concomitantly providing external access to engage and/or disengage the latch mechanism for closing and/or opening of the access panel. The latch mechanism includes an insert member mounted in rotatable combination with the internal surface of the access panel, a captured floating nut mounted in nonrotatable combination with the internal surface of a frame segment, a safety lock member mounted for axial displacement within the captured floating nut, and a removable key member. The removable key member is insertable through an access aperture in the access panel to engage the insert member for rotation thereof to threadingly engage the captured floating nut to close the access panel. The safety lock member is biased to engage the insert member to lock the low profile latch mechanism in the fully engaged state upon removal of the key member.

Abstract: A thread locking device for securing a male threaded member to a female threaded member at a desired interengaged position. A nut, threaded internally, and a spiral spring in combination form the thread locking device. The spring is mounted in the nut with the end tabs of the spring extending radially into a slot provided in the nut. The spring is configured to also threadably engage the threads of a member, such as a shaft, to which the nut will be threadably mounted. The spring in its relaxed state will forcibly grip the thread form of the shaft to frictionally secure the nut in position on the shaft. The radially extending end tabs of the spring are forced apart by a tool to enlarge the diameter of the spring to facilitate the threadable installation of the nut and the spring to the shaft and the removal of the nut and spring from the shaft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for installing a plastic fitting and a line stopping mechanism to a main includes a stopper shaft which is used to remove a completion plug in the fitting during installation, and to control the line stopper mechanism once it is installed within the fitting; a connection between the stopper shaft and an external drive shaft is provided which includes both left and righthanded threads in order to prevent the connection from loosening while it is being torqued in different directions. A method of installing the fitting which includes electric resistance fusing is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a device for bringing about rotational braking in a screw and nut device incorporating a nut, which is rotatable and displaceable relative to a threaded bar, and a helical spring enclosing the bar, which spring at braking is clamped against the bar, for effecting a big braking moment and a small wear in the thread of the bar, there is arranged a helical element with a loose fit in the thread groove of the bar, which element extends radially outside the thread flank tip. The helical spring is futhermore arranged with radial pretension of the thread flank tip between the winding turns of the helical element.

Abstract: An improved concrete anchor consists of an expansion nut in the form of a cylindrical coil of a resilient material and a bolt provided with a thread adapted to receive the coil. The thread of the bolt has two sections of different effective minor diameters. A first section immediately adjacent the threaded end of the bolt has a minor diameter sufficiently small to permit the bolt to enter the coil without causing any distortion or enlargement in the outer diameter of the coil. Adjacent the first threaded section and extending toward the head of the bolt is a second section having a larger minor diameter which causes expansion of the coil on engagement therewith. The end of the coil facing away from the head of the bolt is provided with a short, straight tab portion which extends in a direction generally away from the head of the bolt while tapering inwardly toward the axis thereof.

Abstract: Improvement in a lock fastener comprising a length of compression spring and a housing therefor permanently fastened to a rear portion of the spring, the turns on the front portion of the spring being free for threadably engaging an externally threaded fastener of the same hand as the helix of the spring, the front end of the spring being closed and ground so that upon rotation of the housing, the front end of the spring will threadably engage the externally threaded fastener, whereby to form a lock joint between the latter and the lock fastener.

Abstract: A control cable positioning device including a screw member secured to an end of an inner cable which is disposed slidably within the control cable and having a screw surface formed at a part of the peripheral surface thereof; an outer fitting having an inner surface capable of engaging to the peripheral surface of the screw member, a partially cutaway portion and a projection extending downward and capable of bending; and a helical spring so wound as to clamp the peripheral surface and having pawls at both ends thereof extending outward, each pawl being capable of abutting to the respective side surface of the cutaway portion, whereby the length of the inner cable projecting from the conduit can be controlled since the end of the conduit of the control cable is controllable when the projection is bent.

Abstract: An anti-backlash nut having one or more longitudinal flexural members with one end fixed and one end free-floating is disclosed which undergoes translational movement along a shaft. This anti-backlash nut is improved by providing ramps at the free-floating ends of the flexural members and means to apply axial forces on the ramps to thereby create radial force vectors which maintain the ramps in contact with the shaft even after the nut has become worn.

Abstract: An anti-backlash nut having one or more longitudinal flexural members with one end fixed and one end free-floating is disclosed which undergoes translational movement along a shaft. This anti-backlash nut is improved by providing ramps at the free-floating ends of the flexural members and means to apply axial forces on the ramps to thereby create radial force vectors which maintain the ramps in contact with the shaft even after the nut has become worn.