Abstract: A locking fastener assembly for axle bearings and the like is free spinning during tightening and removal and is positively held against rotation after installation. The assembly is engageable with an axially slotted male threaded member and includes a nut with female threads and a flange end. A retainer washer includes spaced fingers formed around the nut flange for rotatably supporting the washer at the flanged end of the nut. The washer includes a tab received in the slot of the male threaded member permitting the nut to move axially but not to rotate on the male threaded member. When the nut is engaged by a wrench, the wrench releases a flexible and resilient locking clip to permit the nut freely to rotate. After the assembly has been threaded onto the male threaded member, removal of the wrench frees the locking clip and a lock finger is received in a space between fingers of the retainer washer positively to prevent further rotation of the nut.

Abstract: A method for producing captive washer wheel nuts. The washer and nut body are formed as a single piece, greatly simplifying and reducing the number of separate manufacturing steps, such as threading and forming bearing surfaces on the washer and nut body. An axially symmetric frusto-conical groove at an oblique angle to the axis of symmetry is formed in the nut-washer blank. The groove is sufficiently deep to be closer to the axis of symmetry than a small-radius concave feature on the underside of the washer. Upon application of axial compression, the washer separates from the nut body along a frusto-conical fracture surface defined between the bottom of the groove and the concave feature on the washer. The orientation of this fractured surface causes the washer to be captured to the nut body.

Abstract: A tool to facilitate the mounting and centering of dual wheels on an axle hub and the method for using the tool. The tool is a pin structure having coaxial female threads at one end, allowing the pin to be attached to the threads of the lug bolt, serving as an outward extension of the lug bolt. One or more such tools are attached to lug bolts on the axle hub, providing a pin or pins upon which the two wheels may be placed sequentially. In this configuration, the two wheels counteract and hold each other in properly centered orientation while they are fastened to the axle hub with lug nuts. After the dual wheels are fastened in place, the pin or pins are removed and the lug bolts to which they were attached are also used to fasten the dual wheels to the axle hub.

Abstract: A strip of fasteners such as pierce nuts is formed from a metal blank with no scrap resulting from the provision of a spacing between adjacent nut bodies, and without the difficulty and expense incident to attaching nut bodies to connecting elements. The body portion of a laterally flanged blank is severed in the transverse direction to separate nut bodies from the blank without fracturing the flanges. The flanges are severed in the longitudinal direction to form severed longitudinally extending flange segments integral at both ends with unsevered flange segments. When the flanges are straightened, the stretching of the severed flange segments resulting from shearing provides a spacing between adjacent nut bodies in the strip. The strip includes spaced apart nut bodies interconnected by continuous lateral flanges. The flanges include unsevered lateral flange segments integral with both sides of each nut body, and severed flange segments integral at both ends with the unsevered flange segments.

Abstract: A railroad hand brake includes a spring clutch interposed between an operating hand wheel and a gear drive for the chain drum. The clutch includes a spring cooperating with a control drum and with an output drum connected to the gear drive. An input element is rotated by the hand wheel in a forward direction to energize the spring so that the input element, the control drum and the output drum rotate as a unit to take up the brake load. A ratchet and pawl prevent reverse movement of the control drum in order to maintain the brake load applied when the hand wheel is released. When the hand wheel is rotated in the reverse direction, the input element tends to deenergize the spring, and the brake load is gradually released with a clutch action characterized by small input force and little wear. A quick release element operable with a small manual force abruptly uncouples the spring from the load drum in order to free the load quickly while the input element and hand wheel are stationary.

Abstract: A locking fastener such as a threaded nut, bolt or screw includes a body portion with a flange at the workpiece engaging end defining a bearing surface. Segments of the flange are rendered rigid by brace structure associated with the body portion of the fastener. Locking teeth project from the bearing surface in resilient segments of the flange located between the rigid segments. Upon tightening of the fastener against a workpiece, substantial clamp loads are imposed by the rigid flange segments while engagement of the teeth with the workpiece causes axial deflection of the resilient segments so that loss of clamp load and decrease in release torque due to tooth embedment is prevented.

Abstract: A variable ratio belt drive of the type in which each pulley has an axially movable pulley half for varying the effective drive diameter and speed ratio in a continuous, stepless manner. The drive includes a primary control assembly in one pulley having a threaded interconnection between the drive shaft and one of the pulley halves for effecting a change in the drive diameter upon application of a brake band to a collar mounting the pulley half. In one preferred embodiment, two collars and two brake bands are provided while in another, only a single band and collar is used. The other pulley is provided with a secondary control assembly which automatically responds to the primary control assembly and preferably includes cam means for precluding belt slippage.

Abstract: A fastener such as a threaded nut, bolt or screw includes a body portion with a bearing surface at the workpiece engaging end defined at least in part by a flange. Segments of the bearing surface defined by the flange are flexible and resilient so that upon tightening of the fastener against a workpiece or other element, deflection of the resilient segments provides a spring action to compensate for developed looseness or loss of tension. Other segments of the bearing surface adjacent the flexible segments are rendered rigid by the body portion of the fastener and by brace structure associated with the body portion to the end that substantial spring forces are achieved.

Abstract: A strip of fasteners such as pierce nuts is formed from a metal blank with no scrap resulting from the provision of a spacing between adjacent nut bodies, and without the difficulty and expense incident to attaching nut bodies to connecting elements. The body portion of a laterally flanged blank is severed in the transverse direction to separate nut bodies from the blank without fracturing the flanges. The flanges are severed in the longitudinal direction to form severed longitudinally extending flange segments integral at both ends with unsevered flange segments. When the flanges are straightened, the stretching of the severed flange segments resulting from shearing provides a spacing between adjacent nut bodies in the strip. The strip includes spaced apart nut bodies interconnected by continuous lateral flanges. The flanges include unsevered lateral flange segments integral with both sides of each nut body, and severed flange segments integral at both ends with the unsevered flange segments.

Abstract: A tool for applying fasteners to a workpiece includes a housing and a punch reciprocally mounted in the housing. The punch includes an elongated slot through which a feed plate that is slideably mounted within the housing passes. A cam stop member is rotatably and slideably mounted in the housing and biased to engage the punch. The punch includes a first surface to rotate the cam such that a punch engaging edge is positioned against the punch. A second surface is defined on the punch at a predetermined distance spaced from the first surface and is engaged by the edge of the cam at an incomplete stroke of the punch. A third surface on the punch is spaced a predetermined distance from the second surface. The third surface rotates the punch engaging surface of the cam away from the punch at the completion of a full stroke allowing return of the punch to its normal position.

Abstract: A tiedown winch for securing a load such as an automobile to a transporting vehicle such as a railroad car includes a housing slidable in a channel track carried by the transporting vehicle. A chain for securing the load is wound on a drum journalled in top and bottom walls of the housing for rotation around a vertical axis. Both end walls of the housing are provided with openings so that the chain can extend from the housing in either direction, and the openings include contiguous segments in the bottom wall to decrease the height of the housing. The top wall or cover of the housing is hinged for access to the drum, and a single locking mechanism is provided for the cover and for securing the housing against sliding in the track. In an intermediate position, the locking mechanism permits the housing to slide freely while the cover is held closed.

Abstract: Pierce nuts are provided in finished form as similarly oriented and spaced parts of a strip, held together by metallic connectors which are sufficiently flexible to permit coiling the strip for purposes of feeding the pierce nuts in an uninterrupted and predictable sequence severing and applying the end nut of the strip to a panel. In a preferred form flanged pierce nuts are completely formed from a rigid metal bar having laterally extending flanges of reduced thickness on opposite sides of the bar, the nuts being separated by slots extending across the strip into the flanges to reduce the cross-section of the connecting material and thus impart flexibility to it. The strip is sufficiently rigid in a longitudinal direction to permit pushing the strip into the severing and applying tool.