Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Having structure to restrict rotation of threaded – mating... – Comprising a thread lock
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-01
2001-06-12
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Having structure to restrict rotation of threaded, mating...
Comprising a thread lock
C411S237000, C411S270000, C411S354000, C411S935000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a locking washer for preventing construction elements fastened by a fastener from being loosened, and a locking apparatus using such a washer.
2. Related Art
A construction generally includes construction elements thereof fastened to one another by fasteners. For instance, a wooden building includes a pillar fixed to a beam by means of a fastener such as a strap bolt. In fastening a pillar to a beam with use of a strap bolt, a base plate of the strap bolt is fixed to the beam, and a bolt portion of the strap bolt is inserted through a through hole formed in the pillar. Then, a nut attached to the bolt portion of the strap bolt is tightened to thereby fix the pillar to the beam.
Although a wooden building is preferably constructed by use of fully dried wood, construction costs impractically increases in this case. On the other hand, in a wooden building constructed by use of insufficiently dried wood, such wood will be thinned with elapse of time. If, for instance, a pillar becomes thinned, the fastening of the pillar and the beam by a bolt
ut fastener is loosened. As a consequence, a problem is posed that the loosened pillar may vibrate when it receives external vibration caused by earthquake, vehicle traffic or the like.
The same is applied to other constructions, such as bridge, railroad rail, vehicular load-carrying platform, comprised of rigid construction elements fastened by fasteners. That is, if these constructions are frequently subject to vibration for a long time, the fastening of construction elements becomes loosened, so that the constructions are liable to vibrate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a locking washer for preventing the fastening of construction elements by a fastener from being loosened and a locking apparatus comprised of such a washer.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a locking washer is provided which comprises an outer plate and an inner ring. The outer plate has a first end face thereof disposed in contact with a first construction element of a construction and a second end face thereof disposed remote from the first construction element. The outer plate is formed with a bore extending therethrough. The inner ring is received in the bore of the outer plate. The inner ring has a first end face thereof disposed close to the first construction element and a second end face thereof disposed remote from the first construction element. The inner ring is formed with an axial bore which extends therethrough in a height direction of the inner ring. The axial bore permits a shaft member to extend therethrough. The shaft member extends from the first construction member toward the washer. The bore of the outer plate and an outer shape of the inner ring are formed such that a force directed radially inwardly of the inner ring is applied from the outer plate to the inner ring when the outer plate is displaced along the shaft member in the direction away from the first construction element. The inner ring is so configured that the diameter of the axial bore decreases up to an outer diameter of the shaft member when it receives the force acting radially inwardly of the inner ring under a condition that the inner ring is fitted in the bore.
When a strong external force is applied to a construction which includes the first construction element to which the locking washer of this invention is attached, the first construction element may be displaced toward the washer. At this time, the outer plate of the washer is pressed by the first construction element to be displaced along the shaft member. A force directing radially inwardly of the inner ring is applied from the outer plate to the inner ring. In response to the application of this force, the diameter of the inner ring decreases. Hence, the inner ring tightens the shaft member, so that the inner ring and the shaft member are fixed so as to be immovable from each other. As a result, a further displacement of the outer plate and the first construction element is prevented. That is, the first construction element is adequately prevented from being displaced. Moreover, the locking washer is simple in construction and is hence low-priced.
Typically, the locking washer of this invention is used together with a fastener for fastening a first and second construction elements of a construction. The locking washer may be arranged to be directly associated with the fastener, or may be arranged independently of the fastener. In either case, the locking washer prevents the displacement of the first construction element toward the washer which would otherwise be caused when an external force is applied to the construction, whereby the fastening of the first and second construction elements by means of the fastener can be prevented from being loosened. Thus, the first and second construction elements can be prevented from being vibrated when vibration input is applied to the construction.
Preferably, the outer plate is formed with a tapered bore, as the aforementioned bore, extending therethrough and having a diameter which decreases from the second end face of the outer plate toward the first end face of the outer plate. The inner ring is formed into a tapered outer shape which is complementary to the tapered bore of the outer plate.
With this preferred arrangement, when the first construction element is displaced toward the washer so that the outer plate is displaced along the shaft member in the direction away from the first construction element, a force exerting in the height direction of the inner ring is applied to the inner ring. Since the inner ring having a tapered outer shape is disposed in the tapered bore of the outer plate, a component of the force, directing radially inwardly of the inner ring is applied from the outer plate to the inner ring. In response to the application of this force component, the diameter of the inner ring decreases and hence the inner ring tightens the shaft member, so that a further displacement of the outer plate and the first construction element is prevented.
Preferably, a locking washer of this invention is used together with a fastener which includes a first fastening element having a shaft portion which constitutes the shaft member extending through the axial bore of the inner ring.
With this preferred arrangement, the locking washer is directly associated with the fastener, to thereby securely prevent occurrences of looseness in the fastening of a construction by the fastener.
More preferably, the first fastening element of the fastener is coupled to a second construction element of the construction, and the shaft portion of the first fastening element extends through the first construction element. The fastener includes a second fastening element which is coupled to the first fastening element on a side remote from the first construction element with respect to the washer in the height direction of the washer, and the second fastening element cooperates with the first fastening element to fasten the first construction element to the second construction element.
In the case of using the locking washer of the just-mentioned preferred embodiment, the shaft portion of the first fastening element is inserted into the bore of the outer plate, and the outer plate is disposed so that its first end face is brought in contact with the first construction element. Next, the inner ring is fitted into the bore of the outer plate, while the shaft portion of the first fastening element is inserted into the axial bore of the inner ring. Further, the second fastening element of the fastener is coupled to the first fastening element. The inner ring is kept fitted in the outer plate by means of, e.g., the second fastening element.
After the washer is attached to the shaft portion of the first fastening element, if the outer plate is pressed by the first construction element which is displaced by the application of an external force to the construction so that
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
T. Kato Co., Ltd.
Wilson Neill
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