Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02289334 1999-11-12
Title: A nut retainer
Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to nut retainers, and specifically to such
nut
retainers which do not utilise washers or retainer rings.
Background of the Invention:
Even though nuts on commercial vehicle wheels are screwed onto their threaded
members with a great amount of torque, they may loosen during driving. A
l0 slightest loosening of a nut causes vibration in a wheel, which may
eventually
lead to the wheel falling off the vehicle causing injuries and even death of
passengers on board.
To improve safety, a number of nut retainers have been invented and are
currently used on commercial vehicle wheels. These nut retainers comprise
I S retainer rings or washers or, alternatively, clips attaching to retainer
rings or
washers. These nut retainers are effective but they cannot be used on all
wheels because some of the commercial vehicle wheels do not contain washers
due to safety regulations. An example is tractor trailer wheels (such as
Dayton
wheels). As a result, a number of deaths are reported every year due to wheels
20 coming off tractor trailers during driving.
CA 02289334 1999-11-12
The above described problem is solved by the present invention, which
comprises a cup-like member fitting over a nut on a threaded member and
clipped to any part stationary with respect to the threaded member. A prior
art
most closely related to the present invention is described in the US Patent
No.
5,163,797. It describes a cup-like member with two integral clips designed to
fit
over a nut. While structurally similar, this cup-like member serves a limited
purpose of decorating and protecting a lug nut and an exposed stud or lug bolt
from harsh weather conditions. The two clips are designed to clip to a washer
and serve a purpose of securing the cup-like member on the nut, not the nut on
the threaded member. Thus, this previously described device does not prevent
a nut from unscrewing off its threaded member.
Objects of the Invention:
An object of the present invention is to provide a device which overcomes the
disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a related object of the present invention to provide a nut retainer
which does
not utilise washers or retainer rings.
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CA 02289334 1999-11-12
One general object of this invention is to assure the safety of passengers on
board of commercial vehicle wheels as well as passengers of nearby vehicles
and general public.
Another general object of this invention is to prevent loosening of nuts on
commercial vehicle wheels.
Brief summary of the Invention:
Accordingly, the invention provides a nut retainer for preventing a nut from
backing off a threaded member comprising a cup-like member sized to closely
fit
around the sides of a nut screwed onto a threaded member and having an open
first end, a closed second end, a side wall extending between the first end
and
the second end, and at least one clip for removably attaching the cup-like
member to a part stationary with respect to the threaded member.
In one embodiment, the cup-like member of the nut retainer is hexagonal
around its circumference.
In another embodiment, the closed second end of the cup-like member is
flat and perpendicular to the side wall.
In a different embodiment, the closed second end of the cup-like member
is dome-shaped.
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CA 02289334 1999-11-12
In another embodiment, at least one clip of the nut retainer is integral to
the nut retainer.
In a further embodiment, at least one clip of the nut retainer is spring
loaded.
In another embodiment, at least one clip of the nut retainer is affixed to
the cup-like member at the closed second end.
In a further embodiment, the clip of the nut retainer comprises a strap
having a middle point and two ends, wherein the middle point is affixed to the
closed second end of the cup-like member and the two ends are bent inwardly
for removably attaching to a part stationary with respect to the threaded
member.
In yet another embodiment, the clip of the nut retainer comprises a strap
having a middle point and two ends, wherein the middle point is affixed to the
closed second end of the cup-like member and the two ends are bent outwardly
for attaching to a part stationary with respect to the threaded member.
In another embodiment, the clip includes at least one handle for easy grip
on the clip during locking or unlocking.
In a further embodiment, the part stationary with respect to the threaded
member to which the clip of the nut retainer attaches is a rim clamp.
In a further embodiment, the part stationary with respect to the threaded
member to which the clip of the nut retainer attaches is a wheel hub.
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CA 02289334 1999-11-12
A different aspect of this invention provides a method of preventing a nut
from backing off a threaded member comprising the steps of screwing the nut
onto the threaded member, placing a cup-like member of a nut retainer over the
nut, and clipping the nut retainer to a part stationary with respect to the
threaded
member using at least one clip of the nut retainer.
Other advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled
in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments,
when read in light of the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the nut retainer.
FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the nut
retainer of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the first preferred embodiment of the nut retainer.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the first preferred embodiment of the nut retainer.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the second preferred embodiment of the nut retainer.
FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of the third preferred embodiment of the nut
retainer.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the first preferred embodiment of the nut retainer
clipped
to a rim clamp on a hub of a spoke wheel of a commercial vehicle.
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CA 02289334 1999-11-12
FIG. 8 is a top view of the first and the third preferred embodiments of the
nut
retainer clipped to a hub of a stud pilot wheel of a commercial vehicle
through
two side apertures.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
As shown in FIGs. 1, 2, and 3, the first preferred embodiment 1 of the nut
retainer comprises a cup-like member 3 sized to closely fit around the sides
of
nut 5 screwed onto a threaded member 7 and having an open first end 9, a
closed second end 11, a side wall 13 extending between the first end 9 and the
second end 11, and two integral clips 15 and 17 for removably attaching the
cup-like member 3 to a part stationary with respect to the threaded member 7.
The clip 15 has an integral end 19 and a free end 21. The clip 17 has an
integral end 23 and a free end 25. The free ends 21 and 25 of the clips 15 and
17 are spring-loaded and are bent inwards for attachment to a part stationary
with respect to the threaded member 7.
In a spoke wheel, such as Dayton wheel (has five spokes), the threaded
member 7 attaches a spoke 27 to a rim clamp 29. The spoke 27 has a threaded
circular aperture 31, fitted to accept the threaded member 7. The rim clamp 29
has two flat parts 33 and 35 integral to each other and positioned at a 90
degrees angle. The flat part 33 has a circular aperture 37, which is large
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CA 02289334 1999-11-12
enough to loosely fit the threaded member 7. Thus, the threaded member 7 is
screwed into the circular aperture 31 of the spoke 27. The rim clamp 29 is put
on the threaded member 7 through the circular aperture 37 of the flat part 33
of
the rim clamp 29. The rim clamp 29 is then secured in its position by the nut
5
being screwed on the threaded member 7.
In order to prevent unscrewing of the nut 5 off the threaded member 7, the
first embodiment of the nut retainer of the present invention is used. The
cup-like member 3 is positioned over the nut 5 and the spring-loaded clips 15
and 17 are pulled apart and then released so that to fit around the rims of
the flat
part 33 of the rim clamp 29.
FIG. 4 shows the top view of the first preferred embodiment of the nut
retainer illustrating the hexagonal shape of the cup-like member 3. The size
of
the cup-like member 3 is slightly larger than the size of the nut 5. Thus, the
cup-like member 3 closely fits over the nut 5, restricting the nut 5 from
rotating
inside the cup-like member 3.
FIG. 5 shows the second preferred embodiment of the nut retainer.
While used essentially in the same way as the first preferred embodiment, the
second preferred embodiment has two additional features: (i) the closed end of
the cup-like member is flat, which is convenient for putting various
engravings or
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CA 02289334 1999-11-12
labels for decoration and (ii) the spring-loaded clips contain integral
handles 16
and 18, which ease the grip on the clips when pulling them apart.
As shown in FIG 6, the third preferred embodiment 40 of the nut retainer
comprises a cup-like member 42 sized to closely fit around the sides of a nut
44
screwed onto the threaded member 46 and having an open first end 48, a closed
second end 50, a side wall 52 extending between the first end 48 and the
second end 50, and two integral clips 54 and 56 for removably attaching the
cup-like member 42 to a part stationary with respect to the threaded member
46.
The clip 54 has an integral end 58 and a free end 60. The clip 56 has an
integral end 62 and a free end 64. The free ends 60 and 64 of the clips 54 and
56 are spring-loaded and are bent outwards for fitting into two side apertures
70
and 72 of a wheel hub 68.
In a stud pilot wheel, the threaded member 46 is inserted in a circular
aperture 66 of a wheel hub 68 and is affixed by the nut 44. In order to
prevent
the nut 44 from unscrewing of the threaded member 7, the second embodiment
40 of the nut retainer of the present invention is used. The cup-like member
42
is positioned over the nut 44 and the spring-loaded clips 54 and 56 are
pressed
together, inserted into the side apertures 70 and 72 of the wheel hub 68, and
subsequently released. The spring-loaded outwardly bent free ends of the clips
54 and 56 then move apart and clip to the hub 68.
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FIG. 7 shows a top view of the first preferred embodiment 1 of the nut
retainer clipped to a rim clamp 29 on a hub 30 of a spoke wheel of a
commercial
vehicle.
FIG. 8 shows a top view of the first preferred embodiment 1 and the third
preferred embodiment 40 of the nut retainer clipped to a hub 74 of a stud
pilot
wheel of a commercial vehicle through two side apertures 70 and 72.
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