TECHNICAL FIELD.

This invention relates to a fixing member as defi¬ ned in the preamble of claim 1 ,

BACKGROUND ART.

Such fixing members are known for example from. Bri¬ tish patent specification No. 670.392 dealing with V-belt pulleys made from plate material and provided with a middle part formed as a fixing member of the type concerned. From said patent specifica ion also a similar fixing member is known adapted as a such to cooperate with a V-belt pulley- part shaped like such a fixing member.

Such fixing members have the great advantage that in a simple manner they can be stamped from sheet metal and, therefore, being cheap in manufacture. Further more, such a fixing member may easily be clamped on a shaft since the

_ » clamping means may be bolts which through holes in the fixing member are screwed into the counter member that for example nay be a corresponding fixing member provided with threaded holes, or which through holes in the counter mem¬ ber extend into a fixing member arranged on the other side thereof. Further it has prooved that provided a very fine tolerance between the centre opening of the fixing member and the shaft owing to the contraction the centre opening

due to the flattening of the fixing member obtained by the compression thereof the centre opening may be narrowed in such a degree that the fixing member with its inner edge face squeezes tight about the shaft. This attachment may be procured easy and handy and results under said circum¬ stances in such a firm clamping that quite great torques can be transmitted through the connection provided between the fixing member and the shaft. Thus, it is even possible to use pulleys formed with such fixing members as driver pulleys for even great eccentric presses which during each stroke work with torques varying within wide limits and, therefore, demanding a very effective clamping effect.

For such a connection between a fixing member and a shaftlike element being able to ensure transmission of sufficient great torques it is necessary, however, to ur.e such fine tolerances that in practice it can not be com¬ plied with by mass production of ^* shafts and fixing members, and, consequently, in practice it has prooved that gene¬ rally said known fixing members , independent of used mere¬ ly as fixing members or as parts of a greater elements, can be used only in such cases where compared with the diameter of the shaft only relatively small torques have to be transmitted. Therefore, today such fixing members are only of scanty use, if used at all.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION.

The object of this invention is to provide a fixing member of the type dealt with, that after having been clamped on a shaft or another shaftlike element without particular fine tolerances being necessary is able to or from this element to transfer much greater torques than it is possible by the above said known fixing members, even such working with very fine tolerances, and by which this may be obtained without loss of the por.r.ibi li ty of manu¬ facturing the fixing members by stamping, or in other cheap manners, and simultaneously with an essential increase in the fields of application of the fixing member.

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DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION.

According to the invention this is achieved by the means appearing from the characterizing clause of claim 1. Among others it is hereby obtained that in conse- quence of the greater flexibility of the inner portions of the fixing member, owing to the folds, will the flattening of the main portion obtained by a compression thereof in direction of the plane of the abutting surface result in an essential contraction of the centre opening and, there- by, in a pressure between the disc inner edge face and the shaftlike element essentially greater than by the above said known fixing members. Besides, the surface of fric- -tion between the disc inner edge and the shaftlike element is essentially increased, often more than doubled, owing to the zigzag or wave shape of the inner edge, and, there¬ fore, a further essential increase of the forces of fric- tion between the,fixing member and the shaftlike element is obtained. This advantage can be further improved. in as much as the features of the invention also makes it possible to use thicker material than for the said known fixing members. Finally the side edges of the inner edge face of the disc are inclined relative to the direction in which a torque tries to rotate the fixing member on the shaft. Together all these advances result therein that even if much coarser tolerances are applied, than possible by the known fixing members, for example even by a toleran¬ ce of abt . .1 mm will a fixing member according to the invention be able between itself and the shaftlike element to transfer torques considerably greater than possible by - the above said known fixing members, and that without much greater manufac uring costs. Furthermore an extension of the fields of applications is obtained. Thus, whereas the known fixing members were applicable only in connection with circular cylindric shafts may a fixing member accor- ding to the present invention be adapted to shafts of every shape, for example oval and polygonal shafts, on which very often it is desired to obtain firm attachment

of an element by means of fixing members.

Suitably the fixing member may further be formed as stated in claim 2, since it has shown up that hereby especially high radially inwards directed clamping for- ces may be obtained.

In case, as per se known from the prior art, the fixing member is shaped as stated in the preamble of claim 3, further the shape of the fixing member may be as stated in the characterizing clause of claim 3, whereby it has shown up to be possible even by use of thick sheet metal to ensure a considerable radial contraction of the centre opening and, thereby, the greatest possible contact pres¬ sure between the fixing member and the shaftlike element. In this case it is most advantageous if besides the shape is as stated in claim k . whereby the weakening of t.he main portion due to the openings will be as small as possible.

In case the fixing member is shaped as stated in the preamble of claim 5 advantageously it may further be shaped as stated in the characterizing clause of claim 5 whereby, a flattening of the main portion does not alone result in a contraction of the centre opening but simul¬ taneously in a tendency of radial expansion of the disc outer edge, that in this case is also zigzag or wave sha¬ ped. Therefore, in case the fixing member has its outer edge arranged within a correspondingly dimensioned recess or hollowness, for example in a rim of a driving member to be attached to a- shaf , the fixing member is able not alone with great force to be attached to the shaft but also with great force to be clamped to the circu fe- rential wall of the recess or the hollowness, and conse¬ quently is the fixing member preferably together with a corresponding fixing member arranged at the opposite side of the driving member, able to ensure a firm attachment of the driving member to the shaft without the clamping means, most often bolts, necessarily have to nerve also as drivers .

A special and large field of application of the fixing member according to the present invention may be obtained, if further the same is shaped as stated in claim 6 since in this case the fixing member may serve as a self-locking nut. If such a fixing member or nut is scre¬ wed on a thread until contact with another element, and after a certain contact pressure having been reached, the nut is further rotated, the innermost part of the main por¬ tion will be pressed in direction of that other element and owing to the contraction of the centre opening caused the¬ reby the thread of the centre opening will axially as well ad radially be forced on the thread, and the deformations thereof thereby produced ensure a reliable retaining of the fixing member or nut even in case of vibrations. Al- though not absolutely necessary advantaf _. ooii.-l_ _' in th a case the shape may further be as stated in claim 7.

Further the shape may be as stated in claim 8 whe¬ reby it is possible by lining up two or more fixing members to obtain a very large clamping surface between the joint fixing members and a shaftlike element, without it being necessary to manufacture the fixing members from an all too thick sheet material and without it being necessary to use all too great forces for compressing the fixing member assembly. Besides the shape may be as stated in claim 9 whe- reby it grew possible further to increase the tendency of the centre opening to contract and, thereby, to increase the clamping forces.

Finally, the shape may be as stated in claim 10 whereby also a perceptible expansion of the outer edge of the fixing member can be obtained to ensure the attach¬ ment thereof within a recess or hollowness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one erabodi-- ment of the fixing member of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of two fixing members as the one shown in Fig. 1 , arranged on either side of an

element adapted to be attached to a shaft,

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of another embodiment of a fixing member of this invention,

Fig. h is an axial sectional view of the member shown in Fig. 3 used for clamping to a shaft of a driving member having a middle portion that itself constitutes a fixing member as the one shown in Fig. 3,

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are a front elevational view, a side elevational view, and a cross sectional view respec- tively of a third embodiment of a fixing member of this invention ,

Figs.8 and 9 are a front elevational view and a sectional view respectively of an embodiment of a fixing member of this inventio-a shaped as a self locking nut, Figs, 10 to 12 are a front elevational view, a side elevational view, and a sectional view respectively of an¬ other embodiment of the fixing member of this invention,

Figs. 13 and . k are a front elevational view and a sectional view respectively of an embodiment of two as a unit cooperating fixing members of this invention,

Figs. 15 and 16 are corresponding views of another embodiment of two as a unit cooperating fixing members of this invention,

Figs. 17 and 18 are front elevational views of two further embodiments of the fixing member of this invention,

Figs. 19 and 20 are a front elevational view and a sectional .view respectively of a fixing member of this invention adapted to serve as a washer, and

Fig. 21 is a sectional view of the fixing member shown in Figs. 19 and 20 arranged on a bolt.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS.

The fixing member shown in Fig. 1 is supposed stam¬ ped from sheet metal but it may also be made by moulding or by being squeezed from a suitably formed blank. The fixing member comprises a main portion 10 shaped as a re¬ latively flat truncated cone and inwardly passing into an

approximately plane middle portion 12 provided with a cen¬ tre opening 1 k having a diameter that with slide fits cor¬ responds to the diameter of a shaft on which the fixing member 10 is to be clamped. The middle portion 12 is pro- vided with a number, here eight, of with equal angle di¬ stances arranged folds 18 radiating from the inner edge 16 of the fixing _' .ember and radially extending over the middl portion 12 and over a part of the main portion 10. In the embodiment shown each fold 18 is stamped forwards and is, as shown in Fig. 2, in cross sections substantially V-sha¬ ped' with decreasing depth in radial outwards direction and in the same direction converging side edges 20. The inner edge face 16 of the middle portion 12 runs, owing to the folds 18, approximate.:./ in zig-zag, as shown in Fig. 2, an over its whole axial extern} it is a part of the same cy¬ linder surface.

In the embodiment shown each two r.f the eight fold 18 meet at the centre opening , k but their number may be

^■ another and/or their width at the centre ..pening 1 minor so that here each two neighbouring folds must be intercon¬ nected by an edge face portion orming a pa_-t of a ring. The folds 18 may even have more roun td cross sections re¬ sulting in an approximately waveshaped edge face.

The middle portion 12 is provided between each two folds 18 and near its transition 22 to the main portion 10

■ with a bolt hole 2 k or 26 of which every second 2k is c plane hole whereas the others 26 are threaded.

At its rear side is the main portion 10 along its circum erence provided with an radially extending abutting surface .0, Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2 is shown how two fi; in,? members 28 and 30, both corresponding to the one shown n Fig. 1 but ro¬ tated elative to each other, can be used for attaching a pulley 32, of which only the innermost part is shown, to a shaft (not shown). The inner part of the pulley 32 is at each side provided with a recess 3^ leaving between them a .disc shaped middle part 36 provided with -a Centre opening

38 having a diameter corresponding, preferably with slide fits, to the shaft diameter although it may be larger. The two fixing members 28 and 30 are placed in one each of the two recesses 3^ with their abutting surfaces kθ con- tacting the middle part 36. Owing to the above said mu¬ tual angular displacement of the two fixing members 28 and 30 is each plane hole 2 k in the in Fig. 2 uppermost fixing member 28 on line with a threaded hole 26 in the lowermost fixing member 30, and the pulley middle part 36 is also provided with plane holes k2 on line with the holes 26. Therefore, an Allen screw k k or a corresponding bolt in¬ serted in each one of the plane holes 2 k of the fixing mem¬ ber 28 and extending through the corresponding hole k2 in the pulley part 36 can be screwed into the corresponding threaded hole 26 in the lowermost fixing member 30_, Fif.. 2.

Provided the bolts k k are only screwed just as long into the threaded holes 26 that the members 28, 30 and -32 are kept .together, may the pulley 32 together with the fixing members 28 and 30 be pushed onto a corresponding shaft. When the pulley 32 takes up its proper position on the shaft, are the bolts k k tightened whereby the mid¬ dle portions 12 of the two fixing members 28 and 30 are urged towards eachother, the pressure being affected near the inner border 22 of each main portion 10. Hereby the main portion 10 of each fixing member 28 and 30 attempt to flatten and thereby to causes a radial contraction of the transition 22 and also of the middle portion 12, whe¬ reby the diameter of the centre opening l is in some de- gree diminished. This causes the fixing members 28 and 30 to ^' squeeze the shaft and thereby, being fixed thereto. Said contraction of the middle portion 12 is facilitated owing to the folds 18 which are also in some degree com¬ pressed in their transverse direction, and, therefore, by the tightening of the bolts k k is obtained not alone an essential desired contraction of the centre opening 1 k but also, that the edge faces 16 thereof will exert a

very high pressure against the sha t. Since further the contact face between the inner edge face 16 of the disc and the shaft is large owing to the zigzag shape of the edge face lβ, even a slight tightening of the bolts k k results therein that between the fixing members 28 and 30 and the¬ reby the pulley 32 and the shaft rather high torques can be transmitted and the higher the stronger the bolts k k are tightened. Even the fact that owing to its zigzag shape the disc inner edge face 16 shows edges extending obliquely to radial planes through the shaft contribute to prevention of slide between the latter and the inner ed¬ ge face 16 and thereby to an increase of the torque that can be transmitted.

In Fig, 3 a fixing member k β is shown differing from the one shown in Fig. 1 by the folds 18 extending over the middle portion 12 only whereas the main portion 10 opposite to each fold 18 is provided with an opening k & . These openings k Q makes the flattening of the main portion 10 still easier than the- extensions shown in Fig, 1 of the folds 18 over a part of the main portion 10, The embodi¬ ment shown in Fig, 3 is of importance mainly in connection with fixing members for minor sha t diameters ,

In Fig, k is shown how a fixing member .6 as the one shown in Fig. 3 may be utilized for securing to a shaft 50 of an element having a middle part ^ shaped as a fixing member corresponding to the fixing member 6 , that engages a recess 56 formed in the element 2 opposite to the middle part 5 k . The latter and the fixing member β are urged towards eachother by means of bolts 58 extend- ing through plane holes 2 k in the fixing member .6 between its folds 18 and screwed into corresponding threaded holes in the middle part 5.. Although the fixing member k 6 shown is provided with eight holes 2 k only four threatened holes in the middle part 5 k of the element 52 are necessa- ry.

Figs. to 7 show a fixing member 6θ comprising a main portion 10 extending between the outer circum erence

and the centre opening 1 k of the member. The folds 18 ex¬ tend over the whole width of the main portion 10 and have over their whole length the same cross sectional shape. The main portion 10 is provided near the centre opening 1 k and between the folds 18 with thickenings 62 providing forwards extending contact faces for heads of and/or nuts for bolts or screws to be inserted in plane and/or threade- ned holes 2 k and serving as clamping means. This embodi¬ ment has the advantage that when flattened the main portion 10 will not alone imply a contraction of its centre ope¬ ning 1 k but also in the same degree an expansion of its circum erence, wherefore such a fixing member or preferably two or more together is especially fitted for fastening on a shaft of an element provided with a hub having a through centre bore of a diameter larger than the shaft diameter. Thus, for example, at each end of said hub bore two coope¬ rating fixing members 6θ may be arranged. Hereby a faste¬ ning of the element to the shaft may be obtained that is just as effective as that obtainable by for said purpose generally used compressible conical spacer bushings. It has to be observed that the thickenings 62 may be substi¬ tuted by washers provided with a conical oblique under side.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a fixing member of this inven¬ tion formed as a selflocking nut 6^. Also in this case extends the conical main portion 10 from the centre opening 1 to the circumference of the member. This circumference is polygonal, namely hexagonal as is the case by most nuts, but it cay also be circular, for example if the nut has to be operated by hand. Contrary to the embodiments described above by which the :oxα.3 are pressed forwards from the main portion 10 and have approximately V-shaped cross sections more or less rounded at the bottom, is the nut 6 k shown in Figs. 8 and 9 provided with from the main portion 10 backwards pressed folds 18 limited by slanting side walls 66 and 68 mutually interconnected by an outer wall 70, so that the cross sec¬ tions are approxima ely U-shaped although with slanting -i-- ^:

sides and a relatively sharp transition between the latter and the bottom of the U. The side walls 6 k of each folds 18 converge radially outwards and have in the same direc¬ tion decreasing width, so that all three walls 66, 68 and 70 converge into an apex at a corner of the polygon. Fur¬ ther, at the centre opening l there is distance between each two neighbouring folds 18. This shape results in the obtaining at the centre opening 1 it of a relative long fa¬ ce area well suited for being provided with a thread 72. The nut 6 k has on its rear side, shown to the left in Fig. 9 _. an axially extending outer wall ^ following the outer peripheri of the nut and thus also being hexa¬ gonal at the outside even if its inside follows a circular cylinder face. The free end face of the wall J k constitu- tes the radial abutting surface k 6 of the nut or fixing member 60.

Such a. nut 6 k can for example by means of a spanner bee screwn 'onto a threadened member , for example a threade- ned shaft or.bolt end, and will work as a normal nut until the abutting surface k6 contacts a face on the element to be fastened by means of the nut. When thereupon the nut is turned further, owing to its threadening and its mesh with an outer thread the inner edge 16 of the main portion 10 will axially be urged towards the contact face k6 where- by the main portion 10 will be somewhat flattened and the¬ reby, the diameter of its centre opening reduced. Since the main portion 10 opposes the flattening a special great axial pressure will be provided between the threads 7 of the nut and the threads of the member on which the nut is - screwed and simultaneously the thread 72 will be pressed radially inwards with a great pressure so that a great r cial pressure is provided between the threads of the two members resulting in an usually elastical deformation of the threads locking the same together. Such a nut which by mass production may be formed in the same way as normal nuts, has shown to be cheaper in manufacture and more effec¬ tive than hitherto known selflocking nuts. ^m -

1-

Also by the embodiment shown in Figs. 10 to 12 extends the main portion 10 from the centre opening ^' \.k until the outer peripherie of the member, but this embodiment may also be adapted to fixing members having a flat middle portion. The front side of the main portion 10 is provided with an even number of ribs 7 and 8 of which every second 7 has approximately rectangular cross sections ^' and is wedg shaped in its longitudinal direction so that it has its greatest height at the centre opening \ k ^' . Thus, the side walls 80 cf the ribs 76 are approximately perpendicular to the main portion 10 although they may also form an angle therewith. The further ribs 78 have approximately trapez- formed cross sections being widest at the bottom and are also approximately wedge shaped in their longitudinal direction. Their slanting side walls 82 extend downwardly below the upper side of the main portion 10, the theoretical course 10' of which are i_nown by dotted lines in Fig. 12, so that on both sides of each rib 78 there is provided an approxi¬ mately V-shaped gi oove Qk _t the wall 86 of which opposite to the wall 82 is perpendicular to the upper side of the main portico 10 and. the bottom of which is situated lower than said upper side 10* , Each rib 78 is at its lower side provided with .a V-shaped groove 88 the bottom of which is situated higher than the upper side 10' of the main por- tion 10, Thus, each rib 78 forms a fold of the type being characteristic to this invention and permits that by an axial compression of the fixing member the inner edge 16 of the main portion 10 is forcibly pressed inwards. Espe¬ cially owing to the ribs 76 results the embodiment shown in particular large contact or friction areas being ob¬ tained- betwee.i the fixing member and the shaft or the like receiving the fiting member.

In each of the two fixing members 98 shown in Figs. 13 and 1. is the abutting surface kc conform with the outer most zone 90 of the ^' n_*_in portion 10. Thus forms each abutting surface .0 a part of a truncated cone correspondin

- T3__E_Q-? OMPI

to that followed by the upper side of the main portion 10, but the abutting surface **0 as well as the outer zone 90 may be situated _f in radial planes. Further is each fixing member 98 near the edge 16 of the centre opening I k and between for example three pairs of neighbouring folds 18 at its rear side provided with projections 92 of such a length, that their free end faces 9 k contact the innermost part of the main portion 10 of a like fixing member arran¬ ged behind it, coaxially thereto and with mutually parallel folds 18, as shown in Fig. 1 . Consequently will the two fixing members 98 form a unit , and when the rear one of the two fixing members 98 has its abutting surface kO contacting an abutment face, will an axial pressure on the foremost fixing member 98 near its centre opening 1 result in an uniform compression and flattening of both two fixing members 98, The two (or more) fixing members will therefore act as a single fixing member having a con¬ tact or friction face cooperating with a matching shaft ' like element twice as big as that of the individual fixing members, "whereas the two fixing members 98 will demand an essential minor axial pressure for developing a certain flattening than a single fixing member of double thickness.

It has to be noted that, naturally, also the faces 9k and 96 can be situated in radial planes, and further -may the embodiment shown be adapted to such fixing members which besides the main portion 10 also comprises a more flat middle portion.

In Figs. 15 and 16 is shown another unit comprising two fixing members 100 which, when arranged in front of each other in a number wanted, can ensure the providing of a special large area of friction between the fixing members and a shaftlike element by use of a compression pressure that compared with the total area of friction ob¬ tained is relative little. Each fixing member 100 comprises only a main portion

10 with folds 18 but a corresponding unit may comprise

1

fixing members which each besides the main portion 10 has a more flat, preferably plane middle portion corresponding to the middle portion 12 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 15 and 16 are the folds 1.8 so shaped that the angle between their rear faces ι02 is a little minor than the angle between their front faces 1θ so that the folds 18 do not prevent a close contact between the main portions 10 and can not prevent the pressing together of the folds by flattening of the fixing members 100. Fig. 17 shows a fixing member 106 by which at its outer edge the main portion 10 is provided with notches 108 ensuring that an axial compresion of the member besides a contraction of its centre opening 1 provides an essen¬ tial expansion of its outer edge. Preferably two pairs of such fixing members 106, in each pair facing in opposite directions, are well suited for procuring a firm connec¬ tion between a shaft .and a pipe like member surrounding the shaft, when the fixing member pairs are inserted in the space between the two elements. This for example makes it possible to procure simpel belt pulleys which per se only have to consist of the pulley rim.

Fig. 18 shows how a fixing member 110 of this in¬ vention may also be formed to serve for fastening an ele¬ ment to a shaft or journal that is polygonal, in the em- bodiment shown square.

Finally, Figs. 19 to 21 show a fixing member 112 of this invention adapted to be used as a washer for a bolt head or a nut. This fixing member comprises a main por¬ tion 10, a middle portion 12 and backwards stamped folds 18. The edge 16 of the centre opening 1 k has a diameter that with slide fits correspond to the diameter of a cor¬ responding bolt 11 k , Fig. 21. The abutting surface 1+0 is relatively sharp but may also be somewhat, chamfered. The washer 112 is placed round the bolt shank 116 and by tigh- tening the bolt by means of its nut shaped head 118 the washer will be fixed between the inner side of the bolt

head the outer side of the element 120 to be fastened to another element, not shown, by means of the bolt 11.. By the fixing of the washer 112 the same is compressed where¬ by its inner diameter is diminished and thereby the washer clamped to the bolt shank 116 simultaneously with the washer 112 being pressed strongly against the outer side of the element 120 thereby in a usual manner counteracting turning of the washer. Thus, such a washer gives an essen¬ tial better securing against loosening of the bolt than hitherto known lock washers, even spring washer.

The washer 112 can also be inserted around the thre¬ atened part of a bolt between a nut and an element and will by such a use provide the further security that it is clamped to the bolt and can not turn relative thereto, As appears from what is stated above can a fixing member of this invention be embodied in many different man¬ ners, partly depending on its field of . application , and even in several more manners than those a ^' s examples appea¬ ring from the drawings and being explained above. Further, above is only described some few of the many fields, of application of a fixing member of this invention.

Especially it has to be noted that even if in most cases bolts are used as clamping means for compression of the fixing member many other clamping means may be used in practice. Thus in connection with the nut 6 k shown in Figs, 8 and 9 are the clamping means constituted by the threads of the bolt on which the nut is screwed, and in connection with the washer 112 shown in Figs. 19 to 21 by a bolt head or a nut. Also for compression of fixing members of this invention serving for clamping of driving elements to a shaft nuts may be used as clamping means, for example flanged nuts, or other elements able to exert a pressure on the middle portion 12 of the fixing member or on the inner border of the main portion 10, which clamping means may otherwise be independent of the fixing member itself.