Shackle assembly with locking pin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9038360-B1
Application number	US-201514593175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 9, 2015
Priority date	Jan 30, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2015
Grant date	May 26, 2015

Abstract

A combination includes a shackle with a pin and a locking ring. The shackle body has a closed geometry defining a primary opening therethrough and includes a first side member with a first aperture, a second side member spaced apart from the first side member and having a second aperture. The second aperture is positioned opposite from and aligned with the first aperture. End portions extend between and connect the first side member and the second side member. A pin has a body portion extending between a head portion and a tip portion. The pin defines an annular slot extending at least partially around the pin. An expandable retaining ring is configured to be installed on the pin and occupy the annular slot, where the retaining ring prevents removal of the pin from the shackle body when the pin is installed in the shackle body.

First claim

We claim:

1. A combination of a shackle with a pin and a locking ring comprising:
a shackle body with a closed geometry defining a primary opening therethrough and comprising:
a first side member with a first side aperture extending transversely therethrough;
a second side member spaced apart from the first side member and having a second side aperture extending transversely at least partially through the second side member, the second side aperture positioned opposite the first side aperture and axially aligned with the first side aperture; and
end portions extending between and connecting the first side member and the second side member;

a pin having a body portion longitudinally extending between a head portion and a tip portion, the tip portion sized to be received in the second side aperture and the head portion sized to be received in the first side aperture, wherein the pin defines an annular slot extending at least partially around the pin; and
an expandable retaining ring configured to be installed on the pin and occupy the annular slot;
wherein the expandable retaining ring engages the pin and the shackle body to prevent removal of the pin from the shackle body when the pin is installed in the shackle body with the expandable retaining ring occupying the annular slot.

2. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the annular slot is a tip slot extending at least partially around the tip portion, wherein the tip slot defines a flange located between the tip end and the tip slot, the flange protruding radially about the longitudinal axis from the tip portion and having a flange outer diameter greater than the slot diameter and no greater than the tip diameter; and
wherein the tip slot and the flange extend through the second side aperture when the pin is installed in the shackle body.

3. The combination of claim 2 , wherein the tip portion defines a plurality of threads on the tip portion between the body portion and the tip slot, wherein the tip diameter is a major thread diameter.

4. The fastener of claim 3 , wherein the flange outer diameter is substantially equal to a minor thread diameter of the plurality of threads.

5. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the annular slot is a tip slot extending at least partially around the tip portion;
wherein the second side aperture defines a second opening recess having at least one recess wall located between an inside body surface and an outside body surface of the second side member; and
wherein the expandable retaining ring is constructed to be installed in the tip slot and positioned to engage the at least one recess wall to prevent removal of the pin from the shackle body when the pin is installed in the shackle body with the tip portion received in the second side aperture and the head portion is received in the first side aperture.

6. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the annular slot is a body slot extending at least partially around the body portion, wherein the body slot is adjacent an inside body surface of the first side member when the pin is installed in the shackle body with the tip portion received in the second side aperture and the head portion is received in the first side aperture.

7. A combination of a shackle with a pin and a locking ring comprising:
a shackle having a rigid shackle body with a closed geometry defining a primary opening therethrough, the rigid shackle body comprising:
a first side member with a first side aperture extending transversely therethrough, the first side aperture defining a first opening recess having at least one recess wall and located between an inside body surface and an outside body surface of the first side member;
a second side member spaced apart from the first side member and having a second side aperture extending transversely at least partially through the second side member, the second side aperture positioned opposite the first side aperture and axially aligned with the first side aperture; and
end portions extending between and connecting the first side member and the second side member;

a pin comprising pin body portion extending longitudinally between a head portion and a tip portion, the head portion defining an annular head slot with a slot diameter, wherein the pin body is sized to be received through the first side aperture with the tip portion received in the second side aperture; and
a retaining ring expandable for installation on the pin and sized to be received in the annular head slot;
wherein when the pin is installed in the rigid shackle body with the tip portion received in the second side aperture and the head received in the first side aperture, and the retaining ring is installed on the pin in the annular head slot, the retaining ring is positioned to engage the recess wall to prevent removal of the pin.

8. The combination of claim 7 , wherein the first side aperture further defines a sloped entrance face between the outside body surface and the first opening recess.

9. The fastener of claim 8 , wherein the pin body portion defines two or more slots distributed axially along the body portion.

10. The combination of claim 7 , wherein the second side aperture and the tip portion are threaded.

11. The combination of claim 7 , wherein the first opening recess is an annular groove in an inside surface of the first side aperture.

12. A locking fastener comprising:
a pin body portion extending longitudinally between a head portion and a tip portion, the tip portion having a tip end and a tip diameter wherein the fastener defines at least one of (i) a body slot in the pin body portion and having a slot diameter less than a pin body diameter, where the annular body slot is spaced from the head portion, (ii) a tip slot adjacent in the tip portion and defining a flange adjacent the tip end wherein the flange has a flange outer diameter greater than a tip slot diameter and no greater than the tip diameter, and (iii) a head slot in the head portion.

13. The locking fastener of claim 12 further comprising:
an expandable locking ring having an inner diameter sized for installation on one of the annular body slot, the tip slot, or the head slot, wherein when installed on the tip slot, the body slot, or the head slot, the expandable locking ring extends radially beyond the pin body diameter.

14. The fastener of claim 12 , wherein the fastener defines an tip slot and wherein the tip portion further defines a plurality of threads between the tip slot and the pin body portion, wherein the tip diameter is a minor thread diameter.

15. The fastener of claim 14 , wherein the flange outer diameter is substantially equal to a minor thread diameter of the plurality of threads.

16. The fastener of claim 12 wherein the body slot, the tip slot, and/or the head slot is selected from the group consisting of an annular groove, two or more recesses arranged circumferentially; and two or more flats arranged circumferentially.

17. The fastener of claim 12 , wherein the fastener further defines an additional body slot in the pin body portion having an additional body slot diameter smaller than the pin body diameter, the additional body slot positioned adjacent the tip portion.

Assignees

• Ty Flot Inc

Inventors

• Moreau Darrell A
• Moreau Andre W

Classifications

• F16G15/06 Primary

  Shackles designed for attachment by joint pins to chain elements, e.g. D-shackles {so called harp links; the D-chain links are classified according to the corresponding kind of chain} · CPC title

• F16G15/04

  Quickly-detachable chain couplings; Shackles {chain links with rapid junction means are classified according to the corresponding kind of chain} · CPC title

• F16G15/08

  Swivels · CPC title

• Y10T403/32861

  T-pivot, e.g., wrist pin, etc. · CPC title

• F16C11/045

  with at least a pair of arms pivoting relatively to at least one other arm, all arms being mounted on one pin (crank-pins F16C11/02) · CPC title