Self-locking threaded bearing and bearing assembly and method of making

Abstract

The self-locking threaded bearing is an externally threaded tubular member having a discontinuous thread to form thread sections which are spaced-apart axially on the bearing. In the bearing assembly, the thread sections engage portions of an internal thread in a bore of a housing for the bearing and, with the internal thread being more ductile than the thread sections of the bearing, portions of the internal thread are stripped to pack into the space between the thread sections and assist in locking the bearing into the housing. In the method of making the self-locking threaded bearing assembly, a tubular bearing is provided with a discontinuous external thread and a housing is formed with a bore having an internal thread of the same pitch as the external thread of the bearing and of material more ductile than that of the external thread. The bearing is threadably advanced into the bore of the housing and while being prevented from further advance the bearing is rotated through at least one additional revolution to distort and partially strip the internal thread to prevent retractive rotation of the bearing and with stripped thread material packed into the space between the thread sections of the bearing to assist in locking the bearing against axial movement in the bore. Subsequently, a force exerted on the bearing in a direction acting to move the bearing outwardly of the bore sets the trailing ends of the thread sections of the external thread into embedded relation with the internal thread to lock the bearing against radial movement.