US 11,873,625 B2
Spring steel sleeve design
Corey Michael Wells, Peoria, IL (US); Jason Grant Jura, Peoria, IL (US); Eric T. Sinn, Tremont, IL (US); and Douglas C. Serrurier, Morton, IL (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/342,679.
Application 17/342,679 is a division of application No. 16/392,959, filed on Apr. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,124,951.
Prior Publication US 2021/0293003 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. E02F 9/28 (2006.01); F16B 21/18 (2006.01); F16F 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC E02F 9/2841 (2013.01) [F16B 21/18 (2013.01); F16F 1/025 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A spring and spring loaded retainer combination comprising:
a spring including
a folded body including
a flat base defining a front face, a rear face, a first side edge, a second side edge, a top edge, a bottom edge, and a flat base thickness measured from the front face to the rear face;
a first spring arm extending from the first side edge of the flat base, the first spring arm including a first arcuate portion extending rearwardly from the flat base, a first straight portion extending from the first arcuate portion and disposed proximate to the rear face, the first straight portion defining a first external obtuse angle with the rear face, and a first straight portion length; and
a flange portion extending from the bottom edge of the flat base; and
a spring loaded retainer including
a lug receiving portion defining a first maximum outside dimension, the lug receiving portion also defining a lug receiving slot that extends partially through the lug receiving portion, forming a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a catch surface connecting the first sidewall to the second sidewall, a bottom surface;
a drive portion defining a second maximum outside dimension; and
a first flat disposed on the outside of the lug receiving portion that is configured to contact the flat base of the spring, and the flange portion of the spring is configured to contact the bottom surface of the lug receiving portion of the spring loaded retainer.