Spiral lock ring tool

This allows a smooth, progressive installation with a normal amount of effort. It consists of a spiral groove of a specific angle, size and length. A back slanting recess with a diameter allows a good grip for manually handling the grooved head and the knurl handle. The wire lock ring has a means to safely install the ring in front of the head. It also retains the ring, which allows an easy bore transfer into the groove, with a simple sleeve cylinder around the inserting head.

Because of its simplicity, and the fact that it has no intricate mechanism, such as a spring pivot, with its simple form, requires little dexterity and is a valuable, economical compact tool, with a double use for either spiral or wire lock rings. Drawing 1 shows the basic concept of the tool function for the spiral lock ring insert.

Drawing 2 shows the basic insertion tool. Drawing 3 shows the spiral lock installation, from the top to the bottom. Drawing 4 shows the tool end, which is used to install the wire lock ring. These rings are made of heat-treated spring carbon, steel or 17 - 7 stainless steel as standard items. They can also be customized by using other exotic materials. These rings are made of flat springs, having a rectangular section, which is wound flat. The external half loop offers greater flexibility and compressibility than the center ones and is a major factor in helping a distortion, necessary to enter the bore.

Such a component has an entity consisting of a rigid, cylindrical loop, compared to the simple thickness of a retaining ring. The loop structure makes it very difficult to change the shape of the loop, as the need arises, to try to reduce the diameter, allowing insertion on a grooved bore.

High production shows a method of passing the helical rings through a cone, aligning them with the bore, and using very high pressure from a piston tool, thus distorting the shape and forcing it into the bore, which is aluminum.

Such methods leave a lot to be desired, because the potential of permanently stress damaging the spiral lock ring. It leaves bore scratches and loose scrap residue, which are dangerous to the engine.

The spire 4 is a full turn. This egg shaped distortion does not help in reducing the diameter but the spire loops, being a part of a multi-helical spire, reacts on each other, elongating the spiral length. Thus enabling the reduction of the outside diameter of the spiral lock.

The guidance of the spiral lock through the spiral groove 9 , which is cut into the front of the shank, 7 , transfers the spiral lock onto the tool. The pitch of the grooved spiral is large enough to spray the spire and allow the pressure to cause an overall elongation. This consequentially produces a diameter reduction, as the spire enters the bore. In front of the shank, a protruding, smaller diameter shank 11 helps support the ring on its inner diameter.

Behind the head 7 , a smaller diameter shank links the head to the handle of the tool. A gap 12 between the bottom of the groove and the inner ring allows a space for the reduction of the diameter of the outside ring. Also, a gap 13 between the width 9 b of the groove and the spire's thickness, 3 a, is set for optimum freedom of the helical ring spires distortion.

The amount of force needed to flex these spires is relatively easy to overcome on this cantilevers half loop. The Lock-In-Tool is a new invention created by a longtime engine building friend that makes the chore of assembling pistons on rods a lot easier. Check out the printable instruction sheet. While the Lock-In-Tool is definitely the best thing going when it comes to installing spiral locks, the SURE-Lox tool uses a special style wire lock and a unique tool that allows you to quickly install and remove locks with very little chance of damaging either the piston or yourself.

Currently, CP is already offering the SURE-Lox design as an option for their pistons, and other manufacturers will be coming online soon. We plan to use the new Sure-Lox from Kramm-Lox in some upcoming engine builds soon, but if you are interested you can also check out the Kramm-Lox website here. The front spire 6 is partially entered, on an angle, into the bore, and is compressed to allow the tool to be rotated along the arc 14 a. The compressed spire, fitting the bores diameter, is then pushed into the bore to insert the first loop 6 into the groove 15 a, which is sensed by the spire snapping into the groove.

Also shown is shank, 22 , 22 a and the knurl handle, 26 a. This is smoothly feeding all remaining spires in a progressive way due to two principles: 1. The groove 9 low-pitched angle provides a mechanical force multiplier. The spires of the spiral lock are spread due to the grooved shape. This will open wide the spiral lock, which allows easier flexibility and contributes to reducing the outside diameter of the ring.

DRAWING 4 shows the function as to how the wire lock ring is inserted into the groove of the cross bore with a hand tool. The tool 26 is sufficiently inclined to enter through the edge of the bore. The gap 21 is being set midway between the top and the bottom of the ring to compress the gap, with ease.

The tool is then rotated along the arc arrow 37 , so that it can be lined up with the bore. It is then pushed inward, entering the bore until the compressed wire lock spring pops up in the groove. Such action requires dexterity and practice, yet remains a very simple way to assemble the wire lock ring. The outside diameter of shank 30 is sized to insure the capability of sliding it into the bore 15 , FIG.

At the right hand of shank 30 extremity, a protruding shank 23 fits into the internal diameter of the ring 20 FIG. It also contains a finger 28 that has a thickness equal to the gap between shank 30 outside diameter and the inside diameter of sleeve This finger's outer face has a tangential curve of the diameter of shank It also shows a set of two cutout notches 33 and 34 diametrically opposite on the sleeve. The slider 29 has two notches 33 and 34 that are cut through the sleeve. This allows a nosed finger pliers to insert the ring compressed in the gap 23 b.

The finger 28 allows orientation of the assembly positioning of the gap This allows the sleeve 29 to be retracted from the shank's 30 right end to allow it to penetrate bore 15 and transfers the wire lock ring into groove 15 a of piston head All rights reserved. Login Sign up. Search Expert Search Quick Search. Piston pin spiral or wire lock ring insertion tool. United States Patent A tool is disclosed, for inserting a multi-turn spiral lock, received by a groove of a piston assembly.

The tool includes a handle, for transmitting manual torque forces, to enter a spiral, grooved head, or a profiled fitting, a wire lock ring. Learn More - opens in a new window or tab International postage and import charges paid to Pitney Bowes Inc. Learn More - opens in a new window or tab Any international postage and import charges are paid in part to Pitney Bowes Inc.

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