ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 18 -- United States Patent no. 12,472,771, issued on Nov. 18, was assigned to Dexter Axle Co. LLC (Elkhart, Ind.).
"Locking system for a wheel hub" was invented by Ernest E. Martin (South Bend, Ind.), Scott Siegel (Marietta, Ga.), John R. Jurek Jr. (Osceola, Ind.) and Robert Gelven (Northville, Mich.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A locking system including a lock washer, a nut, and a retainer which together act to secure a wheel hub to a spindle. The lock washer has a tab which extends through the nut and the retainer, and which wraps around and back over the retainer in order to axially and rotationally secure the retainer. The tab has an initial position that correspo...