We all have names we've used for years. I call a lot of fasteners "Tinnermans", others call some fasteners Palnuts. Tinnerman and Palnut are company names. Each company has many styles of fasteners. Mr. Tinnerman started his company in the mid 1920's and two guys started Palnut at the same time. These companies have been merged and unmerged, bought and sold. They were purchased by a French fastener maker A. Raymond. Not sure where they ended up. I believe the last I saw was Palnut was absorbed into Tinnerman and A. Raymond absorbed Tinnerman and is known as A. Raymond-Tinnerman.
There are push nuts, cage nuts, J clips, U clips, speed clips, etc. Each was invented by either Tinnerman or Palnut. The particular one here which is sold by A. Raymond is one of many palnut designs. It is known as a Threaded Hex Lock-Nut. It can be stand alone or used as a jam nut. After torqueing it down on top of a hex nut it's teeth lock against reversing. Many vendors sell it. It is a stamped spring steel fastener.
If these fasteners were used in AD and earlier motors, It doesn't seem like a good idea. They are mostly relegated to: Toys, appliances, HVAC, consumer electronics and so on. I do not see them in any valve train pictures in old shop manuals online or the mention of them. I haven't seen them all of course.
Tinnerman-Palnut products are used all over our modern vehicles.
