Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Axle – Varying-length adjustment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-26
2003-08-26
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Axle
Varying-length adjustment
C301S111030, C403S374400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06609765
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an adjustable wheel and axle assembly for a work vehicle such as an agricultural tractor and in particular to a wheel and axle assembly that enables the wheel position to be infinitely adjusted along the length of the axle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Adjustable wheel and axle assemblies are known as shown in FIG.
1
. The assembly of FIG. 1 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,634. There an axle shaft
12
carries the adjustable wheel assembly
14
. The wheel assembly
14
includes an outer wheel hub
18
having a tapered bore
24
large enough to accommodate the axle shaft
12
and provide an annular tapered bore in which upper and lower tapered flanged sleeves
26
and
28
, respectively, can be received in a wedging action within the tapered bore
24
. The upper tapered flanged sleeve
26
has a radially extending, semi-circular flange
30
and a semi-conical, axially extending portion
32
. The lower tapered flanged sleeve
28
is of the same configuration as the upper sleeve
26
, having a radially extending, semi-circular flange
34
and a semi-conical, axially extending portion
36
.
The wheel hub is provided with a plurality of angularly spaced threaded bolt holes
46
that receive a matching quantity of bolts
48
a
,
48
b
,
48
c
and
48
d
. The semicircular flanges
30
,
34
are provided with a plurality of similar angularly spaced bolt holes
50
, that align with the threaded bolt holes
46
contained in the wheel hub
22
. Also provided in the flanges
30
,
34
are additional threaded bolt holes
52
spaced radially the same as the holes
50
, but in a different angular relationship to the holes
50
. When the bolts
48
a-d
are threaded into the holes
46
in the wheel hub, the conical portions
32
,
36
of the tapered flanged sleeves
26
,
28
are drawn tightly into the tapered bore
24
where the sleeves tightly engage the axle
12
to mount the wheel hub
18
to the axle
12
.
The taper angle of the bore
24
and conical portions
32
,
36
is not enough to be self releasing. In order to withdraw the conical portion
32
,
36
from the bore
24
, it is necessary to loosen the bolts
48
. Bolts
48
b
and
48
c
are removed completely from the bores
50
and are threaded into the bores
52
until they abut against the face
56
of the wheel hub
18
. With the aid of an additional torque producing tool, the bolts
48
b
and
48
c
are sequentially tightened, thus forcing the upper and lower sleeves
26
,
28
to separate from the tapered bore
24
. The total clamping force available to mount the wheel and axle assembly is limited by the number of bolts
48
used to draw the sleeves into the bore
24
. As the power output of agricultural tractors increases, the wheel clamp load on the axle must also increase to avoid slippage between the axle and the wheel hub.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved adjustable wheel and axle assembly that produces a greater clamping force on the axle. This is accomplished by providing the tapered surfaces with a larger taper angle such that the parts are self releasing. This eliminates the need for the separate threaded bores
52
shown in
FIG. 1
in the flanges
30
,
34
. Without the threaded bores
52
, space is available in the flanges and hub for additional bolt bores to draw the tapered portions into engagement, thus enabling the clamp load on the axle to be increased.
The adjustable wheel and axle assembly of the present invention has an inner element with a radially outer, double tapered portion having a large center portion and axially inner and outer tapered portions extending axially inward and axially outward from the center portion. The wheel hub has a two-tiered tapered interior bore with a small diameter first tapered portion and a large diameter second tapered portion. The first tapered portion complements and fits onto one of the tapered portions of the inner element while the large diameter second tapered portion is spaced radially outward from the other tapered portion of the inner element. A split ring wedge having radially inner and outer tapered portions fits between the inner element and the large diameter tapered portion of the wheel hub. A plurality of bolts extending through the wheel hub and into the split ring wedge draw the split ring wedge into the wheel hub whereby the inner element is clamped onto the axle. The taper angle is in the range of 14-16 degrees such that the parts are self releasing. This eliminates the need for additional threaded bolt bores in the wheel hub for separating the components and allows for more bolts for generating the clamping force. In addition, the large taper angle enables the axial thickness of the adjustable wheel and axle assembly to be reduced as compared to the assembly shown in FIG.
1
.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2676849 (1954-04-01), Houck et al.
patent: 3847493 (1974-11-01), Peter et al.
patent: 4317596 (1982-03-01), Lemmon
patent: 4936634 (1990-06-01), Stratton et al.
patent: 5005913 (1991-04-01), Kittle et al.
patent: 5145277 (1992-09-01), Fujita
patent: 5174680 (1992-12-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5639176 (1997-06-01), Mullenberg
Bowman Dennis Aaron
Radke Gregory Dean
Deere & Company
Stormer Russell D.
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