Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Internally threaded fastener element – e.g. – nut – etc. – Having cap
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-27
2001-08-14
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Internally threaded fastener element, e.g., nut, etc.
Having cap
C411S372600, C411S428000, C411S910000, C301S037373
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273658
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices for encapsulating or enclosing lug nuts and lugs so as to protect them from rust, corrosion and other adverse effects caused by exposure and weather.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is quite common to encounter a lug nut that is frozen tight to a lug extending from a wheel hub. Many times, the lug nut is so tightly bound to the lug that it cannot be loosened and removed even when treated with special oils that are designed to penetrate and loosen such a frozen nut. In fact, some lug nuts become so tightly bound and frozen to a lug that when sufficient torque is applied the entire lug breaks or is twisted off its hub.
Frozen lug nuts can be caused by a variety of conditions. Principal contributors are generally weather and environment related. For example, one of the most common places where one finds frozen lug nuts is on the hub of boat trailers. This is because the entire hub of a boat trailer is often submerged in water (fresh or salt) during the course of launching or loading a boat onto the trailer. In addition, boat trailers and other vehicles that are commonly maintained in coastal regions are prone to include rusted and corroded lug and lug nuts and this too can give rise to situations where the lug nuts become tightly bound about their lug.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for some type of protective device to house and enclose lug and lug nuts that extend from boat trailer hubs and other vehicles that have hubs that are sometimes submerged in water or exposed to the elements of weather.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention entails a device for protecting a lug nut and lug and also a method for providing a protective barrier and enclosure around a lug nut and its supporting lug.
More particularly, the present invention entails an enclosure that is designed to fit on a lug extending from a hub and to enclose a segment of the lug along with a threaded lug nut. Along with the enclosure that is placed around the lug nut and the lug, the method of protection entails placing a grease, protectant or other lubricant within the enclosure such that it is placed or compacted around both the lug nut and the lug so as to protect the same from weather. Because the lug and lug nut is enclosed and because of the presence of the grease or lubricant within the enclosure, the lug nut and lug are essentially housed within a protected environment that for the most part is waterproof.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple enclosure design that is adapted to fit on the lug of a hub and to extend around and generally enclose a portion of the lug and a nut threaded thereon.
Still a further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a method for protecting a lug nut and its lug which involves injecting or placing a grease or lubricant in an enclosure that houses the lug nut and lug such that while the enclosure is disposed around the lug and lug nut, the grease or lubricant and the enclosure serve to isolate and separate the lug nut and lug from the elements of weather and even water.
A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an open end cylinder that is designed to receive the lug and is spaced such that the accompanying nut can be threaded onto the lug and disposed within the cylindrical enclosure such that both the lug nut and the lug are confined within the enclosure.
Still a further object of the present invention resides in a method for protecting lugs and lug nuts associated with a wheel hub by providing an enclosure around the lug and lug nut that allows grease or a lubricant to be placed around the lug and the lug nut and to generally seal the same from the elements of weather and water.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4962968 (1990-10-01), Caplin
patent: 5273384 (1993-12-01), Dunbar
patent: 5380070 (1995-01-01), FitzGerald
patent: 5590992 (1997-01-01), Russell
patent: 5752795 (1998-05-01), D'Adamo
patent: 2079884 (1982-01-01), None
Patterson S. Allen
Patterson, Jr. Joseph D.
Coats & Bennett
Wilson Neill
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