Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Hub
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-11-20
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3012)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Hub
C301S006800, C188S2180XL
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318810
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of motorcycles and their components. More particularly, the invention pertains to a novel modular carrier ring which is mountable on one or both sides of a motorcycle wheel hub for supporting accessories such as the front and rear wheel brake rotors and the rear wheel drive sprocket and/or drive pulley.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Virtually all chain-drive or belt-drive motorcycles are driven by an open loop of chain or a rubber or composite material belt stretched between the driving sprocket, extending from the motorcycle engine, to a driven sprocket or pulley located on the hub of the rear wheel of the motorcycle. In addition, almost all motorcycles utilize disc brakes on both wheels wherein a brake disc is located on the hub of both front and rear wheels.
Motorcycle wheels generally comprise a central cylindrical element called a “hub” that has a dual function, namely centrally anchors a plurality of spokes or other wheel supporting elements attached to a circularly peripheral rim that ultimately supports a tire thereabout and holds and securely mounts the brake rotor in the front wheel and mounts a brake rotor and a drive sprocket or pulley in the rear wheel. The hub generally contains sleeve or ball-bearing axle support bearings and seals that surround an axle on which the wheel turns. Hubs are made in one, two or more pieces that are traditionally designed personally for each manufacturer and for each type motorcycle.
Since their introduction, motorcycles have become quite sophisticated and have components that are specially made for different environments. For instance, many manufacturers produce rim-tire combinations that find specific use on asphalt tracks as opposed to dirt tracks. Other combinations find specific use on cross-country trips and tracks containing obstacles requiring the motorcycle to be turned sharply about them or thrust into the air to jump them. A motorcyclist thus may find his or her ability to compete in certain venues limited by their ability to own the many required wheel sets (hub-rim-tire combinations). Unfortunately, manufacturers of these combinations design the components individually for each model motorcycle and, in many cases, for each year of a specific model. Without any commonality between the combinations, such a practice often raises the total cost of procuring additional wheel sets beyond the financial means of the racers.
There have been attempts to design a hub-spoke-rim combination in a modular format that allows for improved economics in this area of the motorcycle art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,392 discloses a wheel hub including a structure for attachment of accessories including a pair of bushings for insertion on each side of the wheel and for bolting together to form a hub. The separately bolted parts have drive sprockets and other external components formed integral with the hub-halves to reduce the number of components needed to attach brake discs and sprockets to the hub. Unfortunately, each exterior part requires a special half-hub so that the overall cost of the assembly and the time to install it are not noticeably reduced over present practice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,407 discloses a motorcycle wheel hub made of two halves with internal members for coupling them together and holes in the halves for anchoring spokes. This invention requires assembly by pressing the two halves together to engage the coupling members. Such a combination, however, requires mounting benches and special equipment to combine the components and this equipment is often not available at racing venues.
U.S. Pat. No.5,988,613 discloses a wheel hub and brake disc arrangement for a vehicle wheel utilizing a lock ring to permit limited axial loading of the brake disc during use of the wheel. While this is another attempt to reduce the complications of hub mounting, the lock ring is subject to disengagement under the significant stresses of motorcycle racing. Accordingly, there remains a need for a simplified means of mounting a brake disc to a wheel hub without the need for extra parts and components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For the motorcyclist, this invention is an inexpensive method of procuring wheel hub/tire set combinations for use in different venues of motorcycle sport riding and/or competition. The central subject of the invention is a modular carrier plate for interposition between the wheel hub and the disc brake plate for the front wheel assembly and between the wheel hub and disc brake plate and the wheel hub and the drive sprocket or drive pulley for the rear wheel assembly. In its preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a flat plate including a central flange forming a center bore for placement over the wheel axle where the central flange contains a plurality of spaced-apart through-holes for matching assembly with a like plurality of spaced-apart threaded holes formed in the wheel hub where the through-holes and the threaded holes are arranged for receipt of threaded fastening means such as bolts to hold the flat plate tightly against the wheel hub. The central flange contains a plurality of spaced-apart shallow apertures, in sequentially spaced-apart arrangement with the through-holes, for matching assembly with a like plurality of shallow apertures formed in the wheel hub for receipt therebetween of non-threaded (smooth) anchor pins. A plurality of spaced-apart cross-pieces extend outward from the central flange and terminate in an anchor ring. A plurality of tabs extend outward from the anchor ring wherein each tab has formed therein a through hole for attachment to a wheel component of the motorcycle, such as a brake disc, a drive sprocket or a drive pulley.
In another embodiment of the invention, it involves a combination motorcycle wheel comprising a hollow, cylindrical hub terminated by first and second hub end portions. A plurality of short stubs radiates outward from both the first and second hub end portions, each stub containing a pair of spoke-holding apertures. A plurality of elongated spokes extends outward from the hub in spaced-apart order terminating in a wheel rim that is designed to support a tire about the outside of the rim. Each elongated spoke is terminated at one end by a fitting arranged to anchor in one of the stub apertures and is terminated at the other end by an adjustable fitting, such as a hollow, threaded sleeve with cross-head, attached to the inner portion of the wheel rim. A pair of sleeve or ball-bearings are located in the hollow hub for supporting an axle centrally position in the hub and extending beyond the hub end portion. A flat plate is included with a central flange forming a center bore for placement over the wheel hub axle and the first hub portion. The central flange contains a plurality of spaced-apart through-holes for matching engagement with a like plurality of spaced-apart threaded holes formed in the first hub portion. The through-holes and the threaded holes are arranged for receipt therein of threaded fastening means, such as bolts, to hold the plate tightly against the first hub portion. The central flange has a plurality of spaced-apart shallow apertures formed therein, in sequentially spaced arrangement with the through-holes, for matching engagement with a like plurality of shallow apertures formed in the wheel hub for receipt therebetween of non-threaded (smooth) anchor pins. A plurality of spaced-apart cross-pieces extends outward from the central flange and terminate in an anchor ring. A plurality of tabs extend outward from the anchor ring wherein each tab contains a through hole for attachment to a wheel component of the motorcycle.
Accordingly, the main object of this invention is a means of assembling a variety of wheel sets for use on a specific motorcycle by the use of a modular carrier plate or plates that mate with the mounting holes of the various brake discs, various drive sprockets, and various drive pulleys with a single design of a wheel hub. The main
Hoeppner Kirk A.
Miyake Frank T.
Engle Patricia
Gordon Stephen T.
John J. Murphey, Esq.
Miyake Frank T.
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