Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Internally threaded fastener element – e.g. – nut – etc. – Multipart
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-02
2001-09-18
Saether, Flemming (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Internally threaded fastener element, e.g., nut, etc.
Multipart
C411S432000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290446
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a quick-action nut, herein called speed clamping nut, for loading a vehicle wheel rim onto the threaded end of a shaft of balancing machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A speed clamping nut of this sort is known form the German patent document A1 36 05 821 and is used in particular to affix a vehicle wheel on the loading shaft of balancing machine. The nut comprises a housing with grips mounted at diametrically opposite sites. Two threaded components are mounted in radially displaceable manner inside the housing and are spring-loaded radially inward toward a meshing position of the thread. The thread segments can be manually moved radially outward against the spring force into a disengaged position.
This known speed clamping nut is used in such a way that first the vehicle wheel to be balanced is slipped by its central hole on the shaft of the balancing machine. Then the speed clamping nut with disengaged thread segments is axially slipped on the shaft of the balancing machine, whereupon the drive means to disengage the thread segments are relaxed and as a result the thread segments are made to engage by the spring so that the inside threads of the threaded components engages the outside thread at the end of the shaft of the balancing shaft. Thereupon the speed clamping nut is rotated by means of the grips affixed to the housing until the vehicle wheel rim has been clamped. This screw-tightening over a comparatively long clamping path must take place in the face of somewhat significant forces and as a result this operation is fairly laborious. Those forces arise foremost because a centering cone is mounted in axially displaceable manner on the shaft when centering the rim, a strong spring being mounted on the back side of said cone and forcing the cone into the rim's centering hole when affixing the wheel. This radial centering position is reached before the rim reaches its affixation position wherein it comes to rest against a stop flange, most often in the shape of a dome and mounted on the shaft of the balancing machine, the rim then being clamped in position against stop by means the clamping nut. To assure that the centering cone shall reliably be in the center position even when there are centering holes for rims of different diameters, the location of radial centering and hence the beginning of the screwing-on operation against the spring force at the back side of the centering cone frequently is remote from the final clamping point. As a result the screwing-on path of the speed clamping nut against the spring force is comparatively long and explains the cause of the laborious and time-consuming tightening of the speed clamping nut.
The German patent document C2 42 00 380 discloses apparatus to mount a motor vehicle wheel to a motor driven main shaft of a wheel balancing machine and to remove said wheel from it, where clamping is implemented using a tension rod displaceable axially in the direction of the main shaft, the rod being made to engage by its one end the wheel by a tensioning system while a tension is generated at its other end. This known apparatus is exceedingly complex and difficult to handle. Furthermore clamping nuts to affix a vehicle wheel on the loading shaft of a balancing machine are known from the German patent documents C2 29 35 216 and C2 33 27 635, wherein radially disengageable thread segments are made to engage a thread on the shaft of the balancing machine for purposes of loading. These machines therefore incur the same drawbacks as the speed clamping nut of the initially cited German patent document A1 36 05 821. The German patent document C2 28 13 387 discloses a balancing machine for motor vehicle wheels where the loading of the motor vehicle wheel is implemented by a tension rod passing through the hollow balancing shaft. This design is costly and clumsy in handling.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the invention is to create a speed clamping nut of the pertinent kind which shall facilitate and accelerate clamping, the speed clamping nut comprising a housing having at least one grip mounted in substantially radially manner to the housing and an inside thread. A threaded component rotational about the screw axis of the speed clamping nut and relative to the housing is provided and connected to the housing and comprises an inside thread and is connected with the drive side of a rotational drive system connected to the housing. Following engagement, the rotational drive system assumes the complex and time-consuming screwing-on procedure when the wheel rim is pulled against spring forces toward a centering cone.
The basic concept of the invention is to fit the speed clamping nut with a rotational drive system assuming the screwing-on procedure over the long path of threading the nut and carrying out this procedure rapidly and without taxing the operator. The rotational drive system does not rotate the entire housing, instead only a threaded component containing the inside thread and which is rotatable about the axis of the speed clamping nut and relative to the housing. The operator is merely left with the simple task to keep holding the speed clamping nut housing by means of the grips mounted on latter and to absorb the torques in this manner. Using the grips, furthermore, the operator is able to increase the screwing torque manually at the end of the screwing-on procedure, namely by a short displacement of the grips in the direction of screwing. In the same manner the operator can loosen the speed clamping nut, whereupon again the rotational drive system can take charge of the longer unscrewing path.
In one embodiment of the invention, the rotational drive system is mounted in one grip. It is basically feasible to equip the rotational drive system for a short time during its operation with an external power supply. However an appropriate embodiment of the invention mounts an energy storage means for the rotational drive system in the housing and/or one grip. The energy required for the screwing-on procedure being comparatively low, the energy storage means may be relatively small and therefore may be housed in one grip. To increase the storable energy, another embodiment of the invention provides four grips mounted cross-wise on the housing, one grip receiving the rotational drive system and the others the energy storage means.
When the rotational drive system is mounted in a grip, its drive shaft appropriately is operationally connected by an angled, preferably bevel gear to the threaded component. If the grip slants relative to the axis of rotation of the speed clamping nut away from the direction of tightening, the gear drive appropriately shall be a conical gear drive.
At sufficiently high speed of the rotational drive system, latter also may be used to overcome the path of screwing-on wherein as yet substantial tensioning forces do not arise. Nevertheless, in implementation of the basic concept of the invention, the threaded component is fitted with two thread segments prestressed radially inward by an engaging spring into the engagement position, actuation means being provided to displace the thread segments against the force of the engaging spring into a disengaging position. The speed clamping nut of the invention is then able, as is the initially described known speed clamping nut, to be slipped axially onto and over the shaft of the balancing machine when the thread segments are disengaged until substantially tightening forces do arise. Thereupon the actuation means are relaxed and as a result the engaging spring moves the thread segments into the engaging position and thereby the speed clamping nut assumes its function as a nut. Thereupon the screwing-on action proper can be carried out by the rotational drive system in the manner described above.
In the last discussed embodiment, the thread segments appropriately are prestressed radially outward by a disengaging spring and as a result the force exerted by the disengaging spring is so much weaker than that
Carter Guy W.
Oppermann Harald
Warkotsch Dirk
Haweka Auswuchttechnik Horst Warkotsch GmbH
Saether Flemming
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
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