Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Axle – Rotary shaft or spindle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-22
2001-05-01
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Axle
Rotary shaft or spindle
C411S120000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224167
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an axle assembly for supporting wheels and, more specifically, to a retaining assembly used to retain a hub assembly and bearing assembly onto a spindle of the axle assembly.
Axle assemblies support wheels on their distal ends, or spindles. Hub assemblies, which carry the wheels, are supported on the spindles by bearing assemblies. Typically, end nuts are fastened to the spindles to secure the bearing and hub assemblies to the spindle. An additional retaining device is usually employed to ensure that the end nut does not come unfastened from the spindle. For example, a split pin may be installed in a hole transverse to the spindle axis and adjacent to the end nut. However, if the hole and pin are not precisely placed relative to the location of the installed end nut, the pin will be difficult to install or will allow the nut to loosen until it contacts the pin. Therefore, what is needed is a retaining device that prevents the end nut from loosening from its originally installed location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
The present invention provides an axle assembly for supporting wheels that has a spindle defining an axis of rotation with a threaded end portion. A hub assembly is supported by the spindle and is adapted to support the wheels. A bearing assembly is arranged adjacent to the threaded end portion and is interposed between the spindle and the hub assembly for permitting low friction rotation of the hub assembly relative to the spindle about the axis. An end nut is secured to the threaded end portion of the spindle for retaining the bearing assembly and the hub assembly on the spindle. A washer is interposed between said bearing assembly and the end nut wherein the washer secures the end nut to the spindle for preventing rotation of the end nut about the axis.
Accordingly, the above provides an improved mechanism for retaining the hub assembly and bearing assembly on the spindle of an axle assembly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2622934 (1952-12-01), Phelps
patent: 2698202 (1954-12-01), Weisel
patent: 3439955 (1969-04-01), Cadiou
patent: 3701564 (1972-10-01), Puzik
patent: 4812094 (1989-03-01), Grube
patent: 5533849 (1996-07-01), Burdick
patent: 5560687 (1996-10-01), Hagelthorn
patent: 5772373 (1998-06-01), Cronin, II et al.
patent: 5967722 (1999-10-01), Fett
Carslon, Gaskey & Olds
Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems LLC
Morano S. Joseph
Nguyen Long Bao
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