Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Traction increasing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-16
2001-09-04
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Traction increasing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283556
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to weights applied to the wheels of an industrial vehicle, to counterbalance a load applied to the other end of the vehicle. More particularly, the weights are adaptable for attachment to either the convex or concave surfaces of the wheel disk, with multiple ones of the weights being nested together to add more weight to the wheel, as may be necessary.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
During the use of certain industrial vehicles, there are times when an excessive weight is applied to one end of the vehicle, causing the other end of the vehicle to lift from the ground or lose traction with the ground. This becomes a hazardous situation for the vehicle operator and the personnel and equipment adjacent the vehicle. For example, if a scoop is attached to the front end of a tractor for lifting dirt, gravel, or other heavy materials, there are times when the operator will overload the scoop and when the scoop is raised by the tractor, the rear wheels of the tractor may lift away from the ground. This places the tractor in an unstable condition where the load is borne primarily by only the front wheels of the tractor. Likewise, when equipment is attached to the rear of a tractor, a similar situation can occur, when the load at the rear of the tractor causes the front, steerable wheels of the tractor to lift away from the ground, generating a similar undesirable situation for the vehicle and its operator.
In the past, it has become commonplace to add weights to the wheels of vehicles when it is anticipated that the wheels might lift away from the ground or if more weight is required by wheels for applying the proper traction between the wheel and the ground surface.
In some instances, wheels for industrial vehicles have a dish shaped wheel disk, convex on one side and concave on the other side. With this structure, the wheel can be reversed with respect to the hub, placing the tire closer to or farther away from the vehicle. This is sometimes used to adjust the spacing of the wheels closer to or farther away from each other, so as to be spaced in accordance with the spacing of rows of crops in a farmer's field, or to widen the stance of the vehicle to provide additional stability.
One of the problems encountered with the producers of wheel weights is that there are so many sizes and shapes of wheels, most with different lug spacing, that there is no “universal” wheel weight. Even the wheels of a single manufacturer vary so much in size and shape that different wheel weights must be produced for proper fitting against the different shaped disks of the wheels.
Therefore, it can be seen that there is a need for a universal wheel weight having different shaped opposed surfaces so that it is reversible for attachment to concave or to convex wheel disks, and with the formation of openings therein for attachment to a different lug pattern for the different wheels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention comprises a universal wheel weight, in which the wheel weight is formed with opposed concave and convex surfaces for mounting to either convex or concave wheel disks, respectively, of a wheel, with multiple patterns of openings for receiving the lug bolts which attach the wheel weight to the wheel disk.
The wheel weight includes a weight body formed in the shape of an annulus, defining a central axis, an inner annular peripheral surface or rim and an outer annular peripheral surface or rim. Opposed first and second lateral surfaces extend between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces, with one lateral surface being convex and the opposing lateral surface being concave. The weight body is shaped for nesting with duplicate ones of the weight bodies. The nesting of the bodies not only assists in storage and shipment of the weight bodies, but also permits the weight bodies to be laterally stacked on one another when attached to a wheel, so as to add more weight to the wheel, as may be required.
A first series of slots intersect the outer annular surface of the weight body and are formed in both the first and second opposed surfaces of the body, and are positioned at 90° intervals about the body and at equal radial distances from the axis of the weight body. Each of the slots in the first surface of the weight body are in alignment with one of the slots in the opposed second surface, and intermediate partitions remain between the slots, and connector openings are formed in the partitions.
A similar second series of slots are formed at 90° intervals about the weight body, with the slots defining intermediate partitions, and with connector openings formed in the partitions.
The slots of both the first and second series of slots provide a recess for the heads of the bolts that connect the weights to the wheel disks and that connect the wheel weights to each other when the multiple ones of the weights are stacked on a single wheel. The slots function to bring the heads of the bolts or lugs closer to the wheel disk and shield the heads of the lugs or bolts from contact with obstructions.
In addition to the aligned slots, partitions and connector openings through the partitions of the wheel weight body, a series of bores are formed in both the first and second opposed surfaces of the wheel weight body, with the bores on opposed surfaces of the wheel weight body being aligned with one another, with the bores positioned at 120° intervals about the wheel weight body and at equal radial distances from the axis of the wheel weight body. The bores are positioned radially inwardly of the slots, and partitions are formed between aligned ones of the bores, and connector openings are formed through the partitions. As with the slots, the bores place the heads of the lugs closer to the wheel and finction to shield the lugs from engagement with obstructions.
The concave and convex opposed surfaces of the wheel weight bodies are formed so that they substantially match each other for nesting purposes, both for storage and shipment as well for mounting multiple ones of the weights to a surface of a wheel disk. The fact that the weight bodies are convex on one side and concave on the other side allows the wheel weights to be added to either the convex or concave surface of the wheel of the vehicle.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved universal wheel weight for mounting to wheels of an industrial vehicle for counterbalancing the vehicle and/or for adding weight for traction purposes to the wheels of a vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved wheel weight for an industrial vehicle which is formed and shaped for fitting to multiple shapes of wheels, including wheels having both concave and convex wheel disks, and to wheels which have different lug patterns.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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F .B. T. Enterprises, Inc.
Morano S. Joseph
Nguyen Long Bao
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley
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