Blow molded wheel with axle retainer
AssigneePoly-Flex, Inc.
InventorFloyd F. Markling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A blow-molded wheel including an axle retainer assembly. The retainer assembly (31) includes a housing (42) having transverse sleeves that support an axle (14) and a spring biased retainer pin (10) that mounts to an annular groove (12) at the axle. The housing is supported in a cavity formed into a wheel spoke (18) and a bore of a wheel hub and is retarined upon the shrinkage of the plastic around the housing. An aperture of the pin sleeve facilitates retraction of the pin and release of the wheel from the axle.
Claims20
A molded plastic wheel adapted to mount to an axle, comprising:
- a) an annular body having a bore that receives the axle and including a tread surface, wherein a plurality of spokes are radially disposed between the bore and tread surface and wherein one of said spokes includes a recessed cavity that communicates with the bore;
- and
- b) retainer means mounted in the cavity for securing the wheel to the axle and wherein a retainer housing includes 1) a pin mounted to project from the housing and 2) means for biasing the pin for reciprocating movement relative to the housing and for coupling to the axle.
A molded plastic wheel adapted to mount to an axle, comprising:
- a) a blow molded wheel having a bore and a tread surface, wherein a recessed cavity is disposed between the bore and tread surface that communicates with the bore;
- and
- b) retainer means for securing the wheel to the axle including a pin and means for biasing the pin for reciprocating movement within the wheel and to project into the bore and for coupling to the axle.
A method for constructing a self retaining wheel, comprising:
- a) blow molding a wheel having a bore and a tread surface and wherein a recessed cavity is disposed between the bore and tread surface that communicates with the bore;
- b) extracting the wheel from a mold and, while the wheel is warm, fitting a retainer housing to the cavity that includes a pin and means for biasing the pin for reciprocating movement to project into the bore and for coupling to the axle;
- and
- c) permitting the wheel to cool and the plastic material to shrink around the retainer housing to secure the retainer housing to the wheel.
A molded plastic wheel adapted to mount to an axle, comprising:
- a) an annular body having an axle bore and including a rolling surface and wherein a plurality of spokes radially extend between the axle bore and said rolling surface;
- and
- b) a retainer housing mounted to said body to define said axle bore and wherein a pin is mounted to project from the retainer housing into said axle bore.
A molded plastic wheel adapted to mount to an axle, comprising an annular body that is blow molded from a first material and includes a plurality of hollow cavities, a hub having an axle bore, and a plurality of spokes that radially extend from the hub to a box, and wherein a tread piece that is separately molded from a second material having a density different from the first material is mounted over said box to define a rolling surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.