Pin indexable sleeve for select wheel alignment correction
AssigneesCompagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
InventorsZachary Alexander Merrill, Matthew J. Hanlon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for wheel alignment is provided including adjustments to camber, toe, and thrust. A sleeve is fitted over the spindle of an axle. Rotation of the sleeve relative to the spindle provides for adjustments to wheel alignment while a locking feature such as e.g., a pin, is used to maintain the selected position of the sleeve relative to the spindle. The available positions of the sleeve relative to the spindle are predetermined in order to provide for discrete, known adjustments to the alignment of the wheel.
Claims15
An assembly allowing selective adjustment of wheel alignment on a vehicle, comprising:
- an axle defining axial, radial, and circumferential directions, the axle comprising a flange and a spindle having an outboard end and an inboard end;
- a sleeve having an inner surface of revolution about a first axis and an outer surface of revolution about a second axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are at a non-zero angle α from each other, the sleeve defining an interior into which the spindle is releasably received, the sleeve having an inboard end and an outboard end;
- a first plurality of apertures positioned at an inboard end of the sleeve and extending along the axial direction, the first plurality of apertures spaced apart along the circumferential direction and at varying radial distances from the first axis,
- a second plurality of apertures positioned on the flange near an inboard end of the spindle and extending along an axial direction, the second plurality of apertures spaced apart along the circumferential direction and at varying radial distances from the first axis;
- wherein the first and second plurality of apertures provide a plurality of matching pairs of apertures that can be aligned along the axial direction by rotation of the sleeve to provide changes in wheel alignment;
- and
- a removable lock extending between the apertures of one of the matching pairs of apertures so as to prevent the rotation of the sleeve relative to the spindle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.