Plastic hub cap
AssigneeW. R. Grace & Co.
InventorMerlyn Ralph Reppert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inexpensive relatively theft-proof hub cap for the center of a vehicle wheel made up of inner and outer caps joined together by a screw thread connection and locking means. Each cup is plastic and molded in one piece. One of various locking arrangements integral with the two cups, with no additionally loose pieces, holds the structure securely on opposite sides of a wheel, while permitting the cups to be readily assembled or disassembled by hand without tools.
Claims24
A hub cap device for attachment to a wheel formed with a central hub having an inturned lip defining a through opening, the combination comprising an inner cup having a portion sized to fit through said wheel hub and said central through opening, means on said inner cup cooperable with the inside of said inturned lip to prevent passage of said inner cup completely through said through opening, an outer cup having a portion cooperable with the outside of said wheel hub and to prevent said outer cup from passing through said through opening, attachment means between said inner and outer cups securing said inner and outer cups together when assembled, and lock means to prevent inadvertant disassembly of said cups, said lock means comprising an integral flexible lever having detent means at one end on one of said cups and an annular ring of radially disposed ratchet teeth on the other of said cups and cooperable with said detent means.
A hub cap device for attachment to a wheel formed with a central hub having an inturned lip defining a through opening, the combination comprising an inner cup having a portion sized to fit through said wheel hub and said central through opening, means on said inner cup cooperable with the inside of said inturned lip to prevent passage of said inner cup completely through said through opening, an outer cup having a portion cooperable with the outside of said wheel hub and to prevent said outer cup from passing through said through opening, attachment means between said inner and outer cups securing said inner and outer cups together when assembled, and lock means to prevent inadvertent disassembly of said cups, said lock means comprising an integral flexible lever having a lug at one end on one of said cups and an annular ring of radially disposed teeth on the other of said cups and cooperable with said lug.
A hub cap device for attachment to a wheel formed with a central hub having an inturned lip defining a through opening, the combination comprising an inner cup having a portion sized to fit through said wheel hub and said central through opening, means on said inner cup cooperable with the inside of said inturned lip to prevent passage of said inner cup completely through said through opening, an outer cup having a portion cooperable with the outside of said wheel hub and to prevent said outer cup from passing through said through opening, attachment means between said inner and outer cups securing said inner and outer cups together when assembled, lock means between said cups to prevent inadvertent disassembly of said cups comprising an integral flexible lever having a lug at one end of one of said cups and an annular ring of radially disposed teeth on the other of said cups which define locking slots therebetween cooperable with said lug wherein said integral flexible lever is formed in the inner end wall of said inner cup, and wherein said lever is hingedly joined to said end wall intermediate its ends, said lug being formed at one end of said hinge portion, and a push bar portion of said lever portion at the end thereof opposite said lug.
A hub cap device for attachment to a wheel formed with a central hub having an inturned lip defining a through opening, the combination comprising an inner cup having a portion sized to fit through said wheel hub and said central through opening, means on said inner cup cooperable with the inside of said inturned lip tp prevent passage of said inner cup completely through said through opening, an outer cup having a portion cooperable with the outside of said wheel hub and to prevent said outer cup from passing through said through opening, attachment means between said inner and outer cups securing said inner and outer cups together when assembled lock means between said cups to prevent inadvertent disassembly of said cups comprising an integral flexible lever having a lug at one end on one of said cups and an annular ring of radially disposed teeth on the other of said cups which define locking slots therebetween cooperable with said lug said outer cup comprising an end wall, said slots being formed on the inside of said outer cup end wall, said lug being formed on the end of said integral flexible lever which is formed in said end wall of said inner cup, and said lever being hingedly joined to said inner cup end wall, whereby said lug may be lifted out of one of said slots by pivoting said lever about said hinge portions to thereby disengage said lock means between said inner and outer cups.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.