Hub and spindle assembly
OwnerLawrence N. Johnsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waterproof hub and spindle assembly for boat trailers is provided with an oil lubricating chamber that is connected to an air chamber open on the bottom and adapted to trap air therein as the hub and spindle assembly is submerged. The air in the chamber is compressed as submersion increases which pressurizes the lubricating chamber to prevent contaminants from entering into the bearing structure.
Claims18
A hub and spindle assembly for a boat trailer that is periodically submerged in water including:
- a spindle for rotatably supporting a hub about the spindle axis;
- bearing means coaxially mounted upon said spindle for receiving a hub and wheel;
- a hub mounted upon said bearing means coaxially about said spindle for rotating upon said bearings;
- an oil-receiving cavity formed between an outer surface of said spindle and an interior surface of said hub;
- seal means for containing oil within said cavity;
- pressure chamber means defining a predetermined quantity of air for creating a positive air pressure upon submersion of the hub spindle assembly under water;
- and
- air passage means in communication between said pressure chamber means and said oil-receiving cavity for communicating said positive air pressure from said pressure chamber means to said oil-receiving cavity upon submersion of the hub and spindle assembly under water.
A waterproof hub and spindle assembly for use on boat trailers and the like comprising
- a fixed spindle member;
- a hub member rotatably mounted thereon;
- at least one bearing member operatively positioned between said hub and spindle member;
- a sealed lubricating cavity formed between said hub and spindle member in communication with said bearing member and having a quantity of lubricating medium therein;
- and
- air chamber means communicating at one end with said lubricating cavity and open at another end such that when said air chamber means is submerged in water air in said air chamber means is compressed to pressurize said lubricating cavity.
A method of increasing the air pressure within a submersible wheel spindle having a sealed lubricant-receiving cavity comprising the steps of:
- communicating a source of atmospheric air to said sealed lubricant-receiving cavity, and pressurizing said source of atmospheric air communicating with said sealed lubricant-receiving cavity in response to submersion of said source of atmospheric air when the wheel spindle is submerged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.