Wheel bearing lubrication apparatus and method of lubricating a wheel bearing
OwnerFrederick H. Branchinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for lubricating a wheel hub is disclosed. The apparatus generally comprises a wheel hub, wheel bearings mounted within the bore of the wheel limb for supporting an axle, a hub cap forming a closure cap for the outer end of the wheel hub, an outwardly yieldable bearing seal positioned at the inner end of the wheel bearing and an annular clamp for retaining the seal but allowing sections of the seal to yield. In operation, lubricant under pressure is introduced into the hub cavity from the outer end. The lubricant is then forced from the outer end to the inner end of the hub where the excess lubricant is discharged by the yieldable seal.
Claims10
Apparatus for cleaning or lubricating wheel bearings comprising:
- a wheel hub having a first end, a second end opposite said first end, and a bore;
- at least one wheel bearing means mounted in said bore intermediate said first and second ends for rotatably supporting an axle;
- means provided at said first end for introducing lubricant under pressure into said bore;
- means provided at said second end for permitting escape of said lubricant from said bore, said lubricant escape means comprising an annular seal mounted in said bore adjacent one of said bearings, said seal being outwardly yieldable in relation to said bearing to permit escape of the lubricant from the bore;
- and
- means for clamping said seal in said bore such that said seal is outwardly yieldable, said clamping means comprising a first semicircular band, a second semicircular band, at least one finger extending from one edge of said first and second bands means for connecting said first and second bands such that the fingers of said bands engage said seal and said bands are secured to the second end of the hub.
Apparatus for cleaning and lubricating a wheel bearing comprising:
- a wheel hub having a first end, a second end opposite said first end, and a bore;
- at least one wheel bearing means mounted in said bore intermediate said first and second ends for rotatably supporting an axle;
- means provided at said first end for introducing lubricant under pressure into said bore;
- and
- seal means provided at said second end for sealing the lubricant in said bore and for permitting escape of the lubricant from the second end of said wheel hub when the lubricant is introduced under pressure into said first end, said seal means comprising an annular seal, said seal being yieldable in response to the pressure of the lubricant to permit the escape of lubricant from the second end of said wheel hub, and means for retaining said seal in said bore, said seal retaining means comprising a band clamped about said second end of the wheel hub, said band having an edge, a plurality of trapezoidally shaped fingers extending from the edge of said band, said fingers being engagable with first portions of said seal when lubricant is introduced under pressure into said first end of the wheel hub, second portions of said seal being yieldable away from said bearing means to permit escape of the lubricant under pressure from said second end of the wheel hub.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.