Replaceable plastic trolley wheel and method

A trolley wheel assembly (10,100,200) comprising;

• a wheel member (18,118,218), a support means (12,112) defining an axis of rotation for supporting said wheel member (18,118,218) thereon, a mounting sleeve (22,122) fixedly secured about said support means (12,112), a bearing sleeve (26,126), disposed about said mounting sleeve between said mounting sleeve (22,122) and said wheel member (18,118,218), said bearing sleeve (26,126) including a tubular portion (130,132) and at least one flange (134,136) extending radially outward from said tubular portion (130,132) of said bearing sleeve (26,126), said mounting sleeve (22,122) including a tubular portion (138) and a locking flange (124) extending radially outward from said tubular portion (138) of said mounting sleeve (22,122), said radially extending locking flange (124) being in abutting engagement with said at least one flange (134,136) on at least one end of said bearing sleeve (26,126), a retaining ring (139) disposed adjacent said wheel member (18,118,218) and said tubular portion (130,132) of said bearing sleeve (26,126) and said tubular portion (138) of said mounting sleeve (22,122) and opposite said at least one flange (134,136) of said bearing sleeve (26,126) and said locking flange (124) of said mounting sleeve (22,122), said wheel member (118,218) including a stepped inner bore for presenting an inner diameter (129) and a pair of shoulders disposed on either side of said inner diameter (129), said at least one flange (134,136) of said bearing sleeve (26,126) being disposed in abutting engagement with one of said pair of shoulders and said retaining ring (139) being disposed in abutting engagement with the other of said at least one flange (134,136), said assembly characterized by said bearing sleeve (126) including an outer wheel mounting surface (128) having a diameter less than the inner diameter (129) of said wheel member (118,218) and resulting in a space (131) therebetween, for relative rotation between said wheel member (118,218) and said bearing sleeve (126), said bearing sleeve (126) expanding upon heating to engage said wheel member (118,218) to allow said wheel member (118,218) to rotate about said axis of rotation.