Fastening apparatus for a shaft and a wheel or wheel-like body

In combination:

• a wheel-like body having a cylindrical hub opening of uniform diameter extending coaxially therethrough, said opening being defined by an annular inner wall;
• a shaft projecting coaxially into said hub opening, said shaft being radially spaced from said annular inner wall to define an annular clearance space therebetween;
• and
• a substantially annular fastening apparatus disposed within said clearance space and nonrotatably engaged with said body and said shaft;
• said fastening apparatus including an axially elongate inner ring surrounding and engaged with an outer annular surface of said shaft, an axially elongate outer ring surrounding and engaged with both the outer annular wall of said shaft and a portion of said inner ring, said outer ring also being engaged with and surrounded by the inner annular wall of said body;
• said inner and outer rings respectively having axially tapered outer and inner peripheral surfaces which are directly engaged and create a wedge-like engagement between said rings, each of said rings having a slit formed radially therethrough and elongated axially thereof for permitting radial deformation of said rings due to the wedge-like engagement therebetween;
• said outer ring having a support flange formed at one axial end thereof, said support flange being directly adjacent an end of said tapered inner peripheral surface which is of smallest diameter, said support flange projecting radially inwardly of said smallest diameter and defining thereon a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral wall which is engaged with the outer annular wall of said shaft;
• said outer ring having an end flange formed at the other axial end thereof, said end flange being of enlarged diameter and projecting radially outwardly beyond the diameter of said hub opening so as to radially overlap and abut an axial end face of said body;
• said inner ring having one axial end thereof disposed axially adjacent said support flange, said one end being defined at an end of said outer tapered surface which is of smallest diameter;
• said inner ring having a mounting flange at the other axial end thereof, said mounting flange being spaced axially outwardly of said end face of said body with said end flange being axially interposed therebetween, said mounting flange projecting radially outwardly beyond said end flange;
• and
• threaded fasteners means axially coacting between said mounting flange and said body for axially moving said body and outer ring relative to said inner ring to create the wedge-like engagement between the inner and outer rings and cause radial deformation thereof so that the inner and outer rings respectively grippingly engage the shaft and body.

A securing apparatus, such as for fastening a wheel-like body to shaft, comprising:

• an outer ring having (1) a cylindrical outer peripheral surface for fitting into a boss hole of a wheel-like body, (2) a tapered inner peripheral surface, (3) a support jaw formed at a small diameter end of said tapered inner peripheral surface for fitting over a shaft, (4) a cylindrical inner peripheral surface formed at a large diameter end of said tapered inner peripheral surface, (5) an end jaw of enlarged diameter formed at an end of said outer ring which is opposite from said support jaw, and (6) a slit extending axially thereof;
• an inner ring fitted within the outer ring and having (1) a cylindrical inner peripheral surface for fitting over the shaft, (2) a tapered outer peripheral surface complementary to the tapered inner peripheral surface of said outer ring, (3) a cylindrical outer peripheral surface formed at the large diameter end of said tapered outer peripheral surface and complementary to the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of said outer ring, (4) a flange portion of enlarged diameter formed at an end of said inner ring on the large diameter side of said tapered outer peripheral surface, (5) axial holes formed through said flange portion, and (6) a slit extending axially thereof;
• and
• fasteners extending through said holes for threadedly engaging tapped holes formed in the wheel-like body.