US 5,492,391 A · Oval spline-drive wheel and adapter

Abstract

A vehicle wheel and adapter allowing the wheel to be fastened by means of a single knock-off type hub nut to a disk brake hub or brake drum of a vehicle utilizing wheels of the type that are attached by a plurality of lug bolts or lug nuts includes a circular adapter plate provided with mounting holes to permit the adapter to be attached using existing lug bolts or lug nuts. The adapter plate has an axially forwardly protruding central coaxial tube section externally threaded on an outer axial portion thereof, and a plurality of longitudinally disposed, arcuate transverse section splines protruding radially outwards from an intermediate longitudinal portion of the tube section. A wheel hub having a tubular front section and a larger diameter, dish-shaped rear section has an internally splined intermediate longitudinal portion provided with grooves adapted to longitudinally slidably receive the splines. The tubular front section of the wheel hub has an inwardly and rearwardly tapered, frusto-conically shaped entrance opening. A slotted hub nut having a slotted, frusto-conically shaped outer wall is distorted radially outwards when tightened on the threaded tube section of the adapter, thereby exerting radially outwardly directed centering forces on the wheel hub. In the preferred embodiment, both the externally splined section of the adapter and the internally splined section of the wheel hub have in transverse section an approximately sinusoidal shape, to provide stress relief.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A one piece adapter providing the capability for installing wheels of the type having knock-off hubs on a disk brake hub or brake of a vehicle utilizing wheels attached by means of lug bolts or lug nuts, said adapter comprising;

a. a base plate having through its thickness dimension a plurality of mounting holes adapted to register with lug blot holes or studs of a disk brake hub or brake drum,
b. an elongated hollow tube protruding perpendicularly outwards from said base plate, said tube having a bore extending through said base plate and having an inner or rear opening of sufficient size to fit over the wheel bearing cap of said risk brake hub or brake drum, said tube having on the exterior surface of an outer longitudinal portion thereof helical threads adapted to be engaged by an internally threaded hub nut, and
c. a plurality of longitudinally disposed external splines protruding radially outwards from an externally splined intermediate section of said tube located between said base plate and said outer longitudinal portion of said tube, said external splines having a transverse section a convex arcuate shape and being adapted to be longitudinally slidably received into registered, complementarily shaped grooves formed in an internally splined surface in the inner longitudinal wall surface of a wheel hub.

In combination a wheel and adapter allowing the wheel to be fastened by means of a single knock-off type hub nut to disk brake hub or brake drum of a vehicle utilizing wheels of the type that are attached by a plurality of a lug bolts or lug nuts arranged in a circular pattern, said combination comprising;

a. an adapter including
i. a circular base plate having through its thickness dimension a plurality of mounting holes adapted to register with lug bolt holes or studs of a disk brake hub or brake drum,
ii. an elongated hollow tube integral and coaxial with said base plate, said tube protruding perpendicularly outwards from said base plate and having therethrough a central coaxial bore extending through said base plate, said bore having an inner or rear opening of sufficient size to fit over the wheel bearing cap of said disk brake hub or brake drum, said tube having on the exterior surface of an outer longitudinal portion thereof helical threads adapted to be threadingly engaged by internal threads of a hub nut,
iii. a plurality of longitudinally disposed external splines protruding radially outwards from an externally splined intermediate section of said tube located between base plate and said outer longitudinal portion of said tube, said external splines having in transverse section a convex arcuate shape and being adapted to be longitudinally slidably received into registered complementarily shaped grooves formed in an internally splined surface in the inner longitudinal wall surface of a wheel hub, and
b. a wheel including a hub having a circularly symmetric body including a concave dish-shaped base section and a tubular front section of smaller diameter than said base section, said hub having formed in the inner cylindrical wall surface of an intermediate longitudinal portion thereof a plurality of radially inwardly protruding, longitudinally disposed internal splines having in transverse section an arcuately curved shape, said splines alternating with a plurality of complementarily shaped, longitudinally disposed grooves adapted to longitudinally slidably receive said external splines protruding radially outwards from said adapter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Oval spline-drive wheel and adapter

Life of this patent

Oval spline-drive wheel and adapter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33