Combination manual-automatic hub lock

A combination manual-automatic hub lock device for connecting/disconnecting a wheel axle to a wheel on a vehicle wherein said vehicle has a fixed spindle, a wheel rotatively mounted to the exterior of the spindle and a wheel axle having axially directed gear teeth rotatively mounted and extended through the interior of the spindle, said hub lock device in operative position comprising:

• a hub lock housing secured to the wheel and surrounding the gear teeth on the axle, an interior surface of said housing having axially directed gear teeth spaced radially from the axle gear teeth, and a clutch ring having inner and outer gear teeth surrounding said axle within said housing and slidably movable into and out of common engagement with the axle and housing gear teeth to interlock and unlock the axle to the hub lock housing and accordingly to the vehicle wheel;
• an axially slidable cage movable between inner and outer positions and having inner and outer end walls positioned to trap the clutch ring therebetween whereby sliding movement of the cage between inner and outer positions urges sliding movement of the clutch ring out of and into common engagement with the gear teeth of the housing and axle;
• and
• said hub lock housing having an exposed end defining an outer side, a manually actuable dial rotatably mounted in said housing end and a shaft portion on said dial, a nut member provided on said dial and axially movable to inner and outer positions in said housing upon turning of said dial, an extender bar extended from said outer end wall of the cage and terminating in a hook end, said hook end of said extender bar extended to the outer side of said nut member whereby outwardly directed movement of the nut member engages said hook member and forces said cage to its outer position with the clutch ring gear teeth urged into common engagement with the axle and housing gear teeth.