Obstacle traversing wheel assembly
OwnerTroy A. Heieninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An obstacle traversing wheel assembly that rolls easily without dragging over electrical cords, trash and debris includes a primary wheel that is journaled on an axle which is attached to a load carrying frame. At least four independently rotatable secondary wheels are mounted around the circumference of the primary wheel at locations equidistant from each other and from the primary wheel axle. The secondary wheels are all of the same diameter and are spaced apart on the primary wheel at a distance that is less than the diameter of a secondary wheel. The wheel assembly finds use as the wheel members on luggage, as the leading wheel of an in-line skate board, and for supporting any other load carrying module that is rolled across a debris-strewn surface.
Claims21
A wheel assembly comprising:
- a primary wheel including a generally planar wheel holder that is rotatable about a central axis, said wheel holder comprising two parallel, spaced apart plates, said plates supporting a plurality of axles extending perpendicularly therebetween, one axle for each secondary wheel;
- and
- at least four secondary wheels of equal diameter rotatably mounted on the holder at locations equidistant apart, one from the next, and equidistant as well from the central axis of the holder, the distance between each wheel location being less than the diameter of said wheels, each said secondary wheel including a cylindrical, disk section having an edge bearing surface, and having a boss extending coaxially from one side thereof, the length of said boss being equal to or greater than the thickness of said disk section.
A device for transporting loads across an obstacle-strewn surface comprising:
- a load-supporting frame;
- and
- a plurality of wheel means supporting said frame to allow rolling movement of the frame across a surface, at least one of said wheel means being a wheel assembly comprising a primary wheel which includes a generally planar wheel holder that is rotatable around a central axis, said holder comprising two parallel, spaced apart plates, said plates supporting at least four axles extending perpendicularly therebetween, one axle for each secondary wheel, at least four secondary wheels of equal diameter rotatably mounted on said axles at locations equidistant apart and equidistant from said axis, the distance between adjacent wheels being less than the diameter of said wheels, each said secondary wheel including a cylindrical, disk section having an edge bearing surface, and having a boss extending coaxially from one side thereof, the length of said boss being equal to or greater than the thickness of said disk section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.