Adjustable wheel and axle assembly for a work vehicle
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsGregory Dean Radke, Dennis Aaron Bowman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adjustable wheel and axle assembly has a two piece inner element with inner and outer tapered portions. A wheel hub having a two-tiered tapered interior bore with one tapered portion engaging the inner element while the other tapered portion is radially space outward. A split ring wedge fits between the inner element and the wheel hub and is drawn in by a plurality of bolts extending through the wheel hub to clamp the inner element onto the axle. The taper angle is in the range of 14-16 degrees so that the parts are self releasing. A pinion gear with an integral shaft extending outward is used to move the wheel along the axle for adjusting the wheel position.
Claims7
An adjustable wheel and axle assembly for a work vehicle comprising:
- an elongated axle;
- a two piece inner element surrounding the axle and including an axial tubular portion having an inner cylindrical surface axially slidably fitting the axle and an outer double tapered portion having a large center portion and inner and outer tapered portions extending axially inward and axially outward respectively from the center portion;
- a wheel hub encircling the axle and inner element, the hub having a two-tiered tapered interior bore with a small diameter first tapered portion complementing and fitting onto one of the inner and outer tapered portions of the inner element and a large diameter second tapered portion that is tapered in the same direction as the small diameter first tapered portion and is radially spaced outward from the other of the inner and outer tapered portions;
- a split ring wedge having a radially inner tapered portion complementing and fitting onto the other of the inner and outer tapered portions and a radially outer tapered portion complementing and fitting into the large diameter second tapered portion of the wheel hub;
- and
- the wheel hub and the split ring wedge having aligned axially extending bores, the bores in one of the wheel hub and the split ring wedge being threaded to receive bolts to draw the split ring wedge toward the wheel hub whereby the tapered portions of the wheel hub, split ring wedge and inner element urge the inner element into tight engagement with the axle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.