Wheel with locking center bore
AssigneeCustom Engineered Wheels, Inc.
InventorAdam Sheefel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A locking wheel useful for wheels on small vehicles. The locking wheel fits over a shaft and has a bore for receiving the end of the shaft. An outer member is connected to and spaced from the hub. A finger is adjacent to the bore and has a protrusion that extends into the bore. The finger is resilient and movable between a first and second position. The first position has the protrusion protruding into the bore and the second position has the protrusion outside of the bore with the finger being bent radially outward. The shaft has a notch or hole that receives the finger's protrusion. A locking device may selectively be placed between the outer member and the hub to prevent the finger from moving into its second position, thereby locking the hub onto the shaft.
Claims13
A locking wheel comprising:
- a hub secured within said wheel adapted for fitting over an end of a shaft, said hub including a bore having an inner diameter for receiving a shaft and said shaft having an outer surface;
- a finger cantilevered in a direction aligned with an axis of said bore and adjacent to said bore having an inner surface and an outer surface, said finger including a protrusion having a raised surface relative to said inner surface of said finger, said protrusion adapted for extending into said bore for a predetermined distance, said finger being resilient and movable between a first position and second position, said first position having said protrusion protruding inwardly into said bore, said second position wherein said protrusion is located outwardly of said bore and said outer surface of said finger is radially outward relative to said first position;
- and
- a locking device to actively restrain movement of said finger from said first position into said second position.
A locking wheel comprising:
- a hub secured within said wheel adapted for fitting over an end of a shaft, said hub including a bore defined by a bore wall having an inner diameter for receiving a shaft and said shaft having an outer surface and a notch;
- an outer cylinder connected to said hub and spaced outwardly from a finger;
- said finger cantilevered in a direction aligned with an axis of said bore and adjacent to said bore having an inner surface and an outer surface, said finger including a protrusion having a raised surface relative to said inner surface of said finger, said protrusion adapted for extending into said bore for a predetermined distance and adapted for being received in said notch on said shaft, said finger being resilient and movable between a first position and second position, said finger being aligned with said bore wall in said first position and said finger being out of alignment with respect to said bore wall in a radially outward direction in said second position;
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- a locking device insertable between said hub and said outer cylinder restraining movement of said finger from said first position to said second position when said device is between said outer cylinder and said finger, thereby retaining said axle within said bore when said protrusion is within said notch.
A locking wheel for use in combination with a shaft having an annular notch adjacent an end of said shaft, said locking wheel comprising:
- a hub secured within said wheel adapted for fitting over an end of said shaft, said hub including a bore defined by an annular bore wall having an inner diameter for receiving a shaft;
- an outer cylinder connected to said hub and spaced outwardly from said hub, said outer cylinder being substantially coaxial with said bore;
- a finger cantilevered in a direction aligned with an axis of said bore and said finger having an inner surface and an outer surface, said finger including a protrusion having a raised surface relative to said inner surface of said finger, said protrusion adapted for extending into said bore for a predetermined distance and adapted for being received in said notch on said shaft, said finger being resilient and movable between a first position and second position, said finger being substantially aligned with said bore wall in said first position and said finger being out of alignment with respect to said bore wall in a radially outward direction in said second position;
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- a locking device insertable between said hub and said outer cylinder that restrains movement of said finger from said first position to said second position when said device is located between said outer cylinder and said finger, thereby retaining said axle within said bore when said protrusion is within said notch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.