Aircraft hubcap structure

In combination:

• a wheel half of an airplane wheel and tire assembly, said wheel half including a wheel wall of circular configuration and a cylindrical rim affixed to said wheel wall, surrounding said wheel wall and projecting outwardly from said wheel wall, said wheel wall defining a plurality of preexisting bolt holes spaced from one another and adjacent to said cylindrical rim for receiving bolts employed to interconnect said wheel half to other structure of said wheel and tire assembly;
• and
• aircraft hubcap structure, said aircraft hubcap structure including a dome-shaped hubcap having a circular-shaped periphery and a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said wheel half, said dome-shaped hubcap defining a plurality of spaced hubcap holes, and a plurality of attachment brackets, each attachment bracket including first and second bracket end portions and a bracket intermediate portion between said bracket end portions and integral therewith, the first bracket end portion of each of said attachment brackets defining an opening receiving a bolt extending through a bolt hole of the wheel half and secured thereto by a nut, and the second bracket end portion of each of said attachment brackets defining an opening receiving a mechanical connector extending through a hubcap hole securing said hubcap to said second bracket end portion, said dome-shaped hubcap completely covering said wheel half when said wheel half and said dome-shaped hubcap are connected together by said attachment brackets, said bracket intermediate portion canted sideways relative to both said first bracket end portion and said second bracket end portion, and said first bracket end portion and said second bracket end portion being offset relative to one another.

Aircraft hubcap structure fore attachment to a wheel half of an airplane wheel and tire assembly, said wheel half including a wheel wall of circular configuration and a cylindrical rim affixed to said wheel wall, surrounding said wheel wall and projecting outwardly from said wheel wall, said wheel wall defining a plurality of preexisting bolt holes spaced from one another and adjacent to said cylindrical rim for receiving bolts employed to interconnect said wheel half to other structure of said wheel and tire assembly, said aircraft hubcap structure including, in combination:

• a dome-shaped hubcap having a circular-shaped periphery and a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said wheel half, said dome-shaped hubcap defining a plurality of spaced hubcap holes;
• and
• a plurality of attachment brackets, each attachment bracket including first and second bracket end portions and a bracket intermediate portion between said bracket end portions and integral therewith, the first bracket end portion of each of said attachment brackets defining an opening for receiving a bolt extending through a bolt hole of the wheel half for securement thereto by a nut, and the second bracket end portion of each of said attachment brackets defining an opening for receiving a mechanical connector extending through a hubcap hole for securing said hubcap to said second bracket end portion, said dome-shaped hubcap completely covering said wheel half when said wheel half and said dome-shaped hubcap are connected together by said attachment brackets, each of said attachment brackets comprising a bent strip of metal and bends in said strip separating said first and second bracket end portions from said bracket intermediate portion, said first and second bracket end portions projecting laterally from a surface of said bracket intermediate portion in substantially the same direction, said aircraft hubcap structure additionally including tape applied to said bracket intermediate portion of each attachment bracket for preventing direct engagement of the bracket intermediate portion with said rim to lessen the likelihood of corrosion formation.

In combination:

• a wheel half of an airplane wheel and tire assembly, said wheel half including a wheel wall of circular configuration and a cylindrical rim affixed to said wheel wall, surrounding said wheel wall and projecting outwardly from said wheel wall, said wheel wall defining a plurality of preexisting bolt holes spaced from one another and adjacent to said cylindrical rim for receiving bolts employed to interconnect said wheel half to other structure of said wheel and tire assembly;
• and
• aircraft hubcap structure, said aircraft hubcap structure including a dome-shaped hubcap having a circular-shaped periphery and a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said wheel half, said dome-shaped hubcap defining a plurality of spaced hubcap holes, and a plurality of attachment brackets, each attachment bracket including first and second bracket end portions and a bracket intermediate portion between said bracket end portions and integral therewith, the first bracket end portion of each of said attachment brackets defining an opening receiving a bolt extending through a bolt hole of the wheel half and secured thereto by a nut, and the second bracket end portion of each of said attachment brackets defining an opening receiving a mechanical connector extending through a hubcap hole securing said hubcap to said second bracket end portion, said dome-shaped hubcap completely covering said wheel half when said wheel half and said dome-shaped hubcap are connected together by said attachment brackets, each of said attachment brackets comprising a bent strip of metal, and bends in said strip separating said first and second bracket end portions from said bracket intermediate portion, first and second bracket end portions projecting laterally from a surface of said bracket intermediate portion in substantially the same direction with the first and second bracket end portions each generally orthogonally disposed relative to said bracket intermediate portion, and said combination additionally including tape applied to said bracket intermediate portion of each attachment bracket for preventing direct engagement of the bracket intermediate portion with said rim to lessen the likelihood of corrosion formation.