Safety restraint for break-away wheel assemblies
AssigneeWheelSafe Technology, Inc.
InventorWilliam Turner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semi-trailer wheel restraint system having at least one bearing or swivel, or a combination of bearing(s) and swivel(s), and one or more cable sections and one or more hub cab attachments for receipt into one or more wheel assemblies and through a hollow core of the trailer's axle. During a wheel bearing failure, the wheel restraint system keeps the loose wheel assembly near the end of the axle by anchoring it to the opposite-end's hub cap, thereby preventing a run-away wheel assembly and providing an operator of the truck an opportunity to safely stop the rig.
Claims39
A wheel restraint system comprising:
- a first end of a tether attached to a first hub cap at a first end of a hollow axle;
- a second end of a tether passable through the hollow axle to a second end of the hollow axle;
- and
- a second end of the tether being attachable to a second hub cap at the second end of the hollow axle;
- wherein at least one rotatable interconnect is provided between the first and second hub caps to allow the first end of the tether and the second end of the tether to rotate at different speeds and in different directions.
A method of providing a wheel restraint system comprising:
- attaching a first end of a tether to a first hub cap at a first end of a hollow axle;
- passing a second end of the tether through the hollow axle to a second end of the hollow axle;
- and
- attaching the second end of the tether to a second hub cap at the second end of the hollow axle;
- wherein at least one rotatable interconnect is provided between the first and second hub caps to allow the first end of the tether and the second end of the tether to rotate at different speeds and in different directions.
An apparatus for restraining a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly mounted on an axle assembly wherein the axle assembly comprises an axle with a first end, a second end, and a passage extending through the axle from the first end to the second end, a first hub rotatably mounted on the first end of the axle, and a second hub rotatably mounted on the second end of the axle, the first wheel assembly mountable on the first hub and the second wheel assembly mountable on the second hub, the apparatus comprising:
- a first hub cap connectable to the first hub;
- a second hub cap connectable to the second hub;
- and
- a tether extendible through the passage of the axle and having a first end connected to the first hub cap so the first hub cap is rotatable relative to the first end of the tether and a second end connected to the second hub cap so the second hub cap is rotatable relative to the second end of the tether,
- wherein when the first hub cap is connected to the first hub and the second hub cap is connected to the second hub, the first hub is interconnected to the second hub via at least the first hub cap, the tether, and the second hub cap.
An apparatus for restraining a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly mounted on an axle assembly wherein the axle assembly comprises an axle with a first end, a second end, and a passage extending through the axle from the first end to the second end, a first hub rotatably mounted on the first end of the axle, and a second hub rotatably mounted on the second end of the axle, the first wheel assembly mountable on the first hub and the second wheel assembly mountable on the second hub, the apparatus comprising:
- a first hub cap connectable to the first hub;
- a second hub cap connectable to the second hub;
- a tether having a first end and a second end, the tether extendible through the passage of the axle;
- a first stud connected to the first end of the tether and connected to the first hub cap so the first hub cap is rotatable relative to the first stud;
- and
- a second stud connected to the second end of the tether and connected to the second hub cap so the second hub cap is rotatable relative to the second stud,
- wherein when the first hub cap is connected to the first hub and the second hub cap is connected to the second hub, the first hub is interconnected to the second hub via at least the first hub cap, the first stud, the tether, the second stud, and the second hub cap.
An axle assembly, comprising
- an axle with a first end, a second end, and a passage extending through the axle from the first end to the second end;
- a first hub rotatably mounted on the first end of the axle so a first wheel assembly is mountable on the first hub;
- a second hub rotatably mounted on the second end of the axle so a second wheel assembly is mountable on the second hub;
- a first hub cap connected to the first hub;
- a second hub cap connected to the second hub;
- a tether having a first end and a second end, the tether extending through the passage of the axle;
- a first stud connected to the first end of the tether and connected to the first hub cap so the first hub cap is rotatable relative to the first stud;
- and
- a second stud connected to the second end of the tether and connected to the second hub cap so the second hub cap is rotatable relative to the second stud,
- wherein the first hub is interconnected to the second hub via at least the first hub cap, the first stud, the tether, the second stud, and the second hub cap.
A method of restraining a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly mounted on an axle assembly wherein the axle assembly comprises an axle with a first end, a second end, and a passage extending through the axle from the first end to the second end, a first hub rotatably mounted on the first end of the axle, and a second hub rotatably mounted on the second end of the axle, the first wheel assembly mounted on the first hub and the second wheel assembly mounted on the second hub, the method comprising:
- extending a tether through the passage of the axle body, the tether having a first end and a second end;
- connecting the first end of the tether to the first hub so the first hub is rotatable relative to the end of the tether;
- and
- connecting the second end of the tether to the second hub so the second hub is rotatable relative to the second end of the tether.
A method of restraining a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly mounted on an axle assembly wherein the axle assembly comprises an axle with a first end, a second end, and a passage extending through the axle from the first end to the second end, a first hub rotatably mounted on the first end of the axle, and a second hub rotatably mounted on the second end of the axle, the first wheel assembly mounted on the first hub and the second wheel assembly mounted on the second hub, the method comprising:
- extending a tether through the passage of the axle body, the tether having a first end with a first stud attached thereto and a second end with a second stud attached thereto;
- connecting the first stud to the first hub so the first hub is rotatable relative to the first stud;
- and
- connecting the second stud to the second hub so the second hub is rotatable relative to the second stud.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.