Waste container and wheel assembly with pultruded axle

• US 6,280,001 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cascade Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cascade Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Wysocki, Edward H., Herrick, Roger D., Parker, Brian G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bellinger, Jason R.
• Application Number:
  US09/495,748
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 301/111, 301/112, 301/121, 301/122, 301/126, 301/113, 301/114, 301/115, 301/131, 301/132
• US Class Current: 301/112
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 37/10 the wheels being individually rotatable around the axles
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1473 Receptacles having wheels

Abstract

A waste container having a wheel assembly comprising an axle assembly on which are slidably mounted a pair of wheels. The axle assembly comprises a pultruded shaft with opposing end caps. The end caps have an indentation for receiving a retainer to retain the wheels on the shaft.

Claims

1. In a waste container comprising a container body having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending therefrom and terminating in an upper edge to define an open top, and a wheel assembly comprising an axle assembly mounted to the container body and mounting a pair of wheels, each wheel having a central hub with a central opening for slidably receiving a portion of the axle assembly, and a pair of retainers mounted on the axle assembly for retaining each of the wheels on the axle assembly, each retainer has a keeper which is received in an indentation in the axle assembly to releasably retain the retainer on the axle assembly, the improvement comprising:

the axle assembly comprises an elongated axle having axial bores in opposing ends and a pair of end caps, each of the end caps having a head portion and a shank portion, and the shank portion is secured in one of the axial bores of the axle and wherein the indentation is formed in the end cap head.

2. The waste container according to claim 1 wherein the axle is formed by pultruding a synthetic thermoplastic resin.

3. The waste container according to claim 2 wherein the end caps are metal.

4. The waste container according to claim 3 wherein the indentations are machined grooves.

5. The waste container according to claim 2 wherein the end caps are injection molded of a synthetic resin.

6. The waste container according to claim 1 wherein the end caps are metal.

7. The waste container according to claim 1 wherein the end caps are injection molded of a synthetic resin.

8. The waste container according to claim 1 wherein each of the axial bores is tapped and a portion of the shank is threaded so that the end caps are mounted to the pultruded axle by screwing the shank into the tapped bores.

9. The waste container according to claim 1 wherein each of the shanks are slightly larger in diameter than the corresponding axial bore diameter so that the end caps are mounted to the axle by press fitting the shanks into the axial bores.

10. The waste container according to claim 1 wherein the axle is hollow to form the axial bores.

11. The waste container according to claim 1 wherein the axle is a non-metal tube.

12. The waste container according to claim 11 wherein the end caps are injection molded of a synthetic resin.

13. In a waste container comprising a container body having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending therefrom and terminating in an upper edge to define an open top, and the wheel assembly comprising an axle assembly mounted to the container body, the wheel having a central hub with a central opening for slidably receiving a portion of the axle assembly, and a retainer releasably mounted to the axle assembly for releasably retaining the wheel on the axle, the improvement comprising:

the axle assembly comprises an elongated axle formed of a pultruded fiber filled synthetic resin and further comprises a pair of separate end caps, each of which is mounted to an opposing end of the axle and is of a size to pass through the wheel hub central opening.

14. The waste container according to claim 13 wherein the elongated axle has axial bores extending into each of the first and second ends and the end caps comprise a head and a shank extending from the head and received within the axial bores.

15. The waste container according to claim 14 wherein each of the axial bores is tapped and a portion of the end cap shanks is threaded whereby the end caps are threadably mounted in the tapped bores of the pultruded axle.

16. The waste container according to claim 14 wherein each of the shanks are slightly larger in diameter than the corresponding end opening diameter so that the end caps are press fit in the axial bores of the pultruded axle.

17. The waste container according to claim 13 wherein the end caps are metal.

18. The waste container according to claim 13 wherein the end caps are injection molded of a synthetic resin.

19. A wheel assembly comprising:

a wheel having a central hub with a central opening;

an axle assembly comprising an elongated axle formed of a pultruded fiber filled synthetic resin and further comprising a separate end cap which is mounted to an end of the axle and of a size to pass through the wheel central hub central opening, and the wheel is rotatably mounted to the axle assembly, with the axle assembly received within the central opening; and

a retainer mounted to the end cap and of a size larger than the central opening to block the sliding removal of the wheel from the end of the axle.

20. The wheel assembly according to claim 19 wherein the elongated axle has axial bores extending into each of the first and second ends and the end caps comprise a head and a shank extending from the head and received within the axial bores.

21. The wheel assembly according to claim 20 wherein each of the axial bores is tapped and a portion of the end cap shanks is threaded whereby the end caps are threadably mounted in the tapped bores of the pultruded axle.

22. The wheel assembly according to claim 20 wherein each of the shanks are slightly larger in diameter than the corresponding end opening diameter so that the end caps are press fit in the axial bores of the pultruded axle.

23. The wheel assembly according to claim 20 wherein the shanks are adhesively secured in the axial bores of the pultruded axle.

24. The wheel assembly according to claim 20 wherein the shanks are mechanically secured in the axial bores of the pultruded axle.

25. The wheel assembly according to claim 19 wherein the end caps are injection molded of a synthetic resin.

26. A waste container comprising:

a container body having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending therefrom and terminating in an upper edge to define an open top; and

a wheel assembly comprising;

an axle assembly mounted to the container body and comprising;

an elongated axle formed of a pultruded fiber filled synthetic resin and terminating in a first end, with an axial bore extending into first end, and

an end cap having a head and a shank, the shank extending from the head and received within the axial bore to mount the end cap to first end of the axle,

a wheel having a central hub with a central opening for slidably receiving a portion of the axle assembly, and

a retainer releasably mounted to the axle assembly for releasably retaining the wheel on the axle.

27. The waste container according to claim 26 wherein the axial bore is tapped and a portion of the end cap shank is threaded whereby the end cap is threadably mounted in the tapped bore of the pultruded axle.

28. The waste container according to claim 26 wherein the shank is slightly larger in diameter than the corresponding end opening diameter so that the end caps are press fit in the axial bores of the pultruded axle.

29. The waste container according to claim 26 wherein the end cap is metal.

30. The waste container according to claim 26 wherein the end cap is injection molded of a synthetic resin.

31. A waste container comprising:

a container body having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending therefrom and terminating in an upper edge to define an open top; and

a wheel assembly comprising;

a wheel having a central hub with a central opening,

an axle assembly mounted to the container body and having a portion received within the central opening, and comprising an elongated axle formed of a pultruded fiber filled synthetic resin and terminating in a first end, and an end cap mounted to the first end of the axle, and

a retainer mounted to the axle assembly and of a size to abutt a portion of the wheel when the wheel is moved in an axial direction along the axle assembly to block the sliding removal of the wheel from the axle assembly.

32. The waste container according to claim 31 wherein the elongated axle has axial bores extending into the first end and the end cap comprises a head and a shank extending from the head and received within the axial bore.

33. The waste container according to claim 32 wherein the axial bore is tapped and a portion of the end cap shank is threaded whereby the end cap is threadably mounted in the tapped bore of the pultruded axle.

34. The waste container according to claim 32 wherein the shank is slightly larger in diameter than the corresponding end opening diameter so that the end caps are press fit in the axial bores of the pultruded axle.

35. The waste container according to claim 32 wherein the end cap is metal.

36. The waste container according to claim 32 wherein the end cap is injection molded of a synthetic resin.

37. The waste container according to claim 32 wherein the end cap is of a size to pass through the central opening.

38. The waste container according to claim 37 wherein the retainer is mounted to the end cap and is of a size larger than the central opening to block the sliding removal of the wheel from the axle assembly.