Plastic wheel assembly, mounting sleeve and universal axle

• US 7,108,335 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Geo Plastics, Co.
• Original Assignee: Geo Plastics, Co.
• Inventors: Morris, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bellinger, Jason R.
• Application Number:
  US10/835,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20040262984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 301/111.01, 301/112, 301/118, 301120-121, 301/111.03, 301/111.04, 301/132
• US Class Current: 301/111.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/001 Lightweight wheels, e.g. for strollers or toys
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 37/10 the wheels being individually rotatable around the axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 5/02 made of synthetic material
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1468 Means for facilitating the transport of the receptacle, e.g. wheels, rolls hand-operated refuse vehicles B65F3/005

Abstract

A plastic wheel assembly (122, 222) and wheel mounting sleeve (127, 227) used to releasably secure the wheel (122, 222) onto an axle (123, 223). The wheel mounting sleeve (127, 227) includes an axle stabilizing opening (100, 200) positioned in an end wall (158, 258) of the sleeve which receives an axle outer end or axle stub (199, 299) that supports the axle (123, 223) against lateral loading and stabilizes it to reduce wobble, chatter and vibration. The opening (100, 200) permits visual confirmation of proper section of the axle outer end (199, 299) in the opening (100, 200). A universal axle (223, 223a) is also provided which can be used to couple wheels (122, 222) having shaped axle bores (139, 239) to the axle using wheel mounting sleeves (127, 227), as well as being used to couple wheels (420), having straight or substantially cylindrical bores (439), to the axle using conventional fasteners (450, 461, 470).

Claims

1. A wheel assembly comprising:

an axle having a circumferentially extending notch therein inwardly of a stub end of the axle;

a wheel having a central wheel bore extending therethrough from an inner side to an outer side of the wheel; and

a wheel mounting sleeve mounted in the wheel bore and having a sleeve bore dimensioned to receive the axle, the sleeve being formed to couple the wheel to the axle against removal and being formed with a wall extending transversely at least partially across the wheel bore on the outer side of the wheel, the wall defining an opening therethrough along a central axis of the axle, the opening dimensioned to receive and laterally support the stub end of the axle beyond the notch, and the opening extending to the outer side of the wheel for visual confirmation of seating of the stub end of the axle in the opening.

2. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the sleeve includes a resilient finger carrying a tooth which engages the notch in the axle to retain the wheel on the axle.

3. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the stub end of the axle includes at least one recess axially distant from the notch.

4. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein,

the recess is provided by a circumferentially extending groove dimensioned to receive the teeth of a push-on hat fastener.

5. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the outer end of the axle beyond the notch is formed with a cotter pin receiving transverse bore therethrough.

6. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the sleeve is mounted in the wheel bore in a manner causing the wheel to rotate with the sleeve;

and

the stub end of the axle is provided with a non-circular cross-section formed to provide engagement with an opposing, mating surface of the sleeve to cause the sleeve to rotate with the axle.

7. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein,

the sleeve is mounted in an interference fit with the wheel bore to secure the sleeve to the wheel for rotation therewith.

8. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the sleeve is formed with a passageway suitable for insertion of a tool therethrough to release the wheel from the axle, and the sleeve includes a resiliently radially outwardly displaceable finger latching the sleeve to the axle with the finger being in axial alignment with the passageway, and the finger having an axially tapered inwardly facing tool engagement surface thereon.

9. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the wall defining the opening is formed with a converging entrance to the opening to assist in seating of the stub end of the axle in the opening.

10. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1, and

an insert member mounted between the wheel bore and the wheel mounting sleeve, the insert member being formed to interfit with one of the sleeve and the wheel in a manner preventing removal of the insert when the sleeve is mounted in the wheel bore.

11. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein,

the insert member includes a decorative annular surface mounted in an abutting relation to the exterior surface of the wheel radially outwardly of the wheel bore.

12. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the sleeve extends inwardly of the inner side of the wheel to provide an axial spacer concentric to the axle.

27. A wheel assembly as defined in claim 1, and

a fastening device mounted to the axle beyond the outer side of the wheel and formed to couple the wheel to the axle.

28. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 27 wherein,

the outer end of the axle body beyond the exterior wall of the wheel includes a recess therein dimensioned to receive the teeth of a push-on hat fastener.

29. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 28, and

a push-on hat fastener mounted on the outer end of the axle and coupling the axle to the wheel.

30. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 27 wherein,

the outer end of the axle body includes a transverse bore therethrough positioned outwardly of the outer side of the wheel and dimensioned to receive a cotter pin fastener.

31. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 30, and

a washer mounted on the outer end of the axle between the transverse bore and the outer side of the wheel;

and

a cotter pin mounted through the transverse bore.

32. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 27 wherein,

the outer end of the axle includes push-on hat fastener teeth-receiving groove and a transverse cotter pin receiving bore;

and

the wheel is coupled to the axle by one of;

a. a mounting sleeve engaging the axle at the notch;

b. a pawl nut engaging the axle at the groove; and

c. a cotter pin engaging the axle at the transverse bore.

33. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 27 wherein,

the axle body is tubular with an open outer end, and

an interior shoulder in the hollow axle body formed for coupling of the wheel to the axle by a fastening member formed to be inserted into the open end and to be interengaged with the shoulder.

34. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 33, and

a fastening member mounted into the open end of the axle and interengaged with the shoulder to couple the wheel to the axle.

35. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 33 wherein,

the outer end of the axle further includes at least one of a push-on hat fastener teeth-receiving groove and a transverse bore;

and

the wheel is coupled to the axle by one of;

a. a fastening member mounted into the open end of the axle and interengaged with the shoulder;

b. a mounting sleeve engaging the axle at the notch;

c. a pawl nut engaging the axle at the groove; and

d. a cotter pin engaging the axle at the transverse bore.

13. A wheel mounting sleeve comprising:

a sleeve body formed for mounting into a central wheel bore and having a sleeve bore dimensioned for mounting on an axle;

the sleeve body having at least one axle-engaging shoulder retaining the sleeve on the axle; and

the sleeve body having a transversely extending end wall having an opening therethrough dimensioned to receive an outer stub end of the axle in seated relation thereto for support of transverse loads on the axle by the end wall of the sleeve.

14. The wheel mounting sleeve as defined in claim 13 wherein,

the shoulder is provided on a resiliently outwardly displaceable finger positioned proximate the end wall and formed to engage a circumferentially extending notch in the axle positioned proximate the stub end of the axle.

15. The wheel mounting sleeve as defined in claim 14 wherein,

the finger is progressively thicker in a radial direction and in a direction extending from the distal end toward a proximal end.

16. The wheel mounting sleeve as defined in claim 13 wherein,

the sleeve body includes an extension formed to extend inwardly of the inner side of the wheel by a distance axially spacing the wheel from an apparatus to which the wheel is to be mounted.

17. The wheel mounting sleeve as defined in claim 16, and

a radially extending flange positioned proximate an inner end of the sleeve;

and the extension is slotted to enable radially inward resilient displacement of the flange as the sleeve is inserted down the wheel bore.

18. The wheel mounting sleeve as defined in claim 16 wherein,

the extension is formed with at least one opening in a side wall thereof to reduce the quantity of material used to form the sleeve.

19. The wheel mounting sleeve as defined in claim 13 wherein,

the finger is formed with a tapered, inwardly facing surface formed to receive a wheel-releasing tool there-under.

20. An axle for use with a wheel having a central bore therein terminating in a reduced diameter opening in an exterior side of the wheel, the axle comprising:

an axle body dimensioned for slidable mounting in the bore of the wheel, the axle body having a circumferentially extending notch proximate and inward of a stub end of the axle body, the stub end of the axle body extending beyond the notch and dimensioned for seating in the opening in the exterior side of the wheel, and the stub end of the axle extending beyond the notch by a distance sufficient to laterally support the axle beyond the notch and secure a fastening device to the axle body exteriorly of the wheel.

21. The axle as defined in claim 20 wherein,

the end of the axle body at a position beyond the exterior wall of the wheel includes a recess dimensioned to receive the teeth of a push-on hat fastener.

22. The axle as defined in claim 21 wherein,

the recess is a circumferentially extending groove.

23. The axle as defined in claim 20 wherein,

the outer end of the axle body is formed with a transverse passageway extending therethrough at a position beyond the exterior wall of the wheel, the passageway dimensioned to receive a cotter pin therethrough.

24. The axle as defined in claim 22 wherein,

the outer end of the axle body is formed with a transverse passageway extending therethrough at a position beyond the exterior wall of the wheel, the passageway being dimensioned to receive a cotter pin therethrough.

25. The axle as defined in claim 20 wherein,

the outer wall of the axle body is provided with a non-circular cross-section formed to provide engagement with an opposing planar surface of one of a wheel mounting sleeve and the wheel to cause the axle to rotate with the wheel.

26. The axle as defined in claim 20 wherein,

the axle body is hollow and defines an axle bore formed with at least one shoulder in the axle bore configured to enable attachment of the wheel to the axle by a coupling member formed to be inserted in an open end of the axle bore.