Wheel centering pin, kit and method

• US 7,178,880 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James H. Andersen
• Original Assignee: James H. Andersen
• Inventors: Andersen, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bellinger; Jason R.
• Application Number:
  US10/868,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20050275278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 301/35.627, 301/35.629, 292/71, 292/73, 254/DIG.5
• US Class Current: 301/35.627
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 29/00 Apparatus or tools for mounting or dismounting wheels mounting of wheels at assembly lines B62D65/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53922 Auto wheel with auto chassis

Abstract

A wheel centering pin disclosed for vehicle wheels having apertures of uniform diameter. The wheel centering pin is provided as a set of three that are threaded on three circumferentially spaced hub bolts on which a wheel is mounted to center the wheel. Nuts are threaded on the remaining bolts and tightened to fasten the wheel to the hub. The centering pins are removed, and remaining nuts are applied in their place and tightened on the remaining bolts to center the wheel.

Claims

1. A wheel centering pin assembly comprising:

three wheel centering pins at selected circumferentially spaced positions on a hub, having a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts, having external threads, each said pin including,

a hollow main body portion having an exterior surface of uniform diameter and sized to slide into one of a plurality of apertures on a wheel when said wheel is mounted on said hubs said main body portion having a radial dimension sufficient to substantially fill a space between the outside of an associated bolt and the inside of an associate wheel aperture, said main body portion terminating in an open first end, said main body portion having internal threads that are complementary to and mate with said external threads to enable said main body portion to be threaded on one of said bolts and,

a tool engageable portion at a second end of said main body portion opposite said first end that is engaged by a tool for rotating said tool engageable portion to thread and un-thread said main body portion,

whereby upon the installation of said three pins on selected of three of said circumferentially spaced bolts said wheel is centered on said hub and a nut is tightened on each remaining of said bolts to fasten said wheel to said hub after which said pins are removed.

2. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said main body portion is of cylindrical shape.

3. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tool engageable portion is a multi-sided head.

4. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said head is hexagonal in shape.

5. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exterior surface of said main body portion is cylindrical.

6. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exterior surface substantially fills said wheel aperture and is slidable therein.

7. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said set of three centering pins are installed on bolts disposed at degree intervals of 0, 108 and 242 degrees on said hub in a clockwise direction with respect to a twelve o'"'"'clock position.

8. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said three pins are at twelve, four and eight o'"'"'clock positions.

9. The pin assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said main body portion and tool engageable portion are of a one piece metal construction.

10. A wheel centering pin assembly comprising:

three wheel centering pins at selected circumferentially spaced positions on a hub, having a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts, having external threads, each said pin including,

a hollow main body portion having an exterior surface of uniform diameter and sized to slide into one of a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures on a wheel when said wheel is mounted on said hub, said main body portion having a radial dimension sufficient to substantially fill a space between the outside of an associated bolt and the inside of an associated wheel aperture, said main body portion terminating in an open first end, said exterior surface of said main body portion is cylindrical, said main body portion having internal threads that are complementary to and mate with said external threads to enable said main body portion to be threaded on one of said bolts and,

a tool engageable portion at a second end of said main body portion opposite said first end that is engaged by a tool for rotating said head portion to thread and un-thread said main body portion, the said tool engageable portion is a hexagonal head,

whereby upon the installation of said three centering pins on selected of three of said circumferentially spaced bolts said wheel is centered on said hub and a nut is tightened on each remaining of said bolts to fasten said wheel to said hub after which said centering pins are removed.

11. A wheel centering pin assembly for use as a set of three that are temporarily installed on selected circumferentially spaced bolts on a hub for a wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures of uniform diameter, the pin assembly comprising:

three wheel centering pins at selected circumferentially spaced positions on a hub, having a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts, having external threads, each said pin including,

a hollow, cylindrical shape and main body portion having an exterior surface of uniform diameter sized to slide into one of said wheel apertures when said wheel is mounted on said hub, said main body portion having a radial dimension sufficient to substantially fill a space between the outside of an associated bolt and the inside of an associated wheel aperture, said main body portion having a socket terminating in an open first end having,

an internally threaded portion having internal threads that are complementary to and mate with said external threads to be threaded on one of said threaded bolts to enable said main body portion and,

a wrench engaging head portion of hexagonal shape at a closed second end of said hub portion opposite said first end that is engaged by a wrench of a selected size to rotate said head portion to thread and un-thread said main body portion on said one threaded bolt,

whereby upon the installation of said set of three of said pins on selected of three of said circumferentially spaced bolts said wheel is centered on said hub and a nut may be tightened on each of remaining of said bolts to fasten said wheel to said hub after which said alignment pins are removed from associated of said bolts.

12. A wheel centering kit comprising:

a set of three identical centering pins that are temporarily installed on selected of a plurality of circumferentially spaced threaded bolts having external threads on a hub for a wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures of uniform diameter, each pin having,

a hollow main body portion having an exterior surface of uniform diameter and sized to slide into one of said wheel apertures, said main body portion having a radial dimension sufficient to substantially fill a space between the outside of an associated bolt and the inside of an associate wheel aperture to center the wheel on said hub, said main body portion terminating in an open first end having,

an internally threaded portion to enable said hub portion to be threaded on one of said bolts and,

a tool engageable portion at a second end opposite said first end that is engaged by a tool to rotate said tool engageable portion to thread and un-thread said main body portion on said one bolt,

whereby upon the installation of said pins on selected of three circumferentially spaced bolts said wheel is centered on said hub and a wheel nut is tightened on each remaining of said threaded bolts to fasten said wheel to said hub after which said set of three pins are removed from associated of said threaded bolts.

13. A method of centering a wheel having circumferentially spaced apertures of uniform diameter on a hub having circumferentially spaced bolts having external threads comprising the steps of:

threading three centering pins on three of said bolts at 0, 108 and 242 degrees on said hub in a clockwise direction with respect to a twelve o'"'"'clock position, each said pin including a hollow main body portion having an exterior surface of uniform diameter sized to slide into one of a plurality of apertures on a wheel when said wheel is mounted on said hub, said main body portion having internal threads that are complementary to and mate with said external threads to enable said main body portion to be threaded on one of said bolts.

mounting the wheel on the hub with said bolts in said apertures, said pins having a radial dimension sufficient to substantially fill a space between the outside of each bolt and the inside of each wheel aperture to center said wheel on said hub,

threading nuts on the remaining of said bolts,

removing the centering pins, and

threading nuts on the remaining three of said bolts.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said three centering pins are mounted at degree intervals of 0, 108 and 242 degrees on said hub in a clockwise direction with respect to a twelve o'"'"'clock position.