Axle spindle nut assembly for heavy-duty vehicles

• US 8,016,531 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hendrickson USA LLC (The Boler Company)
• Original Assignee: Hendrickson USA LLC (The Boler Company)
• Inventors: Morris, Jeffrey S., White, Jay D., Hester, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US12/482,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20090245969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 411/216, 411/221, 411/926, 411/197, 411/199, 411/217, 411/218, 411/533, 301/105.1
• US Class Current: 411/216
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/02 adapted to be rotatably arranged on axle
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/10 by a plate, spring, wire or ring immovable with regard to the bolt or object and mainly perpendicular to the axis of the boltF16B39/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/282 Locking by means of special shape of work-engaging surfaces, e.g. notched or toothed nuts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/364 with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/548 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2226/60 with threaded parts, e.g. bolt and nut connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2229/00 Setting preload
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings

Abstract

An axle spindle nut assembly secures a wheel end assembly on an axle spindle. The wheel end assembly includes outboard and inboard outboard bearings that are immovably mounted on the axle spindle, and a wheel hub which is rotatably mounting on the bearings. The spindle nut assembly includes a nut that threads onto an outboard end of the axle spindle, and is tightened against the outboard bearing to a selected torque level. The nut includes an outboard surface that is formed with a plurality of features. A washer is formed with a tab that engages a keyway of the axle spindle outboardly of the nut, and with a plurality of mating features that mechanically engage the features formed in the outboard surface of the nut to prevent substantial rotation of the nut after the nut has been tightened to the selected torque level.

Claims

1. An axle spindle nut assembly securing a wheel end assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle on an axle spindle of an axle, said axle spindle having an outboard end formed with a keyway and threads, said wheel end assembly including an outboard bearing and an inboard bearing immovably mounted on the axle spindle for rotatably mounting a wheel hub on said axle spindle, said axle spindle nut assembly comprising:

a nut formed with threads for threadably engaging said axle spindle threads, said nut capable of being tightened to a selected torque level against said outboard bearing, and having an outboard surface formed with a plurality of features, said features including a recess with radially inwardly extending teeth, said recess communicating with a pair of spaced-apart slots and the recess being formed with relief areas free of said teeth adjacent to each one of said pair of slots;

a washer disposed outboard of said nut on said axle spindle, said washer being formed with a tab for engaging said keyway of the axle spindle to prevent rotation of the washer about said axle spindle, said washer further being formed with a plurality of mating features for mechanically engaging said radially inwardly extending teeth of said nut, said mating features including radially outwardly extending teeth formed on an outer periphery of the washer whereby substantial rotation of said nut is prevented, and a selected one of said washer and said nut being formed with at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub; and

a pair of fasteners for securing said washer to said nut by insertion of said fasteners into respective ones of said slots, whereby said nub aids contact by the fasteners with the washer and the nut so that said washer is secured to said nut and is removable by removal of said fasteners and application of inboard pressure against the washer at a selected one of said slot relief areas of the nut.

2. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 1, in which the number of said teeth formed on said washer outer periphery is greater than the number of said teeth formed in said recess of said nut outboard surface.

3. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 1, in which said washer is a first washer, and further comprising a second washer disposed between said nut and said outboard bearing.

4. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 3, in which said second washer is formed with a tab for engaging said keyway of said axle spindle to prevent rotation of the second washer about said axle spindle.

5. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 3, in which said second washer is formed with graduations, and in which said nut is formed with an indicator mark, whereby the position of said indicator mark relative to said graduations indicates the rotational position of said nut.

6. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 1 in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub is a continuous nub extending along an entire inner periphery of a selected one of said nut recess and said washer.

7. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 1, in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub is a continuous nub extending along an entire inner periphery of a selected one of said nut recess and said washer, and in which said nub is formed with spaced-apart opposed relief areas.

8. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 1, in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub is a pair of opposed, generally arcuate-shaped nubs, each one of said nubs extending along a portion of an inner periphery of a selected one of said nut recess and said washer.

9. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 1, in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub has a cross-sectional generally curved-shape.

10. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 1, in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub has a cross-sectional generally triangular-shape.

11. An axle spindle nut assembly a securing a wheel end assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle on an axle spindle of an axle, said axle spindle having an outboard end formed with a keyway and threads, said wheel end assembly including an outboard bearing and an inboard bearing immovably mounted on the axle spindle for rotatably mounting a wheel hub on said axle spindle, said axle spindle nut assembly comprising:

a first washer formed with an inboard surface and an outboard surface, said first washer being disposed on said axle spindle with said inboard surface adjacent to said outboard bearing;

a nut formed with threads for threadably engaging said axle spindle threads, said nut capable of being tightened to a selected torque level against said outboard surface of said first washer, and having an outboard surface formed with a plurality of features, said features including a recess with radially inwardly extending teeth, said recess communicating with a pair of spaced-apart slots and said recess being formed with relief areas free of said teeth adjacent to each one of said pair of slots;

a second washer disposed outboard of said nut on said axle spindle, said second washer being formed with a tab for engaging said keyway of the axle spindle to prevent rotation of the second washer about said axle spindle, said second washer further being formed with a plurality of mating features for mechanically engaging said radially inwardly extending teeth of said nut, said mating features including radially outwardly extending teeth formed on an outer periphery of the washer whereby substantial rotation of said nut is prevented, and a selected one of said washer and said nut being formed with at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub; and

a pair of fasteners for securing said second washer to said nut by insertion of said fasteners into respective ones of said slots, whereby said nub aids contact by the fasteners with the second washer and the nut so that said second washer is secured to the nut and is removable by removal of said fasteners and application of inboard pressure against the second washer at a selected one of said slot relief areas of the nut.

12. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11, in which the number of said teeth formed on said second washer outer periphery is greater than the number of said teeth formed in said recess of said nut outboard surface.

13. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11, in which said first washer is formed with a tab for engaging said keyway of said axle spindle to prevent rotation of the first washer about said axle spindle.

14. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11, in which said first washer is further formed with graduations, and in which said nut is formed with an indicator mark, whereby the position of said indicator mark relative to said graduations indicates the rotational position of said nut.

15. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11 in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub is a continuous nub extending along an entire inner periphery of a selected one of said nut recess and said second washer.

16. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11, in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub is a continuous nub extending along an entire inner periphery of a selected one of said nut recess and said second washer, and in which said nub is formed with spaced-apart opposed relief areas.

17. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11, in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub is a pair of opposed, generally arcuate-shaped nubs, each one of said nubs extending along a portion of an inner periphery of a selected one of said nut recess and said second washer.

18. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11, in which said at least one generally circumferentially-extending nub has a cross-sectional generally curved-shape.

19. The axle spindle nut assembly of claim 11, in which said at least one circumferentially-extending nub has a cross-sectional generally triangular-shape.