Wheel for rolling stock handbrake

• US 8,256,325 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADAM Christopher Fritzel Exempt Children's Trust, Nathan Michael Fritzel Exempt Children's Trust
• Original Assignee: Michael P. Fritzel
• Inventors: Fritzel, Michael P., Rains, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Luong, Vinh
• Application Number:
  US11/340,273
• Time in Patent Office: 2,413 Days
• Field of Search: 745/52, 745/58, 745/585, 298/941, 280/731, 264/129, 105/26.1
• US Class Current: 74/552
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/10 Disposition of hand control
• CPC Class Codes: B61H 13/02 Hand or other personal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A wheel is for use in manually turning a shaft on rolling stock, such as for a handbrake. The wheel has a hub and a rim. The hub is made of a first material and has an opening that is structured and arranged to receive the shaft. The opening has a rotational axis. The hub has an exterior around the rotational axis, with the hub having drive surfaces relative to the rotational axis. The rim is coupled to the hub so as to engage the drive surfaces. The drive surfaces include flat surfaces and corners of a tube portion of the hub, a radially extending plate with holes therethrough and teeth in an outer edge and gussets coupled between the tube portion and the plate. The rim has an outer periphery structured and arranged to be gripped by a human hand for rotating the wheel. The rim is made of a second material that is softer than the first material.

Claims

1. A railroad rolling stock wheel for use in manually turning a shaft, comprising:

a) a hub made of a first material, the hub having an opening that is structured and arranged to receive the shaft, the opening having a rotational axis, the hub having an exterior around the rotational axis, the hub exterior having drive surfaces relative to the rotational axis;

b) a rim molded about the hub so as to engage the drive surfaces so that when the rim is rotated, the rim rotates the hub by way of the drive surfaces, the rim having an outer periphery structured and arranged to be gripped by a human hand for rotating the wheel, the rim made of a second material that is softer than the first material;

c) the hub comprises a tube portion incorporating the opening, the tube portion having at least some of the drive surfaces in the form of flat surfaces forming a polygon when viewed in cross-section along the rotational axis;

d) the hub comprises a plate extending radially from the tube portion, the plate having other of the drive surfaces;

e) the tube portion and the plate being encompassed by the rim;

f) the plate comprises holes therethrough, the holes being separate from the hub opening, the holes comprising the other of the drive surfaces.

2. The wheel of claim 1 further comprising gussets coupled between the tube portion and the plate, the gussets forming still other of the drive surfaces.

3. A railroad rolling stock wheel for use in manually turning a shaft, comprising:

a) a hub made of a first material, the hub having an opening that is structured and arranged to receive the shaft, the opening having a rotational axis, the hub having an exterior around the rotational axis, the hub exterior having drive surfaces relative to the rotational axis;

b) a rim molded about the hub so as to engage the drive surfaces so that when the rim is rotated, the rim rotates the hub by way of the drive surfaces, the rim having an outer periphery structured and arranged to be gripped by a human hand for rotating the wheel, the rim made of a second material that is softer than the first material;

c) the hub comprises a tube portion incorporating the opening, the tube portion having at least some of the drive surfaces in the form of flat surfaces forming a polygon when viewed in cross-section along the rotational axis;

d) the hub comprises a plate extending radially from the tube portion, the plate having other of the drive surfaces;

e) the tube portion and the plate being encompassed by the rim;

f) the plate comprises teeth around an outer edge of the plate, the teeth comprising the other of the drive surfaces;

g) gussets coupled between the tube portion and the plate, the gussets forming still other of the drive surfaces.

4. A railroad rolling stock car, comprising:

a) a truck for engaging a rail;

b) a shaft separate from the truck;

c) a wheel comprising a hub made of a first material, the hub having an opening that receives the shaft, the hub having an exterior, the hub exterior having drive surfaces relative to the shaft;

d) the wheel comprising a rim molded about the hub so as to engage the drive surfaces, the rim applying rotational force to the hub by way of the drive surfaces, the rim having an outer periphery structured and arranged to be gripped by a human hand for rotating the wheel, the rim made of a second material that is softer than the first material;

e) the hub comprises;

i) a tube portion incorporating the opening, the tube portion having at least some of the drive surfaces in the form of flat surfaces forming a polygon when viewed in cross-section along the rotational axis;

ii) a plate extending radially from the tube portion, the plate having other of the drive surfaces;

iii) the tube portion and the plate being encompassed by the rim;

f) the plates comprises holes therethrough, the holes being separate from the hub opening, the holes comprising the other of the drive surfaces;

g) the wheel being exposed to the weather.

5. The railroad rolling stock car of claim 4, wherein the shaft is a handbrake shaft.

6. The railroad rolling stock car of claim 4, further comprising gussets coupled between the tube portion and the plate, the gussets forming still other of the drive surfaces.

7. The railroad rolling stock car of claim 4, wherein the hub is made of metal and the rim is made of plastic.

8. The railroad rolling stock car of claim 4, wherein the hub is made of a first plastic and the rim is made of a second plastic.