Integrated bi-modal wheel assembly

• US 20040237831A1
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James D. Larkin, Richard B. Tremblay
• Original Assignee: James D. Larkin, Richard B. Tremblay
• Inventors: Larkin, James D., Tremblay, Richard B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,077,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 105/72
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 11/02 Units of separate wheels mounted for independent or coupled rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 17/0068 the flange being provided on a single side
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/02 convertible, e.g. from road wheel to rail wheel; Wheels specially designed for alternative use on road and rail
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 37/00 Wheel-axle combinations, e.g. wheel sets units comprising multiple wheels arranged side-by-side B60B11/00; rail vehicle axle-boxes B61F

Abstract

This invention relates generally to vehicular transportation for humans and freight by roadway and railway. More specifically, this invention relates to a unique combination of a novel roadway wheel and pneumatic tire assembly, incorporating a known automatic inflate-deflate system and a novel lightweight railway wheel; both wheels then coupled and concentrically assembled on a common axle with special provisions for the known automatic inflation and deflation of the pneumatic roadway tire.

Claims

1. An Integrated Bi-modal Wheel Assembly for an integrated road tire-rail wheel assembly wherein the roadway tire is mounted on the road wheel, and wherein the steel railway wheel has a disk portion and a rail tread portion, and an alignment wheel flange area on the disk portion of the steel railway wheel;

wherein the roadway tire has a tread, a reinforced inner alignment flange sidewall tread area on the roadway tire, the inner sidewall being fully abutted against the outside disk portion of the steel railway wheel, and the alignment flange of the roadway tire extends outwardly beyond the rail tread section of the steel railway wheel, wherein the contour of the steel railway wheel is designed and configured to accommodate the shape of the close-coupled pneumatic tire assembly.