Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in wheel rims for large
wheels of off-high~ay vehicles and to an improved brake disc for the disc
braking apparatus associated with the large wheels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Extremely- large off-highway vehicles are becoming widely used in
many industries, such as mining industry, large construction industry, and
the like. The excessive size and weight of these vehicles has created many
problems in the construction and operation thereof for both efficiency and
safety purposes. Of course, the wheels of these vehicles are exceptionally
large, usually requiring tires in excess of ten feet in diameter. It is
frequently particularly advantageous to mount at least the front wheels of
the vehicle independently, and the weight and loads carried by the wheels in-
creases the difficu$ty of securing the wheels to the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided in combination
with a wheel rim for a vehicle, center support means removably secured within
' said wheel rim for securing the rim to the vehicle and comprising non-rotat-
able axle means secured to the vehicle, housing means concentrically disposed
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around said axle means and rotatably supported thereby for independent rota-
~- tion with respect thereto, means cooperating between the housing means and
the wheel rim for removably securing the housing means and axle means to the
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, wheel rim, annular brake disc means removably secured to the housing means for
rotation simultaneously therewith, and brake caliper means secured to the axle
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means for selective engagement with the brake disc means for precluding rota-
~, tion of the housing means and wheel rim.
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BRTEF DESCRIPTION O~ THE DRAWINGS
ln the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments
of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a right front perspective view of an off-highway vehicle
having at least the front wheels thereon provided with a rim center support
and brake disc embodying the invention;
Figure 2 is a left rear perspective view of an off-highway vehicle
having at least the front wheels thereof provided with a rim center support
and brake disc embodying the invention;
Figure 3 is a broken sectional elevational view of a wheel rim having
a center support embodying the invention and a disc brake mechanism having a
brake disc embodying the invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective of the inboard side of a wheel mounted on
an off-highway vehicle in a manner embodying the invention; and
Pigure 5 is a view taken on line 5 - 5 of Figure 3, but of a reduced
size for illustrating the entire wheel rim and brake mechanism.
DESCRIPTTON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character 10 general-
1~ indicates an off-highway vehicle comprising a cab section 12, a dump body
2Q 14, a pair of front wheels 16 independently mounted on the opposite sides of
the cab section 12 in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth, and also a
pair of rear wheels 18 preferably journalled on the opposite ends of a common
axle 19. In the particular embodiment depicted herein~ each of the rear wheels
: 18 is driven by a suitable electric motor 20 centrally mounted within the
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wheel 18 as is well known in this type vehicle~ The front wheels 16, however,
are steering wheels, but are not power-driven wheels.
:~ Each wheel 16 comprises a tire 22 disposed around the outer peri-
pher~ of the usual wheel rim 24 as particularly shown in Figure 3~ The wheel
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rim 24 may be of an~ suitable or well~known construction; and as shown herein,
it comprises a substantially cyllndrical sleeve 26 having an outer periphery
of a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the tire 22 as is
well known. An outwardly extending circumferential flange 28 is provided
around the outer periphery of the inboard end of the sleeve 26 for receiving
the inboard side of the tire 22 thereagainst as shown in Figure 3. The flange
28 is provided with an inwardly directed annular shoulder 30 for receiving the
inner periphery of an arcuate annular ring member 32 thereon, said ring member
being provided for supporting the edge of the tire 22 on the rim 24 as is well
known.
A sleeve 34 is disposed around the outboard end o~ the sleeve 26 and
is pro~ided with a tapered outer periphery for receiving the outboard side of
the tire 22 thereon as shown in Figure 3. The outboard end of the sleeve 34
is provided with an outwardly extending circumferential flange 36 for retain-
ing an arcuate annular ring member 38 in position against the outboard side of
the tire 22 as is well known. A first annular groove 40 is provided around
the outer periphery of the sleeve 26 in the proximity of the outboard end of
the sleeve 34 for receiving an 0-ring 42 therein. The 0-ring 42 provides a
f seal between the sleeves 26 and 34 for precluding leakage of air from the in-
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terior of the tire 22. A second annular groove 44 is provided around the
outer periphery of the sleeve 26 outboard of the groove 40 for removably re-
ceiving a lock ring 46 therein. The lock ring 46 securely retains the sleeve
34 and ring 38 in position on the sleeve 26 for retaining the tire on the rim
24, all of which is well known.
A center support means generall~ indicated at 48 is provided within
the rim 24 for securing the rim 24 and tire 22 to the vehicle 10. The center
support means 48 comprises a hollow spindle ~nstub axle member 50 centrally
disposed wlthin the sleeve 26 and having a central passageway 51 extending
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longitudinally therethrough. A substantially cylindrical housing 52 is con-
centrically disposed around the outer periphery of the axle 50. A suitable
bearing assembly 54 is interposed between the left-hand end of the housing 52
and the axle 50 as viewed in Figure 3, and a second suitable bearing assembly
56 is interposed between the right-hand end of the housing 52 and the axle 50,
whereby the housing 52 is rotatably supported by the axle 50 for rotation about
its own longitudinal axis.
The bearing assembly 54 ls disposed against the outboard face of an
outwardly extending circumferential shoulder 58 provided around the outer
periphery of the axle 50 and is retained in position thereagainst by an in-
wardly directed annular shoulder 60 provided on the inner periphery of the
housing 52. The bearing assembly 56 is disposed against an inwardly directed
annular shoulder 62 provided on the inner periphery of the housing 52 in
spaced relation from the shoulder 60 and is retained in position thereagainst
b~ an annular plate member 64 which is removably secured to the outboard end
of the axle 50 by a plurality of spaced bolts 66 or the like. A substantially
cup-shaped cover member 68 is secured to the outboard end of the housing 52 by
a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts 70 or the like, to provide a
dusi cover for the axle 50 and bearing assemblies 54 and 56.
The dust cover 68 is provided with a centrally disposed sleeve mem-
ber 72 extending axially outwardly therefrom in a direction away from the
axle 50. A suitable hubodometer 74 of any well-known type, such as that manu-
factured by Engler Instrument Company, is centrally disposed within the sleeve
72 and is secured to a strap member 76 by a threaded stud member 78 and com-
plementary lock nut 80. The strap 76 is secured to the dust cover 68 by a
plurality of bolts 82, or the like for securely retaining the hubodometer 74
wlthin the sleeve 72. The hubodometer 74 rotates simultaneously with the dust
cover 68 but is "weighted" in order that upon cessation of the rotatlon there-
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of, the hubodometer will alwa~s be positioned in an upright position for fa-
cilitating reading of the numbers recorded therein, as is well known. In com-
bination with the hubodometer, a suitable rotating union 84 is secured to the
inboard side of the dust cover 68 and is secured thereby by bolts 86, or the
like. The rotating union 84 may be of any suitable type, but it may be pre-
ferable to use a Deublin Rotating Union Model 1102-15 with a 1102-5 rotor.
The rotating union 84 cooperates with the hubodometer 74 for providing a
visible reading of the number of rotations of the housing 52, and thus of the
wheel 16, all as is well known in the industry.
An annular plate 88 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured around
the outer periphery of the housing 52 and interposed between the opposite ends
thereof. An annular ring 90 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured around the
outer periphery of the plate 88 and is of an outer diameter slightly less than
the inner diameter of the sleeve 26. The outer periphery of the ring 90 is
i tapered as shown at 92 for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth. A
second annular ring 94 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the inner
periphery of the ring 90 and spaced slightly outboard of the plate 88 to pro-
vide a substantially cylindrical shoulder 96 extending outwardly from the ring
90 for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth. A substantially conical
shaped cover member 98 is rigidly secured between the inner periphery of the
ring 94 and the outer periphery of the outboard end of the housing 52 for pro-
; tection of the inboard elements, as will be hereinafter set forth.
The ring 90 is disposed ad~acent the inboard edge of a c~lindrical
ring member 100 which is welded to the inner periphery of the sleeve 26. The
ring 90 is held in position against the ring 100 by an annular ring 102 which
is disposed ad~acent the outboard edge of the ring 100 and removably secured
to the ring 90 by a plurality of spaced bolts 104, or the like. The outer
peripher~ of. the ring 100 is tapered in a manner corresponding to but opposite
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from the tapered portion 92 and as shown at 106 for a purpose as will be here-
inafter set forth.
As particularly shown in Pigure 3, the inboard and outboard edges
of the ring 100 are welded to the inner periphery of the sleeve 26, and the
welded portions are machined, or the like, to a tapered configuration comple-
mentary to the tapered portions 92 and 106 for efficiently receiving the
tapered portions 92 and 106 thereagainst. The ring 90 is positioned against
the inboard taper of the ring 100, and the ring 102 is positioned against the
outboard taper of the ring 100, and the rings 90 and 102 may be tightened se-
curely together and against the respective tapered weld portions for securing
the center support assembly 48 within the wheel rim 24. Of course, the rings
102 may be easily removed from engagement with the ring 90 for removal of the
assembly 48 from the wheel rim 24 if it is necessary for any reason.
A suitable dynamic sealing means 108 is interposed between the outer
~ periphery of the axle 50 and the inner periphery of the housing 52 spaced in-
; board of the bearing assembly 54 for sealing the interior of the housing 52
from the inboard side thereof. In addition, an outwardly extending circum-
ferential flange 110 is provided around the outer periphery of the housing 52
at the inboard end thereof. An annular brake disc 112 is removably secured to
2Q the flange 110 in any suitable manner, such as by a plurality of circumferen-
tially spaced bolts 114, or the like. An annular recess or relief groove 113
is provided around the inner periphery of the disc 112~ The brake disc 112
extends into the usual recesses 116 normally provided in disc-type brakes 118
for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth.
An axially extending sleeve 120 may be welded or otherwise rigidly
secured to the inboard end of the axle 50 and extends inwardly from the in-
board end of the sleeve 26 or tire rim 24 for supporting a pair of oppositely
disposed ~rake calipers 122. The brake calipers 122 may be welded to the
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outer periphery of the sleeve 120 and extend radiall~ outwardly therefrom in
opposite directions as particularly shown in Figure 5. In addition , it may
be preferable to weld suitable gussets or webs 124 between the outboard face
of the calipers 122 and the outer periphery of the sleeve 120 for strengthen-
ing the calipers 124. The brakes 118 are removably secured to the calipers
122 by bolts 126, or the like, as is well known, whereby the brakes 118 are
disposed within the interior of the sleeve 26 and diametrically opposed with
respect to the brake disc 112.
The brakes 118 may be of any suitable type, such as electric, or
pneumatically actuated, as desired. However, it is preferable that the brakes
be of the pneumatically actuated type. As shown in Figure 4, a substantially
upright, but canted, hollow spindle 128 is rigidly secured to the calipers 122
in the substantial center thereof and is in open communication with the interi-
or of the axle 50, whereby hydraulic lines ~not shown), pneumatic lines ~not
'~ shown~, or the like may be extended through the internal passages for actua-
tion o~ the brakes, steering system, or the like, thus providing added protec-
tion for the lines during operation of the vehicle 10. Of course, the opposite
ends of the spindle 128 are closed by suitable connector elements 130 and 132
which ma~ be utilized for connecting the spindle 128 to the vehicle 10 and
thus connect the wheels 16 to the vehicle. For ex mple, the connector element
130 is preferably provided with a suitable pivot connection 134 connected with
a suitable structural element 136 of the vehicle 10 and which is ln turn suit-
a~ly pivotally connected with an A-frame structure 138 of the vehicle 10. The
connector element 132 is preferably provided with a pivotal connection 140
connected with another suitable structural element 142, which in turn is suit-
ably connected ~ith the A-~rame structure 138 of the vehicle 10. In addition,
an outwardly extending flange 144 is provided on the outer periphery of the
~pindle 128 which is pivotally ¢ecured at 146 with the steering linkage assemb-
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1~ 148 which is ut~lized ~or steering o~ the wheels 16 in the manner set forth
in the Goodbary et al co-pending application entitled, "DUAL STEERING SYSTE~
FOR VEHICLES", Serial No. 291J479~ ~led November 22, 197~ 77~
As also shown in ~igure 4~ it is preferable to interpose a suitable
suspension assembly 150 between the structural element 136 and the vehicle 10
in any well-known manner (not shown). The suspension assembly 150 not only
facilitates the suspension of the wheels 16 from the vehicle 10 but also func-
tions as a shock absorber for absorbing substantially all of the shock from
the Nheels 16 as the vehicle 10 is driven across rough terrain, or the like.
In operation, as the vehicle lO is driven in either a forward or
rearward direction, the axle 50 of each wheel 16 is held against rotation
a~out its own longitudinal axis by virtue of the connection thereof with the
spindle 150 through the calipers 122. The wheel rim 24 and tire 16 are free
to rotate with respect to the associate axle 50, however, due to the support
of the housing 52 on the axle 50 by the spaced bearing assemblies 54 and 56.
The sleeve 26 is connected with the housing 52 by the complementary
rings ~O and 102 which are clamped to the opposite ends of the ring 100.
Thus, the wheels 16 are secured to the vehicle 10 in a manner for free rota-
tion during operation of the vehicle.
2Q When it is necessary to stop the rotation of the wheels 16 for stop-
ping the forward or rearward movement of the vehicle 10, the brakes 118 are
activated in the usual manner for frictionally engaging or gripping the oppo-
site faces of the brake disc 112. Since the brakes 118 are held stationary
through connection with the structural elements of the vehicle 10, the braking
engagement of the disc 112 will stop the rotation o~ the disc 112. Since the
disc 112 is secured to the housing 52 through the bolted connection with the
flange 110, the rotation of the housing 52 will be stopped, which in turn will
~t~p the r~tation o~ the sleeve 26. Thus, the rotation of the wheel 16 will
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be ceased upon the actlvation of the ~rakes 118.
The heat generated in the bod~ of the disc 112 is extremely great
during a braking operation because of the size and weight of the vehicle and
load carried thereby. Under ordinar~ circumstances, brake discs of this type
~requentl~ "seize" or fuse to the support flange 110, or other supporting
element therefor, because of the extreme heat generated, and it is substantial-
ly impossible to remove the disc from the assembly for replacement or repair.
The relief groove 113, however, dlssipates the heat in the material of the
disc 112; and consequently, it has been found that the disc 112 remains en-
tirely free of the flange 110, with the exception of the bolted connection
therewith, and removal and/or replacement of the disc 112 is a simple matter.
~ n addition, when it is necessar~ to remove the rim 24 from the
axle 50 and housing 52 for any reason, the ring 102 may be quickly and easily
unbolted from connection with the ring 90, and removed from the interior of
the rim. This frees the connection of the rim with the housing 52, and the
rim 24 may be pulled away from the axle in the outboard direction for ease of
removal from the vehicle 10. In order to replace the rim 24 in position around
the axle 50, the rim may be moved over the axle 50 and housing 52 in an in-
board direction until the ring 100 engages the ring 90. The ring 102 may then
be ~olted to the ring 90 and tightened thereagainst as hereinbefore set forth
for securing the rim 24 in position around the axle 50 and housing 52.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the described embodi-
ment provides a novel center support for securing a wheel rim to the wheel
axle of an off_highwa~ vehicle. The novel center support comprises a non-
rotatable spindle or axle secured to the vehicle, and a housing rotatably sup-
ported by the axle for independent rotation with respect thereto. The housing
is remova~l~ secured to the inner peripher~ of the wheel rim in a manner for
~multaneous rotation therebetween ln the engaged position, and ~or release of
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connection therebetween in the disengaged position. The wheel rim may be
quickly and easily removed from the associated wheel axle and housing, and
quickly and easily installed thereon.
In addition, a heat dissipating relief groove is provided on the
inner periphery of the brake disc associated with the wheel support structure
~or substantially precluding adhering of the disc to the wheel support struc-
ture during a braking operation. Thus, the disc is maintained completely in-
dependent of the wheel support structure at all times for facilitating removal
of the disc for repair, replacement, or the like.
Whereas the present invention has been described in particular re-
lation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other
and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein may be
made within the spirit and scope of this invention.
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