Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02327442 2002-09-27
TITLE
WHEEL ADAPTER
The present invention relates to mounting wheels on vehicles, and more
particularly to a wheel and adapter that effectively decreases the distance
between tires of the
vehicle to facilitate the use of the vehicle on a railroad track.
The concept of using a wheel adapter is not new. A typical purpose of a wheel
adapteris to install a wheel that is different from the original equipment
manufacturers' wheel.
Wheel adapters may be used to: install a wheel that has a different bolt
pattern; to install a
1 o wheel that has a different tire size; to install a wheel to increase the
tire track (center to center
of tire); and to convert a single rear wheel to a dual rear wheel.
In each of the above uses the final position of the wheel and the associated
tire
is moved outwardly of the original position. In situations where the opposite
effect is desired,
a reduction in the distance between the wheel and associated tire sets
typically has an
undesirable affect on the riding and handling characteristics of the vehicle.
When the wheel
and tire sets of the front end suspension are moved inwardly, the turning
radius of the vehicle
is restricted due to interference between the tire and the frame and/or the
brake calipers. In
certain vehicles, it is required that the tire track be reduced to allow the
tires of the vehicle to
be properly positioned on a railroad track.
2 o For a railroad application, the tire size is typically increased from 16
inches to
19.5 inches, which is the maximum size allowable to ensure for adequate
clearances. The
normal offset of the 16-inch wheel is 0.50 inches. To allow the tire to ride
on railroad track, a
special wheel is required that has enough clearance to clear a brake caliper
or use a deep
offset rim such as for example, a 5-inch offset, and use an adapter to bring
the rim to the final
2 5 desired position.
Heretofore, a means has not been available to produce a wheel of different
size
that will allow a single rear wheel truck such as a one-half-ton, three-
quarter-ton, or single rear
wheel one ton truck that will interchange with the given wheel mounted on a
wheel hub and
allow the tire to be positioned on railroad track. Thus, there is a need for
such a wheel
3 o adapter.
An object of the present invention is to produce a wheel adapter which
provides
the option of mounting a wheel of different size and wheel track than the
wheel originally
supplied on the wheel hub.
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Another object of the present invention is to produce a wheel adapter that
minimizes the length of the wheel mounting stud which thereby minimizes the
thickness of the
adapter allowing the adapted wheel to be moved inward so the tire will sit on
the railroad rail.
Still another object of the present invention is to produce a wheel adapter,
which allows the adapter to be mounted to a hub that has various bolt circles,
various number
of mounting studs and various size mounting studs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
1 o According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
wheel
and adapter for mounting a wheel on a vehicle having an annular array of
spaced apart wheel
mounting studs on a wheel hub with a pilot, comprising: an annular rim having
spaced apart
marginal edges, the edges lying in spaced apart parallel planes; a web having
a first end
integral with said rim and a second end terminating in a centrally disposed
aperture in a plane
parallel with the planes of the edges of said rim and spaced outwardly from
one of the planes,
the second end of said web having an annular array of spaced apart stud
receiving holes
formed therein; an adapter plate having an annular array of spaced apart holes
therethrough,
the holes through said adapter plate being adapted to respectively receive the
wheel mounting
studs, said adapter plate having a central aperture formed by an inner surface
of said adapter,
2 o the inner surface of said adapter providing a bearing surface for the
wheel hub pilot, said
adapter~plate having a first and a second spaced apart surface; a plurality of
studs protruding
from said adapter plate and arranged so as to extend respectively through the
stud receiving
holes in said web; a raised circular pilot protruding outwardly from the first
surface of said
adapter plate substantially parallel to said studs and extending radially
outwardly from the
2 5 aperture of said adapter plate, said pilot providing a bearing surface
forthe second end of said
web; and a raised annular surface protruding from the second surface of said
adapter plate
and extending radially outwardly from the aperture of said adapter plate.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
wheel adapter, hub, and wheel structure with the adapter capable of disposing
the wheels
3 o relative to one another such that the wheels drivingly contact a
conventional railroad track,
comprising: a hub having an outwardly extending annular array of studs; a
brake mechanism
mounted to impede mounting said hub; an adapter plate having a central
aperture for
receiving said hub, an annular array of apertures surrounding the central
aperture for
CA 02327442 2004-11-25
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receiving the studs of said hub, a pilot extending annularly about the central
aperture, and a
outwardly extending annular array of studs; and a concave wheel having
apertures for
receiving the studs of said adapter and encompassing said brake mechanism,
wherein said
wheel is positioned to sit on a conventional railroad track.
The above, and other objects, features, and advantages of the present
invention will be understood from the detailed description of the preferred
embodiments of the
present invention when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings,
in which:
Fig. 1 is an exploded partially cut-away view of the wheel adapter system
including a rim, a hub, and an adapter of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the wheel adapter system illustrated in Fig. 1
in an
assembled form;
Fig. 3 is a left hand elevational view of the hub and adapter illustrated in
Fig.
2;
and
Fig 4. is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown
generally at 10 a wheel adapter. The wheel adapter 10 includes an annular
adapter plate 12.
The adapter plate 12 has two flat surfaces 14, 16 and a curved outer
peripheral edge 18. A
plurality of holes 20 are formed in the adapter plate 12 and extend from one
surface 14 to the
2 0 other surface 16. The holes 20 are equally spaced apart from each other
and form an annular
array.
The adapter plate 12 has an annular inner surface 22 that defines a centrally
disposed aperture 24. A raised circular pilot 26 is disposed radially outward
from the inner
surface 22 on one surface 14 of the adapter plate 12. The pilot 26 is in
coaxial alignment with
the aperture 24 of the adapter plate 12. A portion of each of the holes 20 is
formed through
the pilot 26 to permit a lug nut 27 to freely pass to rest against a
countersunk portion 28 of the
hole as illustrated in Fig. 2. The flat surface 16 of the adapter plate 12 is
contoured to clear a
break caliper 29 illustrated in phantom Fig. 2. In the embodiment shown, a
portion of the
surface 16 is disposed at an angle with respect to the remainder of the
surface 16.
3 o A plurality of studs 30 protrude from the adapter plate 12. Each of the
studs 30
has a threaded outer surface for receiving a lug nut 31 as illustrated in Fig.
2. One end of each
of the studs 30 has a head 32 disposed on one end. The embodiment illustrated
in Figs. 2 and
3 shows a hole 34 with a countersunk portion 36, through which the stud 30 is
inserted. The
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head 32 is disposed in the countersunk portion 36, which restricts the axial
movement of the
stud 30.
An annular array of spaced apart studs 38 extend outwardly from a wheel hub
40. Each of the studs 38 has a threaded outer surface for receiving the lug
nut 27 as
illustrated in Fig. 2. A pilot 42 is disposed on the wheel hub 40 concentric
with and radially
inward of the studs 38. The pilot 42 protrudes outwardly from the wheel hub 40
parallel to the
studs 38.
A wheel assembly is formed to include an annular rim 44 and an associated
web 46. The rim 44 terminates in spaced apart edges 48, 50 which cooperate
with the beads
of a tire '(not shown) to create an air tight seal between the rim 44 and an
associated tire. The
web 46 has a first edge 52 that is attached and integral with the rim 44 near
edge 50. The web
46 extends in a substantially frusta conical shape and terminates at a second
edge 54 that
forms a centrally disposed aperture. The aperture formed by the second edge 54
of the web
46 lies in a plane which is parallel to a plane in which the edge 48 of the
rim 44 lies in. A flat
annular portion 56 is formed near the second edge 54 of the web 46. An annular
array of
spaced apart holes 58 is formed in the flat annular portion 56 of the web 46.
The holes 20 of the adapter plate 12 are arranged to receive the studs 38 of
the wheel hub 40. At the same time, the pilot 42 is received within the
aperture 24 of the
adapter plate 12. The inner surface 22 of the adapter plate 12 provides a
bearing surface for
2 o the pilot 42 to prevent all of the weight of the associated vehicle (not
shown) to be carried
solely by the studs 38. Once the studs 38 have been inserted into the holes
20, the lug nut
27 is tightened on the stud 38 to fixedly attach the adapter plate 12 to the
wheel hub 40.
The holes 58 of the web 46 are arranged to receive the studs 30 of the adapter
plate 12. At the same time, the pilot 26 of the adapter plate 12 is received
within the aperture
2 5 formed by the second edge 54 of the web 46. The pilot 26 of the adapter
plate 12 provides
a bearing surface for the second edge 54 of the web 46 to prevent all of the
weight of the
associated vehicle to be carried solely by the studs 30. Once the studs 30
have been inserted
into the holes 58, the lug nut 31 is tightened on the stud 28 to fixedly
attach the wheel
assembly to the adapter plate 12.
3 o The purpose of the invention is to attach and pilot a slightly larger
truck rim on
a truck hub such that the position would enable the truck tire to be
positioned on an
associated rail. Further, to accomplish the objective, the normal wheel
receiving studs 38 must
be shortened so that they cannot pass to contact the web 46 of the rim 44. The
studs 38 are
CA 02327442 2002-09-27
just long enough to be secured through the adapter plate 12 and receive a
fastening lug nut
27.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present
invention
has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred
embodiment. However,
it should be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as
specifically
illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
