AU2011100101A4 - Universal bushing for a wheel hub - Google Patents

Universal bushing for a wheel hub Download PDF

Info

Publication number
AU2011100101A4
AU2011100101A4 AU2011100101A AU2011100101A AU2011100101A4 AU 2011100101 A4 AU2011100101 A4 AU 2011100101A4 AU 2011100101 A AU2011100101 A AU 2011100101A AU 2011100101 A AU2011100101 A AU 2011100101A AU 2011100101 A4 AU2011100101 A4 AU 2011100101A4
Authority
AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
hub
wheel hub
air
seal
grease
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
AU2011100101A
Inventor
Anthony Cunningham
Henry Dombroski
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
VERSEO DISTRIBUTION Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
VERSEO DISTRIB Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by VERSEO DISTRIB Pty Ltd filed Critical VERSEO DISTRIB Pty Ltd
Priority to AU2011100101A priority Critical patent/AU2011100101A4/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of AU2011100101A4 publication Critical patent/AU2011100101A4/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60BVEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B27/00Hubs
    • B60B27/02Hubs adapted to be rotatably arranged on axle

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Rolling Contact Bearings (AREA)

Description

UNIVERSAL BUSHING FOR A WHEEL HUB FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention is related to the field of wheel hubs and, in particular, to an improved bushing for use on a non-standard axle that allows for optimum contact with a seal wherein the wheel hub can accept pressurization with air or grease. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 100021 Wheel hubs for use in securing a wheel assembly to an axle are well known. By way of illustration, a conventional trailer for general cargo, boat, snowmobile, personal watercraft, etc. utilizes a fixed axle secured to a trailer frame. A wheel assembly is coupled to the axle by use of a wheel hub. The wheel hub employs a bearing assembly to allow free rotation of the hub in relation to the axle. Thus, the wheel assembly, which includes the tire and rim, permits movement of the trailer when towed by a powered vehicle, such as an automobile. The conventional wheel hub employs bearings, namely an inner and outer bearing with an associated inner and outer race, allowing rotational movement in relation to the axle. [00031 As with any friction producing components, it is imperative that the rotating element, bearings, are lubricated in order to prevent premature wear. Grease is typically used which liquefies during bearing rotation for proper lubricating of the bearings. Ideally the grease is sealed within the hub by use of a seal positioned along an inner side surface of the hub, and a bearing cap that acts as a seal and is positioned along an outer side surface of the hub. The seals are used to prevent liquefied grease from escaping the hub joint, and contaminants from entering the hub. 10004] The integrity of the seal and is critical to prevent loss of grease. Absence of lubricant can quickly lead to catastrophic failure of the bearings such as hub disengagement with the axle, Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC wheel assembly loss, and the associated dangerous scenario of property and possibly life endangerment. For instance, a trailer carrying a heavy load such as a 25 foot boat, will quickly heat up a bearing that is not properly lubricated. Should the bearing fail, the bearing and race will typically disintegrate with a likely result of the hub and wheel detaching from the axle of the trailer. Boat trailers present an excellent example of premature wear as a boat trailer is typically submerged in water for loading or unloading of the boat. Should there be a failure of the seal, water is allowed to enter the hub resulting in the premature wear. In addition, should the water be saltwater, bearing disintegration is greatly enhanced since rust forming on the bearing surfaces will accelerate the destruction the bearings within a very short time. The Applicant recognized this problem and provided a solution that allows for the pressurization of a wheel hub which provides a visual depiction that the seal integrity has not been breached. The Applicant has been granted a number of patents in this area including U.S. Patent 7,125,084; 7,185,955 and 7,226,133 the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 100051 While the industry has attempted to standardize, by sizing the inner and outer bearing journals, the remainder of the axle may not be of a standardized size. In such instances the seal must be sized to prevent lubricant from escaping the wheel hub, as well as contaminants from entering the wheel hub. While the consumer may simply pump in enough grease to create a seal, the problems mentioned above regarding possible lubricate loss is heighten when a seal is used to address imperfections in the axle. Further, once the seal allows an exposure of the lubricant, external containments may contaminant the lubricant, again leading to early bearing failure. [0006] The trailer axles manufactured for the Australian market exemplify the problems since standardized axles are not employed. In Australia, trailer axles are manufactured with the seal surface of a non standard size for the same class (Size) of axle. As the present time the Applicant is Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC 2 aware of at least six different seal surface sizes currently used in the Australian market alone, each spindle having different measurements that need different sized seals or a large flexible seal for each spindle. The bearing surfaces are standardized so in an effort to provide proper sealing of a non standardized axle, the cost of the seal mechanism will increase when a larger flexible seal is employed. However, the flexible seal that is employed has minimal strength and is not suitable for use in air pressurized wheel hubs such as that taught by the Applicant. For the above reasons, bearing failure on non-standard axles is extremely high. [0007] Grease filled wheel hubs, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,172,620 employ a zerk fitting on the back of a hub and combine it with a grease cap having a small orifice/one way check valve to show when the hub is full of grease. U.S Patent 4,784,500 discloses a wheel hub that is hollowed out for a conduit that goes from the front to the back of the hub to allow grease into the hub. In both of these applications, the hub is actually pressured by the grease during filling, unfortunately the grease is pushed out of the seal as well which damages the seal and the excess grease remains a hazard to the environment. [0008] Thus, what is lacking in the art is a universal bushing that includes a seal surface capable of fitting every axle in the same class (Size) so a hub can be sealed properly without measuring the current seal surface. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [00091 A universal bushing that will fit every axle in the same class (Size) so a wheel hub can be properly sealed and capable of being pressurized with air or grease. 100101 An objective of the invention is to supply a bushing surface of a material that will not corrode in the elements and will have a smooth surface that will allow a seal to run its maximum life. Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC [00111 Another objective of the invention is to combine the bushing with an air pressurization system to protect bearing cavities ingress of contamination. [00121 Still another objective is to provide an apparatus that indicates the amount of pressure to the user to indicate if the bearing cavity is protected or not [0013] Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide an easy lubrication system for greasing and exchanging grease in a hub without removing the hub from the spindle. [0014] Yet objective of this invention to provide a low cost wheel hub assembly capable of providing an air-tight seal on non-standard axles and provide a visual indicator of air pressure within the hub for use in monitoring oil seal integrity. [00151 It is another objective of the instant invention to provide a bushing that does not require measurement of the axle diameter. [00161 Yet still another objective of the instant invention is to provide a positive pressure within the hub at all times to prevent the entrance of particles within the hub. 10017] It is a further objective of the instant invention to provide a hub cap designed to protect wheel bearing assemblies which does not harm natural water environments by facilitating grease expulsion, thereby representing an improvement over the prior art devices. [00181 A further objective is to provide a system to initially add grease to a wheel hub and exchange old grease with out taking off the wheel hub. [0019] Yet another objective is to provide a grease fitting at the back of a wheel hub between the inner race and seal to where the hub can be greased while on the spindle where the grease fills the hub cavity between the seal and inner bearing and once the cavity is filled, the grease presses through the inner bearing outwards through the hub into the center of the hub cavity and after filling the center of the hub cavity the grease is pressed through the back of the outer bearing exiting through Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC 4 the outer bearing into the cap and exiting out of the hole in the cap into a container for proper disposal. [0020] Still another objective is to provide a system that will allow repacking bearings with new grease and at the same time indicate the condition of the old grease to indicate if a problem might exist. [00211 Still another objective is to provide a system that will not allow over grease pressurization, and damaging of a seal during greasing. [0022] In accordance with the above objectives, a universal bushing is provided that will press fit onto the spindle's inner bearing surface and seat at the back of the spindle overshooting the original seal surface on the spindle where the original seal surface becomes irrelevant. The bushing is made with a formable shape on the press fit side so when the bushing is pressed on, it forms to the back of the spindle's shape. The bushing is bonded to seal it to the back of the spindle so it becomes sealed to the spindle. [00231 The advantages of the universal seal is best illustrated when used in combination with a pressurized wheel hub. A pressurized wheel hub comprises a wheel hub having bearings that are rotatably securable to an axle with seals between the wheel hub and the axle. An inner seal is placed over the universal bushing that is bonded to the spindle, the bushing is not load bearing and the various sizes of the spindle and be accommodated by the bonding agent. The use of the seal allows for the forming a closed air space around the bearings. In a pressurized wheel hub, the hub cap comprises a cylindrical housing having an outer end and an open inner end, the open inner end being adapted for attachment in an air-tight sealing arrangement to the outer end of a wheel hub to form a closed air system with the interior of the wheel hub. An air valve located in the outer end, or a grease fitting located on an inner end, provides a means for pressurizing the closed air system. The Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assigned: Air Tight LLC 5 outer end preferably includes a pressure deformable portion of the valve in connection with the closed system operable to provide a visual indication of the pressure in the closed system whereby a breached seal condition within the wheel hub can be detected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [00241 Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a wheel hub with a universal seal; [0025] Fig. 2 is a cross sectional side view the universal seal mounted on a spindle; [0026] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a wheel hub having an air pressurized hub; and [00271 Fig. 4 is a cross sectional side view of a wheel hub having a grease pressurized hub. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [00281 Although the invention will be described in terms of a specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications, rearrangements, and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto. [00291 Now referring to Figures 1 and 2, set forth is an axle 100, having a spindle 102 defining a location for placement of an inner bearing journal 104 and an outer bearing journal 106, the bearing journals are not shown in Figures 1 and 2 for clarity purposes. It should be noted that the only consistent measurement on the spindle is the dimensions of the bearing journals 104 and 106 in the same class (Size) axle. The universal bushing 120 of the instant design will slightly press fit onto the surface 108 of the inner bearing journal 104 location, the surface 108 having a dimensioned back surface 110. The bushing 120 overlays the original seal surface 112, where the original seal surface becomes irrelevant, and may consist of an air gap 113 covering the old seal surface. The aperture 114 in the bushing 120, where it press fits onto the spindle, will keep the tolerances in line with the Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC 6 bearing journal so the seal will ride in tolerance on the bushing. The bushing 120 is made with a formable shape on the press fit side so when the bushing is pressed on, it forms to the back of the spindle's shape like a glove. The bushing 120 is bonded with a bonding agent 116 to seal it to the spindle. The bushing 120 is placed over the end 101 which can be press fitted to the back of the spindle in the field using an old inner bearing as a tool. [00301 In operation the bonding agent 116, such as Loctite, is placed along the back 110 of the inner journal 104 location. The amount of bonding agent is minuscule as the standardization regulates a close tolerance of the at the back surface 110. The bushing 120 covers a portion of the axle as depicted by the air gap 112 which may also collect excess bonding agent 118. During installation, the bushing 120 is placed over the end 101 of the spindle 102 and press fitted over the inner bearing surface 104 until positioned against the back 110 of the spindle thereby conforming to the spindle dimensions and providing a seal surface 122. It should be noted that the inner bearing journal location 104 including the back 110 surface of the spindle are highly machined to a standardized size which allows for the proper positioning of the bushing 120. The outer surface 122 of the bushing 120 now provides a precise machined surface that is non-corrosive and available for receipt of a seal. The seal 130 is secured to the inner surface of the wheel hub 150 and provides a flexible sealing lip 132 that is constructed and arranged to provide the most efficient sealing to the bushing with the longest longevity. [00311 In a pressurized wheel hub assembly, hub cap 152 is secured to the wheel hub 150 and a flexible diaphragm 154 is secured to the hub cap 152. In this embodiment, a pressurized air hub is filled by use of a sport needle 156 that fits through an aperture 160 in the flexible diaphragm. Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC 7 The installed hub cap 152 initially receives air from a pressurized air source such as a basketball air pump through the air valve 160 until the air pressure is approximately 1-10 psi. If an air pressure of 1-10 psi cannot be achieved, this would be indicative of a broken seal within the wheel hub. [0032] Fig. 3 illustrates a conventional mode of assembly of a wheel hub with the inner and outer bearings wherein the axle 6 is concentrically coupled to the inner bearing assembly 3, the wheel hub 9, and outer bearing assembly 4, and secured by washer and nut assembly. The hub cap 10 of the invention is attached to the wheel hub 9 by frictional fit. In order to provide an improved air tight seal at the point of connection of the bearing assembly 3 and the axle 6, the system of the invention includes the bushing 120 secured to the spindle, the use of the bushing allows the use of a seal capable of being pressurized. [00331 The hub cap can be removed allowing inspection of the outer bearing of the hub without removal of the wheel hub. Once the bearing has been inspected and or greased, the hub cap can be reinserted and the bellows made available for receipt of pressurized air. [00341 The present invention advantageously allows the user (or a law enforcement official) to visually inspect each trailer wheel to determine the integrity of the seals within the wheel hub. If the pressure is maintained within a wheel hub, the flexible bellows 33 is expanded. and the trailer wheels can be safely submerged without danger of water damage. When a loss in air pressure is observed the bellows is collapsed and it is an indication that repairs to restore the integrity of the seals must be completed before the trailer can be used in water. While the prior art devices also provide a visual indication of broken seals, they do not require repairs in order to continue use of the trailer, but instead allow the user to temporality remedy the situation by pumping grease into the wheel hub to stop water penetration by maintaining the grease under pressure. Since the leak has not been actually been repaired, the grease continues to be ejected into the water when the prior art Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC 8 devices are used. In contrast, the system of the present invention requires the repair of hub leaks, and does not continuously pollute the waters in which the trailer is deployed. [00351 Referring to Fig 4, a lubrication system can be added to initially add grease to a wheel hub and exchange the old grease in a wheel hub with out taking off the hub. In this embodiment a grease fitting positioned at the back of a wheel hub 202 between the inner race cup 204 & inner bearing 206, and the seal 208. The hub can be greased while on the spindle 210 where the grease fills the hub cavity and presses through the inner bearing outwards through the hub into the center of the hub cavity 212 and after filling the center of the hub cavity the grease is pressed through the back of the outer bearing cup 220 and cone 222 exiting through the outer bearing into the cap 224 and exiting out of the hole 226 in the cap into a container for proper disposal. The end cap 224 is made with a large hole so that a rubber plug or diaphragm 230 is easily removed to allow the grease to be expelled. All of the old grease can be exchanged in a short amount of time. This system will repack the bearings with new grease and at the same time indicate the condition of the old grease to where a problem might exist. The lubrication system can be added to an axle without changing out the axle. The hub can be made to accept a grease fitting that can be threaded or pressed into the hub. The wheel hub 202 of this instant embodiment includes a spindle washer 232. spindle nut 234, with a cotter pin hole 236 available for receipt of a cotter pin to assure the locking nut 240 remains in position. [0036] The diaphragm used for either the air or grease filling, is preferably flexible and deformable in response to pressure within the wheel hub. As the pressure increases within the wheel hub, the valve face deforms outwardly. If the diaphragm is expanded, the integrity of the air or grease trapped within the hub is visually confirmed. If the diaphragm is tlat showing no positive signs of Inventor: Heiry Dombioski and Anthony Cuninghmm Provisional Patect Applicadton Assignec: Air Tight LLC 9 Anv Doe. No. Mc Hale & Slavin 242 I .0 expansion, an observer could immediately detect that a breached condition has occurred and warrants investigation. [00371 The diaphragm can be may also be formed as a bellows. The bellows may be tubular with circumferential rings spaced along the length of the structure defining connected air chambers. The rings restrict the expansion of the bellows and provide shape to the expanded bellows. The bellows may be designed to expand in a certain sequence relative to the air pressure present in the wheel hub. For example, 5psi (pounds per square inch)air pressure would inflate one chamber and 10 psi would expand another chamber. In this manner, the air valve would operate as a visual or tactile gauge to indicate a trend and show any remaining air pressure. [00381 It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings. The instant invention can be used on automobile and truck axles including CV joints, or on any other coupling where integrity of the bearing housing is critical. It should be noted that proper seals prevents road grit or other contaminants from entering the bearing housing thereby enhancing bearing life. Investor: Hery Dombrski and Andhony Cuniinin gha Prent Application Assignce: Air Tighr LLC 10 Atty Dc. No. McHfale & SLavin 2421.011

Claims (6)

1. An apparatus for use with non-standard axles to improve sealing of wheel hubs, comprising: a housing having an outer end and an inner end, said inner end including a bushing means adapted for attachment to an outer end of said conventional wheel hub; providing an air-tight sealing arrangement, wherein said bushing means provides an air-tight sealing arrangement for the wheel hub.
2. The apparatus according to Claim 1 including a pressure defornable valve in the outer end of a hub cap to provide a visual indication of the pressurized air or grease within the wheel hub, said air pressure deformable valve includes a bellows expanding in direct relation to the pressure within said wheel hub.
3. The apparatus according to Claim I including a removable cover in said outer end of said hub cap to means for expelling of old lubricant without removing the wheel hub from an axle.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said outer end of said hub cap includes an aperture, a valve sealed in said aperture, said valve having a resilient body with a through bore forming a passageway for said pressurized air, the portion of said valve between said aperture and said through bore forming a deformable valve face, said valve face adapted to close said through bore and extend outwardly from said outer end under influence of said pressurized air. Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC 11
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bushing means includes an inner surface that is constructed and arranged to fit over non-standard axles, said bushing means bonded to the axle and an outer surface that forms a seal surface for a rotating seal.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bushing means includes an annular shoulder adapted to press fit over the inner bearing journal surface of an axle. Inventor: Henry Dombroski and Anthony Cunningham Provisional Patent Application Assignee: Air Tight LLC 12
AU2011100101A 2011-01-25 2011-01-25 Universal bushing for a wheel hub Ceased AU2011100101A4 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2011100101A AU2011100101A4 (en) 2011-01-25 2011-01-25 Universal bushing for a wheel hub

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2011100101A AU2011100101A4 (en) 2011-01-25 2011-01-25 Universal bushing for a wheel hub

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
AU2011100101A4 true AU2011100101A4 (en) 2011-02-24

Family

ID=43617104

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
AU2011100101A Ceased AU2011100101A4 (en) 2011-01-25 2011-01-25 Universal bushing for a wheel hub

Country Status (1)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2011100101A4 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11518190B2 (en) * 2017-10-23 2022-12-06 Hendrickson United Kingdom Ltd Heavy-duty connections e.g. for axle/suspension systems

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11518190B2 (en) * 2017-10-23 2022-12-06 Hendrickson United Kingdom Ltd Heavy-duty connections e.g. for axle/suspension systems

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
AU2005225046A1 (en) Visual indicator for pressurized hub
US7740036B2 (en) Pressurized wheel hub system
CA2724001C (en) Integrated rotary union and hub cap
US7207365B2 (en) Central tire inflation system rotary air union
US7547077B2 (en) Wheel and other bearing hubs safety restraint devices, locks and visual warning indicators
US7125084B2 (en) Environment protector-pressurized wheel hub
US20180222258A1 (en) Steer axle tire inflation system
US4941550A (en) Bearing lubricating device
US6203114B1 (en) Temperature indicator for a semi-fluid synthetic grease filled axle
WO2018016481A1 (en) Vehicle weight measurement device
CN113677541A (en) Wheel set for a vehicle
US20050194079A1 (en) Easy maintenance automatic tire inflation system
AU2011100101A4 (en) Universal bushing for a wheel hub
US5351562A (en) Hydraulic--pneumatic cushioning device with pressure indicator
AU2006334760A1 (en) Wheel hub arrangement
JP2004044635A (en) Bearing apparatus with sensor and its manufacturing method
USRE34391E (en) Bearing lubricating device
US8205526B2 (en) Pressurized hub system
CA2296889A1 (en) Temperature indicator for a semi-fluid synthetic grease filled axle
CN110461621A (en) Wheel end sensor mounting assembly for heavy-duty vehicle
EP3830441A1 (en) Method for measuring wear of a clutch and related maintenance method, assembly comprising a clutch and a wear measurement device, and vehicle
JP6819436B2 (en) Vehicle weight measuring device
CA2062043C (en) Hydraulic-pneumatic cushioning device with pressure indicator
JP2018017711A (en) Vehicle weight measuring device

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FGI Letters patent sealed or granted (innovation patent)
MK22 Patent ceased section 143a(d), or expired - non payment of renewal fee or expiry