CA1119917A - Steering wheel mounting - Google Patents

Steering wheel mounting

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Publication number
CA1119917A
CA1119917A CA000344176A CA344176A CA1119917A CA 1119917 A CA1119917 A CA 1119917A CA 000344176 A CA000344176 A CA 000344176A CA 344176 A CA344176 A CA 344176A CA 1119917 A CA1119917 A CA 1119917A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
hub
shaft
end portion
wheel
washer
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.)
Expired
Application number
CA000344176A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Gunter F. Plamper
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.)
MTD Products Inc
Original Assignee
MTD Products Inc
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 MTD Products Inc filed Critical MTD Products Inc
Priority to CA000344176A priority Critical patent/CA1119917A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1119917A publication Critical patent/CA1119917A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

STEERING WHEEL MOUNTING
Abstract Of The Disclosure A mounting for a vehicle steering wheel upon a steer-ing shaft for secure connection therebetween and wherein the wheel of molded plastic resin is susceptible of having its hub expanded or fractured by a wedging action upon being fastened to the shaft, in which a reinforcing metal washer is molded in the wheel hub to resist such expansion or frac-turing of the hub by the shaft and to improve the non-rotational interlocking between wheel and shaft.

Description

9~L~

STEERING ~ IEEL MOUNTIN(~J

1 An object of my invention is to improve the mount-ing oE a steering wheel of a material susceptible to being expanded or fractured by a wedging action imparted to the hub by a shaft inserted in the hub in such a manner as to resist such expansion or fracturing.
Another object is to provide a reinforcement to the hub of a wheel at a location where the hub is subjected to a wedging action by the hub being mounted on the upper end por-tion o~ a steering shaft of a vehicle.
Another object is the improvement of a non-rotational interlock between a molded resin steering wheel and shaft by a metal washer embedded in the wheel positioned to provide a metal-to-metal engagement with the shaft.
Another object is the provision of a reinforcing metal washer embedded in the hub of a molded plastic wheel for improv-ing both the strength of the wheel hub accommodating the steer-ing shaft of a vehicle and for improving the non-rotational interlock between the wheel and the shaft.
Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claimsl taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a steer:Lng wheel mounted on a vehicle steering shaft in accordance with my invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-seckional view of the mounting arrangement shown in Figure 1 and taken along the line of 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a sectional view, enlarged from the scale shown in Figures 1 and 2, taken in a plane coinciding with the axis of the wheel and shaft, showing the detail of ., ~

1 the mounting of the wheel on the shaft, only the portion of the wheel at the hub being shown;
Figure 4 is a view, on the scale of Figure 3, look-ing up at the bottom side of the wheel in the region of the hub prior to the mounting of the wheel on a shaft;
Figure 5 is a side view of a steering shaft utilized in my mounting, oin the same scale as Figures 3 and 4, and turned on its axis to show both of two opposite flat sides tapered toward the upper end portion of the shaft; and ~.
Figure 6 is a view of the shaft similar to the ~iew of Figure 5, but in which the shaft has been rotated 90 on its a~is to show but one o~ its two opposite flat sides.
The mounting i5 particularly adapted for the mounting of a steering wheel to the upper end portion of a steering shaft of a vehicle, such as a tractor, riding lawn mower, and the like, whereby turning of the wheel rotates the shaft on its axis for steering the vehicle. The wheel in common practice is made of a molded plastic resin such as polypropylene or other sturdy readily lded plastic.
The steering shaft is metal such as steel and adapted to steer a vehicle upon rotation of the shaft by the turning :;
of a wheel interlocked with the shaft.
In the drawing, the wheel is generally designated by the reference character 11. The steering shaft upon which the wheel is mounted is generally designated by the reference character 12.
The wheel 11 has a rim 13 carried in the usual manner on the outer ends of spokes 14 radiating from a hub 15. Extend-ing around, and spaced from, the hub 15 is a skirt 16. An upper wall 17 near the upper side of the hub extends across
-2-., ~
3~

1 between the hub 15 and skirt 16. A round hole 17A extends through the wall 17 at the axis of the hub 15.
Above the wall 17 is a dwell 18. This dwell 18 is closable by a disk 20, seen in Figure 2, inserted in the dwell to hide the contents thereof and for improvemen-t of the appear-ance.
Extending between the hub 15 and the sklrt 16 below the upper wall 17 are three equidistantly spaced bracing walls 26. Depending down from each of these walls 26 is a spacing lug 27 utilized in the positioning of the wheel.

The hub 15 has a central opening extending axially thereof from the lower side of the hub, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, to the round hole 17A in wall 17. This central opening has two opposed flat walls and alternately with these opposed flat walls are two opposed round walls.
As seen in Figure 3, the two opposed flat walls are tapered, that is they are gradually inclined toward each other as they extend upwardly toward the upper side of the hub. The said central opening in the hub is in axial alignment with, and cornmunicates with the round hole 17A. The opposed round walls of the said central opening generally coincide with a phantom cylindrical form axially disposed of the hub.
The shaft 12 has a main body 21 of cylindrical or rod-like configuration adapted to be connected by suitable lin~cage, not shown, with the steering mechanism of ~ vehicle.

The shaft 12, by a forging operation, is enlarged at a loca-tion above the body 21 to form the shoulder portion 22 as better illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

Above the shoulder portion 22 the shaft 12 is forged or otherwise formed to provide the upper end portion of the 1 shaft. This upper end portion has two oppositely disposed flat sides 23 and two oppositely disposed round sides 24 which are alternately disposed relative to the flat sides around the circumferential extent of the upper end portion of the shaft.
As better seen in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the two opposed flat sides 23 are tapered in that they are progressively inclined toward each other as they extend upwardly from the shoulder portion 22 toward the upper free end of the shaft 12.
The round sides 24 of the shaft end portion generally coincide with a phantom cylindrical form axially disposed of the shaft.
At the upper free end of the shaft in cylindrical form it is threaded to provide the threaded round end 25. A
nut 28 is threadably engaged to the threaded end portion 25 after the shaft is mounted with the hub, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. A cup--shaped spring washer 29 is positioned between the nut 28 and top wall 17 of the wheel to hold the nut tightly in position.
Embedded in the plastic material of the hub 15 at the entrance to the central opening therein at the lower side of the hub is a cup-shaped washer 19 of metal, preferably of steel. I'his washer 19 has side walls l9A disposed in a cJeneral cylindrical form upwardly from the flat intermediate portion of the washer. These side walls l9A extend sub-stantially parallel to the axis of the hub at a location dis-posed radially outward from the wall~ of the central opening in the hub and radially inward from the outer walls of the hub 15, as better seen in Figure 3. The base or intermediate portion of the washer is disposed flush with the bottom side of the hub lS. As seen in Figures 2 and 3, the bottom surface .,3 ~-1 of this base or lntermedlate portion of the washer 19 is dis-posed in the same horizontal plane as the bottom surface of the hub 15 at its lower side. The washer 19 is embedded in the plastic during the molding of the wheel and becomes part of the wheel.
By reason of the tapered opposed flat sides 23 of the tapered end portion of the shaft keyed to the tapered opposed flat walls of the said central opening in the hub when the parts are in the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the wheel and shaft are interlocked so that the shaft is rotated on its axis by the turning of the wheel on its axis.
Also by reason of the tapered disposition of the flat sides 23 of the shaft end portion which engage the flat walls of the central opening of the hub when the shaft end portion is moved upwardly into the central opening, there is a wedging action by the flat sides 23 pressing against the flat walls. This wedging action is particularly present when the taper of the flat walls of the central opening do not exactly coincide with the taper of the flat sides 23 of the shaft end portion throughout the length of the taper. In the absence of complete 100~ coincidence of the taper of the side walls of the central opening in the hub with the taper of the flat sides 23 of the shaft end portion such wedging action can be signifi-cant.

The wedging action that may result, and often does not result in the absence of such precise coi.ncidence of the engaging tapered surfaces, may be sufficient to expand to the point of fracturing the hub 15 and particularly at the lower side of the hub adjacent to the entrance to the central open-ing. Such expansion and resulting fracture produce a poor 1 mounting of the wheel on the shaEt, a looseness, and a mis-alignment or wobbling of the wheel relative to the shaft.
The washer 19 embedded in the hub as described rein-forces the hub at the entrance to the central opening and resists such radially outward force imparted to the hub by the des-cribed wedging action. The expansion of the hub that could otherwise occur by the wedaing action is limited and the fracturing to a great degree is generally eliminated by this reinforcing action of the washer 19 at the location where needed most.
The washer 19 has a central hole therein, this central hole being defined by two oppositely disposed curved edges l9B
and two oppositely disposed straight edges l9C which are al~
ternately disposed relative to the curved edges l9B. The curved edges l9B complement and are disposed outwardly of the cylindrical walls 24 of the shaft end portion in the same horizontal plane~ The straight edges l9C complement and are disposed outwardly of the flat sides 23 of the shaft end por-tion in the same horizontal plane.
In this manner the washer 19 is keyed to the shaft end portion, and the washer 19 thus assists in keying of the hub and shaft together. Turning of the wheel is assisted by the washer keyed to the shaft in the rotation of the shaft by turning of the wheel. In this way the washer 19 not only acts to reinforce the hub against expansion but also assists in the keying of the wheel and shaft together.
While I have illustrated and described a ~referred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is by way of example only and not to be construed as limiting.

Claims (3)

The embodiments of the invention in which an ex-clusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as fol-lows:
1. In a vehicle having a rigid metal steering shaft, the shaft having an upper end portion, a steering wheel mount-ing structure for the mounting of a steering wheel to the said upper end portion of the said rigid metal steering shaft, the steering wheel being molded of plastic resin, said upper end portion of the shaft having opposed flat sides inclined inwardly toward each other progressively toward the upper end of the shaft, said upper end portion being threaded adja-cent the upper end of the shaft for threaded interengagement with a nut, said steering wheel having a hub portion, the said hub portion having an upper side and lower side and having a central opening extending axially therethrough for receiving said upper end portion of the shaft upon insertion of the upper end portion of the shaft upwardly into the en-trance of the opening at the lower side of the hub portion, the said opening having opposed flat walls inclined inwardly toward each other progressively toward the upper side of the hub complementing the said flat sides of said shaft end portion to engage the same closely, said flat sides of the shaft upper end portion interengaging with the flat walls of the hub for providing rotation of the shaft upon turning of the wheel, the interengagement of the opposed inclined flat sides of the shaft upper end portion with the opposed inclined flat walls of the central opening in the hub being such that, upon the drawing down of a nut threadably engaged with the threaded end portion of the shaft to impart a downwardly axially direct-ed force on the hub toward the shaft, the said inclined flat walls of the said shaft end portion by a wedging action against the inclined flat walls of said recess exert an out-wardly directed radial force tending to expand the wheel hub surrounding said opening, the improvement of a cup-shaped metal washer embedded in said wheel hub adjacent the said entrance into said central opening, said washer having a substantially flat central base portion and side walls ex-tending upwardly from the periphery of said base portion, said washer having a bore complementing the cross-sectional shape of said end portion of the shaft in a plane transverse of said end portion of the shaft at said entrance of the open-ing, the base portion of the washer being disposed in the said hub portion at the lower side thereof in position to engage said upper end portion of the shaft, the side walls of the cup-shaped washer extending into the wheel hub outwardly of the said opening, the said washer embedded in the wheel hub resist-ing the said wedging action tending to expand the wheel hub, the said bore in said washer having oppositely disposed flat edge portions for interengaging with the opposed flat sides of the shaft end portion to interlock therewith against rotational movement of the washer relative to the shaft.
2. In a vehicle having a steering wheel of molded plastic and a metal steering shaft, the wheel having a hub and a central opening in the hub thereof and the steering shaft having an upper end portion, the mounting of said steering wheel to the said upper end portion of the metal steering shaft, in which the upper end of the shaft and the central opening in the wheel hub in which the upper end por-tion of the shaft is inserted have opposed tapered surfaces tending to exert a radially outwardly directed expansive force on the wheel hub upon the wheel hub being moved in downward axial direction relative to the said end portion of the shaft, the improvement of a cupped reinforcing metal washer embedded in the wheel hub adjacent the lower entrance to the central opening of the hub, the washer having a bore for accommodating therein the upper end portion of the shaft inserted into the opening, the washer having a substantially flat base portion disposed in the hub at the lower side thereof and positioned to embrace in non-rotative engagement therewith the said upper end portion of the shaft, and having side walls extending upwardly from the periphery of said base portion, the side walls of the washer extending upwardly into the hub at a radial dis-tance from the opening and parallel to the axis of the hub to embrace the portion of the hub adjacent the lower entrance of the opening to resist said radially directed expansive force on the hub, the end portion of the shaft inserted in the opening in the hub having opposed flat sides, and the bore in said washer having opposed flat internal edges to provide a key-way for the opposed flat sides of the shaft end portion inserted in said opening for locking the washer with the wheel hub against rotational movement relative to the shaft.
3. In a vehicle having a steering wheel of molded plastic and a metal steering shaft, the wheel having a hub and a central opening in the hub thereof and the steering shaft having an upper end portion, the mounting of said steer-ing wheel to the said upper end portion of the metal steering shaft, in which the upper end of the shaft and the central opening in the wheel hub in which the upper end portion of the shaft is inserted have opposed tapered surfaces tend-ing to exert a radially outwardly directed expansive force on the wheel hub upon the wheel hub being moved in downward axial direction relative to the said end portion of the shaft, the improvement of a cupped reinforcing metal washer embedded in the wheel hub adjacent the lower entrance to the central open-ing of the hub, the washer having a bore for accommodating there-in the upper end portion of the shaft inserted into the open-ing, the washer having a substantially flat base portion dis-posed in the hub at the lower side thereof and positioned to embrace in non-rotative engagement therewith the said upper end portion of the shaft, and having side walls extending up-wardly from the periphery of said base portion, the side walls of the washer extending upwardly into the hub at a radial distance from the opening and parallel to the axis of the hub to embrace the portion of the hub adjacent the lower entrance of the opening to resist said radially directed expansive force on the hub, the hub having concentric inner and outer walls and the said washer having side walls spaced from both the inner wall of the opening in the hub and from the outer wall of the hub defining and immediately surrounding said central opening, the said washer having a flat base portion intermediate said side walls, the flat base portion being dis-posed substantially flush with said lower side of the hub.
CA000344176A 1980-01-22 1980-01-22 Steering wheel mounting Expired CA1119917A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000344176A CA1119917A (en) 1980-01-22 1980-01-22 Steering wheel mounting

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000344176A CA1119917A (en) 1980-01-22 1980-01-22 Steering wheel mounting

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1119917A true CA1119917A (en) 1982-03-16

Family

ID=4116085

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000344176A Expired CA1119917A (en) 1980-01-22 1980-01-22 Steering wheel mounting

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1119917A (en)

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