GB2313813A

GB2313813A - Wheel location device

Info

Publication number: GB2313813A
Application number: GB9711487A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Francis Edward Ellrich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-06-06
Filing date: 1997-06-05
Publication date: 1997-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-05
Also published as: GB9711487D0; GB2313813B; GB9611818D0

Abstract

To assist in mounting a vehicle wheel 6 on a hub 4 a rod (1, Fig1) threaded at one end is screwed into a threaded bolt hole 3 in the hub 4, the wheel then having one of its holes 7 placed on the rod and moved therealong to contact the hub 4. Bolts are then fitted through the other holes 7 and screwed into the corresponding holes 3, after which the rod 1 is removed and the final bolt is screwed in place. The member 1 may be bent at a location along its length or may be provided with a hinged portion (12, Fig 3) or a T-bar to facilitate turning.

Description

WHEEL LOCATION DEVICE The present invention relates to a device for locating vehicle wheels during their fitting to hubs.

Traditionally wheels were fitted to hubs with wheel nuts engaged on studs fast in the hubs. The apertures in a wheel for the studs could be aligned reasonably easily with the studs and the wheel pushed over the studs against the hub. The nuts were then run on and tightened, holding the wheel in position.

Recently, cars have been produced with the nuts and studs replaced by bolts, passing through the apertures and engaging in threaded holes in the hub. This system makes the fitting of a wheel awkward. The wheel is a relatively heavy and difficult thing to align exactly with the hub at the right angular position for a bolt to be inserted.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device to render fitting of a wheel to its hub easier by temporarily locating it during fitting of a wheel bolt.

According to the first aspect of the invention, my temporary location device for guiding alignment of a vehicle's wheel with respect to its hub comprises a rod threaded to fit one of the threaded, wheel-bolt holes in the hub and having a crank with which it can be manipulated for screwing into the hole, the device being such that on its temporary screwing into the hub, the wheel can be aligned on passing the free end of the rod through one of its holes, the device being removed from its temporary location for replacement by a wheel bolt for use of the vehicle.

The rod can have its crank as a connected part, e.g. the rod is cranked by bending at an elbow, or the crank can be removable. A variant of the former is that the crank is hinged at the elbow.

Where the device has an elbow, as the wheel is fitted, it passes the elbow and comes into abutment with the hub. Then the wheel can be readily twisted to alignment, allowing a first wheel bolt to be fitted. Then further bolt(s) can be fitted to the hole(s) in the wheel and hub which are now aligned. Last of all, the device is removed and replaced by the final bolt.

Where the rod is hinged at its elbow bending at right angles can be allowed for screwing in and out and bending in the opposite direction to a lesser angle for fitting of the wheel. However, I prefer to make the rod rigid.

Where the crank is removable, the rod is normally straight, with a removable Tbar providing the crank. The T-bar eases screwing of the device into the hub. It can be removed to allow the wheel to pass along the rod.

The rod can have its free end of a lesser diameter than its threaded end.

However again, I prefer to have the two ends as the same diameter.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of guiding alignment of a vehicle's wheel with respect to its hub, the method consisting in the steps of: fitting to the hub a temporary location device in accordance with the first aspect, passing the free end of the device through one of the holes in the wheel, twisting the wheel to bring the other holes in the wheel into alignment with the wheel bolt holes, fitting the wheel bolts to all the free wheel bolt holes, removing the temporary location device, and fitting the final wheel bolt To help understanding of the invention, I will now describe three specific embodiments by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a temporary location device of my invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device in use with a hub and of a partially sectioned wheel, Figure 3 is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention, Figure 4 is a corresponding side view, Figure 5 is a top view of a third embodiment of the invention and Figure 6 is a corresponding side view.

Referring first to Figures 1 & 2, the device thereshown comprises a steel rod 1 of 150mum length and 12.5my diameter. It is bent to an angle of 250 at its mid length and threaded 2 at one end to fit the threaded bolt holes 3 of a hub 4.

In use, the device is fitted to the hub with the plain end 5 upwards by screwing its threaded end into one of the hub's holes 3. The wheel 6 is fitted to the device by passing a wheel bolt hole 7 onto the device, bringing this hole into alignment with the threaded hole 3 in which the device is engaged.

Then it is a comparatively easy job to turn the wheel about the device to align the other threaded holes 3 and wheel bolt holes 7 for insertion of the wheel bolts Once two of these have been fitted, the device can be removed and replaced by another wheel bolt 8.

Now turning to Figures 3 & 4, the second embodiment of the invention comprises a two lengths of steel rod 11,12. One 11 is threaded at one its one end 13 and has tongue 14 at its other end. The other length 12 is bifurcated 15 at its one end 16 and plain at its other end. The tongue 14 is fitted in the bifurcation 15 and secured there by a pivot pin. This arrangement allows the rod to be hinged to a right angle for screwing into the hub and straightened for fitting of the wheel.

Figures 5 & 6 show the third embodiment of this invention, comprising a similar steel rod 21 threaded at one end 22, with an aperture at the other end 23. To ease screwing of the rod to the wheel hub a removable T-bar 24 can be passed through the aperture 14. For alignment of the wheel to the hub the T-bar 25 is removed.

Finally the T-bar 15 can be replaced to aid unscrewing of the device from the hub.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiments. For instance the threaded length of the device may be longer than the other length to accommodate thick wheels. Further, the hinge in the second embodiment can be asymmetric, to allow hinging of the outer length to right angles in one direction and a lesser, wheel weight supporting angle in the other direction.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A temporary location device for guiding alignment of a vehicle's wheel with respect to its hub comprises a rod threaded to fit one of the threaded, wheel-bolt holes in the hub and having a crank with which it can be manipulated for screwing into the hole, the device being such that on its temporary screwing into the hub, the wheel can be aligned on passing the free end of the rod through one of its holes, the device being removed from its temporary location for replacement by a wheel bolt for use of the vehicle.

2. A temporary location as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod has the crank connected to it.

3. A temporary location as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rod and the crank are bent from a single length at an elbow.

4. A temporary location as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rod and the crank are bent at substantially 250

5. A temporary location as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rod and the crank are hinged together at an elbow.

6. A temporary location as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rod is so hinged at its elbow as to allow bending at right angles in one direction for fitting and bending in the opposite direction to a lesser angle for fitting of the wheel.

7. A temporary location as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crank is a removable T-bar.

8. A method of guiding alignment of a vehicle's wheel with respect to its hub, the method consisting in the steps of: fitting to the hub a temporary location device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7, passing the free end of the device through one of the holes in the wheel, twisting the wheel to bring the other holes in the wheel into alignment with the wheel bolt holes, fitting the wheel bolts to all the free wheel bolt holes, removing the temporary location device, and fitting the final wheel bolt

9. A temporary location device for guiding alignment of a vehicle's wheel with respect to its hub substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 & 2 or Figures 3 & 4 or Figures 5 & 6 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of guiding alignment of a vehicle's wheel with respect to its hub substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 & 2 or Figures 3 & 4 or Figures 5 & 6 of the accompanying drawings.