GB2394263A

GB2394263A - Vehicle wheel nut locking assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2394263A
Application number: GB0223966A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Robert Massie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-15
Filing date: 2002-10-15
Publication date: 2004-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-15
Also published as: GB0223966D0; GB2394263B

Abstract

A vehicle wheel nut locking assembly comprises a first annular member (10) having a plurality of apertures (14) corresponding in number and spacing to wheel studs (18) so that the first member (10) can be fitted over the studs (18) beneath whee nuts (26). Locking rings (13) are adapted to be fitted non-rotatably around the wheel nuts (26) and have axial projections (30a, 30b) for engagement with further apertures (20) in the first member (10) to restrict relative rotation between the locking rings (13) and the first member (10). A second annular member (12) can be clamped to the first member (10) and is arranged to engage the locking rings (13) to prevent the projections (30a, 30b) from becoming disengaged from the apertures (20).

Description

1 2394263

( DESCRIPTION

WHEEL NUT LOCKING ASSEMBLY

The invention is concerned with wheel nut locking assemblies for preventing the loosening of wheel nuts which secure road wheels to vehicles.

Wheel nuts loosen in use of the vehicle to which they are fitted due to a number of causes, including human errors and wheel rim flexing.

It is known for wheel nuts to loosen to an extent that the wheel becomes detached during the motion of the vehicle. Such incidents are dangerous for those inside the vehicle and other road users.

Frequent checks on the state of the wheel nuts are therefore necessary.

Checks are time-consuming and can be overlooked. Therefore there is a need for devices which enable the wheel nuts to be locked in their operational positions.

Various forms of wheel locking assemblies are known already in the art. For example, GB Patent Specification No. 2351134A discloses a wheel nut locking

assembly which comprises an annular base plate which contains a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes corresponding in number and spacing to the threaded studs carried by the wheel hub on which a wheel is to be mounted with the wheel in position on the studs. The base plate is presented to the wheel so that each of its apertures receives a respective one of the threaded studs. The conventional wheel nuts are then applied and screwed up tight, thereby clamping the base plate rigidly to the wheel. The base plate member has an upstanding peripheral rim which projects away from the wheel, parallel to the axes of the studs. For each wheel nut, there is

( provided a collar device formed with angled surfaces to fit nonrotatably over the wheel nut. The collars possess a laterally projecting portion which is arranged for I engagement with the upstanding rim of the base plate in the event of any significant | rotation of the nut occurring. The assembly also includes an outer, cover member which is attached to the base member by relative rotation therebetween to prevent access to an enclosed portion of the assembly. The outer member has a snap fit coupling with the base member and spring loaded locking pins which become inserted into the holes in the base member to retain a locked condition. The removal of the apparatus is therefore rather complex.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified assembly for the prevention of loosening of wheel nuts.

It its another object of the present invention to provide a wheel nut locking assembly which can be less expensive to manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a wheel nut locking assembly which is more easily installed and removed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a wheel nut locking assembly which may be used on a variety of wheel designs.

These and other object may be realized by reference to other portions of the specification, illustrations, claims or abstract.

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle wheel nut locking assembly for preventing loosening of wheel nuts which are fitted to respective studs carried by a wheel hub on which a vehicle wheel is mounted, the

( assembly comprising a first, generally annular member having a first plurality of apertures corresponding in number and spacing to the wheel studs so that the first member can be fitted over said studs beneath the wheel nuts, a plurality of locking rings adapted to be fitted nonrotatably around the wheel nuts and having axial projections for engagement with further apertures in the first member to restrict relative rotation between the locking rings and the first annular member, and a second generally annular member which can be clamped to the first member and is arranged to engage the locking rings such as to prevent the projections on the locking rings from becoming disengaged from said further apertures.

Preferably, the projections on the locking rings are arcuate and said second apertures in the first member comprise arcuate slots of a number and disposition around said first apertures such that the projections can engage in slots whatever the angular orientation of the wheel nuts in their tightened condition.

Preferably, the locking rings have tubular bodies with said projections extending from one end and with the other end having an inwardly directed flange which defines an opening in the locking ring having a toothed periphery for establishing non-rotatable engagement with the wheel nuts.

Advantageously, said first member comprises a flat annular disc.

Preferably, the second, generally annular member comprises a plurality of cap portions for engaging over the locking rings to prevent axial displacement of the locking rings relative to the first member, said cap portions being interconnected by a plurality of web portions.

( - 4 Either or both of the first and second members can be made of metal or of a plastics material.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic rear perspective representation of one embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating the arrangement of its constituent parts; Fig. 2 is a schematic front perspective representation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front perspective representation of part of the embodiment shown in Figs. I and 2, to an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a front perspective representation of the embodiment shown in Figs. I, 2 and 3 showing its appearance once inner and outer components have been fitted together; and Figs. 5a and 5b are sectional views on the lines A-A and B-B in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the present wheel nut locking assembly comprises two generally annular members, an inner member 10 and an outer member 12 and a plurality of locking rings 13.

The inner member 10 is in the form of a generally flat circular disc having a plurality of equidistantly spaced, circular apertures 14, corresponding in number and spacing to the threaded studs on the wheel hub 16 to which a wheel (not shown) is to be mounted. One such stud is shown at 18 in the drawings, although the hub 16

- 5 - on which it is mounted is only indicated diagrammatically and in part for the purposes of illustration. In the present case, the wheel hub 16 carries twelve studs 18 and the inner member 10 therefore has twelve apertures 14. The apertures 14 are dimensioned so that they just fit over the studs 18. Concentrically disposed around each of the circular apertures 14 there is a plurality of elongate arcuate slots 2O, arranged in two diametrically opposed pairs of such slots. In this case, each pair of slots comprises two sets of four slots, although the invention is not limited to this particular arrangement.

The disc-shaped member 10 also has two further apertures 22 disposed at diametrically opposite locations which are extended forwardly by tubular screw-

threaded bosses 24, as best seen in Fig. 5b.

In use, when the inner flat disc-shaped member 10 has been mounted over the studs 18 projecting through corresponding holes in the wheel, the conventional wheel nuts 26 are applied to the studs 18, thereby clamping the wheel to the hub and also the member 10 to the wheel. The wheel nuts 26 hence lie forwardly of the front surface of the member 10.

Each of the wheel nuts 26 has associated with it a respective one of said locking rings 13. As best seen in Fig. 3, each locking ring 13 has a cylindrical body portion 28 whose one end carries two arcuatc spigots 30a, 30b at diametrically opposed locations on said one end. The other end of the cylindrical body portion 28 of the locking ring 13 has a radially inwardly extending flange 32 defining an aperture 34 whose central axis coincides with the central axis of the body portion 28.

- 6 The aperture 34 has the shape in this case of a 12-pointed star such as to be capable of being fitted snugly over the six-sided wheel nut 26, the position of the slots 20 in the first member 10 being arranged such that the two arcuate spigots 30a, 30b will be received in an opposed pair of the slots 20. For this purpose the spigots 30 have a radial thickness slightly less than that of the arcuate slots 20 but an arcuate length which allows some relative rotation of the locking ring 13 such that, whatever the angular orientation of the nut 26 in its tightened condition, the two spigots 30 are guaranteed to mate with two of said slots 20. As a consequence, as long as the spigots 30 remain in the slots 20, the maximum possible rotation of the nut 26 in either direction, in particular in the anti-clockwise, unwinding direction, it limited to the maximum clearances between the ends of the arcuate spigots 30 and the slots 20 in which they are received.

Thus, all that remains is to provide a means for preventing the locking rings 13 *om axial movement sufficient to release the spigots 30 from the slots 20. I his is the function of the second, generally annular member 12.

The member 12 comprises a plurality of caps 36 which are interconnected by web portions 38 to form a rigid structure. Each cap 36 defines an internal recess, best illustrated in the sectional view of Fig. 5a, which is shaped and dimensioned so as (a) to accommodate any projection of the end of the wheel stud *om the wheel nut and (b) to positively hold the locking ring against the inner member 10 and thereby prevent the spigots 30 from inadvertently leaving the slots 20. Two or more of the web portions 38 have holes 40 through which bolts 42 can be passed to be received

( in the threaded bosses 24 and to thereby firmly clamp the member 12 against the member 10 as shown in Fig. 5.

As well as covering and holding the locking rings 13 in place, the outer member 12 has the function of providing protection for the wheel nuts and wheel studs. The inner and outer members 10 and 12 and the locking rings 13 can be made of metal or any suitable plastics material.

The rigidity of the outer annular member 12 can be increased in some embodiments by providing the radially inner and outer edges of the web portions with a flanged rim so that the webs have a generally c-shaped or channel-shaped section. The web portions 38 can be apertured or be solid if greater rigidity is needed. In another embodiment of the invention, the caps 36 may be separable from the outer annulus 12 and may be combined with locking rings 13 into one component. These caps may each be attached to the outer annulus 12 by means of a thread which has the opposite orientation to the thread of the wheel bolts or studs.

The insides of the caps may have internal grooves corresponding to the outer vertices of the wheel nuts. The wheel nuts would hence be restricted to rotating a limited amount, preventing the wheel from detaching during motion.

Claims

- 8 CLAIMS

1. A vehicle wheel nut locking assembly for preventing loosening of wheel nuts which are fitted to respective studs carried by a wheel hub on which a vehicle wheel is mounted, the assembly comprising a first, generally annular member having a first plurality of apertures corresponding in number and spacing to the wheel studs so that the first member can be fitted over said studs beneath the wheel nuts, a plurality of locking rings adapted to be fitted non-rotatably around the wheel nuts and having axial projections for engagement with further apertures in the first member to restrict relative rotation between the locking rings and the first annular member, and a second generally annular member which can be clamped to the first member and is arranged to engage the locking rings such as to prevent the projections on the locking rings from becoming disengaged from said further apertures.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projections on the locking rings are arcuate and said second apertures in the first member comprise arcuatc slots of a number and disposition around said first apertures such that the projections can engage in slots whatever the angular orientation of the wheel nuts in their tightened condition.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the locking rings have tubular bodies, with said projections extending from one end and with the other end having an inwardly directed flange which defines an opening in the locking ring having a toothed periphery for establishing nonrotatable engagement with the wheel

1 9 nuts.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said first member comprises a flat, annular disc.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the second, generally annular member comprises a plurality of cap portions for engaging over the locking rings to prevent axial displacement of the locking rings relative to the first member, said cap portions being interconnected by a plurality of web portions.

6. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein either or both of said first and second members is made of metal or a plastics material.

7. A vehicle wheel nut locking assembly substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.