MXPA00010978A - Two-piece hub extension - Google Patents

Abstract

A two-piece hub extension for adding dual wheels to a mechanical front-wheel drive axle of an agricultural tractor has an inner extension ring (14) that surrounds the final drive cover (26) of the front axle and an outer extension member (16) of reduced diameter that extends outward from the inner extension ring (14). The inner extension ring (14) only extends outward far enough to clear the axle final drive cover (26). The inner ring (14) is mounted by bolts (62) that extend entirely through ring (14) so that the bolt heads are external of the inner ring (14) and can be easily reached. The outer extension member (16) is mounted to the inner extension ring (14) by long bolts (80) extending through the inner extension ring (14) and into the hub (20). The dual wheel (46) is mounted to the outer wheel hub (76). The reduced diameter of the outer extension member (16) results in improved crop clearance between the two tires.

Description

EXTENSION OF TWO PIECE CUBE Background of the Invention Field of Invention The present invention relates to a hub extension for fastening dual wheels to a tractor front axle with front wheel drive and in particular to a two piece hub extension.

Description Of Related Art Agricultural, four-wheel drive, non-articulated tractors with a mechanical front wheel drive (MFWD) have been made common, where a drive shaft with drive capacity is provided. Recently, dual front wheels have been added to the front axle by attaching a hub extension to each axle hub and by mounting a second wheel on each side of the tractor. The advantages of the dual front wheels are the improved traction and the reduction of the compaction of the reduced earth by means of the reduction of the weight sustained by each wheel. A typical bucket extension is a weld or simple piece structure which is generally barrel shaped, having a sleeve type body part with radial flanges turned inward at each end. A flange is bolted to the inner wheel and shaft hub so that the extension projects horizontally outwards. The dual wheels are bolted to the outer flange of the hub extension. Since the radial flanges of the extension are turned inward, it will be necessary to provide access openings in the extension of the body to reach the bolts and nuts inside the extension. The installation and removal of the dual wheels and the re-torsion of the bolts are difficult and cumbersome due to poor access to the nuts and bolts.

Synthesis of the Invention The hub extension of the present invention is of a two-piece construction having an internal extension ring surrounding the final drive cover of the front axle and an external extension member. The internal extension ring has inner and outer flanges as the single piece hub extensions mentioned above but only extend outwardly enough to clear the final drive shaft cover. The inner ring is mounted with bolts that extend through both inner and outer flanges and into the hub of the shaft. As a result, the bolt heads are external to the inner ring and can easily be reached. The internal extension ring has cut portions to provide a clearance for a pair of diametrically spaced wheel mounting bolts that are used to first attach a wheel disk to the hub hub. This allows the internal wheel to be mounted first to the axle hub, before the extension is mounted.

The outer extension member has an internal shaft mounting flange and an axially outer shaft wheel flange. These flanges project both radially outwards from the tubular body of the external extension member. The mounting flange is corrugated to provide a space for the bolts that mount the internal extension ring to the shaft hub. The long bolts extend through the mounting flange of the outer extension member, through the inner extension ring and into the hub to hold the external extension member to the shaft hub. The dual wheel is mounted to the outer wheel hub.

It is an advantage of the two-piece construction that all bolts are accessible without reaching inside any of the extension components. In addition, the body of the smaller diameter of the outer extension member provides more space for the crops between the inner and outer rims. Additionally, the total diameter for both the inner extension ring and the outer extension member is small enough to allow full use of the multiple position wheels on the forward drive shaft.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a dual front wheel assembly containing the two piece cube extension of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the dual front wheel assembly shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the area contained in the circle in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the area contained in the circle in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a part of the dual front wheel assembly shown in Figure 1.

Description of Preferred Incorporation Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a dual front wheel assembly having the hub extension of the present invention as shown in Figure 1 and designated generally at 10. The dual front wheel assembly 10 includes the extension set of hub 12 of the present invention which comprises an inner extension ring 14 and an outer extension member 16, described more fully below.

The dual wheel assembly is mounted on a shaft hub 20 which is part of the mechanical front front wheel drive shaft for an agricultural tractor. The hub 20 includes a front wheel flange 22 having a circular pattern of threaded pin openings 24. The tractor shaft includes a planetary final drive (not shown) in a known manner. A final drive cover 26 hides the final drive. The cover 26 extends axially outwardly beyond the flange of the wheel 22. A radial flange 28 extends outwardly from the cover 26 and has the openings 30 aligned with the openings 24 in the flange of the wheel. The wheel flange 22 extends radially outward beyond the final drive cover 26. The final drive cover is coupled to the hub 20 by means of the fasteners, not shown, in a known manner.

A pair of spaced wheel bolts 36 secure an inner wheel disk 34 to the wheel flange 22. The bolts 36 are threaded in two of the bolt openings 24 to secure the wheel disk 34 thereto. A wheel eye 38 is bolted to the periphery of the wheel disc 34 by the bolts 39 (Figure 5) using one of the two sets of openings 40 and 42 on the eyebrow 38. The wheel disc 34, the eyebrow 38 and the wheel 41 (figure 5) comprises a drive wheel assembly 44. The drive wheel assembly 44 is a multiple position assembly that allows the width of the front tire band to be varied by changing the orientation of the eyebrow 38 in relation to the disk 34 and / or changing the orientation of the wheel disk 34 relative to the hub 20. A wide variety of combinations of bandwidth can be produced.

The hub extension assembly 12 of the present invention is mounted to the hub 20, outside the wheel disc 34, which will allow a rim, wheel, exterior, or dual assembly 46 to be mounted on the shaft and to be spaced outwardly. of the inner wheel and rim assembly 44 to provide a space for a crop row between the two rims. After the wheel disc 34 is mounted to the hub 20, the inner extension ring 14 of the hub extension assembly is mounted on the hub 20. The inner extension ring 14 is generally barrel shaped, having a sleeve axial 48 forming a main body and having an internal radial flange 50 and an external radial flange 52 as seen in figures 2 and 3. The internal and external flanges are provided with holes (FIG. 1) arranged in the same circular pattern as the openings 24 of the wheel flange 22.

The inner extension ring 14 is provided with the cut-outs 56 (FIGS. 1 and 5) to provide a space for the wheel bolts 36 that secure the wheel disk 34 to the hub 20. Thus, the inner and outer flanges are divided. in two arcuate segments 58 and 60 each having five holes 54. The four-ring mounting bolts 62 initially mount the inner extension ring 14 with two bolts in each of the two arcuate segments 58 and 60. The bolts are placed in the second and in the fourth holes in each segment. The ring mounting bolts 62 pass through both inner and outer flanges of the inner extension ring, through the openings in the wheel disk 34 and inside the threaded openings 24 in the wheel flange of the hub 20. The ring mounting bolts therefore also secure the wheel disk to the hub.

In order to properly place the internal extension ring in the hub, the final drive cover 26 is provided with a machined pilot surface 66. A radially inner edge surface 68 of the inner flange 50 pilots onto the surface 66 of the drive cover. final. This appropriately centers the inner extension ring 14 on the final drive cover and hub 20.

The outer extension member 16 has an axially extending sleeve 74 and an internal mounting flange 72 axially separating and an outer wheel flange. 76 at the ends of the axial sleeve 74. The mounting flange 72 has a plurality of bolt openings 78 arranged in a circular pattern having the same diameter as the openings 24 and aligned with these in the wheel flange 22. The flange of assembly 72 is corrugated to provide a space for the ring mounting bolts 62. The mounting flange 72 only has half the number of openings 78 as there are openings 24 in the wheel flange 22. The mounting flange 72 is fully engaged with the outer flange 52 of the inner extension ring (figures 2 and 3). The long bolts 80 extend through the mounting flange 72, through both flanges of the inner extension ring, through the wheel disk 34 and into the threaded openings 24 in the wheel flange 22 to mount the member. of external extension to the cube. The long bolts 80 are placed in the first, third and fifth holes in each of the arcuate segments 58 and 60 of the inner extension ring.

The outer flange 52 of the inner extension ring is provided with an axially projecting flange 96 on the radial inner edge of the outer flange 52. The flange 96 sits inside of a flange 98 projecting axially inwardly into the flange. mounting flange 72 of the outer extension member 16. The two flanges form pilot surfaces for centering the outer extension member 16 relative to the inner extension ring 14.

The outer wheel flange 76 is provided with a circular pattern of threaded pin openings 82. These openings receive the wheel bolts 84 for mounting an outer wheel disk 86 to the outer extension member 16. An outer wheel edge 88 is mounted to the disc 86 by means of the bolts 90 and carries a rim 92, which forms the outer wheel and rim assembly 46. In the embodiment shown, the outer wheel flange 76 has a bolt circle of smaller diameter than that of the 20. It can be easily appreciated that the diameter of the bolt pattern of the outer wheel hub can be the same as that of the pattern of the bolt openings 24 if desired.

The outer wheel flange 76 is formed with an axially projecting flange 100 (FIGS. 2 and 4) on the radial inner edge of the flange 76. This forms a pilot surface for the outer wheel disk 86 to ensure proper positioning of the wheel. wheel and rim assembly 46. Pilot surfaces cooperate to ensure proper positioning of the internal and dual rims on the center line of the axle hubs. The larger diameter of the inner extension ring 14 provides a space around the final drive cover 26. The outer flange 52 is located axially just beyond the cover 26 so that the larger diameter ring 14 is no longer axially longer what is necessary The smaller diameter of the shaft sleeve 74 of the outer extension member provides greater clearance for the rope between the two wheels. The inner extension ring and the outer extension member are configured so that they can not interfere with the wheel discs 34 and 86, allowing the discs to be used in any orientation to preserve the multiple position feature of the wheel discs. All bolts can be accessed without reaching into any of the components, providing easy mounting and removal of the dual wheel and rim assembly and re-torsion of the bolts. The removal of the outer extension member can be achieved by removing fewer bolts compared to the previous designs and the removal of the outer extension member will not disturb the assembly of the inner wheel and rim assembly.

The invention should not be limited to the embodiment described above, but should be limited only by the claims that follow.

Claims (17)

1. A hub extension set for a tractor front axle with mechanical forward drive, the axle has a final impeller with a hub and a final drive cover, the hub has a radial wheel flange that extends radially past the drive cover At the end and having a circular pattern of bolt openings therethrough, the drive cover extends axially beyond the wheel flange, the shaft furthermore has a wheel disc secured thereto by a pair of wheel bolts. diametrically spaced passing through the wheel disc and inside the wheel flange, the extension comprising: an inner extension ring that surrounds the final drive cover and has axially separated internal and external flanges with continuous holes aligned with the bolt openings in the wheel flange and a cutout to provide a space for the wheel bolts, the inner flange it is fully in contact with the wheel disc and the internal extension ring is secured to the wheel flange by means of bolts that pass through a part of the holes in the internal and external flanges and the bolt openings in the flange of the wheel flange. wheel so the bolts also secure the wheel disc to the wheel flange; and an outer extension member having an inner mounting flange with bolt openings aligned with the remaining openings in the wheel hub, the mounting flange abuts the outer flange of the inner extension ring and is corrugated to provide an space for the bolts securing the inner extension ring to the hub, the outer extension member further has an outer wheel flange with a circular pattern of bolt openings therethrough for mounting an outer wheel disk thereto.

2. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the outer extension member has a sleeve extending axially between the mounting flange and the wheel flange having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the flange. final driving cover.

3. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the extension member has a maguri extending between the mounting flange and the wheel flange and wherein the mounting flange and the wheel flange both project radially out of the sleeve.

4. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the inner extension ring has an axial sleeve between the inner and outer flanges and the sleeve is radially outwardly of the flanges and wherein the outer extension member it has a sleeve between the mounting flanges and the flange of the wheel and the sleeve is radially inward of the flanges.

5. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the internal extension member has a piloting surface in the final drive cover for centering the internal extension member in the hub.

6. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the inner extension ring has an annular shoulder projecting axially outwardly on the outer flange forming a pilot surface for centering the outer extension member on the cube.

7. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 6, characterized in that the outer extension member has a flange projecting out axially to form a pilot diameter on the mounting flange that receives the projecting annular flange axially of the inner extension ring.

8. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the outer extension member has a pilot surface for centering the dual wheel disc thereon.

9. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the outer flange of the internal extension member is axially outside the final drive cover.

10. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the circular bolt pattern on the wheel flange of the extension member has a diameter smaller than the circular bolt pattern on the hub wheel flange .

11. A hub extension set for a front tractor axle with mechanical front front wheel drive, the shaft having a final impeller with a hub and a final drive cover, the hub has a radial wheel flange that extends radially beyond of the final drive cover and has a circular pattern of bolt openings therethrough, the drive cover extends axially beyond the wheel flange, the shaft furthermore has a wheel disk attached thereto by a pair of bolts diametrically spaced wheel passing through the wheel disc and inside the wheel flange, the extension comprises: an inner extension ring with inner and outer flanges spaced axially and separated by a first shaft sleeve, the inner flanges and the inner flanges; exteriors extend radially inwardly from the first sleeve; an extension member with mounting flanges and wheel flanges axially spaced apart by a second axial magnet, the mounting flanges and wheel flanges extend radially outwardly from the second axial sleeve; Y the inner and outer flanges of the inner extension ring and the mounting flange of the outer extension member have a plurality of continuous holes aligned with the pin openings of the wheel hub.

12. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the diameter of the second axial sleeve is smaller than the diameter of the final drive cover.

13. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the inner extension ring is secured to the hub by bolts passing through both inner and outer flanges of the inner extension ring.

14. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the outer extension member is secured to the hub by bolts passing through the inner extension ring and inside the hub.

15. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the inner and outer flanges and the outer extension member have portions cut away to clear the wheel bolts that mount the wheel disc to the hub.

16. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the inner extension ring and the outer extension member have pilot surfaces cooperating to ensure centering of the outer extension member in the inner extension ring.

17. The hub extension assembly as claimed in clause 11, characterized in that the outer extension member has a pilot surface for centering an outer wheel disk on the wheel flange of the outer extension member.