WO2008075963A1

WO2008075963A1 - Tool and method for mounting or demounting a wheel on a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2008075963A1
Application number: PCT/NO2007/000343
Authority: WO
Inventors: Helge Olav Skreen; Anne Sølvi SKREEN
Original assignee: Helge Olav Skreen; Skreen Anne Soelvi
Priority date: 2006-10-25
Filing date: 2007-10-01
Publication date: 2008-06-26
Also published as: NO324566B1; NO20064867L; WO2008051081A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a tool and a method for mounting or demounting a wheel (32) with a felloe with bores for loose threaded bolts on a wheel hub (40) with threaded bores, where the tool (26) having a threaded end intended to be screwed into the hub (40) is used in order to align the wheel with respect to the hub (40), said alignment being obtained by entering the wheel on to the tool (26) mounted on the hub and slide the wheel (32) with associated felloe along the tool towards the hub (40), said tool being in the form of at least one elongated body (26). Said elongated body is in the form of an elongated rod (28) with a threaded end and a sleeve shaped body (27) movably arranged on the rod (28), the rod(s) (28) being screwed into the hub, while the sleeve) s) (27) being threaded through bores in the felloe, said sleeve (s) (27) being used to lift the wheel (32) and then thread the said sleeve (s) onto the said rod(s) (28) and thereupon slide the sleeve (s) (27) with associated wheel along said rod(s) (28) towards the hub.

Description

TOOL AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING OR DEMOUNTING A WHEEL ON A VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a tool and a method for mounting or demounting a wheel with a felloe on a hub of a vehicle, wherein the hub is provided with one or more attachment means in the form of threaded, loose bolts and threaded holes. The tool comprises one or more means for guiding a wheel during mounting in proper position for attachment to the hub in a little force requiring manner. The means is in the form of an elongate rod which has a threaded end, said threads being adapted to the threads of the bolts and the holes in the hub respectively.

It has previously been proposed to use guiding rods for centring a wheel with respect to a hub.

DE 199 25 045; US 6,298,535; EP 1,070,605, and US 5,897,171 describe guiding rods of different shapes, intended to be screwed into a bolt hole in a hub of a vehicle wheel and/or onto bolts fixed to the vehicle hub. EP 609166; GB 2,215,285 and GB 2,146,958 disclose means for attachment in bolt holes in a vehicle hub, the means being used for alignment of the wheel in correct position with respect to the hub.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tool which simplifies substitution of wheels on a vehicle, and at the same time providing possibilities of establish- hing a new standard equipment for vehicles, such as for example cars or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible, compact system for substituting tyres, which at the same time is simple to operate and meets all essential operations for a wheel substitution.

Another object of the invention is to provide a solution which in use is more ergometrically suitable, where the need for muscular force may be substantially reduced. According to the invention the objects are achieved by a tool which is more precisely defined in the charac- terrizing part of the encompassed independent claims, read in context with the preamble of the independent claims . More specifically, the objects are achieved by application of a tool wherein the tool is in the form of an elongated unit comprising a first part in the form of a sleeve shaped body and a second part in the form of an elongated rod, the sleeve shaped body being moveably arranged on the rod. The sleeve shaped body may at one end be provided with surface (s) configured to cooperate with corresponding surface (s) on the elongated rod.

The elongated rod may preferably have a decreasing cross sectional area in direction towards its free end. The objects are also achieved by a method wherein said elongated body as described above, are used, where said tool is screwed into bores in the wheel hub, whereupon the sleeve is taken out and put into the corresponding holes in the felloe, the sleeve (s) being used to lift the wheel and then tread the wheel on to the sleeve (s) and thereupon push the sleeve (s) with the attached wheel along the rod(s) towards the wheel hub.

According to the present invention a simple solution is provided, having inherent advantages when substituting a wheel during dark hours.

Further advantages and applications of the combined tool according to the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings . An embodiment of the invention shall be described in further details below, referring to the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1-8 show a tool according to the present invention, the too being in the form of a combined rod and a sleeve, the Figures 1-4 showing a tubes shaped sleeve which may encompass an alignment rod, intended to being attached to a wheel hub in order to centre the wheel onto the hub when mounting the wheel, while figures 5-8 show the centring rod; and

Figure 9-12 show various stages using the tool as shown in Figure 1-8.

Figures 1-8 show various views of a tool 26 intended for alignment of a wheel 32 onto a wheel hub 40, and at the same time carrying the entire weight of the wheel and maintaining the wheel in correct position, so that it will be easy to screw the hub bolts in correct position in the wheel hub 40. According to the embodiment shown, the tool 26 comprises two units, one sleeve shaped body 27 and one rod shaped body 28. In mounted position, the sleeve shaped body 27 is slided onto the rod shaped body 28. At one end, the sleeve shaped body 27 is provided with a skewed surface 29, configured to co-act with a corresponding surface 30 on the rod shaped body 28. As also indicated in Figure 1, 2, 5 and 6, the length of the sleeve shaped body 27 is shorter than the length of the rod shaped body 28. Further, one end of rod shaped body 28 is provided with a threaded portion 31, intended to be screwed into a bore (not shown) in the wheel hub, said bore being configured for receiving wheel bolts. Further, said end is given a larger thickness than the remaining part of the rod shaped body 28. Said remaining part having a smaller thickness may preferably be given a slightly conical shape with smaller cross sectional area at the free end than at the end adjacent to the threaded portion. When assembled the sleeve shaped body 27 which then is slide along the sleeve shaped body 27, so that the skewed surface29 on the sleeve shaped body 27 rests in contact with the corresponding skewed surface 29' on the rod shaped body 28. The skewed surfaces will co-act in such way the rotating torque imposed in the sleeve shaped body 27 will be transferred to the rod shaped body 28, whereby the threaded part will be screwed out of or into the threaded bore in the hub, depending on the direction of rotation imposed on the surrounding sleeve shaped body 27. Consequently, the skewed surfaces on the sleeve shaped body 27 will contribute to an appropriate joint between the sleeve shaped body 27 and the rod shaped body 28. The invention is not limited to a solution having skewed surfaces 29. Said ends may have any shape providing an effective contact surface suitable for transferring the torque from the sleeve shaped body 27 to the rod shaped guiding body 28. The sleeve shaped body 27 may preferably comprise a small layer of grease in order to enable the sleeve shaped body 27 to easily slide along the guiding rods 28.

The Figures 3 and 4 show a view of each end of the sleeve shaped body 27, while the Figures 7 and 8 show a view of each end of the rod shaped body 28.

The manner of operation will now be described in more details, referring to Figures 9-12, showing different phases in the process of centring a wheel 32 on a wheel hub 40 for subsequent fixing the wheel 32 on the wheel hub 40 by means of bolts.

In some instances, it is necessary to substitute a wheel in darkness, for example as a result of a flat tyre on dark roads or the like. In particular, but not exclusively, if the wheel 32 is fixed to the wheel hub 40 by means of bolts, it may in many instances be difficult to find the bores in the wheel hub 40 for the bolts when putting on a new wheel 32 in correct position in respect to the threaded bores in the wheel hub. In such cases, a centring rod 26 according to the invention may be used. Application of the centring rods 26 may also be advantageous in order to obtain an improved and more ergometric lifting position when mounting the wheel 32 on the hub. A preferred application of the tool 26 will in the following be described in more detail, referring to the figures 9-12, showing different phases in the attachment of a wheel 32 on a wheel hub 33.

Firstly, two units of the tool 26, each comprising a guiding rod 28 (two pieces) and corresponding sleeve shaped bodies 27 (two pieces) , are screwed into their bores in the wheel hub 33, for example in two diametrical bores in the wheel hub 40. The sleeve shaped bodies 27 are then retracted from the guiding rods 28 and inserted into corresponding bores in the felloe of the wheel. The wheel is then moved horizontally towards the wheel hub using the sleeves and is slightly tilted so that the tilted end of each sleeve shaped body 27 is allowed to enter the tip of the corresponding attachment rod 28, screwed into the bore of the hub. The wheel is then lifted, using the sleeve shaped body 17. When the sleeve shaped body 27 with its skewed surface is in engagement with the corresponding guiding rod 28, a portion of the weight of the wheel is transferred to the guiding rods 28, such that a substantial portion of the weight, for example 50% of the weight, is transferred to the rods 28 successively during the initial lifting of the wheel on to the guiding rods 28. When the wheel is lifted to the correct height in this manner using the sleeves, a reduction of lifting force of up to 50% is achieved. As shown in Figures 11 and 12 the sleeve shaped bodies 27 are then moved horizontally on to the guiding rods 28 and are moved further along the visible part of the guiding rods 28. The movement may preferably be continued until the support surface of the felloe is in contact with the corresponding surface on the hub. The wheel 32 will the automatically be centred with respect to the bores of the hub. The bolts may then be inserted through the free holes of the felloe and screwed into the free bores of the hub 40, whereupon the guiding rods 28 are screwed out of the bores and substituted by bolts, screwed into the bores where the guiding rods 28 previously has been, ref. Figure 12.

Due to a oval hole at the end of the sleeve shaped body 27, a larger area is provided, making it more easy to perform the required alignment and mounting operation.

When the sleeve shaped body 27 is coaxially aligned with respect to the rods 28, the sleeves 27 are moved inwards along the conical part of the rods 28, whereby the 100% of weight of the wheel successively will be trans- ferred to the rods 28. The final portion of the movement may then be performed releasing the grip on the sleeves 27 and making a grip on the wheel, pushing the wheel towards the contact surface on the hub. The bolts may then easily be screwed into the free bores, for example as described above, ref. Figure 12.

The tool 26 according to the invention may for example have a length of 20-40 cm and a thickness which does not exceed the size of the bores in the felloe and the hub. The guiding rods 26 may preferably also screws as a unit of the hub 40.

The guiding rods 26 may preferably be provided with 12 mm threads arranged at that end which is intended to be screwed into the threaded bores of the hub 40, while the opposite end of the sleeve for example may be equipped with threads, for example 14 mm.

It should also be appreciated that the engagement surfaces 29,29' may have any suitable shape other than the shape shown. Examples of such alternative shapes may be recess/bulb or curved surfaces.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. Tool for mounting or demounting a wheel (32) with a felloe on a wheel hub of a vehicle, where the wheel hub is provided with one or more attachment means in the form of threaded, loose bolts and threaded bores, said tool comprising one or more means for guiding a wheel (32) during mounting into correct position with respect to the bores of the wheel hub in a power saving manner, said means being in the form of an elongated rod (26) threaded at one end, said threads correspond to the threads of bolts/bores of the hub, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said elongated rod (26) comprises a first part in the form of a sleeve shaped body (27) and a second part in the form of an elongated rod 28), the sleeve shaped body (27) being movably arranged on the rod (28) .

2. Tool according to claim 1, wherein sai8d elongated rod (28) is provided with a decreasing cross sectional area in direction to its free end.

3. Tool according to claim 2, wherein the elongated rod (28) has a conical shape.

4. Tool according to one of the claims 1-3, wherein one end of the sleeve shaped body (27) is provided with surface (s) (29) configured to co-act with corresponding surface (s) (29) a distance away from the one end of the elongated rod (28= in order to facilitate screwing out or in of the elongated rod (28) out of or into the hub by applying a torque on the sleeve shaped body (27) .

5. Tool according to claim 3, wherein the surfaces (29) are skewed .

6. Tool according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a part of the surface (s) (29) is arranged perpendicular on the longi- tudinal axis of the sleeve shaped body (27) .

7. Tool according to one of the claims 1-6, wherein the sleeve shaped body (27) and the part of the rod (26) which is adjacent the threaded part, have substantially an equal cross sectional area.

8. Method for mounting a wheel (32) with a felloe provided with bores for attachment to a wheel hub (40) on a vehicle, provided with threaded bores, where a tool (26) with a threaded end, intended to be screwed on the hub

(40) in order to align the wheel (32) with respect to the hub (40) is applied for mounting the wheel on the hub, the alignment being provided by threading the wheel onto the mounted tool (26) and slide the wheel (32) with its felloe along the tool towards the hub (40), said tool being in the form of at least one elongated body (26) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said elongated body is in the form of an elongated rod (28) with a threaded end and a sleeve shaped body (27), slidably arranged along the rod (28), the threaded end of the rod(s) (28) being screwed into the hub (40), threading the sleeve (s) (27) through holes in the felloe and using the sleeves to lift the wheel (32) so as to thread the sleeve (s) onto said rod(s) and then slide the sleeve (s) (27) with the wheel (32) attached along said rod(s) (28) towards the hub.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein said elongated body (26) in an assembled state, comprising a rod (28) and a sleeve (27) arranged on the rod (28) is screwed with its threaded end onto the threaded part in the hub (40) .

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the sleeve (27) then is removed from the rod (28) screwed into the bore in the hub (32) .