Sack Truck News

Casters mounts on a vehicle steering shaft which has a threaded end portion. The steering wheel assembly comprises a steering wheel armature, an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device supported on the steering wheel armature, an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, a hub fixedly attached to the steering wheel armature and for non-rotatable attachment to the steering shaft, and a rotatable fastener rotatably supported on the hub for axially forcing the hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of the fastener in a first direction. The fastener has a first end portion including gearing for rotating the fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of the fastener. A retainer plate spaced from the inflator is fixedly attached with the steering wheel armature. The retainer plate overlies the first end portion of the fastener and retains the fastener on the steering wheel armature.

1. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported on said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate spaced from said inflator and fixedly attached with said steering wheel armature, said retainer plate overlying said first end portion of said fastener and retaining said fastener on said steering wheel armature;

said retainer plate having a peripheral portion partially encircling a central portion, said central portion being axially offset from said peripheral portion.
2. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel armature;

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device supported on said steering wheel armature;

an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a hub fixedly attached to said steering wheel armature and for non-rotatable attachment to the vehicle steering shaft;

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported on said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate spaced from said inflator and fixedly attached with said steering wheel armature, said retainer plate overlying said first end portion of said fastener and retaining said fastener on said steering wheel armature;

said second end portion of said fastener extending axially from said first end portion, said first end portion of said fastener including a projection extending axially from said gear means in a direction opposite said second end portion;

said retainer plate including an opening for receiving said projection of said fastener;

said retainer plate including a reaction surface surrounding said opening which is engaged by said first end portion of said fastener when said fastener is rotated in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said reaction surface reacting against said first end portion of said fastener when said fastener is rotated in said second direction to create a axial force tending to remove said hub from the steering shaft.

3. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel armature;

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device supported on said steering wheel armature;

an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a hub fixedly attached to said steering wheel armature and for non-rotatable attachment to the vehicle steering shaft;

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported on said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate spaced from said inflator and fixedly attached with said steering wheel armature, said retainer plate overlying said first end portion of said fastener and retaining said fastener on said steering wheel armature;

said retainer plate partially encircling said fastener and leaving a peripheral portion of said gear means uncovered.

4. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel armature;

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device supported on said steering wheel armature;

an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a hub fixedly attached to said steering wheel armature and for non-rotatable attachment to the vehicle steering shaft;

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported on said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate spaced from said inflator and fixedly attached with said steering wheel armature, said retainer plate overlying said first end portion of said fastener and retaining said fastener on said steering wheel armature;

said steering wheel armature including a mounting member, said hub and said retainer plate being fixedly secured to said mounting member.

5. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel armature having a rim portion, a ring portion, and a plurality of spokes interconnecting said rim portion and said ring portion;

a mounting member attached to said ring portion, said member having a hub fixedly attached to said steering wheel armature;

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported by said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate fixedly attached to said mounting member and overlying said first end portion of said fastener, said retainer plate retaining said fastener on said mounting member;

said retainer plate having planar peripheral portion partially encircling a planar central portion, said central portion being axially offset from said peripheral portion.

6. The steering wheel assembly of claim 5 wherein said peripheral portion of said retainer plate extends less than 360° around said central portion of said retainer plate so that a peripheral portion of said gear means is exposed.

7. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel armature having a rim portion, a ring portion, and a plurality of spokes interconnecting said rim portion and said ring portion;

a member attached to said ring portion, said member having a hub fixedly attached to said steering wheel armature;

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported by said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate fixedly attached to said member and overlying said first end portion of said fastener, said retainer plate retaining said fastener on said member;

said retainer plate having a planar peripheral portion partially encircling a planar central portion, said central portion being axially offset from said peripheral portion;

said first end portion of said fastener having radially extending first and second surfaces, said first and second surfaces defining an axial thickness for said first end portion;

said hub and said central portion of said retainer being separated by an axial space having an axial height, said height of said axial space being greater than said axial thickness of said first end portion of said fastener;

said first end portion of said fastener including a cylindrical projection extending axially from said first surface, said second end portion of said fastener extending axially from said second surface of said first end portion;

said central portion of said retainer plate including an opening for receiving said cylindrical projection of said first end portion of said fastener;

said central portion of said retainer plate including a reaction surface surrounding said opening which is engaged by said first surface of said fastener when said fastener is rotated in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said reaction surface reacting against said first surface of said fastener when said fastener is rotated in said second direction to create a axial force tending to remove said hub from the steering shaft.

8. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel armature including a mounting member;

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device supported on said steering wheel armature;

an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a hub fixedly attached to said steering wheel armature and for non-rotatable attachment to the vehicle steering shaft;

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported on said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate fixedly attached with said steering wheel armature and located axially between said inflator and said mounting member, said retainer plate overlying said first end portion of said fastener and defining an axial space between said hub and said retainer plate, said fastener being disposed in said space and being retained on said steering wheel armature by said retainer plate.

9. The steering wheel assembly of claim 8 wherein said first end portion of said fastener comprises a spur gear.

10. The steering wheel assembly of claim 8 wherein said second end portion of said fastener extends axially from said first end portion, said first end portion of said fastener including a projection extending axially from said gear means in a direction opposite said second end portion.

11. The steering wheel assembly of claim 10 wherein said retainer plate includes an opening, said projection on said fastener being disposed in said opening.

12. The steering wheel assembly of claim 8 wherein said retainer plate includes a reaction surface which is engaged by said first end portion of said fastener when said fastener is rotated in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said reaction surface reacting against said first end portion of said fastener when said fastener is rotated in said second direction to create a axial force tending to remove said hub from the steering shaft.

13. The steering wheel assembly of claim 8 wherein said hub includes a bore having a tapered surface, said second end portion of said fastener being disposed in said bore.

14. Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion, said steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel armature having a rim portion, a ring portion, and a plurality of spokes interconnecting said rim portion and said ring portion;

a mounting member attached to said ring portion, said member having a hub fixedly attached to said steering wheel armature;

a rotatable fastener rotatably supported by said hub and for axially forcing said hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener in a first direction, said fastener having a first end portion including gear means for rotating said fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of said fastener; and

a retainer plate fixedly attached to said mounting member, said retainer plate overlying said first end portion of said fastener and defining an axial space between said hub and said retainer plate, said fastener being disposed in said space and being retained on said mounting member by said retainer plate.

15. The steering wheel assembly of claim 14 wherein said retainer plate has a planar peripheral portion partially encircling a planar central portion, said central portion being axially offset from said peripheral portion.

16. The steering wheel assembly of claim 15 wherein said first end portion of said fastener has radially extending first and second surfaces, said first and second surfaces defining an axial thickness for said first end portion.

17. The steering wheel assembly of claim 16 wherein said axial space has an axial height that is greater than said axial thickness of said first end portion of said fastener.

18. The steering wheel assembly of claim 17 wherein said first end portion of said fastener includes a cylindrical projection extending axially from said first surface, said second end portion of said fastener extending axially from said second surface of said first end portion.

19. The steering wheel assembly of claim 18 wherein said central portion of said retainer plate includes an opening for receiving said cylindrical projection of said first end portion of said fastener.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related to Casters which is mounted on a steering shaft of a vehicle and which is rotatable to steer the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A vehicle steering wheel is typically attached to a vehicle steering shaft by a splined connection. The splined connection non-rotatably attaches the steering wheel to the steering shaft and transmits torque from the steering wheel, namely, torque generated during turning of the steering wheel, to the steering shaft. The steering wheel is additionally secured to the steering wheel by a nut to prevent relative axial movement between the steering wheel and the steering shaft. The nut is screwed onto a threaded extension located on the end of the steering shaft which extends into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Usually, the nut is accessed by an installer through the center of the steering wheel once the steering wheel has been placed onto the steering shaft. An air bag module is then typically mounted in the center of the steering wheel and covers the nut.

Another type of connection for connecting a vehicle steering wheel to the steering shaft utilizes tapered surfaces on the steering shaft and inside a hub portion of the steering wheel. A gear-headed bolt is used to bring the tapered surfaces into non-rotatable engagement. Threads on the bolt engage an internally threaded surface on the steering shaft to pull the steering wheel onto the steering shaft. The gear head of the bolt is driven by a tool which is inserted into the steering wheel from the side (i.e., perpendicular to the axis of rotation).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is Casters to be mounted on a vehicle steering shaft which rotates about an axis to steer a vehicle and which has a threaded end portion. The steering wheel assembly comprises a steering wheel armature, an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device supported on the steering wheel armature, an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, a hub fixedly attached to the steering wheel armature and for non-rotatable attachment to the steering shaft, and a rotatable fastener rotatably supported on the hub for axially forcing the hub onto the steering shaft upon rotation of the fastener in a first direction. The fastener has a first end portion including gear means for rotating the fastener and a second end portion for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion of the steering shaft upon rotation of the fastener. A retainer plate spaced from the inflator is fixedly attached with the steering wheel armature. The retainer plate overlies the first end portion of the fastener and retains the fastener on the steering wheel armature.

In the operation of a construction machine over terrain strewn with debris, there is a tendency for the debris to work itself into areas of sealing interface such as between an axle and the final drive assemblies of the machine. When this occurs the seals and possible the life of the drive components can be greatly reduced. The present invention comprehends a castors assembly that has a bracket member that is positioned on an axle adjacent a cylindrical hub defined by the wheels. The castors assembly utilizes a plurality of plates positioned within, above and laterally spaced from the hub of an adjacent wheel to prevent the ingress of foreign material into the hub. The hub and the sealed interfaces and other components housed therein are thereby protected from possible damage as a result of contact with the foreign material.

1. A castors assembly for a compactor wheel, comprising:

a housing;

a wheel having an inner cylindrical portion defining a cylindrical recess, an outer drum and a pair of side walls positioned to extend radially therebetween, said wheel being mounted to the housing for relative rotation with respect thereto, with a portion of the housing being positioned within the cylindrical recess; and

a bracket assembly having a first segment that is generally cylindrical in configuration and a second, generally semi-cylindrical segment that extends from an upper portion of the first segment, said bracket assembly being adapted for mounting on the housing in a manner wherein the first segment is positioned within the inner cylindrical recess of the wheel and the second segment is positioned outwardly of the cylindrical recess to restrict the ingress of foreign material into the cylindrical recess.

2. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the housing includes an axle assembly having a first and second end portions and a drive mechanism mounted to each of the end portions of the axle assembly for rotation with respect thereto.

3. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the inner cylindrical portion of the wheel defines a mounting flange within the cylindrically shaped recess.

4. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the drive mechanism is a final drive assembly having a mounting flange defined thereon, each mounting flange being engageable with mounting flange defined one of a pair of wheels for rotation therewith.

5. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein at least one sealed interface is defined between the drive mechanism and the respective end portions of the axle assembly, said sealed interface being positioned within the cylindrical recess defined by the wheel between the first segment of the bracket assembly and the mounting flange of the wheel.
6. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the bracket assembly further includes:

a mounting bracket having a first side;

a generally semi-cylindrical plate secured to a first side thereof;

a shroud member having a generally semi-cylindrical configuration, said shroud member being mounted to the mounting bracket in overlying relationship with respect thereto and being positioned on the mounting bracket such that at least a portion thereof is in complementary adjacent relationship to the generally semi-cylindrical plate to define the generally cylindrical segment therewith;

a first cover plate having an opening formed therein and being mounted to a second side of the mounting bracket; and

a second cover plate having an opening formed therein and being mounted to the first cover plate and the shroud member, said opening of the second cover member being aligned with the opening defined by the first cover plate to define an aperture that has a size sufficient for receiving a end portion of the axle assembly therein.

7. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein the first segment defined by the mounting bracket and shroud member is positioned within the cylindrical recess defined by the wheel and the first and second cover plates are spaced axially from the first segment and are positioned in a transverse orientation to a centerline defined by the axle assembly.

8. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein the aperture defined by the first and second cover plates is sized such that it is only slightly larger than the axle assembly to define a space of a preselected size therebetween thereby preventing the ingress of foreign matter larger than said preselected size from entry into the cylindrical recess.

9. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein an outer periphery of the semi-cylindrical plate mounted to the mounting bracket is defined by a radius that is slightly less than that of the cylindrical recess and is mounted on the mounting bracket in a manner to extend below the mounting bracket at a location that substantially closes off a lower portion of the cylindrical recess to restrict the entry of foreign matter into the cylindrical recess from a location beneath the mounting bracket.

10. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein the mounting bracket is mounted to an underside of the axle assembly with the semi-cylindrical plate member positioned below the axle assembly and the shroud member positioned above the axle assembly.

11. A castors assembly, comprising:

an axle assembly having a pair of end portions, a final drive assembly mounted to each of the respective end portions for relative rotation with respect thereto;

a pair of wheels, each having a hub portion defining a generally cylindrical recess and being mounted to each final drive assembly for rotation therewith about an axis; and

a bracket assembly mounted on the respective end portions of the axle assembly adjacent the respective wheels, each bracket assembly having a mounting bracket having first and second sides, said mounting bracket being mounted to the end portion of the axle assembly; a generally semi-cylindrical plate member mounted to the first side of the mounting bracket and being positioned to extend into the cylindrical recess of the adjacent hub portion, said semi-cylindrical plate member being positioned adjacent a lower portion of the cylindrical recess in concentric, closely spaced relation thereto; a shroud member having a generally semi-cylindrical configuration and first and second portions, said shroud member being mounted to the mounting bracket with the first portion thereof in complementary adjacent relationship to the semi-cylindrical plate member to define a generally cylindrical segment therewith, said shroud member being positioned with the first portion thereof within an upper portion of the adjacent cylindrical recess in concentric, closely spaced relationship thereto and the second portion thereof axially spaced from the first portion in overlying relation to the mounting bracket and the axle assembly.

12. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein a first cover plate having an opening defined therein is mounted to the second side of the mounting plate with the end portion of the axle assembly received within the opening.

13. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein a second cover plate having an opening defined therein is mounted to one of the first cover plate and the shroud member with the end portion of the axle assembly received within the opening, said opening of the second plate member being alignable with the opening of the first plate member to define an aperture that substantially encloses the end portion of the axle assembly to restrict the passage of foreign matter between the plate members and the axle assembly toward the hub of the wheel.

14. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein the relative rotation between the respective final drive assemblies and the end portions of the axle assembly occurs along a sealed interface, said sealed interface being positioned within the cylindrical recess.

15. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein the semi-cylindrical plate is positioned transversely with respect to the cylindrical recess to substantially close off the recess from a location beneath the axle assembly to restrict the ingress of foreign matter into the cylindrical recess toward the sealed interface.

16. The castors assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein the semi-cylindrical shroud member is defined by a radius that is slightly smaller than that of the cylindrical recess and is positioned to extend axially from the cylindrical member toward the axle assembly and is secured in overlying relationship to the mounting bracket to restrict ingress of foreign matter into the cylindrical recess from an area above the axle assembly.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a castors assembly and more particularly to a castors assembly for a wheel assembly that is rotatably mounted to an axle assembly.

BACKGROUND ART

In the operation of construction machines, it is a common practice to operate over terrain that is littered with foreign material and various types of debris. In fact, in the type of machine known as a landfill compactor, the intended purpose is to maneuver over trash and refuse to “compact” the material, so that more material may be brought in to the landfill and the most efficient use of the available land is attained. In doing so, it is a common and vexatious problem to encounter the wrapping of wire, cable, hoses, textile material, long strips of plastic and other strands of material around the wheels and axles of the machines. Not only does this require frequent and costly machine maintenance to continually remove this material, the strands of material may be drawn tightly around the axle or even layered around it. When this happens, the strands tend to find their way into the area of the hubs of the wheels. This is an area where the final drive or other rotating axle components are located, forming a sealed interface with the stationary, or non-rotating axle housing. In many instances, the wrapped material will become lodged in the area of this sealed interface. When this happens destruction of the seals is likely to occur and, if operation of the machine continues in this condition, destruction of one or more of the drive components can also result.

In some instances, it has been known to provide an external cylindrical portion that extends outwardly from the recess to encompass the entire axle assembly. While this has been known to provide some relief, the open end portion around the axle will still allow wire and cable to be wound around the axle and work itself into the area of the seal interface. In addition, since the outer cylindrical extension surrounds the axle the same distance below as above, the ground clearance is greatly reduced, causing the axle assembly to pick even more debris.

The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention a castors assembly for a compactor wheel is provided. The castors assembly includes a housing and a wheel that is mounted to the housing for relative rotation with respect thereto. The wheel has an inner cylindrical portion defining a cylindrical recess, an outer drum and a pair of side walls positioned to extend radially therebetween. The wheel is mounted on the housing such that a portion of the housing is positioned within the cylindrical recess. A bracket assembly is included that has a first segment that is generally cylindrical in configuration. A second, generally semi-cylindrical segment is positioned to extend from an upper portion of the first segment. The bracket assembly is adapted for mounting on the housing in a manner wherein the first segment is positioned within the inner cylindrical recess of the wheel and the second segment is positioned outwardly of the cylindrical recess to restrict the ingress of foreign material into the cylindrical recess.

In another aspect of the present invention, a castors assembly is provided for an axle assembly. The axle assembly has a pair of end portions and a final drive assembly mounted to each of the respective end portions for relative rotation with respect thereto. A pair of wheels is included, each having a hub portion defining a generally cylindrical recess. Each wheel is mounted to each final drive assembly for rotation therewith about an axis. A bracket assembly is mounted on the respective end portions of the axle assembly adjacent the respective wheels. Each bracket assembly has a mounting bracket that has a first and second side are mounted to the end portions of the axle assemblies. A generally semi-cylindrical plate member is mounted to the first side of the mounting bracket and is positioned to extend into the cylindrical recess of the adjacent hub portion. The semi-cylindrical plate member is positioned adjacent a lower portion of the cylindrical recess in concentric, closely spaced relation thereto. A shroud member has a generally semi-cylindrical configuration and first and second portions and is secured to the mounting bracket with the first portion thereof in complementary adjacent relationship to the semi-cylindrical plate member to define a generally cylindrical segment therewith. The shroud member is positioned with the first portion thereof within an upper portion of the adjacent cylindrical recess in concentric, closely spaced relationship thereto and the second portion thereof axially spaced from the first portion in overlying relation to the mounting bracket and the axle assembly.

With the castors assembly as set forth above, the ingress of foreign matter from virtually and direction surrounding the wheels is substantially eliminated. In doing so, not only is the down time associated with the continued clean up of this area greatly reduced, risk of damage to the sealed interface between the final drive and the axle housing is also substantially eliminated.

radius allows relative rotation between the wheel 10 and the plate 48 without interference.

A pneumatic wheels cover comprises an arc-shaped member sized and shaped to fit at least over a portion of the outer rim edge, the cover extending at least from the edge over an outer most portion of the rim which, in use, is exposed; and the cover further comprises a bend around the edge to secure the cover onto the rim edge.

12. A pneumatic wheels cover comprising an arc shaped member sized and shaped to fit in use at least over a portion of an outer rim edge of a wheel rim, the coyer extending at least from the edge over an outermost portion of the rim which, in use, is exposed; the cover further comprising a bend around the edge to secure the cover onto the rim edge.

13. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, further comprising clamping means to clamp the cover onto the rim.

14. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the cover comprises clamping means, the arc shaped member is in the form of a circle, the circle has a gap between two circle, end pieces and the clamping means includes a mechanism for immobilising the two end pieces relative to one another, thereby clamping the cover onto the rim in use.

15. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the inner surface of the cover is a layer with low abrasion properties compared to conventional steel.

16. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the inner surface of the cover has relatively high friction properties and the outside of the cover has relatively low friction properties.

17. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the arc shaped member includes end portions which are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc and separated by a gap.

18. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the arc shaped member includes end portions which are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc and separated by a gap, and both the arc shaped member and the plates incorporate inner surfaces with low abrasion properties.

19. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the arc shaped member includes end portions which are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc shaped member and separated by a gap, and o tongue located on one of the plates cooperates with a loop located on the other plate in order to align the end portions.

20. A kit of pneumatic wheels covers in which each pneumatic wheels cover is according to claim 12.

21. A kit of pneumatic wheels covers in which each pneumatic wheels cover is according to claim 12, and the covers are of varying sizes and are colour coded according to their sizes.
Description

The invention relates to pneumatic wheels covers and kits of pneumatic wheels covers.

[0004]In its broadest independent aspect, the invention provides a pneumatic wheels cover comprising: an arc shaped member sized and shaped to fit at least over a portion of the outer rim edge, the cover extending at least from the edge over an outermost portion of the rim which, in use, is exposed; and the cover further comprises a bend around the edge to secure the cover onto the rim edge.

[0005]This combination of features is particularly advantageous because it protects the edge of the rim from scratching during the operation of removing the tyre from the rim. It also does not interfere with the removal of the tyre so that conventional automatic tyre changers may be used. This cover may also be used for the manual removal of tyres from the rim, if necessary, as it will offer improved protection of the outer rim. It will avoid having to recoat rims which are damaged during the conventional tyre removal process.

[0006]In a subsidiary aspect in accordance with the invention’s broadest independent aspect, the pneumatic wheels cover further comprises clamping means to clamp the cover onto the rim. In this configuration, the pneumatic wheels cover can be prevented from rotating about the rim which could otherwise cause undue wear and tear to the cover itself as well as to the protected rim.

[0007]In a further subsidiary aspect, the arc forms a circle where the circle has a gap between two circle end pieces and the cover incorporates a mechanism for immobilising the two end pieces relative to one another, thereby clamping the cover onto the rim. This method of clamping is particularly advantageous because it removes any requirement for clamping to, for example, external surfaces such as the tyre changing machinery or the wheel itself.

[0008]In a further subsidiary aspect, the inner surface of the cover is a layer with low abrasion properties compared to conventional steel. This configuration will provide the inner surface with sufficiently low abrasion to avoid any scratching of the edge whilst the cover is in place.

[0009]In a further subsidiary aspect, the inner surface of the cover has relatively high friction properties and the outside of the cover has relatively low friction properties. This may, for example, be achieved by employing rubber in the inside surface and steel on the outside surface so that the removing head of a tyre changer may be freely displaced against the cover on the outside whilst the cover itself is immobilised due to the high friction of an inside layer against the rim edge.

[0010]In a further subsidiary aspect, the invention provides a kit of pneumatic wheels covers according to any of the preceding aspects.

[0011]The provision of a kit will allow a particular fitter to employ a range of covers to correspond with a range of rim sizes.

[0012]In a further subsidiary aspect, the covers are of varying sizes and are colour-coded according to their sizes. This will allow the tyre fitter to immediately find which wheel cover to employ for a given rim. These features will be particularly beneficial when considering that in the field of wheel fitters any improvement to the rapidity of a fitter being able to find the appropriate tool will allow greater efficiencies to be achieved.

[0013]In a further subsidiary aspect, end portions of the arc are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc and separated by a gap.

[0014]In a further subsidiary aspect, both the arc and the plates incorporate inner surfaces with low abrasion properties.

[0015]In a further subsidiary aspect, a tongue located on one of the plates cooperates with a loop located on the other plate in order to align the end portions of the arc.

A hydraulic toe jack comprising: an oil pressure supply and discharge part; and a toe jack part connected to the oil pressure supply and discharge part through a flow passage, said toe jack part being provided with a hydraulic cylinder, a pantograph type link connected to the hydraulic cylinder through a driving link, and a wheel provided on the pantograph type link, said pantograph type link comprising a pair of rotatable lower links, a pair of upper links pivotally mounted on extreme ends of the lower links through shafts, and a pressure receiving plate provided on upper ends of said upper links, said driving link being rotatably connected between the hydraulic cylinder and the lower links, wherein the lower links and the upper links are provided in a paired relation as front links and rear links before and behind said hydraulic cylinder respectively, and the wheel is rotatably mounted on said shaft of said front links.

2. The hydraulic toe jack according to claim 1, wherein a guide tube comprising an outer tube and an inner tube slidably inserted into the outer tube is connected to the toe jack part, the oil pressure supply and discharge part is provided with a holder member; said flow passage includes a pipe is inserted into the guide tube, and the guide tube is connected to the holder member separable and rotatably.

3. The hydraulic toe jack according to claim 2, wherein an operating rod extending in a direction opposite to the guide tube is connected to the holder member.

4. The hydraulic toe jack according to claim 2, wherein the toe jack part has a base plate movably placed on an installing surface, and the base plate is connected to the inner tube through a connecting construction.

5. The hydraulic toe jack according to claim 1, wherein the oil pressure supply and discharge part has a pump and a tank, said tank comprising a bellows type bladder for setting a volume chamber therein, and a protective casing formed of a visible material for receiving the bladder therein.

6. A hydraulic toe jack comprising: a pressure supply/discharge part; a flow passage connected to said supply/discharge part; a toe jack part in communication with said supply/discharge part through said flow passage, said toe jack part including a hydraulic cylinder with a hydraulic piston connected to a driving link, and a pantograph linkage connected to said hydraulic piston through said driving link, said pantograph linkage including first links with first and second ends, said first ends being pivotally connected to said hydraulic cylinder, said second ends including a shaft, said pantograph linkage having second links with first and second ends, said first ends of said second links being pivotally connected to said shafts of said second ends of said first links, said toe jack part includes a pressure receiving plate connected to said second ends of said second links; a wheel pivotally mounted on one of said shafts connecting said first and second links.

7. A hydraulic toe jack comprising: a toe jack part including a hydraulic cylinder with a hydraulic piston connected to a driving link, and a pantograph linkage connected to said hydraulic piston through said driving link; a wheel rotatably connected to said pantograph linkage; a flow passage connected to said toe jack part; a pressure supply/discharge part in communication with said toe jack part through said flow passage, said oil pressure supply and discharge part including a pump and a tank, said tank including a bellows type bladder for setting a volume chamber in said tank, said tank also including a protective casing formed of a visible material for receiving said bladder.

Various proposals have been heretofore made in connection with an hydraulic toe jack set of the manually-operated type. In principle, as shown in FIG. 4, the toe jack comprises an oil pressure supply and discharge part 1 and a toe jack part 2. The oil pressure supply and discharge part 1 converts unpressurized oil from a tank 13 into pressure oil by means of an oscillating operation of an operating lever 11 with respect to a pump 12, and supplies the oil to the toe jack part 2 through a pipe 3. On the other hand, oil from the toe jack part 2 is returned to the tank 13 by an opening a depressurizing valve 14. It is set so that the toe jack part 2 extends when pressure oil from the oil pressure supply and discharge part 1 is supplied, and the toe jack part 2 contracts when pressure oil is discharged.

Accordingly, in the conventional hydraulic toe jack, for example, the toe jack part 2 is located at a desired position for extension and contraction thereof to enable movement of heavy articles up and down. Further, where the toe jack part 2 is a pantograph type, it is possible to set an elevating stroke higher than when the toe jack part 2 is a cylinder type.

However, when the toe jack part 2 is a pantograph type, the elevating stroke is large, and therefore, it is necessary to stabilize the toe jack when the toe jack is placed on the installing surface such as the surface of the earth. For example, though not shown, a base plate or the like constituting the lower end of the toe jack part 2 is formed as large as possible.

On the other hand, when the hydraulic toe jack of this kind is located at a deep position, in most case, the operating lever 11 included in the oil pressure supply and discharge part 1 is used as a pressing/positioning member by which the toe jack part 2 is slidably moved and fed into the desired position.

In this case, the larger the base plate or the like constituting the lower end of the toe jack part 2, which enhances the stability when installed, as described above, here poses an inconvenience in that the feeding operation is difficult.

This invention has been designed in view of the aforementioned circumstances. An object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic toe jack in which feeding/positioning a toe jack part into a desired position is optimized for a wide use of the toe jack in different applications.

For achieving the aforesaid object, a means of the present invention comprises an oil pressure supply and discharge part, and a toe jack part connected to the oil pressure supply and discharge part through a flow passage. The toe jack part is provided with a hydraulic cylinder, a pantograph type link connected to the hydraulic cylinder through a driving link, and a wheel provided at a suitable position of the pantograph type link.

In this case, preferably, the pantograph type link comprises a pair of rotatable lower links, a pair of upper links pivotally mounted on extreme ends of the lower links, respectively, through shafts, and pressure receiving plates provided on the upper ends of the upper links, respectively, the driving link is connected rotatably between the hydraulic cylinder and the lower links, and the wheel is mounted on one of the shafts.

In this case, preferably, the lower links and the upper links are provided in a paired relation before and behind the hydraulic cylinder, and the wheel is mounted on the front shaft for pivotally mounting the front lower link and the front upper link.

Further, in the above-described means, preferably, a guide tube comprising an outer tube, and an inner tube slidably inserted into the outer tube, is connected to the toe jack part. The oil pressure supply and discharge part is provided with a holder member, the pipe is inserted into the guide tube, and the guide tube is connected to the holder member reparably and rotatably.

In this case, preferably, an operating rod extending in a direction opposite to the guide tube is connected to the holder member.

Further, preferably, the toe jack part has a base plate movably placed on the installing surface, and the base plate is connected to the inner tube through a connecting construction.

Furthermore, preferably, the oil pressure supply and discharge part has a pump and a tank. The tank comprising a bellows type bladder for setting a volume chamber therein, and a protective casing formed of a visible material for receiving the bladder therein.

Most hydraulic machine jacks, such as those used as automobile machine jacks or the like, comprise a load-bearing plate or support which is mounted to pivot upwardly about a stationary pin or shaft, so that the support will move both vertically and laterally during the raising and lowering thereof. For this reason it is not uncommon to mount such machine jacks on wheels, so that as the load-bearing plate moves upwardly beneath a load the entire jack will be free to shift or roll on its wheels forwardly or rearward in a horizontal direction to compensate for the torque or lateral loading factor which results from the swinging movement of the load-bearing plate.

It is, of course, possible to produce a machine jack which has its operating cylinder disposed in a vertical position so that the load-bearing plate will be moved directly vertically in response to the reciprocation of the associated piston rod of the cylinder. However, this design minimizes to a great extent the utility of the jack, because when the load-bearing plate is in its lowermost position it is supported on the upper end of the fully retracted piston rod, so that as a practical matter it is not possible to lower the load-bearing surface far enough to enable it to be used on items which have relatively low clearances, for example extremely low-swung automobile frames.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved machine jack which obviates the advantages of prior hydraulic machine jacks of the type which utilize pivotal load-bearing supports, or vertically disposed cylinders for operating the machine jacks.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a hydraulically operated jack which is capable of being collapsed to an extremely low position, and yet which is capable of being readily elevated to an operating height several times the height of its lowermost position.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved machine jack of the type described, which utilizes a plurality of pivotally-connected links that form two, collapsible, parallelogram-shaped sections mounted one above the other for operation by a cylinder which is disposed horizontally between them.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved machine jack of the type described in which the operating cylinder is mounted within the collapsible frame for both vertical and lateral movement during the operation of the jack, while the upper, lower-bearing surface of the jack is mounted to move only vertically during such operations.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

A load-bearing plate is mounted by a plurality of pivotal links above a base plate, and solely for vertical movement toward and away from the base plate. An intermediate frame including two, spaced, parallel side bars is supported by the links between the two plates for swinging movement on the base plate about a pair of spaced, parallel axes. Driving means, such as a hydraulic screw jack is mounted between the two side bars for swinging movement therewith, and has a reciprocal piston rod attached to one of two, parallel shafts mounted at opposite ends in slots in the side bars to reciprocate longitudinally of the bars during the raising and lowering of the load-bearing plate. The reciprocal movement of the two shafts oscillates the links which in turn cause the load-bearing plate to reciprocate only vertically relative to the base plate.

1. Machine jacks, comprising

a base,

an intermediate frame,

a first plurality of links pivotally connected to said base and said frame to support said frame on said base for translational movement in an arc about a pair of spaced axes and between first and second limit positions,

a load-bearing member,

a second plurality of links pivotally connected to said frame and said load-bearing member to support said load-bearing member on said frame for movement relative thereto,

drive means mounted on said frame for arcuate movement therewith and having a reciprocable driver,

a third plurality of links pivotally connected to said frame and to at least certain of said first and second pluralities of links for translational movement with said frame relative to said base and said load-bearing member, and

means pivotally connecting said third plurality of links to said driver and operative to impart said arcuate movement to said frame, and to reciprocate said load-bearing plate linearly toward and away from said base plate upon reciprocation of said driver.

2. Machine jacks as defined in claim 1, wherein

said frame includes a pair of spaced, parallel side members,

said connecting means comprises at least one shaft extending transversely between said side members and slidably guided at opposite ends thereof in registering slots in said side members for reciprocation parallel to said driver,

said driver is connected to said one shaft to impart reciprocation thereto, and

each of said third plurality of links is pivotally connected at one end to said one shaft and at its opposite end to one of said certain links of said first and second pluralities thereof.

3. Machine jacks as defined in claim 2, wherein said drive means is mounted between said side members of said frame, and between said base and said load-bearing member, respectively, and for movement in the same direction as said driver.

4. Machine jacks as defined in claim 1, wherein said first plurality of links comprise two pairs of spaced links pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite ends, respectively, of said base for pivotal movement about said spaced axes, one of said pairs being pivotally connected at their upper ends to one end of said frame adjacent opposite sides thereof, and the other of said pairs being longer than said one pair and being pivotally connected intermediate their ends to the opposite end of said frame at opposite sides thereof,

said two pairs of links being operative to maintain a plane surface on said load-bearing member parallel at all times to a plane containing said spaced axes.

5. Machine jacks as defined in claim 4, wherein

said second plurality of links include a third pair of spaced links pivotally connected at their lower ends to said one end of said frame coaxially of the upper ends of said one pair of links and at their upper ends to opposite sides of said load-bearing plate at one end thereof, and a fourth pair of spaced links equal in length to said second pair, and pivotally connected intermediate their ends to opposite ends of said frame at said opposite ends thereof, and coaxially off the pivotal connections of said second pair with said frame, and being pivotally connected at their upper ends to opposite sides of said load-bearing plate at the opposite end thereof.

6. Machine jacks as defined in claim 5, wherein said third plurality of links include two additional pairs of spaced links positioned adjacent each end of said frame, and pivotally connected at one end thereof to said first and second pluralities of links, and mounted at their opposite ends for pivotal and reciprocal movement relative to said frame.

7. Machine jacks, comprising

a pair of rigid plates,

a first plurality of pivotal links interposed between said plates for supporting one plate movably above the other,

a pair of spaced, parallel side members positioned between said plates and having a first pair of spaced, parallel pins extending transversely therebetween, and slidable at opposite ends thereof in elongate slots formed in said side members adjacent opposite ends thereof,

drive means mounted on said side members between said plates and having a drive element reciprocal selectively in opposite directions between a retracted and an extended position,

means connecting said drive element to one of said pins to impart reciprocation thereto, and

a second plurality of pivotal links connecting said pins to said first plurality of links to impart pivotal movement thereto,

said links being operative during pivotal movement thereof to swing said side members about a first pair of spaced, parallel axes fixed with respect to said other plate, and about a second pair of spaced, parallel axes fixed with respect to said one plate and movable with said one plate in spaced, parallel planes containing said first pair of axes, whereby said one plate is moved linearly between raised and lowered positions with respect to said other plate.

8. Machine jacks as defined in claim 7, wherein

each of said second plurality of links is pivotally connected at one end to one of said pins and at its opposite end is pivotally connected to one of said first plurality of links, and

said side members comprise a pair of elongate, parallel members equi-spaced from said one and said other plate, respectively.

9. Machine jacks as defined in claim 7, wherein

a second pair of parallel pins extend transversely between said side members adjacent opposite ends thereof and are fixed at their ends to said side members,

said first pair of pins are mounted to reciprocate toward and away from said second pair of pins during the raising and lowering, respectively, of said one plate, and

a manually-operable locking member is pivoted at one end on one of said second pair of pins and has a notch therein adjacent its opposite end engageable over one of said first pair of pins, when said one plate is in its raised position, thereby releasable to lock said one plate in said raised position.

10. Machine jacks as defined in claim 8, wherein

each of said first plurality of links is pivotally connected adjacent one end to one of said side members and at its opposite end to one of said plates, and

said first plurality of links include two pairs at one end of said plates, each of which is equal in length, and two further pairs at the opposite end of said plates, each of which is equal in length, and longer than each of said two pairs at said one end of the plates, whereby said two further pairs of links are pivoted at points intermediate their ends to said side members.

This invention relates to machine jacks, and more particularly to an improved machine jack having a load-supporting platform which rises and falls vertically without any lateral movement in horizontal direction.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels includes a one-piece backbone wheel cast from a light-weight metal. The backbone wheel includes a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, and a wheel disc backbone extending across the wheel rim. The wheel disc backbone is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle. A styled plastic wheel face is moulded on at least a portion of the wheel disc backbone.

A vehicle’s pneumatic wheels comprising:

a one-piece universal backbone wheel cast from a light-weight metal, said wheel adapted to be mounted upon a plurality of vehicles, said wheel comprising a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, said wheel rim having an outboard end and an inboard end, said wheel rim including a deep well formed between said outboard and inboard ends, said deep well defining a deep well wall which is adjacent to said outboard end of said wheel rim, said wheel also having a central hub supported within said rim by a plurality of radically extending spokes, said spokes having a generally accurate shape with one end of each spoke terminating upon said hub and the other end of each spoke terminating on said deep well wall whereby the spoke forms a generally radial arch between said hub and said deep well wall and the amount of material included in an outboard wheel sidewall is minimized while providing sufficient strength to support a vehicle; and

a styled plastic pneumatic wheel face moulded directly upon at least a portion of said wheel disc, such that said styled plastic wheel face provides a pleasing esthetic appearance to the wheel.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 1 wherein the backbone wheel includes an outboard tire bead retaining flange and the plastic wheel face extends over the flange.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 2 wherein the backbone wheel includes a wheel hub and the plastic wheel face extends over the wheel hub.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 3 wherein The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels is at least about 20% reduced in weight compared to A vehicle’s pneumatic wheels having the same shape but cast totally from the light-weight metal instead of having the plastic wheel face.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 4 wherein the cast wheel disc backbone is varied in thickness such that it includes relatively thin portions which are at least about 30% thinner than relatively thick portions of the wheel disc backbone.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 5 wherein the relatively thin portions are at least about 50% thinner than the relatively thick portions.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 6 wherein the backbone wheel is universal in configuration such that it is adapted to be mounted on a plurality of different types of vehicle.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 7 wherein the backbone wheel includes a plurality of backbone spokes extending between the wheel hub and the wheel rim, the backbone spokes having a thickness of not greater than about 1.5 inches.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 8 wherein the backbone spokes have a thickness of not greater than about 1 inch.

A vehicle’s pneumatic wheels comprising:

a one-piece universal backbone wheel cast from a light-weight metal, said wheel adapted to be mounted upon a plurality of vehicles, said wheel comprising a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, the wheel rim having an outboard end and an inboard end, said wheel rim including a deep well formed between said outboard and inboard ends, said deep well defining a deep well wall which is adjacent to said outboard end of said wheel rim, said wheel also having a central hub supported within said rim by a plurality of radically extending spokes, said spokes having a generally accurate shape with one end of each spoke terminating upon said hub and the other end of each spoke terminating on said deep well wall whereby the spoke forms a generally radial arch between said hub and said deep well wall to minimize the amount of metal utilized to form the wheel while providing sufficient strength to support a vehicle; and

a styled plastic wheel face moulded directly upon at least a portion of said wheel disc and the outboard end of the wheel rim, the plastic wheel face forming a plastic flange on the outboard end of the wheel rim, such that said styled plastic wheel face provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the wheel.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 10 wherein the plastic wheel face is metal-plated on an outboard surface of the plastic wheel face.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 11 wherein the wheel hub is covered by the plastic wheel face.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 12 wherein the backbone wheel is universal in configuration such that it is adapted to be mounted on a plurality of different types of vehicle.

A method of producing a vehicle comprising:

(a) casting a one-piece universal backbone wheel from a light-weight metal, the wheel adapted to be mounted upon a plurality of vehicles, the backbone wheel comprising a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, said wheel rim having an outboard end and an inboard end, said wheel rim including a deep well formed between said outboard and inboard ends, said deep well defining a deep well wall which is adjacent to said outboard end of said wheel rim, said wheel also having a central hub supported within said rim by a plurality of radically extending spokes, said spokes having a generally accurate shape with one end of each spoke terminating upon said hub and the other end of each spoke terminating on said deep well wall whereby the spoke forms a generally radial arch between said hub and said deep well wall and the amount of material included in an outboard wheel sidewall is minimized while providing sufficient strength to support a vehicle; and

(b) moulding a styled plastic wheel face directly upon at least a portion of the wheel disc, such that the styled plastic wheel face provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the wheel.

The method defined in claim 14 comprising an additional step, between steps (a) and (b), of machining the casting.

The method defined in claim 15 comprising an additional step, after moulding the wheel face in step (b), of curing the plastic.
The method defined in claim 16 comprising an additional step, after curing the plastic, of chrome-plating the plastic wheel face.

The method defined in claim 17 wherein the pneumatic wheel disc backbone is cast having a varying thickness such that it includes relatively thin portions which are at least about 30% thinner than relatively thick portions of the wheel disc backbone.

The method defined in claim 18 wherein the cast backbone pneumatic wheel has an outboard end and an inboard end, and wherein method step (b) comprises moulding the plastic wheel face on the wheel disc backbone and the outboard end of the wheel rim such that the plastic wheel face forms a plastic flange on the outboard end of the wheel rim.

A machine toe jack for mounting on a machine body, the toe jack having an extensible leg projectable from a hollow toe jack housing and attached to the machine body along the length of the housing. A piston cooperating in a cylinder in the extensible leg extends the leg from the housing. A hydraulic fluid reservoir is formed in the extensible leg in an annular space surrounding the cylinder. A valve block is coextensive with the extensible leg at the foot of the leg and contains the valves and pumping piston for the toe jack. Valving in the valve block permits manual extension and retraction of the extensible leg.

1. An extensible toe jack comprising:

a piston hydraulically operable in a cylinder;

a hydraulic fluid reservoir surrounding the cylinder along a substantial portion of its length;

a housing connected to the piston;

a valve block coextensive with the reservoir and at the base of the cylinder, said valve block fitting telescopically within the housing and comprising at least one hydraulic conduit therein in fluid communication between the reservoir andcylinder and having at least one check valve in the conduit, said valve block further comprising means for accessing the check valve through the exterior of the valve block, said accessing means being essentially flush with the exterior surface of thevalve block so as to permit substantially all of the valve block to be recessed telescopically into the housing so as to permit the housing to slidably cover the valve block when the piston is fully retracted into the cylinder; and

hydraulic fluid pumping means for pumping fluid from the reservoir to the cylinder.

2. An extensible toe jack comprising:

a piston hydraulically operable in a elongated cylinder;

a hydraulic fluid reservoir formed by a space between the cylinder and a wall of an extensible leg of the toe jack;

a housing connected to the piston;

a valve block coextensive with the extensible leg and at the base of the cylinder, said valve block fitting telescopically within the housing and comprising first hydraulic fluid communication means having first and second check valves thereinfor unidirectionally conducting fluid from the reservoir to the cylinder, said first hydraulic fluid communication means further comprising first and second plugs, said plugs being essentially flush with the external surface of the valve block so as topermit the extensible leg and substantially all of the valve block to be recessed telescopically into the housing when the piston is fully retracted, said plugs also having means adapted to receive a tool for removal of the plugs to provide access to thefirst and second check valves, said valve block further comprising second hydraulic fluid communication means operable between the cylinder and the reservoir having a manually controlled valve interposed therein; and

hydraulic fluid pumping means in communication with the first fluid communication means and between the first and second check valves.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to toe jacks which are mountable on a machine body and are useful for loading, removal, and/or leveling of the machine body.

2. The Prior Art

Currently there is a plethora of machine jacks available on the market ranging from simple mechanical toe jacks to sophisticated hydraulic units and are either demountable or are permanently mounted on the machine body.

One prior art machine toe jack, in particular, is attachable to a machine body only along a relatively short distance of the mid-section of the toe jack. An enlarged hydraulic fluid reservoir precludes snug engagement of the machine toe jack to the machinebody, and brackets must be used to bridge the resultant gap at the mid-section of the toe jack. Accordingly, the toe jack is attached to the machine body in a relatively insecure manner, particularly since attachment at the hydraulic fluid reservoir itself isnot possible. The reservoir also occupies a segment of the toe jack body which would otherwise be occupied, to some extent, by the extensible leg of the toe jack resulting, therefore, in a shorter extensibility of the toe jack.

With the valving mechanism and hydraulic fluid pumping apparatus of the toe jack located on top of the reservoir, the working level of the pump is elevated and is continually changing during operation of the toe jack. The constantly changing elevationof the working level is inconvenient and subjects to toe jack attachment point to undue stresses when the machine body tends to wobble.

A further problem arises from the upper hydraulic fluid reservoir because leaks, when they occur, result in hydraulic fluid staining a substantial portion of the length of the toe jack and thus serving to collect dust and debris on the toe jack.

Generally, manual extension of prior machine skates is possible only to a limited extent. Lowering of the extensible leg of the toe jack to contact with the ground so as to support a machine is, therefore, possible only through operation of the pumpingmechanism. This is both tedious and inconvenient, particularly if the extensible leg must be extended a considerable distance before it contacts the ground surface.

The present invention is a machine toe jack for mounting upon movable bodies such as machine bodies for facile raising, lowering, and leveling of the movable bodies. The toe jack is securely attachable to a machine body. Snug securement is possible sincethe hydraulic fluid reservoir is an integral part of the extensible leg and is formed in the annular space surrounding the toe jack cylinder. An elongated piston cooperates in the cylinder and is attached to a housing which completely enclosed theextensible leg upon retraction. A valve block coextensive with the extensible leg and at the base thereof contains the hydraulic fluid valving and pumping mechanisms. Access to all of the hydraulic fluid valving and pumping apparatus is easilyavailable from the external periphery of the valve block.

Facile manual extension and retraction are possible since the valving mechanism is located below the hydraulic fluid reservoir and the toe jack cylinder easily permitting transfer of hydraulic fluid from one to the other without operation of thepumping mechanism. Additionally, leaks, if they occur, stain only a small portion of the base of the toe jack and not the entire length thereof.

Not only does the housing serve to protect the toe jack apparatus during transit but also presents a uniform profile since the cross-sectional area of the toe jack is uniform along its entire length.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide improvements in machine toe jacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a machine toe jack wherein a substantial portion of the operating mechanism of the toe jack is retractable within a protective housing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a machine toe jack wherein the operating level of the hydraulic pumping mechanism remains constant at ground level.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toe jack with an extensible leg that is manually extensible and retractable.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hydraulic toe jack with a hydraulic valve block wherein all hydraulic fluid control devices are readily accessible from the external periphery of the valve block.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The pedestal supported hydraulic machine jacks arrangement, and a kit for adapting a commercially available hydraulic bottle machine jacks to use at selectively adjustable relatively elevated locations includes a first elongated hollow tubular member having a floor engaging based fixed on one end thereof and at least one transverse aperture extending there through near the other end thereof. A second elongated tubular member having a first set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures and a second set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures generally orthogonal to the first set. The second elongated member has a transverse dimension sufficiently small that it may be telescopically slidingly positioned inside the first hollow tubular member. There is a toe jack adapter plate fixed to one end of the second elongated tubular member, and a plurality of bolts for fastening a hydraulic machine jacks to the machine jacks adapter plate. A pin adapted to extend simultaneously through one transverse aperture of each tubular member to fix the relative locations of the first and second elongated tubular members. There is an optional saddle for adapting an object engaging end of a movable ram portion of a hydraulic machine jacks to support a convexly curved heavy object. The saddle has an upwardly opening convex rest and a downwardly opening hollow cylindrical adapter for passing over and laterally securing the saddle to the object engaging end of the ram.

1. A kit for adapting a commercially available hydraulic bottle machine jacks for use at selectively adjustable relatively elevated locations comprising:

a first elongated tubular member having a floor engaging base fixed on one end thereof, a first transverse aperture extending therethrough near the other end thereof, and a second transverse aperture longitudinally spaced from the first aperture and extending generally orthogonal thereto;

a second elongated tubular member having a first set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures and a second set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures with the second set of apertures extending generally orthogonal to the first set, one of the elongated members having a transverse dimension sufficiently small that it may be telescopically slidingly received within the other tubular member;

a machine jacks adapter plate fixed to one end of the second elongated tubular member;

a plurality of bolts for fastening a hydraulic machine jacks to the machine jacks adapter plate; and

a pin adapted to extend simultaneously through said first elongated tubular member transverse aperture and a selected one of said first and second sets of apertures to fix the relative locations of the first and second elongated tubular members.

2. The kit of claim 1 further comprising a saddle for adapting an object engaging end of a movable ram portion of a hydraulic machine jacks to support a convexly curved heavy object.

3. The kit of claim 2 wherein the saddle comprises an upwardly opening convex rest and a downwardly opening hollow cylindrical adapter for passing over and laterally securing the saddle to the object engaging end of the ram.

4. A kit for adapting a commercially available hydraulic bottle machine jacks for use at selectively adjustable relatively elevated locations comprising:

a first elongated tubular member having a floor engaging base fixed on one end thereof, a first transverse aperture extending therethrough near the other end thereof, and a second transverse aperture longitudinally spaced a first distance from the first aperture and extending generally orthogonal thereto;

a second elongated tubular member having a first set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures and a second set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures with the second set of apertures extending generally orthogonal to the first set, each said aperture of said first set being longitudinally spaced a second distance from an adjacent one of said second set of apertures, said second distance being unequal to said first distance, the elongated members having a transverse dimension sufficiently small that it may be telescopically slidingly received within the other tubular member;

a machine jacks adapter plate fixed to one end of the second elongated tubular member;

a plurality of bolts for fastening a hydraulic machine jacks to the machine jacks adapter plate; and

a pin adapted to extend simultaneously through said first elongated tubular member transverse aperture and a selected one of said first and second sets of apertures to fix the relative locations of the first and second elongated tubular members.

5. The kit of claim 4 wherein said first distance is less than said second distance.

6. The kit of claim 5 wherein said second distance is less than twice said first distance.

The present invention related generally to machine jacksing devices for raising heavy objects and more particularly to such machine jacksing devices for further raising already elevated heavy objects. In particular, the present invention provides a device for raising vehicle components on vehicles resting on a raised hydraulic lifts.

Several lifting devices for already elevated objects are known. For example, a pedestal transmission machine jacks comprises a hydraulic ram machine jacks supported at an elevated location on a four leg castered base. The lift range of this device is relatively limited, for example, between 50-70 inches, and the heavy weight and large base makes it nearly impossible to use in a pit beneath a lift.

Hydraulic under hoist utility machine jackss having a conventional floor supported machine jacks with an adjustable pipe arrangement extending upwardly from the movable top of the machine jacks are also known. These devices, which are essentially extensions to the upper end of a conventional machine jacks improve the lift range as compared to the previously mentioned transmission machine jacks, but are extremely difficult to use since the upper end of the machine jacks must be accurately located while the machine jacks is being raised by operating the machine jacks handle, which is located about six feet beneath the machine jacks upper end, to engage the heavy object.

The hydraulic machine jacks stand of the present invention is a hydraulic machine jacks mounted on the upper end of an adjustable stand. It is made of two pipes, one telescopically received inside the other, with holes drilled in both pipes to vary the height of the stand. A pin extending through one hole of each pipe holds the machine jacks in position at the desired height.

This tool is well suited to use by mechanics when a vehicle is on a lift in a repair shop. It is used under the vehicle. Examples of uses are: to lift or lower an engine or hold an engine in position while removing or installing an oil pan or motor mounts, or to lower or raise an engine to remove or install a transmission; also to hold a transmission in place to remove or install an engine. The hydraulic machine jacks stand can be used to hold exhaust pipes in place, or a drive shaft in place while removing or installing the shaft.

The hydraulic machine jacks stand of the present invention is light weight and can be moved about easily. It does not take up much room while under the vehicle, and is easy to work around while in use; air hoses and electrical cords can not get caught on the stand because of its design. This tool is safe, because the operator can control the machine jacks while at the work being done, instead of raising or lowering a lift the vehicle is on onto a stationary stand, which is very dangerous.

Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of an easily deployed machine jacks stand for use beneath hydraulic lifts; the provision of a kit for assembling a machine jacks stand; the provision of a hydraulic machine jacks arrangement where the hydraulic portion thereof is located relatively close to the objecting to be raised thereby facilitating operation by one person; the provision of a machine jacks stand which located a hydraulic machine jacks at an elevated location close to an object to be raised; and the provision of a hydraulic machine jacks stand which may be positioned in a pit beneath a vehicle. These as well as other objects and advantageous features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In general, a pedestal supported hydraulic machine jacks arrangement has a floor engaging base with a hollow tubular member fixed thereto and extending upwardly therefrom. A second selectively movable tubular member is telescopically received in the hollow tubular member generally coaxial therewith. The movable tubular member may be selectively positioned at a any one of several different discrete locations along the axis relative to the hollow tubular member. The movable tubular member includes a first set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures and a second set of generally parallel generally equally spaced transverse apertures which extend generally orthogonally to the first set. The hollow tubular member includes at least one, and preferably two, transverse apertures which are selectively alignable with any aperture of the first and second sets. A steel pin may then be simultaneously passed through one aperture in each tubular member to fix the elevation of the hydraulic machine jacksing structure at a preferred level. A hydraulic machine jacksing structure such as a commercially available hydraulic bottle machine jacks has a base fixed to an upper end of the movable tubular member and an upwardly extending ram movable continuously throughout a limited longitudinal range along the common axis. The primary function of the hydraulic machine jacks arrangement is to further raise already substantially elevated heavy object such as vehicle components already located on conventional hydraulic lifts.

The machine skates are hingedly attached to an elongate blade by a frame. The machine skates having an upper shoe portion adapted to receive a foot, and a sole defining a heel end, a metatarsal portion having a metatarsal head area, and a toe end. The machine skates further includes a midskate hinge member defined the metatarsal head portion to permit the upper shoe portion to flex in the metatarsal portion, allowing the heel end to lift away from the ice blade, while the toe end remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the ice blade. The skate also includes a binding plate fastened to the sole of the skate and extends from the toe end to at least behind the metatarsal head area of the sole. A mid-machine skates support mount extends upwardly from the frame and is adapted to support the plate at a predetermined location behind the metatarsal head area of the sole to maintain the plate in a stable position as the user pushes down on the plate and applies thrust to the ice blade. The skate also includes a forward hinge member hingedly attaching the first end of the plate to the ice blade, such that as the upper shoe portion hinges at the forward hinge member and about a lateral axis defined normal to the longitudinal direction of the ice blade, the mid-machine skates hinge member unflexes and the user is able to push-off from the forward hinge member without the tip end of the ice blade digging into the surface it is traversing.

1. The machine skates hingedly attached to an elongate skate bearing member having a forward and rearward portion, the machine skates having an upper shoe portion adapted to receive a foot, a medial side, a lateral side, and a sole defining a heel end, a metatarsal portion having a metatarsal head area, and a toe end, wherein the machine skates further comprises:

(a) a first hinge member located between a substantially rigid forward sole portion and a substantially rigid rearward sole portion, the first hinge member being connected between the forward and rearward sole portions to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal portion while the toe end remains substantially parallel with a horizontal plane defined by the bearing member and to permit at least a portion of the heel end to be moved into a raised position relative to the rearward portion of the skate bearing member; and

(b) a second hinge member defined in the sole of the machine skates near the toe end that hingedly attaches the machine skates to the bearing member, such that the machine skates is capable of hinging at the second hinge member and about a lateral axis defined relative to the longitudinal direction of the bearing member to permit at least a portion of the toe end to be moved into a raised position relative to the skate bearing member and to permit the user to push-off from the second hinge member.

2. The machine skates of claim 1, further comprising an elongate frame having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the frame is disposed between and attaches at least the toe end of the sole of the machine skates to the bearing member.

3. The machine skates of claim 2, wherein the upper surface of the frame defines an upwardly projecting mid-machine skates mount adapted to support the machine skates at a predetermined location near the metatarsal head area of the sole and provide stable support to the machine skates as the machine skates hinges about the first hinge member.

4. The machine skates of claim 3, wherein the second hinge member further comprising an elongate support plate having an upper surface, a forward end hingedly attached to the frame, and a rearward end that extends to at least behind the metatarsal head area, wherein the upper surface of the support plate is adapted to receive the sole of the machine skates.

5. The machine skates of claim 4, wherein the mid-machine skates mount engages the support plate at a predetermined location behind the metatarsal head area of the sole to maintain the support plate in a stable position as the user of the machine skates pushes down on the support plate and applies thrust to the bearing member.

6. The machine skates of claim 5, further comprising biasing means having a first end fastened to the frame and a second end fastened to the support plate to urge the support plate against the mid-machine skates support mount.

7. The machine skates of claim 6, wherein the biasing means is adjustable along the length of the support plate.

8. The machine skates of claim 7, wherein the biasing means comprises first and second springs mounted on opposite sides of the frame and pinned to sides of the support plate.

9. The machine skates of claim 8, wherein the second hinge member further comprises an adjustment portion extending between the bearing member and the bearing member to allow slideable adjustment of the second hinge member in the longitudinal direction of the bearing member.

10. The machine skates of claim 9, wherein the bearing member comprises at least a first ice blade.

11. The machine skates of claim 3, wherein the upper surface of the frame defines an upwardly projecting heel mount adapted to support the sole of the machine skates in the heel end thereof.

12. The machine skates of claim 3, wherein the first hinge member comprises a heel shell, wherein the heel shell is attached to the sole of the machine skates and defines a forward end and a rearward end.

13. The machine skates of claim 12, wherein the first hinge member further comprises a toe shell, wherein the toe shell is attached to the sole of the machine skates and defines a rearward end that is hingedly attached to the forward end of the heel shell to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal head area of the sole, while the toe end of the machine skates remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bearing member.

14. The machine skates of claim 1, wherein the first hinge member comprises a heel shell, wherein the heel shell is attached to the sole of the machine skates and defines a forward end and a rearward end.

15. The machine skates of claim 14, wherein the first hinge member further comprises a toe shell, wherein the toe shell is attached to the sole of the machine skates and defines a rearward end that is hingedly attached to the forward end of the heel shell to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal head area of the sole, while the toe end of the machine skates remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bearing member.

16. The machine skates of claim 3, wherein the first hinge member comprises a base shell attached to the sole of the machine skates and extending between the toe and heel ends and partially up the lateral and medial sides of the machine skates.

17. The machine skates of claim 1, wherein the first hinge member comprises a base shell attached to the sole of the machine skates and extending between the toe and heel ends and partially up the lateral and medial sides of the machine skates.

18. The machine skates of claim 16, wherein the base plate comprises a natural flexing member integral with the base plate and defined in the metatarsal head area of the sole to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal portion while the toe end thereof remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bearing member.

19. The machine skates of claim 18, wherein the natural flexing member is a resilient hinge and extends from the lateral side, along the sole, and to the medial side of the machine skates, and the resilient hinge becomes preloaded when flexing and releases to return to its natural position.

20. A skate machine skates hingedly attached to an elongate bearing member having a tip end and capable of traversing a surface, the machine skates having an upper shoe portion adapted to receive a foot, a medial side, a lateral side, and a sole defining a heel end, a metatarsal portion having a metatarsal head area, and a toe end, wherein the machine skates further comprises:

(a) a first hinge member defined in the metatarsal portion of the machine skates to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal portion, allowing the heel end of the sole to lift from the bearing member while the toe end remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bearing member;

(b) an elongate plate fastened to the sole of the machine skates and extending from the toe end to at least behind the metatarsal head area of the sole, the plate having a forward end and a rearward end;

(c) a mid-machine skates support mount extending upwardly from the bearing member and adapted to support the plate at a predetermined location near the first hinge member and maintain the plate in a stable position as the user pushes down on the plate and applies thrust to the bearing member; and

(d) a second hinge member hingedly attaching the forward end of the plate to the bearing member, such that as the machine skates hinges at the second hinge member and about a lateral axis defined relative to the longitudinal direction of the bearing member, so that the user is able to push-off from the second hinge member.

21. The machine skates of claim 20, wherein the first hinge member is an elastomeric hinge extending from the lateral side, along the sole, to the medial side of the machine skates, the elastomeric hinge becomes loaded when hinging and releases to return to its natural position.

22. The machine skates of claim 21, further comprising biasing means having a first end fastened to the plate and a second end fastened to the bearing member to urge the plate against the mid-machine skates support mount.

23. The machine skates of claim 22, wherein the second hinge member comprises an adjustment member extending between the second hinge member and the bearing member to slideably adjust the second hinge member along the longitudinal direction of the bearing member.

24. A skate, comprising:

(a) a machine skates having an upper shoe portion adapted to receive a foot and a sole defining a heel end, a metatarsal portion having a metatarsal head area, and a toe end;

(b) at least a first elongate skate bearing member having a tip end and capable of traversing a surface and having a first end hingedly attached to the sole of the machine skates;

(c) a first hinge member defined in the metatarsal portion of the machine skates to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal portion, allowing the heel end of the sole to lift from the bearing member while the toe end remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bearing member;

(d) an elongate plate incorporated with the sole of the machine skates and extending from the toe end to at least behind the metatarsal head area of the sole, the plate having a forward end and a rearward end;

(e) a mid-machine skates support mount extending upwardly from the bearing member and adapted to support the plate at a predetermined location behind the metatarsal head area of the sole and to maintain the plate in a stable position as the user pushes down on the plate and applies thrust to the bearing member; and

(f) a second hinge member defined in the sole of the machine skates near the toe end and hingedly attaching the machine skates to the first bearing member, such that as the machine skates hinges at the second hinge member and about a lateral axis defined normal to the longitudinal direction of the first bearing member, the first hinge member unflexes and the user is able to push-off from the second hinge member without the tip end of the bearing member digging into the surface it is traversing.

Traditionally, in-line machine skates and adjustable skates generally include an upper shoe portion secured by a base to a frame that carries wheels or ice blades. The upper shoe portion provides the support for the user’s foot, while the frame rigidly attaches the wheels or blades to the machine skates. When skating on traditional skates, particularly during thrusting, difficulties are encountered in optimally and completely transferring the thrust imparted by the user because of the frame being rigidly attached to the base of the skate, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the thrust, as well as the comfort for the foot of the user.

Optimally and efficiently imparting thrust to the skate during the skating stroke is especially important to speed users. Because of the rigid attachment of the frame to the base, speed users are coached not to plantarflex their ankle during the push-off phase of the stroke. The term “plantarflex” is commonly used in the art to describe the rotation of the foot relative to the leg, where the fore foot moves distally from the leg. No plantarflexion at the ankle keeps the blade flat on the ice and prevents the tip of the blade from digging into the ice, thereby causing an increase in friction and reducing the user’s speed. If, however, the user is permitted to plantarflex his or her ankles during the skate stroke, the fore foot will be able to move distally and allow the calf muscles to generate more power during the skate stroke when compared to a stroke where plantarfilexion is prevented or discouraged. Thus, a skate that permits ankle plantarflex should allow a user to generate more power and speed, in addition to reducing the risk of digging the blade’s tip into the surface the user is traversing.

Prior attempts at allowing ankle plantarflexion have resulted in complicated linkage mechanisms that move the instantaneous point of rotation between the machine skates and blade forward as the heel lifts. Such a linkage mechanism often results in a skate that is too heavy because of the multiple links. Other attempts at permitting ankle plantarflexion have used a single-hinge joint between the blade and machine skates, thereby hingedly connecting the blade to the machine skates. The hinge is located below the machine skates, between the metatarsal head and toe end of the machine skates. While a single-hinge point attachment system is lighter, current models fail to prevent medial to lateral motion of the blade relative to the machine skates when the heel is lifted because of a narrow hinge, thus resulting in an unstable skating stroke. Also, when the heel is lifted, the force from the machine skates to the blade is transferred through the hinge point. Thus, the user cannot change the location of the center of pressure on the blade. This produces an unstable platform from which the user can apply thrust through the blade.

An additional drawback to skates having a single hinge joint stems from the shoe portion of the skate. As briefly noted above, skates traditionally have a machine skates or shoe portion that has a rigid or semi-rigid base that impedes the foot from flexing at the balls of the foot during the skating motion, thereby restricting the natural movement in the foot, which occurs during locomotion, and preventing a user from generating the maximum power from the skate stroke.

Thus, there exists a need for a skate that would permit ankle plantarflexion during a skating stroke, that is also lightweight, stable, and a machine skates that can allow flexion at the balls of the foot. The present invention addresses these issues to overcome the limitations currently encountered by providing a skate that has a first hinge member defined in the metatarsal head region and a second hinge member that is located substantially at the toe end of the machine skates, and a support member that engages the machine skates portion of the skate behind the metatarsal head area of the machine skates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is machine skates that are hingedly attached to an elongated bearing member capable of traversing a surface. The machine skates has an upper shoe portion adapted to receive a foot and a sole defining a heel end, a metatarsal portion having a metatarsal head area, and a toe end. The machine skates further includes a first hinge member defined in the metatarsal portion thereof to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal region while the toe end remains substantially parallel with a horizontal plane defined by the bearing member. The machine skates also includes a second hinge member attached to the sole of the machine skates, near the toe end, that hingedly attaches the machine skates to the bearing member. The second hinge member defines a second pivot point, such that as the machine skates hinges at the second hinge member and about a lateral axis defined relative to the longitudinal direction of the bearing member, the user is able to push-off from the second hinge member. The machine skates also includes an elongate frame that is disposed between and attaches the sole of the machine skates to the bearing member.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper surface of the frame defines an upwardly projecting mid-machine skates mount adapted to support the machine skates at a predetermined location near the metatarsal head area of the sole. The preferred embodiment includes an elongate support plate having a forward end hingedly connected to the frame and a rearward end that extends at least to behind the metatarsal head area of the sole. The mid-machine skates mount engages the support plate near the metatarsal head area, thereby providing stable support for the support plate. In the preferred embodiment, the mid-machine skates mount engages the support plate behind the metatarsal head area.

In another aspect of the present invention, the first hinge member includes a heel shell and a fore foot shell. The heel shell is attached to the sole of the machine skates and defines a forward end and a rearward end. The toe shell is attached to the sole of the machine skates and defines a rearward end that is hingedly attached to the forward end of the heel shell to permit the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal head region of the foot, while the toe end of the machine skates remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bearing member.

In an alternate embodiment, the first hinge member includes a base plate that is attached to the sole of the machine skates and extends between the toe and heel ends of the machine skates. The base plate has a natural flexing member defined therein and corresponds to the metatarsal head area of the machine skates. The natural flexing member permits the machine skates to flex in the metatarsal portion, while the toe end of the machine skates remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bearing member.

The skate of the present invention provides several advantages cover skates currently available in the art. The skate of the present invention provides a first hinge member defined in the metatarsal head area of the upper shoe portion and a second hinge member that pivotally attaches the skate to the skate frame. The first and second hinge members permit the skate to flex in both the metatarsal head area and the toe area of the machine skates. The skate of the present invention also has the added advantage of permitting the ankle to plantarflex and the fore foot to flex during the skate stroke, thereby permitting a user to generate more power and, thus, speed. Additionally, plantarflexion prevents the tip of the blade from digging into the ice during the skate stroke. The skate of the present invention is also lighter in weight than those currently available in the art. These advantages combine to define a skate having a double-hinge attachment design to permit users to plantarflex their ankle and to flex and extend their toes to generate more power and speed without the tip of the blade digging into the ice.

Inline roller machine skates are provided with independent suspension systems, separately suspending one or more of a plurality of wheels. The wheels are mounted rotatably on axles, and the axles are held nominally parallel to the sole of the boot. The suspension systems include guides that maintain the axles parallel to the sole of the boot even as the wheels and axles move vertically in response to bumps and other forces.

1. Machine skates comprising:

a first guide system associated with and separate from the axle, where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to contact the axle, where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to extend into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support, where the first guide system forms a pocket that sandwiches the first portion of the axle support, spans the first portion of the axle support, and has a sliding fit with the first portion of the axle support, and where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to contact the first wheel to hold the wheel at a substantially fixed position away from the first portion of the axle support;

a second guide system associated with and separate from the axle, where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to contact the axle, where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to extend into the aperture of the second portion of the axle support, where the second guide system forms a pocket that sandwiches the second portion of the axle support, spans the second portion of the axle support, and has a sliding fit with the second portion of the axle support, and where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to contact the first wheel to hold the wheel at a substantially fixed position away from the second portion of the axle support;

an attachment structure connected to the axle support and configured to attach the machine skates to a foot of a user; and

at least one other wheel associated with the attachment structure.

2. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first portion of the axle support and the first receptacle are integral.

3. The machine skates of claim 1 where the axle support and the first and second receptacles are integral.

4. The machine skates of claim 1 where the position of the first guide system that is configured to contact the axle is integral with the first compressor.

5. The machine skates of claim 1 where the portion of the first guide system that is configured to extend into the first aperture of the first portion of the axle support is integral with the first compressor.

6. The machine skates of claim 1 where the portion of the first guide system that is configured to contact the first wheel is integral with the first compressor.

7. The machine skates of claim 1 where the portion of the first guide system that is configured to contact the axle is a spacer.

8. The machine skates of claim 1 where the portion of the first guide system that is configured to extend into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support includes a spacer.

9. The machine skates of claim 1 where the portion of the first guide system that is configured to contact the first wheel includes a spacer.

10. The machine skates of claim 1 where the portion of the first guide system that is configured to contact the axle is an axle bolt.

11. The machine skates of claim 1 where the portion of the first guide system that is configured to extend into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support is an axle bolt.

12. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first guide system includes a first spacer positioned on the axle between the first wheel and the first portion of the axle support, where the first spacer contacts the axle, where the first spacer includes a portion that extends along the axle and into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support, and where the first compressor contacts the first spacer.

13. The machine skates of claim 12 where the first compressor includes a portion that extends into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support.

14. The machine skates of claim 1 where each aperture has a length, and each aperture is configured to allow the axle to move along the length of the aperture.

15. The machine skates of claim 1 where each aperture has a width, and each guide system is configured to prevent movement of the axle along the width of the aperture.

16. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first guide system includes a first rigid surface configured to contact and slide along the first portion of the axle support, and the second guide system includes a second rigid surface configured to contact and slide along the second portion of the axle support, where the first and second surfaces contact the first and second portions of the axle support, respectively, to hinder tilting of the wheel.

17. The machine skates of claim 1 where the attachment structure is a boot.

18. The machine skates of claim 1 where the wheels are arranged in-line.

19. The machine skates of claim 1 where each of the first and second portions of the axle support has a predetermined, side-to-side thickness, and where each of the first and second pockets has a side-to-side dimension of no more than five one-thousandths of an inch greater than the side-to-side thickness of each of the first and second portions of the axle support, respectively.

20. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first pocket includes two substantially parallel surfaces.

21. The machine skates of claim 1 further comprising first and second spacers on the axle, the first spacer positioned between the first wheel and the first portion of the axle support, and the second spacer positioned between the first wheel and the second portion of the axle support, where the first and the second spacers are configured to contact the first wheel.

22. The machine skates of claim 21 where each spacer is separate from the first wheel so that the first wheel may turn independent of the spacers.

23. The machine skates of claim 21 where at least a portion of the first compressor and the first spacer together form the first guide system, and at least a portion of the second compressor and the second spacer together form the second guide system.

24. The machine skates of claim 21 where a least a portion of the first compressor extends into the aperture in the first portion of the axle support, and at least a portion of the first spacer extends into the same aperture.

25. The machine skates of claim 21 where the first compressor includes a hole into which at least a part of the first spacer extends; and where the second compressor includes a hole into which at least a portion of the second spacer extends.

26. The machine skates of claim 21 where the first spacer includes a head portion with a first surface that contacts the first wheel, where the first surface has a predetermined first side-to-side dimension, where the head portion includes a second surface that contacts the first portion of the axle support, and where the second surface has a predetermined second side-to-side dimension greater than the first side-to-side dimension.

27. The machine skates of claim 21 where the first and second spacers include bores through which the axle passes.

28. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first portion of the axle support includes an outer surface, and further comprising a recess in the outer surface, and where the first compressor includes a surface configured to fit in the recess.

29. The machine skates of claim 1 where each aperture is substantially rectangular.

30. The machine skates of claim 1 where each aperture is substantially oval.

31. The machine skates of claim 1 where the axle comprises an elongate shaft with a head at and a threaded socket at the other end, and a bolt with a head and a threaded on configured to thread into the socket.

32. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first compressible medium is an elastomer.

33. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first compressible medium is urethane.

34. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first compressible medium is a spring.

35. The machine skates of claim 1 where the first receptacle and the first compressible medium are configured to allow the first compressible medium to bulge when compressed.

36. The machine skates of claim 35 where the first receptacle is a socket, and where the socket is configured to limit the bulging of the first compressible medium.

37. The machine skates of claim 1 where the compressibility of the first compressible medium is adjustable.

38. The machine skates of claim 37 where the first compressible medium is adjustable by pre-compressing the medium so that a greater force is required to further compress the medium than would be required if the medium was not pre-compressed.

39. The machine skates of claim 37 where the first compressibility of the compressible medium is adjustable by a moveable member extending in a channel through the first compressor so that the member may pre-compress the compressible medium.

40. The machine skates of claim 39 where the moveable member and channel are threaded.

41. The machine skates of claim 1 where the compressibility of each of the first and second compressible media is adjustable.

42. The machine skates of claim 1 further comprising a first bumper in the bottom of the aperture of the first portion of the axle support.

43. The machine skates of claim 1 having at least four wheels, and an axle, axle support, compressible medium, and first and second guide systems for each of the wheels.

44. The machine skates of claim 43 where the compressibility of each of the compressible media associated with each wheel is adjustable.

45. The machine skates of claim 44 where the compressibility of the compressible media associated with one wheel is adjusted to be stiffer than the compressibility of the compressible media associated with another wheel.

46. The machine skates of claim 1, wherein the portion of the first guide system that is configured to contact the axle is separately positionable relative to the first compressor.

47. The machine skates of claim 46, wherein the portion of the first guide system that is configured to contact the axle is in contact with the first compressor.

48. The machine skates of claim 1, wherein the first and the second portions of the axle support each include inner surfaces that generally face the first wheel and outer surfaces that generally face away from the first wheel, and further wherein the first and the second pockets are adapted to engage and slide along the inner and the outer surfaces of the first and the second portions of the axle support.

49. The machine skates of claim 1, wherein the first compressor forms at least a portion of the first pocket.

50. The machine skates of claim 1, wherein the first guide system includes a first spacer that extends generally between the first portion of the axle support and the first wheel and which forms a portion of the first pocket.

51. The machine skates of claim 16, wherein the first and the second portions of the axle support each include inner surfaces that generally face the first wheel and outer surfaces that generally face away from the first wheel, and further wherein the first and the second rigid surfaces are respectively positioned to contact and slide along the outer surfaces of the first and the second portions of the axle support.

52. The machine skates of claim 51, wherein the first and the second guide systems further include third and fourth rigid surfaces that are respectively configured to contact and slide along the inner surfaces of the first and the second portions of the axle support.

53. The machine skates of claim 52, wherein the third and the fourth rigid surfaces respectively form at least a portion of a first and a second spacer, and further wherein the first and the second spacers respectively extend generally between the first and the second portions of the axle support and the first wheel.

54. The machine skates of claim 53, wherein the first and the second spacers respectively further extend at least partially into the apertures in the first and the second portions of the axle support.

55. The machine skates of claim 16, wherein the first and the second portions of the axle support each include inner surfaces that generally face the first wheel and outer surfaces that generally face away from the first wheel, and further wherein the first and the second rigid surfaces are respectively positioned to contact and slide along the inner surfaces of the first and the second portions of the axle support.

56. The machine skates of claim 55, wherein the first and the second guide systems further include third and fourth rigid surfaces that are respectively configured to contact and slide along the outer surfaces of the first and the second portions of the axle support, and further wherein the third and the fourth rigid surfaces respectively form at least a portion of a first and a second spacer, and further wherein the first and the second spacers respectively extend generally between the first and the second portions of the axle support and the first wheel.

57. The machine skates of claim 56, wherein the first and the second spacers respectively further extend at least partially into the apertures in the first and the second portions of the axle support.

58. A machine skates comprising:

a first wheel having two sides;

an axle associated with the first wheel and extending from one side of the first wheel to the other, the axle having two ends, one end extending from one side of the first wheel and the other end extending from the other side of the first wheel;

an axle support including a first portion extending along one side of the first wheel, and a second portion extending along the other side of the first wheel, each portion including an aperture configured to support an end of the axle, and where each aperture is configured to allow movement of the axle;

a first receptacle proximate the first portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the first portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a second receptacle proximate the second portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the second portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a first compressible medium associated with the first receptacle;

a second compressible medium associated with the second receptacle;

a first compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the first compressible medium upon movement of the axle, the first compressor including a portion that extends into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support;

a second compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the second compressible medium upon movement of the axle, the second compressor including a portion that extends into the aperture of the second portion of the axle support;

a first spacer associated with the axle, separately positionable relative to the first compressor, and positioned between the first wheel and the first portion of the axle support, where the first spacer contacts the first wheel and includes a portion that extends along the axle and into the aperture;

a second spacer associated with the axle, separately positionable relative to the second compressor, and positioned between the first wheel and the second portion of the axle support, where the second spacer contacts the first wheel;

an attachment structure connected to the axle support and configured to attach the machine skates to a foot of a user; and

at least one other wheel associated with the attachment structure.

59. The machine skates of claim 58, wherein the portion of the first spacer extends through the aperture.

60. The machine skates of claim 58, wherein the first spacer contacts the first wheel.

61. The machine skates of claim 58, wherein the first wheel is adapted to be rotated independent of the first and the second spacers.

62. A machine skates comprising;

a first wheel having two sides;

an axle associated with the first wheel and extending from one side of the first wheel to the other, the axle having two ends, one end extending from one side of the first wheel and, the other end extending from the other side of the first wheel;

an axle support including a first portion extending along one side of the first wheel, and a second portion extending along the other side of the first wheel, each portion including an aperture configured to support an end of the axle, and where each aperture is configured to allow movement of the axle;

a first receptacle proximate the first portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the first portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a second receptacle proximate the second portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the second portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a first compressible medium associated with the first receptacle;

a second compressible medium associated with the second receptacle;

a first compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the first compressible medium upon movement of the axle, the first compressor including a portion that extends into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support;

a second compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the second compressible medium upon movement of the axle, the second compressor including a portion that extends into the aperture of the second portion of the axle support;

a first spacer associated with the axle and positioned between the first wheel and the first portion of the axle support, where the first spacer contacts the first wheel, where the first spacer includes a hole through which the axle extends, where at least a portion of the first spacer extends into the aperture, and where the first compressor includes a hole through which a portion of the first spacer extends;

a second spacer associated with the axle and positioned between the first wheel and the second portion of the axle support, where the second spacer contacts the first wheel;

an attachment structure connected to the axle support and configured to attach the machine skates to a foot of a user; and

at least one other wheel associated with the attachment structure.

63. A machine skates comprising:

a first wheel having two sides;

an axle associated with the first wheel and extending from one side of the first wheel to the other, the axle having two ends, one end extending from one side of the first wheel and the other end extending from the other side of the first wheel;

an axle support including a first portion extending along one side of the first wheel, and a second portion extending along the other side of the first wheel, each portion including an aperture configured to support an end of the axle, and where each aperture is configured to allow movement of the axle;

a first receptacle proximate the first portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the first portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a second receptacle proximate the second portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the second portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a first compressible medium associated with the first receptacle;

a second compressible medium associated with the second receptacle;

a first compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the first compressible medium upon movement of the axle;

a second compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the second compressible medium upon movement of the axle;

a first spacer associated with the axle, where the first spacer contacts the first compressor, extends through the aperture in the first portion of the axle support, and contacts the first wheel;

a second spacer associated with the axle, where the second spacer contacts the first compressor, extends through the aperture in the second portion of the axle support, and contacts the first wheel, where the first and second spacers include sleeves that fit over the axle and that pass through holes in the first and second compressor, respectively;

an attachment structure connected to the axle support and configured to attach the machine skates to a foot of a user; and

at least one other wheel associated with the attachment structure.

64. A machine skates comprising:

a first wheel having two sides;

an axle associated with the first wheel and extending from one side of the first wheel to the other, the axle having two ends, one end extending from one side of the first wheel and the other end extending from the other side of the first wheel;

an axle support including a first portion extending along one side of the first wheel, and a second portion extending along the other side of the first wheel, each portion including an aperture configured to support an end of the axle, and where each aperture is configured to allow movement of the axle;

a first receptacle proximate the first portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the first portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a second receptacle proximate the second portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the second portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a first compressible medium associated with the first receptacle;

a second compressible medium associated with the second receptacle;

a first compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the first compressible medium upon movement of the axle;

a second compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the second compressible medium upon movement of the axle;

a first spacer associated with the axle, separately formed from the first compressor, and positioned between the first wheel and the first portion of the axle support, where the first spacer includes a head that contacts the first wheel and further includes a neck that extends from the head and through the aperture in the first portion of the axle support and contacts the first compressor;

a second spacer associated with the axle, separately formed from the second compressor, and positioned between the first wheel and the second portion of the axle support, where the second spacer includes a bead that contacts the first wheel and further includes a neck that extends from the head and through the aperture in the second portion of the axle support and contacts the second compressor;

an attachment structure connected to the axle support and configured to attach the machine skates to a foot of a user; and

at least one other wheel associated with the attachment structure.

65. The machine skates of claim 64, wherein the first wheel is adapted to be rotated independent of the first and the second spacers.

66. The machine skates of claim 64, wherein the heads are respectively further adapted to contact and slide against the first and the second portions of the axle support.

67. A machine skates comprising:

a first wheel having two sides;

an axle associated with the first wheel and extending from one side of the first wheel to the other, the axle having two ends, one end extending from one side of the first wheel and the other end extending from the other side of the first wheel;

an axle support including a first portion extending along one side of the first wheel, and a second portion extending along the other side of the first wheel, each portion including an aperture configured to support an end of the axle, and where each aperture is configured to allow movement of the axle;

a first receptacle proximate the first portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the first portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a second receptacle proximate the second portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the second portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a first compressible medium associated with the first receptacle;

a second compressible medium associated with the second receptacle;

a first guide system associated with and separate from the axle, where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to contact the axle, where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to extend into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support, and where at least a portion of the first guide system includes a first spacer that is positioned on the axle, extends between the first wheel and the second portion of the axle support and is configured to contact the first wheel to hold the wheel at a substantially fixed position away from the first portion of the axle support;

a second guide system associated with and separate from the axle, where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to contact the axle, where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to extend into the aperture of the second portion of the axle support, and where the second guide system includes a second spacer that is positioned on the axle, extends between the first wheel and the second portion of the axle support and is configured to contact the first wheel to hold the wheel at a substantially fixed position away from the second portion of the axle support;

a first compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the first compressible medium upon movement of the axle, wherein the first compressor includes a hole into which at least a part of the first spacer extends;

a second compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the second compressible medium upon movement of the axle, wherein the second compressor includes a hole into which at least a part of the second spacer extends;

an attachment structure connected to the axle support and configured to attach the machine skates to a foot of a user; and

at least one other wheel associated with the attachment structure.

68. A machine skates comprising:

a first wheel having two sides;

an axle associated with the first wheel and extending from one side of the first wheel to the other, the axle having two ends, one end extending from one side of the first wheel and the other end extending from the other side of the first wheel;

an axle support including a first portion extending along one side of the first wheel, and a second portion extending along the other side of the first wheel, each portion including an aperture configured to support an end of the axle, and where each aperture is configured to allow movement of the axle;

a first receptacle proximate the first portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the first portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a second receptacle proximate the second portion of the axle support and positioned outwardly from the second portion of the axle support relative to the first wheel;

a first compressible medium associated with the first receptacle;

a second compressible medium associated with the second receptacle;

a first compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the first compressible medium upon movement of the axle;

a second compressor associated with the axle and configured to compress the second compressible medium upon movement of the axle;

a first guide system associated with and separate from the axle, where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to contact the axle, where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to extend into the aperture of the first portion of the axle support, where the first guide system forms a pocket that sandwiches the first portion of the axle support, has a sliding fit with the first portion of the axle support, and includes at least a portion of the first compressor, and where at least a portion of the first guide system is configured to contact the first wheel to hold the wheel at a substantially fixed position away from the first portion of the axle support;

a second guide system associated with and separate from the axle, where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to contact the axle, where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to extend into the aperture of the second portion of the axle support, where the second guide system forms a pocket that sandwiches the second portion of the axle support, has a sliding fit with the second portion of the axle support, and includes at least a portion of the second compressor, and where at least a portion of the second guide system is configured to contact the first wheel to hold the wheel at a substantially fixed position away from the second portion of the axle support;

an attachment structure connected to the axle support and configured to attach the machine skates to a foot of a user; and

at least one other wheel associated with the attachment structure.

The present invention relates generally to machine skatess, and more particularly to inline roller machine skatess.

Inline roller machine skatess, or simply inline machine skatess, are boots with wheels mounted in a line under the sole of the boot. Some inline machine skatess have wheels mounted to boots with some type of shock absorption system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,609,612 to Eskeland, U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,208 to Charron et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,713 to Alexander all show machine skatess with wheels supported through shock absorbing springs. Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,025 to Landay and U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,489 to Oyen et al. show other shock absorbing systems.

The shock absorbing systems of the past, however, have provided shock absorption at the cost of decreased performance of the machine skates. Specifically, prior shock absorbing systems allow wheels to tilt when subjected to lateral forces, such as when a machine skatesr pushes the machine skates to the side to propel the machine skatesr forward, or when a machine skatesr turns or corners. Tilting of the wheels decreases the performance of a machine skates. The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,025 to Landay, for example, discloses resilient cushions and axle end caps that allow wheels to tilt. The systems shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,208 to Charron et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,489 to Oyen et al. include coil springs, disc springs or shock absorbing plugs that also allow the wheels to tilt. The systems of U.S. Pat. No. 1,609,612 to Eskeland and U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,713 to Alexander show machine skatess with springs, ribs and slots that permit wheels to tilt.

Additionally, inline machine skatess of the past have not included suspension systems that permit individual wheels to be adjusted so that different wheels may move up and down relative to the boot at varying spring rates. Such an adjustable system would increase the performance of a machine skates by providing shock absorption while also allowing a user to customize the machine skates for various skating maneuvers, such as allowing a machine skatesr to turn very sharply by leaning forward or back so that fewer than all the wheels of the machine skates contact the ground.

The present invention addresses these and other issues, and encompasses various embodiments of high performance machine skatess.