GB2260177A

GB2260177A - Device for preventing undoing of nuts

Info

Publication number: GB2260177A
Application number: GB9217237A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-10-02
Filing date: 1992-08-12
Publication date: 1993-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-12
Also published as: GB2260177B; GB9217237D0

Abstract

The wheel nuts 2 of vehicle wheels 7 are prevented from coming undone by devices (e.g. a hub cap) which engage with the hexagonal formation of the nuts, and anchor them to part of the wheel or to each other. In Figure 1, the nut 2 is engaged by a hexagonal aperture in, or by a tapered socket 6 carried on, a plate 4 which is secured by a screw 8 to the wheel 7; the outer end of the plate 4 may be crimped onto the wheel rim 10. Alternatively, the plate 4 may be moulded plastics, and engage two, three or four nuts 2. A pair of sockets may be linked by a bar slidably clamped to the sockets; or by a bar having resilient jaws at each end which snap into annular grooves in the sockets, and stops to limit rotation; or by a wire passing through elongate holes in the sockets (Figure 10). <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO ROAD WHEEL ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to road wheel assemblies and is concerned with road wheel assemblies as used on road vehicles such as caravans, cars and lorries.

As used herein, the term 'road wheel assembly means an assembly comprising a road wheel and the support structure, usually a hub structure, on which the road wheel is mounted, plus the road wheel securing nuts which are used to releasably secure the road wheel to its support structure.

A problem exists with road wheel assemblies, particularly those employed by caravans.

Occasionally the wheel nuts of a road wheel assembly undo when the caravan is travelling a road, and the road wheel of the assembly parts from its support structure.

It is usually the nearside road wheel assembly which is so affected.

This is probably because, when the caravan is cornering while travelling in a forward direction, forces applied to the road wheel assemblies tend to loosen the wheel nuts of the nearside assembly while tightening those of the offside assembly.

The present invention seeks to overcome this problem in a simple but effective manner.

According to the invention, a device for fitting to a wheel nut of a road wheel assembly so as to restrain undoing of the nut when the vehicle employing the assembly is in motion, comprises a member engageable with the nut and connectable with another part of the assembly which serves to anchor the member.

The said other part may comprise part of the road wheel, or it may comprise one or more of the other wheel nuts of the assembly.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of a road wheel assembly, illustrating one form of device, Figure 2 is a front view of another form of device, and Figure 3 is a fragmentary front view of yet another form of device.

Figure 4 is a side view of a socket member of a further form of device, Figure 5 is a view from above of the socket member of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a view from below of the socket member of Figure 4, Figure 7 is a plan view of a connecting bar for use with a pair of the socket members as shown in Figures 4 to 6, Figure 8 is a side view of an assembly of the connecting piece of Figure 7 with a pair of socket members as shown in Figures 4 to 6, Figure 9 is a side view of an assembly of still another form of device, Figure 10 is a view from above of the assembly of Figure 9, Figure 11 is a view from below of a socket member of the assembly of Figure 9.

In the figures like reference numerals refer to like components and/or features.

With reference first to Figure 1, a device 1 for fitting to a wheel nut 2 of a road wheel assembly 3, so as to restrain undoing of the nut when the vehicle employing the assembly is in motion, comprises a member 4 engageable with the nut 2 as well as with another part of the assembly 3, which serves to anchor the member 4 in place.

The wheel nut 2 is mounted on a stud 5 mounted in turn on a support structure in the form of a wheel hub (not shown).

The member 4 is formed with a hexagonal socket or aperture 6 whereby the member engages with the wheel nut 2. The wall of the aperture 6 preferably slopes inwardly so as to ensure a tight fit with the periphery of the nut 2.

The member 4, which in this example is of metal, engages with a side part of the road wheel 7 by way of a clamp screw 8. Alternatively, or in addition, the member 4 has a crimpable outer portion 9 of bifurcated form which is secured to the rim 10 of the road wheel 7, ie that part on which the tyre 11 is mounted, by compression of the bifurcated outer portion 9. This method of attachment is similar to the method used to attach balance weights to road wheels.

In operation, any tendency for the wheel nut 2 to become undone is prevented by the device 1.

Figure 2 shows a modified device la which is of double-ended form.

There is no need to use additional securing means such as the screw 8 of Figure 1, as the device la locks oppositely-disposed wheel nuts 2 together.

The device la can be modified as shown by use of additional limbs 15, 16 each identical to a half portion of the device, which then becomes of cruciform shape.

The device la may comprise a one-piece moulding.

Other multi-socket devices can be provided. For example, one of Y-like form, which can be used to secure three wheel nuts together.

Figure 3 illustrates a device lb which makes use of a pair of oppositely-disposed members 20 tone only being shown) linked together by a bar 21 slideably mounted in the members 20. Each member 20 is shaped with an internal socket 6b. The device lb functions like the double-ended device la of Figure 2. The bar 21 is demountably secured to the members 20 by set screws 22. The effective length of the bar 21 can be changed by slackening off the screws 22, repositioning the bar 21 and then re-tightening the screws.

Figure 8 illustrates the assembly of a form of device lc which makes use of a pair of oppositely-disposed socket members 120 (also shown in Figures 4 to 6) linked together by a connecting bar 121 by virtue of resilient arms 17 which have a snap-fit location on assembly in the annular recess 18 on the outer conical surface of each of the socket members 120. Each socket member 120 has a beak 19 so that the socket member is limited in the extent to which it may turn relative to the connecting bar by stops 23 on the connecting bar 121.

Each socket member 120 has an internal socket 6c which preferably tapers so as to ensure a tight fit with the periphery of a wheel nut. Device lc is used in a similar manner to the double-ended device la of Figure 2 to lock oppositely-disposed wheel nuts together. The limited extent of rotary movement permitted for the socket members 120 is sufficient to accommodate the random rotational orientation presented by a particular pair of wheel nuts to be secured, and once the device lc is in place over the wheel nuts, each nut is prevented from unturning by more than the extent which brings beak 19 on a respective socket member 120 against a stop 19.

Socket members 220 of device 1d in Figures 9 and 10 have an internal socket 6d similar to internal socket 6c of socket members 120 to enable them to fit securely onto the respective wheel nuts of an oppositely-disposed pair of nuts which are intended to be locked together.

The socket members 220 are linked together by a wire 27 for locking the nuts together, the wire passing through a hole 26 on a lug 25 on each socket member. Since the lugs 25 may be slightly out of opposite alignment in use due to the particular rotational orientation of each nut, the holes are preferably elongated substantially in the circumferential direction about the nut axis to accommodate this, without the wire being excessively long, thus avoiding the possibility of the wire becoming slack.

In a non-illustrated modification, a device may take the form of a conventional hub cap, the inner surface of which defines one or more sockets corresponding to sockets 6, 6a.

A device may be made of any suitable material. For example, metal or plastics material. Nylon is one suitable material. Combinations of different materials may be employed.

Where possible, any of the above described features can be substituted for, or added to, another such feature.

Claims

1. A device for fitting to a wheel nut of a road wheel assembly so as to restrain undoing of the nut when the vehicle employing the assembly is in motion, comprising a member engageable with the nut and connectable with another part of the assembly which serves to anchor the member.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the member is connectable with another of the wheel nuts to anchor the member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 which is adapted to connect with part of the road wheel so as to anchor the member.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which a crimpable portion of the member is connectable to the road wheel by being compressed onto the road wheel rim.

5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is formed as a one-piece item.

6. A device as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 in which the member is adapted to engage with the road wheel by a clamp screw.

7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the member has tapering surfaces so arranged that the amount of frictional engagement with a wheel nut increases as the member is urged axially of the nut.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or in claims 5 or 7 as appended to claim 2 in which the member is connected to a similar member by means of a connecting bar which has a snap-fit engagement with the members.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 in which the extent to which each member can rotate relative to the connecting bar is limited by part of each member coming into contact with a respective stop provided on the connecting bar.

10. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims mounted on a road wheel assembly, said member being engaged with a wheel nut of the assembly.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or in claim 7 as appended to claim 2 in which the member is connected to a similar member by a wire passing through a hole provided in the member.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 in which the hole provided in the member, as considered with the device in use, is elongated substantially in the circumferential direction about the nut axis.

12. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the member is linked to a similar member by an adjustable bar.

13. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 4 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 9 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims mounted on a road wheel assembly, said member being engaged with a wheel nut of the assembly.

ASEMTS TO THE CLANS HAVE BEEN FLED AS FOLLOWS 1. A device for fitting to a wheel nut of a road wheel assembly so as to restrain undoing of the nut when the vehicle employing the assembly is in motion, comprising a member engageable with the nut and connectable with a similar member by means of a connecting bar in which the extent to which each member can rotate relative to the connecting bar is limited by part of each member coming into contact with a respective stop provided on the connecting bar.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the connecting bar has a snap-fit engagement with the members.

3. A device for fitting to a wheel nut of a road wheel assembly so as to restrain undoing of the nut when the vehicle employing the assembly is in motion, comprising a member engageable with the nut and connectable with a similar member by a wire passing through a hole provided in the member, the hole as considered with the device in use being elongated substantially in the circumferential direction about the nut axis to accommodate different possible rotational orientations of the nut on fitting without causing slackening in the wire.

4. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a said member has tapering surfaces so arranged that the amount of frictional engagement with a wheel nut increases as the member is urged axially of the nut.

5. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 4 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 9 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.