Wheel and tire assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137736-B2
Application number	US-201715806364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Oct 18, 2012
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A wheel assembly includes a rigid wheel and an airless flexible tire with certain performance characteristics of a pneumatic tire. The rigid wheel includes a central portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting elements removably attached to a radially outer margin of the central portion. The tire is mounted on the wheel and engages the mounting elements such that portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements are separated radially from the wheel by a space. The tire is configured such that portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements flex inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure, thereby minimizing ground penetration and soil disruption. The tire may include one or more tension elements embedded in the tire to increase the tire's strength and resilience.

First claim

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. A wheel assembly comprising:
a rigid wheel including—
a central portion, and
a plurality of mounting elements configured to be removably attached to the central portion so that when attached, the mounting elements do not move relative to the central portion when subject to ground engaging pressure and are circumferentially spaced apart so that a longest distance between two mounting elements is at least six (6) inches; and

an airless flexible tire that does not include air during normal use mounted on the rigid wheel, portions of the tire extending annularly between the mounting elements and not engaging the mounting elements being completely separated radially from the rigid wheel by a through-space transversely extending entirely from a first axial side of the tire to an opposite axial side of the tire, the portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements being configured to flex radially inwardly toward the rigid wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure.

2. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the central portion includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the plurality of mounting elements including a plurality of mounting element pairs, each mounting element pair including a first mounting element removably attached to the first side of the central portion of the rigid wheel and a second mounting element removably attached to the second side of the central portion of the rigid wheel opposite the first mounting element.

3. The wheel assembly of claim 2 , each pair of mounting elements presenting an elongated, transversely oriented outer edge configured to engage the tire.

4. The wheel assembly of claim 3 , a first axial side of the outer edge corresponding to the first mounting element, a second axial side of the outer edge corresponding to the second mounting element and being separated from the first axial side by a space, the tire including a radially inwardly-extending flange configured to be positioned between the first and second sides of the outer edge.

5. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , the central portion of the rigid wheel being constructed of a single, unitary piece of material.

6. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , the tire including a pair of drive lugs positioned to engage opposite sides of one of the mounting elements, the drive lugs extending radially inwardly from the tire.

7. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , the tire including a plurality of traction lugs extending radially outwardly from the tire.

8. The wheel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the traction lugs are positioned annularly intermediate the mounting elements.

9. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airless flexible tire further includes one or more tension elements at least partially embedded therein.

10. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein each mounting element is a single, unitary piece of material.

11. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the central portion further includes a plurality of flanges extending radially outwardly for supporting the mounting elements.

12. The wheel assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of flanges each have a trapezoidal shape that narrows from a broader inner portion to a narrower outer portion.

13. A method of assembling a wheel assembly, the method comprising:
removably fastening a first plurality of mounting elements to a radially outer margin of a first axial side of a wheel, the mounting elements being spaced circumferentially so that a longest distance between two adjacent mounting elements is at least six (6) inches around the wheel and configured to not move relative to the central portion when attached and subject to ground engaging pressure;
placing an airless tire that does not include air during normal use on the wheel such that each mounting element of the first plurality of mounting elements engages an inner surface of the airless tire; and
removably fastening a second plurality of mounting elements to a radially outer margin of a second axial side of the wheel such that an elongated outer edge of each of the second plurality of mounting elements aligns with an outer edge of one of the first plurality of mounting elements so that each of the second plurality of mounting elements engage the inner surface of the airless tire, the second plurality of mounting elements being spaced circumferentially around the wheel, portions of the tire positioned annularly between the mounting elements and not engaging the mounting elements being completely separated radially from the wheel by a through-space transversely extending entirely from a first axial side of the tire to an opposite axial side of the tire and portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements being configured to flex radially inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure when the wheel assembly is assembled.

14. The method of claim 13 , the wheel being constructed of a single, unitary piece of material and each of the mounting elements being constructed of a single, unitary piece of material, each of the mounting elements being identical to all of the other mounting elements.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the outer edges of the first and second plurality of mounting elements engage a plurality of drive lugs extending radially inwardly from the inner surface of the airless tire.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising laterally aligning a portion of the tire with spaces extending between mounting elements of the first plurality of mounting elements and mounting elements of the second plurality of mounting elements.

17. A mobile support structure with at least one wheel assembly attached thereto, the wheel assembly comprising:
a rigid wheel including—
a central portion, and
a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting elements removably attached to a radially outer margin of the central portion; and

an airless flexible tire that does not include air during normal use mounted on the wheel, the airless flexible tire including a plurality of drive lug pairs, each pair of drive lugs being positioned to engage opposite sides of one of the mounting elements, the drive lugs extending radially inwardly from the tire, portions of the tire extending annularly between the mounting elements and not engaging the mounting elements being completely separated radially from the wheel by a through-space transversely extending entirely from a first axial side of the tire to an opposite axial side of the tire, the portions of the tire not engaging the mounting elements being configured to flex radially inwardly toward the wheel when subject to ground engaging pressure.

18. The mobile support structure of claim 17 , wherein the mobile support structure is a mobile support tower of a movable irrigation system.

19. The mobile support structure of claim 17 , wherein the mobile support structure is part of an agricultural vehicle.

20. The mobile support structure of claim 17 ,
the central portion of the wheel being constructed of a single, unitary piece of material, and
each of the mounting elements being constructed of a single, unitary piece of material and being identical to all of the other mounting elements.

21. A wheel assembly comprising:
a rigid wheel including—
a central portion, and
a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting elements configured to be removably attached

Assignees

• Lindsay Corp

Inventors

• Korus Thomas J
• Fredenburg Michael

Classifications

• B60B15/025 Primary

  with non-cylindrical shape · CPC title

• Y10T29/49499

  Assembling wheel disc to rim · CPC title

• B60C7/22

  having inlays other than for increasing resiliency, e.g. for armouring · CPC title

• B60B21/10

  characterised by the form of tyre-seat or flange, e.g. corrugated (B60B21/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60B2900/113

  Production or maintenance time · CPC title