Wheel for a support structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318791-B2
Application number	US-201916685092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A wheel assembly includes a mounting plate for attachment to a rotatable axle, a plurality of elongate friction members for engaging a tire assembly, a plurality of first angular flanges extending radially outward and circumferentially in a first direction from the mounting plate, and a plurality of second angular flanges extending radially outward and circumferentially in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from the mounting plate. Each elongate friction member is disposed axially between one of the first angular flanges and one of the second angular flanges.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A wheel assembly comprising:
a mounting plate for attachment to a rotatable axle;
a plurality of elongate friction members for engaging a tire assembly;
a plurality of first angular flanges extending radially outward and circumferentially in a first direction from the mounting plate; and
a plurality of second angular flanges extending radially outward and circumferentially in a second direction, opposite of the first direction, from the mounting plate,
each elongate friction member being disposed axially between one of the first angular flanges and one of the second angular flanges.

2. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each friction member has an oval cross-sectional configuration in an axial direction.

3. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first flanges extend at a first angle from the mounting plate, the second flanges extend at a second angle from the mounting plate, and the second angle is equal and opposite to the first angle.

4. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the first angular flanges has a first stop plate for limiting axial movement between the wheel assembly and the tire assembly.

5. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein each friction member is secured to the mounting plate by the first stop plate.

6. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of the second angular flanges has a second stop plate for limiting axial movement between the wheel assembly and the tire assembly.

7. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein each friction member is secured to the mounting plate by the second stop plate.

8. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the first stop plate is disposed at a first axial end of one of the friction members and the second stop plate is disposed at a second, opposite axial end of the one friction member.

9. The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second angular flanges are secured to the friction members by bolts.

10. A method for securing a wheel assembly to a tire assembly comprising the steps of:
attaching a mounting plate to a rotatable axle;
extending a plurality of elongate friction members axially from the mounting plate;
engaging the tire assembly with the plurality of elongate friction members;
extending a plurality of first angular flanges radially outward and circumferentially in a first direction from the mounting plate;
extending a plurality of second angular flanges radially outward and circumferentially in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from the mounting plate; and
positioning each elongate friction member axially between one of the first angular flanges and one of the second angular flanges.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein each friction member has an oval cross-sectional configuration in an axial direction.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10 further including the steps of:
extending the first flanges at a first angle from the mounting plate; and
extending the second flanges at a second angle from the mounting plate, the first angle being equal and opposite the second angle.

13. The method as set forth in claim 10 further including the step of limiting axial movement between the wheel assembly and the tire assembly with first stop plates extending from the first angular flanges.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 further including the step of securing each friction member to the mounting plate by the first stop plate.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 further including the step of limiting axial movement between the wheel assembly and the tire assembly with second stop plates extending from the second angular flanges.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 further including the step of securing each friction member to the mounting plate by the second stop plate.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 further including the steps of:
positioning the first stop plate at a first axial end of one of the friction members; and
positioning the second stop plate at a second, opposite axial end of the one friction member.

18. The method as set forth in claim 10 further including the step of securing the second angular flanges to the friction members with bolts.

Assignees

• Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Inventors

• Celik Ceyhan
• Edwards Steven Amos

Classifications

• B60C7/146

  extending substantially radially, e.g. like spokes · CPC title

• B60B9/00

  Wheels of high resiliency {, e.g. with conical interacting pressure-surfaces (resilient wheels comprising rail-engaging elements B60B17/0027)} · CPC title

• B60B25/04

  Rims with dismountable flange rings, seat rings, or lock rings · CPC title

• B60C7/26 Primary

  using bolts · CPC title

• B60B21/10

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