On-car brake lathe adjustable hub adapter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745271-B2
Application number	US-202016917344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2020
Priority date	Jul 2, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

An adjustable hub adapter for coupling an on-car brake lathe to a wheel hub. An annular support frame coaxially carries an axially bored and threaded central mounting hub with a set of equidistantly spaced spokes. A lug bolt receiver is associated with each spoke, and consists of a receiving tube, a lever arm pivotally coupled to the spoke at a pivot bolt in proximity to the annular support frame. An engagement pin on each lever arm is captured within a synchronizing ring carried on the annular support frame. The rotational movement of any lug bolt receiver about an axis of the pivot bolt imparts rotational movement to the synchronizing ring, and in turn, causes each remaining bolt receiver to rotate about an associated pivot bolt axis, maintaining the lug bolt receivers in a synchronized and symmetric radial displacement from the central mounting hub.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An adjustable hub adapter for coupling an on-car brake lathe to a vehicle wheel hub assembly, comprising:
an annular support frame, said annular support frame defining an inboard axial direction and an outboard axial direction;
a central mounting hub coaxially supported within the annular support frame about a central axis by a plurality of equidistantly spaced spokes;
each spoke including an associated lug bolt receiver pivotally coupled thereto by an associated pivotal coupling, each lug bolt receiver including a receiving tube extending in said outboard axial direction, offset from said associated pivotal coupling; and
a synchronization ring carried by said annular support frame, said synchronization ring engaged with each lug bolt receiver to maintain each receiving tube at a common radial displacement from said central axis during rotational movement of each lug bolt receiver about said associated pivotal coupling.

2. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 1 wherein each receiving tube includes an axial bore having a tapered axial hole at an outboard end configured to receive a wheel hub lug bolt; and
an axial opening at an inboard end configured to receive a lug nut and socket.

3. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 1 wherein each lug bolt receiver includes a lever arm extending between said associated pivotal coupling to said spoke and said receiving tube.

4. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 1 wherein each lug bolt receiver associated pivotal coupling is coupled to a machined boss on said associated spoke by a removable pivot bolt.

5. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 1 including either
a) three equidistantly spaced spokes coaxially supporting said central mounting hub;
b) four equidistantly spaced spokes coaxially supporting said central mounting hub; or
c) five equidistantly spaced spokes coaxially supporting said central mounting hub.

6. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 1 wherein rotational movement of said synchronization ring varies said common radial displacement of said receiving tubes from said central axis between a radially-inward contracted configuration, and a radially-outward expanded configuration.

7. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 1 wherein said common radial displacement of said receiving tubes from said central axis corresponds to a wheel hub lug bolt circle.

8. A method for coupling an on-car brake lathe having a drive spindle to a vehicle wheel hub assembly, comprising:
identifying, on said vehicle wheel hub assembly, a count of lug bolts;
selecting an adjustable hub adapter of claim 1 having a number of lug bolt receivers corresponding to either said count of lug bolts, or to one-half of said count of lug bolts;
simultaneously adjusting a position of each of said lug bolt receivers within said adjustable hub adapter to align receiving tubes of said lug bolt receivers with a bolt circle defined by an equidistantly spaced plurality of said lug bolts on said vehicle wheel hub;
seating said lug bolt receivers onto said corresponding plurality of lug bolts on said vehicle wheel hub assembly, coaxial with a wheel assembly axis of rotation;
tightening at least one lug nut onto a corresponding lug bolt within said lug bolt receivers, securing said lug bolt receivers to said vehicle wheel hub assembly;
securing said adjustable hub adapter against changes in said position of said lug bolt receivers;
coaxially seating said on-car brake lathe drive spindle against a mounting hub surface of said adjustable hub adapter; and
securing said on-car brake lathe drive spindle to said adjustable hub adapter, whereby an output rotational axis of said drive spindle, is coaxial with a central axis of said adjustable hub adapter and said wheel assembly axis of rotation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein simultaneously adjusting said position of each of said lug bolt receivers includes rotating a synchronization ring about said central axis of said adjustable hub adapter, said synchronization ring coupled to each of said lug bolt receivers.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein adjusting said position of each of said lug bolt receivers includes pivoting each of said lug bolt receivers about an associated pivot coupling radially displaced from said central axis.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein seating said lug bolt receivers onto said corresponding lug bolts includes passing said lug bolts through outboard axial end openings in each of said associated receiving tubes; and
wherein tightening said set of lug nuts onto said corresponding lug bolts includes passing said lug nuts through inboard axial end openings in each of said associated receiving tubes to engage said corresponding lug bolts within said receiving tubes.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein tightening said set of lug nuts engages a tapered surface of said associated receiving tubes to axially center each of said corresponding lug bolts within said associated receiving tubes.

13. An adjustable hub adapter for coupling an on-car brake lathe to a vehicle wheel hub assembly, comprising:
an annular support frame, said annular support frame defining an inboard axial direction and an outboard axial direction;
a central mounting hub coaxially supported within the annular support frame about a central axis by a plurality of equidistantly spaced spokes;
each spoke including an associated lug bolt receiver pivotally coupled thereto by an associated pivotal coupling, each lug bolt receiver including a receiving tube extending in said outboard axial direction, offset from said associated pivotal coupling;
a synchronization ring carried by said annular support frame, said synchronization ring engaged with each lug bolt receiver to maintain each receiving tube at a common radial displacement from said central axis during rotational movement of each lug bolt receiver about said associated pivotal coupling; and
wherein each lug bolt receiver includes an engagement pin radially offset from said associated pivotal pivot coupling, said engagement pin operatively coupled to said synchronization ring.

14. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 13 wherein each receiving tube includes an axial bore having a tapered axial hole at an outboard end configured to receive a wheel hub lug bolt;
wherein each receiving tube includes an axial opening at an inboard end configured to receive a lug nut and socket; and
wherein each receiving tube includes a longitudinal clearance surface in proximity to a longitudinal slot opening to said axial bore.

15. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 14 wherein each receiving tube include a radial opening opposite said longitudinal slot, in proximity to said tapered axial hole.

16. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 13 wherein said synchronization ring is secured against axial movement by entrapment between each lug bolt receiver and said annular support frame, and has a range of rotational movement about said central axis.

17. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 16 wherein each lug bolt receiver includes an engagement pin offset from said associated pivotal coupling; and
wherein each of said engagement pins is engaged with said synchronization ring at an associated connection configured for simultaneous rotational movement about said associated pivotal pivot coupling and said central axis.

18. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 13 wherein said central mounting hub includes a threaded axial bore.

19. The adjustable hub adapter of claim 18 wherein said central mounting hub has an inboard surfa

Assignees

• Hunter Eng Co

Inventors

• Nelgner William J

Classifications

• B23B31/1261 Primary

  pivotally movable in a radial plane · CPC title

• B23B5/04 Primary

  for reconditioning hubs or brake drums or axle spindles without removing same from the vehicle · CPC title

• B23B2235/04

  Machining of brake discs · CPC title

• Y10T82/21

  Portable lathe for brake drum, disc, or shoe · CPC title