WO1997016322A1

WO1997016322A1 - Tool for aligning vehicle wheel and hub

Info

Publication number: WO1997016322A1
Application number: PCT/AU1996/000688
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roger John Troy; Dennis Darcy
Original assignee: WHEEL EASY Pty Ltd
Current assignee: WHEEL EASY Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1995-11-02
Filing date: 1996-11-04
Publication date: 1997-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1998-05-02
Also published as: AUPN633595A0

Abstract

A tool for facilitating fitting a wheel to a wheel hub of a motor vehicle is provided. The tool (1) comprises a pair of elongate members (2 and 3) connected at an end by a flexible member (4). The elongate members are dimensioned in a cross section so as to be able to pass through the stud holes in a wheel. The free end of each elongate member includes a bore (6 and 5), respectively, which can be fitted over the studs projecting from a wheel hub.

Description

TOOL FOR ALIGNING VEHICLE WHEEL AND HUB

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a tool for use in fitting a vehicle wheel to a wheel hub. In particular, the invention relates to a tool which can be used to align the stud holes of a vehicle wheel with the studs projecting from the wheel hub.

BACKGROUND ART

An enduring aspect of motor vehicle use is that a wheel and tyre occasionally has to be replaced because of a blow-out or puncture. Fitting a replacement wheel and tyre can be a difficult operation. After the vehicle has been jacked and the faulty wheel and tyre removed, the replacement wheel must be fitted to the wheel studs. This is usually the most difficult part of the whole operation because the stud holes in the wheel must be aligned with all of the wheel studs. Furthermore, the wheel changing operations are frequently carried out under less than ideal conditions including the condition of poor lighting.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool which may facilitate fitting a wheel to a wheel hub by aiding alignment of the stud holes in the wheel with the studs.

In one aspect, the invention provides a tool for aligning the stud holes of a wheel with the studs of a wheel hub, said tool comprising a pair of elongate members interconnected at an end of each by a flexible member; wherein said elongate members are dimensioned in profile to pass through the stud holes of the wheel and the free end of each member includes a bore which can be fitted over a wheel stud as a clearance fit.

The elongate members of the tool can be solid or tubular sections. In the case of an elongate member which is a tubular section, the tube cavity typically serves as the bore which can be fitted over a wheel stud. An elongate member in the region of the bore can be expanded so that the bore region has a greater outside diameter than the remainder of the member. Furthermore, the cavity of a tubular elongate member can be machined out to provide a bore with a greater internal diameter than the

HEET RULE 26) internal dimensions or diameter of the cavity.

For ease of use, elongate members advantageously have a circular cross-section.

The flexible member serves to hold ends of elongate members an appropriate distance apart when the tool is in use. The flexible member can also be used as a hand grip as will be detailed below. The flexible member can be fabricated from a semi-rigid material having an appropriate curvature so that the elongate members are urged towards a spaced apart but parallel configuration when in use. A tool according to the invention can be used with essentially all wheeled vehicles or equipment such as motor cars, caravans trailers and fork-lifts, as well as with heavier equipment wheels such as truck wheels, bus wheels and some mining and agricultural equipment wheels. For use with motor car wheels, each elongate member is typically 200 to 400 mm in length and has a maximum cross-sectional dimension of about 14 mm. The flexible member is typically about 210 mm in length and the bore in each elongate member has a minimum cross-sectional dimension of about 11 mm.

Tools according to the invention can be fabricated to appropriately increased dimensions for use with larger vehicle or equipment wheels.

Elongate members are typically fabricated from a metals material such as steel or stainless steel. The flexible member is typically fabricated from a plastics material, or can be a rope or corded material.

The flexible member is advantageously connected to an end of an elongate member by providing a recess or bore in the latter which receives a portion of an end of the flexible member. The flexible member is then secured to the elongate member by bonding or crimping.

In some instances, the holes in a wheel are of a substantially greater diameter than the diameter of the wheel studs. This is particularly the case with alloy wheels where wheel nuts include a boss which is received by the hole in the wheel when the wheel is in place on the hub.

For the purposes of fitting a wheel according to the foregoing instance, a tool according to the invention can include a sleeve fitted over each elongate member and extending along a substantial portion, typically greater than 90%, of the length of a member. Preferably, a sleeve extends along the full length of a member. It will be appreciated that the sleeve has a cross-sectional profile complementary to that of an elongate member so in accordance with the preferred embodiment where elongate members have circular cross-sections, sleeves similarly have circular cross-sections. It will be further appreciated that the sleeves have maximum cross-sectional dimensions which allow them to pass as roughly a clearance fit through stud holes in a wheel.

Sleeves can be fabricated from any suitable material including metals and plastics materials. A preferred material is a plastics material.

A sleeve for elongate members of the tool specified above for motor car wheels typically has a maximum cross-sectional dimension of about 20 mm.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of aligning the stud holes of a wheel with the studs of a wheel hub during fitting of the wheel to the hub, the method comprising the steps of:

1 ) providing a tool according to the first aspect; 2) positioning the wheel adjacent the wheel hub;

3) passing each elongate member of the tool through an individual stud hole and fitting the bore of an elongate member over a stud; and

4) elevating the distal end of the tool to lift the wheel clear of the ground and sliding the wheel along the elongate members of the tool to bring the stud holes into register with the studs.

It will be appreciated that the method further includes using the tool in conjunction with the sleeves described above.

It will be further appreciated from the above that the wheel hub only has to be jacked or raised a sufficient distance for a wheel to clear the ground when in register with the wheel studs. Thus only minimal elevation of the distal end of the tool is required. In fact, minimal elevation of the distal tool end is preferred to avoid damage to the bores at the ends of elongate members.

Having broadly described the invention, a particular embodiment and use of the tool will now be exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings which will now be briefly described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool according to the invention shown with a fragment of a sleeve fitted to one elongate member.

Figure 2 is an end view in partial cross-section depicting use of the tool with a common motor vehicle wheel. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a tool in use.

Figure 4 is again an end view in partial cross-section depicting use of the tool in conjunction with a sleeve fitted over an elongate member. Like items in the figures are identically numbered.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring firstly to Figure 1 , there is shown tool 1 comprising elongate members 2 and 3 and flexible member 4. Each elongate member has a bore 5 and 6 at an end thereof sized in diameter to fit over the stud of a wheel hub. The length of the bore is preferably slightly less than the length of a stud so that in use the end of an elongate member cannot abut the wheel hub.

Elongate members 2 and 3 are tubular. However, the inner diameter of each tube in the exemplified tool is less than required for a clearance fit over a typical wheel stud. For this reason, the end of tubular elongate member is bored out to provide an appropriately sized recess for a wheel stud.

Flexible member 4 extends partially into the end 7 and 8 of each tubular elongate member and is secured thereto by crimping. The elongate members of tool 1 are fabricated from steel.

A fragment of a sleeve 9 is shown fitted over elongate member 3 in Figure 1. The sleeve would normally extend over the full length of an elongate member.

Figure 2 is an end view of a wheel hub and wheel with the wheel in cross-section at a diametric plane. Wheel 21 having tyre 22 fitted thereto can be seen together with wheel hub 23 having a plurality of studs projecting therefrom, one of which is indicated at 24.

Figure 2 further shown an elongate member 2 of the tool depicted in Figure 1 which has been passed through a stud hole 25 in wheel 21. Bore 6 of the elongate member has been fitted over stud 24 thereby aligning hole 25 with stud 24.

Portion of flexible member 4 of Figure 1 can also be seen in Figure 2. Use of tool 1 of Figure 1 is further depicted in Figure 3. Here, elongate members 2 and 3 of tool 1 have each been passed through holes in wheel 21 as generally shown in Figure 2. Lifting up the distal end of the tool as generally shown by the arrow raises the wheel clear of the ground allowing the wheel to be slid along the elongate members to bring all holes into alignment with wheel studs. Flexible member 4 conveniently serves as a handle for lifting purposes.

Use of a tool in conjunction with sleeves is shown in Figure 4. In this figure, an end view of a wheel hub and portion of a wheel is again shown with the wheel portion in cross-section on a diametric plane. Hub 41 is shown from which a plurality of studs project, one of which is indicated at 42. Wheel 43 can also be seen through a hole 44 of which an elongate member 3 and sleeve 9 (see Figure 1) have been passed. Sleeve 9 extends over stud 42 thus aligning hole 44 with the stud.

It can be appreciated that when two elongate members and sleeves of a tool are passed though holes of wheel 41 of Figure 4 and sleeves fitted over studs, all holes of the wheel are simultaneously aligned with studs allowing the wheel to be easily fitted to the hub as is generally depicted in Figure 3.

It will be further appreciated that modifications and changes can be made to the tool as exemplified above without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A tool for aligning the stud holes of a wheel with the studs of a wheel hub, said tool comprising a pair of elongate members interconnected at an end of each by a flexible member; wherein said elongate members are dimensioned in profile to pass through the stud holes of the wheel and the free end of each member includes a bore which can be fitted over a wheel stud as a clearance fit.

2. The tool according to claim 1 , wherein each said elongate member is a solid section.

3. The tool according to claim 1 , wherein each said elongate member is a tubular section and the tube cavity serves as said bore.

4. The tool according to claim 1 , wherein each said elongate member is circular in cross-section.

5. The tool according to claim 1, wherein each said elongate member is expanded in the region of said bore.

6. The tool according to claim 1 , wherein said flexible member is a rope or a corded material.

7. The tool according to claim 1 which further includes a sleeve fitted over each said elongate member which extends along a substantial portion of said elongate members.

8. A method of aligning the stud holes of a wheel with the studs of a wheel hub during fitting of the wheel to the hub, the method comprising the steps of:

1) providing a tool according to the claim 1; 2) positioning the wheel adjacent the wheel hub;

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said tool further includes a sleeve fitted over each said elongate member which extends along a substantial portion of said elongate members.

10. A tool for aligning the stud holes of a wheel with the studs of a wheel hub, said tool comprising a pair of tubular members of 200 to 400 mm in length interconnected at an end of each by a flexible member of about 210 mm in length; wherein said elongate members have a maximum diameter of about 14 mm and the free end of each member includes a bore of about 11 mm in diameter.

11. The tool according to claim 10 which further includes a sleeve fitted over each said tubular member, wherein said sleeve has a length roughly equal to a said tubular member and a maximum diameter of about 20 mm.