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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
A SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR A LUG WRENCH
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2016/207773
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A support apparatus (10) for a lug wrench (12) comprises a metal plate (24) which is dimensioned and configured to be received within a central recess (26) of a vehicle wheel (14) defined by a cylindrical internal wall (28) of the wheel. The plate (24) has an annular configuration and defines a number of guide slots (30) which are each positioned for alignment with a different one of the lug nuts (16). The shank (18) of the lug wrench (12) is rotatably supported on the base of each guide slot when loosening the lug nut aligned therewith. The plate (24) includes a pair of projecting leg formations (42) having ends which abut the internal wall (28) and a wheel engagement mechanism including an abutment pin (50) having a wheel engagement formation 46 at an end thereof for engaging the wall (28).

Inventors:
CLOETE JAN ABRAHAM (ZA)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2016/053654
Publication Date:
December 29, 2016
Filing Date:
June 20, 2016
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
CLOETE JAN ABRAHAM (ZA)
International Classes:
B60B29/00; B25B23/00; B25B23/02; B25B23/16; B25H1/00
Foreign References:
US7121175B22006-10-17
US4553456A1985-11-19
US4537101A1985-08-27
US20130305888A12013-11-21
US4625600A1986-12-02
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
PLA-PILLANS, Philip Antonio (1 Thibault Square Cnr Long Street and Hans,Strijdom Aveu, 8001 Cape Town, ZA)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS:

1 . A support apparatus for supporting a lug wrench when loosening wheel fasteners securing a vehicle wheel to a wheel hub of a road vehicle, the vehicle wheel having an internal, operatively outwardly facing central recess defined by a cylindrical internal wall within which the wheel fasteners are located, the support apparatus comprising: a support body which is configured and dimensioned to be received within the central recess of the vehicle wheel, the support body defining a number of guide formations which are each positioned for alignment with a different one of the wheel fasteners and configured to receive and support the shank of the lug wrench therein during rotation of the shank when a loosening rotational force is applied via the shank to a particular one of the wheel fasteners; and a wheel engagement mechanism which is connected to the support body and which includes a wheel engagement formation and a displacement device for displacing the wheel engagement formation relative to the support body between a disengaged position wherein the wheel engagement formation is spaced from the cylindrical wall of the vehicle wheel when the support body is received with the central recess of the vehicle wheel and an engaged position wherein the wheel engagement formation engages the cylindrical wall of the wheel for securing the support body within the central recess of the vehicle wheel.

2. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support body is in the form of a plate member.

3. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each guide formation is in the form of a guide slot defined in the plate member.

4. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plate member has an annular configuration.

5. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plate member has a generally circular outer peripheral edge and a generally circular inner peripheral edge defining a central aperture in the plate member.

6. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plate member has an upper end and a lower end, with a first set of the guide slots being defined within the outer peripheral edge of a top half of the plate member and a second set of the guide slots being defined within the inner peripheral edge of a lower half of the plate member, each guide slot having an open upper end and a closed lower end defining a base of the guide slot.

7. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base of each guide slot has a concave rounded configuration providing a support for the shank of a lug wrench.

8. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the displacement device of the wheel engagement mechanism includes an abutment pin defining the wheel engagement formation at a distal end thereof, the abutment pin being displaceable between an extended position wherein the wheel engagement formation engages the cylindrical internal wall in the engaged position thereof and a retracted position wherein the wheel engagement formation is spaced from the cylindrical internal wall in the disengaged position thereof.

9. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the displacement device further includes an internally screw-threaded sleeve, the abutment pin defining a complementary external screw thread and being screw threadingly received within the sleeve for screw threaded displacement between the extended and retracted positions thereof.

10. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plate member defines at least two spaced abutment formations which project outwardly from the plate member for abutment with the cylindrical internal wall of the vehicle wheel.

1 1. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the abutment pin and the abutment formations are spaced along an outer circumference of the plate member.

12. The support apparatus as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the abutment pin extends outwardly from an upper end of the plate member in the extended position, while the abutment formations extend outwardly from a lower end region of the plate member.

Description:
A SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR A LUG WRENCH

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a support apparatus for a lug wrench. It relates particularly to a support apparatus for a lug wrench for use in loosening wheel fasteners such as lug nuts or bolts for securing a wheel to a wheel hub of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

Wheel fasteners are loosened when removing a vehicle wheel, for example, to perform repairs on the wheel or to replace the wheel with another wheel. The Applicant has identified a number of problems with the loosening of wheel fasteners securing a wheel to a wheel hub of a road vehicle using a lug wrench.

Wheel fasteners are often difficult to loosen. This is particularly the case with wheels of larger or heavy duty vehicle such as trucks and trailers wherein wheel fasteners are often over-tightened at service centres and workshops. Lug wrenches used for loosening the wheel fasteners typically comprise a shank having a lug socket at one end and a transversely extending elongate handle which can be manipulated for causing the shank to rotate so as to loosen the wheel fastener. Loosening of wheel fasteners when replacing a truck wheel, typically requires two crew members, one crew member to support the shank of the lug wrench in an orientation wherein the shank is aligned with the wheel fasteners so as to ensure proper engagement therewith and another crew member to exert a loosening force on the handle of the lug wrench. A relatively common problem experienced by crew members when loosening wheel fasteners using a lug wrench as described hereinabove, is the recoil experienced when exerting a large force on a wheel spanner to loosen an overtightened wheel fastener, wherein the lug wrench twists resiliently under application of a loosening force and thereafter rebounds resiliently causing a shock effect on hands, elbows and shoulder joints which can result in mild to serious injury.

In order to obviate the need for a person to support a lug wrench while another person applies a loosening force thereto, lug wrench supports have been developed for supporting a lug wrench when loosening lug nuts. Such known lug wrench supports typically comprise a stand which can be located on a ground surface adjacent a vehicle wheel, for supporting the shank of a lug wrench when applying a torque to the lug wrench for loosening a lug nut. Examples of such known lug wrench supports are disclosed in US Patent 3,730,027 and US Patent 6,662,692. The lug wrench supports disclosed in the aforementioned US patents are supported on a ground surface adjacent the vehicle wheel and include height adjustment mechanisms for adjusting the height at which the lug wrench is supported. Stable support of a lug wrench relative to wheel lugs to be loosened, is however problematic with such known lug wrench supports. In the case of the lug wrench support disclosed in US Patent 3,730,027, it is necessary to adjust the position of the stand on the ground and the height of the lug wrench support formation so that the lug socket of the wrench is aligned with the lug nut to be loosened which is both cumbersome and time consuming. While the lug wrench support of US 6,662,692 includes a plate having apertures defined therein for supporting the shank of a lug wrench relative to the lug nuts to be loosened, it is necessary to adjust the height of the plate. Furthermore, a number of interchangeable plates are provided for a different number of lug nuts, it being necessary to change the plate for use with wheels having a different number or configuration of log nuts. In order to align the apertures of the plate with the lug nuts to be loosened it may be necessary to move the vehicle so that each aperture aligns with a lug nut. This is both inconvenient and time consuming.

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate the abovementioned problems associated with the loosening of wheel fasteners.

In this specification, reference is made to a "lug wrench". Such reference must be interpreted to mean a reference to a tool for loosening wheel fasteners securing a vehicle wheel of a road vehicle to a wheel hub of the vehicle, the tool having an elongate shank having a fastener engaging formation at a free end thereof and a handle at a location remote from the fastener engaging formation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a support apparatus for supporting a lug wrench when loosening wheel fasteners securing a vehicle wheel to a wheel hub of a road vehicle, the vehicle wheel having an internal, operatively outwardly facing central recess defined by a cylindrical internal wall within which the wheel fasteners are located, the support apparatus comprising: a support body which is configured and dimensioned to be received within the central recess of the vehicle wheel, the support body defining a number of guide formations which are each positioned for alignment with a different one of the wheel fasteners and configured to receive and support the shank of the lug wrench therein during rotation of the shank when a loosening rotational force is applied via the shank to a particular one of the wheel fasteners; and a wheel engagement mechanism which is connected to the support body and which includes a wheel engagement formation and a displacement device for displacing the wheel engagement formation relative to the support body between a disengaged position wherein the wheel engagement formation is spaced from the cylindrical wall of the vehicle wheel when the support body is received with the central recess of the vehicle wheel and an engaged position wherein the wheel engagement formation engages the cylindrical wall of the wheel for securing the support body within the central recess of the vehicle wheel. The support body may be in the form of a plate member.

Each guide formation may be in the form of a guide slot defined in the plate member.

The plate member may have an annular configuration. More specifically, the plate member may have a generally circular outer peripheral edge and a generally circular inner peripheral edge defining a central aperture in the plate member.

The plate member may have an upper end and a lower end, with a first set of the guide slots being defined within the outer peripheral edge of a top half of the plate member and a second set of the guide slots being defined within the inner peripheral edge of a lower half of the plate member, each guide slot having an open upper end and a closed lower end defining a base of the guide slot. More specifically, the base of each guide slot may have a concave rounded configuration providing a support for the shank of a lug wrench.

The displacement device of the wheel engagement mechanism may include an abutment pin defining the wheel engagement formation at a distal end thereof, the abutment pin being displaceable between an extended position wherein the wheel engagement formation engages the cylindrical internal wall in the engaged position thereof and a retracted position wherein the wheel engagement formation is spaced from the cylindrical internal wall in the disengaged position thereof. The displacement device may further include an internally screw-threaded sleeve, the abutment pin defining a complementary external screw thread and being screw threadingly received within the sleeve for screw threaded displacement between the extended and retracted positions thereof.

The plate member may define at least two spaced abutment formations which project outwardly from the plate member for abutment with the cylindrical internal wall of the vehicle wheel.

The abutment pin and the abutment formations may be spaced along an outer circumference of the plate member. More specifically, the abutment pin may extend outwardly from an upper end of the plate member, while the abutment formations may extend outwardly from a lower end region of the plate member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a three dimensional view of a support apparatus for supporting a wheel spanner, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a front view of the support apparatus of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 3 shows a three dimensional view of the support apparatus of Figure 1 , illustrating the manner in which the shank of a lug wrench is supported and guided by the support apparatus when loosening wheel lug nuts securing the vehicle wheel to a wheel hub of a road vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a support apparatus for supporting a lug wrench 2, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The support apparatus 10 is specifically adapted for supporting a lug wrench 12 when loosening lug nuts 16 securing a vehicle wheel 14 to a wheel hub of a road vehicle. In the specific example shown in the drawings, the vehicle wheel 14 is a wheel of a heavy duty road vehicle having ten wheel studs extending from the wheel hub to which the vehicle wheel 14 is secured by means of wheel nuts 16. The lug wrench 12 has an elongate cylindrical shank 18 having a fastener engaging formation in the form of an hexagonal socket 20 at a free end thereof and an elongate handle 22 which extends transversely from the shank at a location of the shank remote from the socket formation 20. The support apparatus 10 comprises, broadly, a support body in the form of a metal plate 24 and a wheel engagement mechanism 25 which is connected to the plate. The support apparatus is configured and dimensioned to be received within a outwardly facing central recess 26 of the vehicle wheel 14. More specifically, the central recess 26 is defined by a cylindrical internal wall 28 extending inwardly from an outer face of the wheel.

The plate 24 defines ten guide formations in the form of guide slots 30 which are each positioned for alignment with a different one of the lug nuts 16 and configured to receive and support the shank 18 of the lug wrench 12 therein. As such, the number and position of the guide slots 30 will be determined by the number and position of the lug nuts for securing a vehicle wheel to a wheel hub of a road vehicle. The configuration of each guide slot is such that the shank 18 of the wheel spanner 12 is received in a particular slot with the shank resting on the plate at the base of the slot. A longitudinal axis extending along the length of the shank is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the wheel stud to which the lug nut 16 to be loosened, is fastened. The plate 24 has an annular configuration. More specifically, the plate 24 has a generally circular outer peripheral edge 32 and a generally circular inner peripheral edge 34 defining a central aperture 36. The plate 24 has an upper end 38 and a lower end 40. The guide slots 30 are arranged into a first set of guide slots 30.1 , 30.2, 30.3, 30.4, 30.5 and 30.6 which are defined within the outer peripheral edge 32 of the top half of the plate 24, and a second set of guide slots 30.7, 30.8, 30.9 and 30.10 which are defined within the inner peripheral edge 34 of the lower half of the plate. The guide slots each have an open upper end and a closed lower end which defines a concave rounded base of the guide slot. The base is rounded so as to provide for supported rotation of the shank 18 of the lug wrench thereon. The bases of the guide slots are arranged along a circular line coinciding with a circular line passing through the centres of the wheel studs. The plate 24 includes a pair of abutment formations in the form of circumferentially spaced leg formations 42 which extend radially outwardly from a lower end region of the plate 24 and which each define wheel engagement formations 44 at distal ends thereof which abut the cylindrical internal wall 28 of the wheel 14, when the plate is located within the central recess of the wheel.

The wheel engagement mechanism includes a wheel engagement formation 46 for engagement with the cylindrical internal wall 28 of the wheel 14 and a displacement device for displacing the wheel engagement formation relative to the plate 24. More specifically, the displacement device comprises an internally threaded sleeve 48 and an externally threaded abutment pin in the form of a rod 50 which is screw-threadingly received within the sleeve 48. More specifically, a distal end of the rod 50 defines the wheel engagement formation 46. The rod 50 has a handle 52 at an end thereof opposite the end at which the wheel engagement formation 46 is disposed, which can be manipulated for screwing the rod 50 relative to the sleeve 48 thereby to displace the wheel engagement formation 46 relative to the plate 24 between a retracted position wherein the wheel engagement formation is spaced from the cylindrical internal wall 28 of the wheel 14 when the plate is received within the central recess of the wheel and an extended position wherein the wheel engagement formation 46 releasably engages the cylindrical internal wall 28 of the wheel for securing the plate 24 within the central recess of the vehicle wheel.

The plate 24 is securely and stably supported within the central recess of the wheel 14 in an arrangement wherein the guide slots 30 are aligned with the lug nuts 16 to be loosened. The open ends of the guide slots permit ease of insertion of the shank of the lug wrench into and removal of the shank from the guide slots.

The Applicant believes that the support apparatus for a lug wrench, in accordance with the invention, provides a simple yet effective means for supporting the shank of a lug wrench when turning the shank for loosening each of the lug nuts securing a wheel to the wheel hub of a road vehicle. Because of the support provided by the support apparatus, the task of loosening lug nuts is greatly simplified and less time consuming. In addition, the Applicant believes that the support apparatus in accordance with the invention, will significantly reduce and in many instances, eliminate, the recoil experienced by a person when exerting a large force on a wheel spanner to loosen an over-tightened lug nut.