Wheel assembly for a soil compactor

Inventors: Christian Würner (Tirschenreuth, DE); Rainer Krockauer (Plössberg, DE); Gerhard Mahler (Windischeschenbach, DE)

Assignee: Hamm AG

E02D3/0265 B60B37/10 B60Y2200/413

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12698609
App. No.: 18/122,203
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A wheel assembly for a soil compactor comprises a plurality of wheels ( 20 ) mounted in succession on a main wheel carrier ( 24 ) in the direction of an operating wheel axis of rotation (B), wherein at least one third wheel, which is arranged between a first wheel and a second wheel in the direction of the operating wheel axis of rotation (B), forms an auxiliary assembly wheel ( 20 5 ) and is mounted on the main wheel carrier ( 24 ) by means of an auxiliary wheel carrier ( 34 ), wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier ( 34 ) is firmly coupled to the main wheel carrier ( 24 ) in an auxiliary wheel operating state and is pivotable about a pivot axis and displaceable in the direction of the pivot axis in relation to the main wheel carrier ( 24 ) in an auxiliary wheel assembly state.

Claims (33)

1 . A wheel assembly for a soil compactor, comprising a plurality of wheels mounted in succession on a main wheel carrier in the direction of an operating wheel axis of rotation, wherein at least one third wheel, which is arranged between a first wheel and a second wheel in the direction of the operating wheel axis of rotation, forms an auxiliary assembly wheel and is mounted on the main wheel carrier by an auxiliary wheel carrier, wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier is firmly coupled to the main wheel carrier in an auxiliary wheel operating state and is pivotable about a pivot axis and displaceable in the direction of the pivot axis in relation to the main wheel carrier in an auxiliary wheel assembly state, wherein the pivot axis is oriented substantially parallel to the operating wheel axis of rotation.

2 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier is firmly coupled in a fixed coupling region to the main wheel carrier in the auxiliary wheel operating state by a plurality of coupling elements.

3 . The wheel assembly according to claim 2 ,

wherein the fixed coupling region comprises at least one first coupling plate on the auxiliary wheel carrier and at least one second coupling plate, which is coupleable to the at least one first coupling plate by the coupling elements, on the main wheel carrier.

4 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier is coupled to the main wheel carrier in a pivot coupling region so that is pivotable about the pivot axis and be displaced in the direction of the pivot axis.

5 . The wheel assembly according to claim 4 ,

wherein the pivot coupling region comprises a pivoting/sliding shaft, which is longitudinally extended in the direction of the pivot axis, on the main wheel carrier and at least one pivoting/sliding sleeve, which is guided on the pivoting/sliding shaft so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis and displaceable in the direction of the pivot axis, on the auxiliary wheel carrier.

6 . The wheel assembly according to claim 5 ,

wherein the pivoting/sliding shaft is mounted on the main wheel carrier in each of its axial end regions by a shaft carrier element.

7 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the pivot axis is offset transversely to a vertical direction with respect to the operating wheel axis of rotation.

8 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier is variable in length to change a distance between the pivot axis and an auxiliary wheel axis of rotation of the at least one auxiliary assembly wheel mounted on the auxiliary wheel carrier.

9 . The wheel assembly according to claim 8 ,

wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier comprises a first auxiliary wheel carrier element, which is mounted on the main wheel carrier so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis and be displaced in the direction of the pivot axis, and a second auxiliary wheel carrier element, which is displaceable on the first auxiliary wheel carrier element essentially in the direction of an auxiliary wheel carrier longitudinal axis with respect to the first auxiliary wheel carrier element.

10 . The wheel assembly according to claim 9 ,

wherein the second auxiliary wheel carrier element is lockable in an operating displacement position with respect to the first auxiliary wheel carrier element, and/or that the second auxiliary wheel carrier element is displaceable with respect to the first auxiliary wheel carrier element by an actuator.

11 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein a first pair of wheels is mounted on the main wheel carrier by a first wheel pair carrier, in that a second pair of wheels is mounted on the main wheel carrier by a second wheel pair carrier, and in that a wheel of the first pair of wheels forms the first wheel and a wheel of the second pair of wheels forms the second wheel.

12 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier is firmly coupled in a fixed coupling region to the main wheel carrier in the auxiliary wheel operating state by a plurality of coupling elements.

13 . The wheel assembly according to claim 12 ,

14 . A soil compactor comprising at least one wheel assembly according to claim 1 .

15 . The soil compactor according to claim 14 ,

wherein two wheel assemblies are arranged one after the other in a longitudinal direction of the soil compactor on a compactor frame, wherein the wheels of a first wheel assembly of the two wheel assemblies are offset with respect to the wheels of a second wheel assembly of the two wheel assemblies in a soil compactor longitudinal direction which is substantially orthogonal to the soil compactor longitudinal direction.

16 . A method of carrying out maintenance work or repair work at a soil compactor, said soil compactor comprising at least one wheel assembly, said at least one wheel assembly comprising a plurality of wheels mounted in succession on a main wheel carrier in the direction of an operating wheel axis of rotation, wherein at least one third wheel, which is arranged between a first wheel and a second wheel in the direction of the operating wheel axis of rotation, forms an auxiliary assembly wheel and is mounted on the main wheel carrier by an auxiliary wheel carrier, wherein the auxiliary wheel carrier is firmly coupled to the main wheel carrier in an auxiliary wheel operating state and is pivotable about a pivot axis and displaceable in the direction of the pivot axis in relation to the main wheel carrier in an auxiliary wheel assembly state, wherein said pivot axis is oriented substantially parallel to the operating wheel axis of rotation;

wherein said method is for carrying out maintenance work or repair work at said first wheel or said second wheel of said at least one wheel assembly and comprises the steps of:

a) loosening fastening elements firmly coupling said auxiliary wheel carrier to said main wheel carrier in said auxiliary wheel assembly state for providing said auxiliary wheel mounting state;

b) pivoting said auxiliary wheel carrier in said auxiliary wheel mounting state about said pivot axis for moving said auxiliary wheel out of alignment with said first and second wheels, such that an auxiliary wheel axis of rotation no longer coincides with said operating wheel axis of rotation;

c) displacing said auxiliary wheel carrier with said auxiliary wheel being pivoted out of alignment with said first and second wheels in the direction of the pivot axis.