Granted Patent B2

US 12,654,489 · App. 18/606,623 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventors: John E. Rode (Fonda, NY); Matthew Townes (Johnstown, NY)

Assignee: TEMPER AXLE PRODUCTS CORPORATION

B60B27/001B60B27/0078F16B21/183F16B39/282F16B39/32F16C19/548B25B27/062B60B2320/10B60B2380/00B60B2900/321F16C2229/00F16C2326/02

Abstract

Claims (18)

1 . An apparatus for providing a load to a wheel bearing mounted on a shaft of a vehicle axle or spindle, comprising:

a press mechanism configured to provide a compressive load to the bearing mounted on the shaft; and

said press mechanism releasably connectable to the shaft;

said press mechanism including a wrench, the wrench engageable with a nut mounted on the shaft to maintain a wheel hub assembly in position thereon, wherein said wrench is configured to engage and rotate the nut when said press mechanism is connected to the shaft; and

said wrench having engaging teeth connected to a remainder of said press mechanism and configured to be movable axially relative to an axial dimension of said press mechanism between a proximal non-engaged position and a distal engaged position wherein said engaging teeth engage nut teeth of the nut in said distal engaged position and said wrench avoids engaging the nut in said proximal non-engaged position.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a collar attachable to the shaft and wherein said wrench extends circumferentially around said collar, and said wrench is movable along said collar in an axial direction relative to said collar from said proximal non-engaged position to said distal engaged position.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a collar, a rod and a press, said wrench extending circumferentially around an axis extending through said rod, and said wrench is movable along said axis in an axial direction relative to said collar from said proximal non-engaged position to said distal engaged position when said wrench moves axially relative to said axial dimension of said press mechanism.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wrench comprises a base and a plurality of wrench arms, said plurality of wrench arms extending from said base distally.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said base comprises a grip portion thereon to allow a user to grip said wrench to rotate said wrench to rotate the nut.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said grip portion comprises a projection relative to an outer surface of said wrench.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said grip portion comprises a variation in an outer surface of said wrench.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said variation comprises a roughened surface relative to a remainder of said outer surface of said wrench.

9 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said plurality of wrench arms comprise the engaging teeth at distal ends of said arms, said engaging teeth configured to engage the nut teeth of the nut to allow said wrench to cause a rotation of said nut when said wrench is rotated by a user.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said engaging teeth comprise radially external teeth configured to engage internal nut teeth of the nut teeth to allow the engaging of the wrench and the nut.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said press mechanism comprises a plurality of extensions configured to contact a wheel hub or/or a bearing of said wheel hub assembly when said press mechanism is attached to the shaft, said plurality of extensions located radially outward of said wrench relative to said axial dimension of said press mechanism.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an aligning ring having an aligning projection configured to engage a shaft slot of the shaft to align said press mechanism relative to the shaft when said press mechanism connects to the shaft.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said aligning ring comprises a plurality of ring indicating markings to allow an alignment of a ring indicating marking of said plurality of ring indicating markings with said wrench.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said wrench comprises a wrench indicating marking to allow an alignment of said wrench indicating marking with said ring indicating marking.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (210)