Claims
- 1. A method of providing a wheel assembly for use at the four corners of a cart to rollably support the cart, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a pair of flange mounting plates;
- rigidly securing said flange mounting plates to a respective corner of the cart in a position extending downwardly from the main body of the cart in parallel spaced relation;
- providing an aperture in the lower end of each mounting plate;
- providing a wheel comprising a tubular hub having a central bore defining a journal surface, a rim, and means rigidly interconnecting said rim and said hub in concentric relation;
- positioning the wheel between said mounting plates with the bore of said hub aligned with said apertures;
- providing an axle presenting a journal portion of round cross section between its ends;
- forming a threaded bore in one end of said axle;
- providing radially extending means at the other end of said axle;
- providing a bolt sized to be threaded into said threaded bore and having a head;
- passing said axle slidably through one of said apertures, through said bore, and through the other aperture to bring said radially extending means into engagement with the outboard face of one mounting plate and to position the journal portion of said axle within said bore in juxtaposition to said journal surface and journal the wheel on said axle; and
- threading said bolt into said threaded bore to secure the wheel assembly between the mounting plates.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 and including the further step of:
- forming said axle journal portion and said hub of different materials at their annular journal interface.
- 3. A method according to claim 2 and including the further step of:
- forming said axle journal portion with a metallic central section and an annular outer layer forming a plating on said central section having a hardness greater than that of said central section.
- 4. A method according to claim 3 and including the further steps of:
- forming said central section of an alloy steel; and
- forming said outer layer of a non-ferrous metallic element.
- 5. A method of forming a wheel assembly and securing the wheel assembly to an associated body structure, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a wheel including a tubular hub, a rim, and means rigidly interconnecting the rim and the hub in concentric relation;
- forming an axle having a length exceeding that of said hub;
- forming a threaded bore in one end of said axle;
- providing a bolt sized to be threaded into said threaded bore and having a head;
- providing a washer having an inner diameter sized to pass said bolt and an outer diameter greater than the diameter of said axle;
- providing an end plate member;
- securing the end plate member to the other end of said axle to provide an end plate portion extending radially beyond said axle;
- positioning the wheel between mounting plates secured to the associated body structure with the bore of the hub aligned with apertures in the mounting plates;
- passing one end of the axle through the aperture in one mounting plate, through the bore of the hub, and through the aperture in the other mounting plate to bring said end plate member into engagement with the outboard face of one mounting plate; and
- threading said bolt with said washer thereon into said threaded bore to bring said washer into engagement with the outboard face of the other mounting plate.
- 6. A method according to claim 5 and including the further step of:
- providing means for precluding rotation of said axle relative to the mounting plates.
- 7. A method according to claim 6 wherein:
- said rotation precluding means includes a flat surface on said plate member adapted to coact with a flat surface defined on the outboard face of the one mounting plate.
- 8. A method according to claim 5 wherein said method includes:
- forming said axle with a relatively soft alloy steel core, a relatively hard alloy steel skin surrounding said core, and a non-ferrous plating surrounding said skin; and
- forming said hub with a relatively soft carbon steel annular main body portion and a relatively hard annular skin on the annular interior periphery of said main body portion.
- 9. A method according to claim 8 wherein:
- said non-ferrous plating is a chromium plating; and
- said chromium plating has a hardness greater than the hardness of said annular interior skin of said hub.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 160,921, filed 2/26/88 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,491.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
160921 |
Feb 1988 |
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