Cycle wheel mounting apparatus

Apparatus for mounting a cycle wheel on a cycle frame includes a cycle wheel hub assembly including a wheel support axle and a hub member rotatably mounted on the wheel support axle. The axle includes movable axle end segments which are movable between a retracted position and an extended position. In their extended positions the axle ends are secured to wheel supports connected to the cycle legs.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to apparatus for mounting a cycle wheel on a cycle 
frame. More particularly, the apparatus is useful for mounting a cycle 
wheel at either the front or rear of the cycle. The cycle wheel can be 
quickly removed and installed at either the front or back locations. 
BACKGROUND ART 
My copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/225,837, filed Apr. 11, 
1994, discloses apparatus for mounting a cycle wheel at either the front 
or rear end of a cycle. Socket members defining notches are connected to 
the front and back forks of the bicycle for receiving wheel support 
members. The apparatus includes a lock for selectively locking the socket 
members against movement with the notches both oriented in a desired 
direction so that cycle wheel removal and installation is facilitated. 
Applicant is aware of the following United States Patents relating to cycle 
wheel installation on bicycles and the like: U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,369, 
issued Oct. 9, 1979, U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,125, issued Jun. 2, 1992, U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,058,913, issued Oct. 22, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,097, issued 
Apr. 21, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,672, issued Jun. 11, 1991, U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,634,139, issued Jan. 6, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,038, issued Aug. 
23, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,941, issued Feb. 21, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,079,958, issued Mar. 21, 1978, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,157, issued Jul. 
5, 1994. Applicant is also aware of International Publication No. 
W087/04129, published Jul. 16, 1987. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
The present invention relates to apparatus for mounting a cycle wheel on a 
cycle frame, the cycle frame including at least one fork having first and 
second cycle legs with distal ends. The cycle legs are located away from 
one another and define a space therebetween for accommodating a cycle 
wheel. 
The apparatus allows a wheel to be quickly changed. A wheel held in 
position on a cycle in accordance with the teachings of the present 
invention is positively and accurately maintained in the desired position. 
The apparatus is directed to a combination including a cycle wheel hub 
assembly including a wheel support axle and a hub member disposed about 
the wheel support axle and rotatably mounted on the wheel support axle. 
The wheel support axle includes an axle primary segment located within the 
hub member and having opposed axle primary segment ends. The axle 
additionally includes first and second axle end segments connected to the 
axle primary segment at said opposed axle primary segment ends and having 
distal ends. 
At least one of the axle end segments is a movable axle end segment 
selectively movable relative to the axle primary segment between a 
retracted position and an extended position. The distal end of the movable 
axle end segment is disposed further from the axle primary segment when in 
the extended position then when in the retracted position. 
A first wheel support is located at the distal end of the first cycle leg. 
A second wheel support is located at the distal end of the second cycle 
leg. 
The axle end segments are connected to the wheel supports when the movable 
axial end segment is in the extended position to releasably retain the 
cycle wheel in the space defined by the cycle legs. 
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will 
become apparent with reference to the following description and 
accompanying drawings.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 and 11, a preferred embodiment of the invention 
is illustrated. The disclosed embodiment is for mounting a cycle wheel 10 
to a bicycle including a front fork having first and second cycle legs 12, 
14 with distal ends. The cycle legs 12, 14 are located away from one 
another and define a space therebetween for accommodating the cycle wheel. 
It is to be understood, of course, that the bicycle also includes a rear 
fork having legs 16, 18 (FIGS. 9, 10 and 13) which also have distal ends, 
the cycle legs 16, 18 also being located away from one another and 
defining a space therebetween for accommodating a rear cycle wheel. 
Cycle wheel 10 incorporates a hub assembly including a wheel support axle 
20 having a hub member 22 disposed thereabout and rotatably mounted 
thereon. Roller bearings 24 of conventional construction are disposed 
between the wheel support axle and the hub member. Hub member 22 includes 
end flanges 26, 28 which are utilized to retain spoke ends therein in a 
conventional manner. In the interest of simplicity, these spokes are not 
shown in all of the figures. Of course, the teachings of the present 
invention also have application to cycle wheels without spokes. 
Wheel support axle 20 includes a cylindrically-shaped axle primary segment 
30 having a throughbore formed therein. Positioned within the axle primary 
segment throughbore are axle end segments 32, 34. The axle end segments 
are mounted for movement within the axle primary segment. More 
particularly, the axle end segments 32, 34 are both rotatable with respect 
to the axle primary segment and axially movable relative thereto along the 
axis of rotation of the cycle wheel. A stop member 36 is disposed within 
the axle primary segment 30 to restrict inward movement of the axle end 
segments. A set screw 38 is employed to retain the stop member at the 
desired location within the axle primary segment. 
Axle primary segment 30 includes a central portion 40 and retainer members 
42, 44 which are threadedly engaged with the threaded interior of the 
central portion. Set screws 46 are utilized to lock the retainer members 
in place relative to the central portion. 
The retainer members 42, 44 are not only threaded on the outside thereof 
but also on the inside thereof and these inner threads are engaged by 
threads formed on the outer surfaces of axle end segments 32, 34. It will 
be appreciated that rotation of the axle end segments 32, 34 relative to 
the retainer members 42, 44 will serve to either retract or extend the 
axle end segments. 
A manually operable tool 50 is employed to extend or retract the axle end 
segments. Tool 50 includes a shaft 52 having a hexagonal cross-section and 
a handle 54 affixed thereto. FIG. 5 shows the tool shaft 52 extending 
through the distal end of cycle leg 14 and into axle end segment 34. Axle 
end segment 34 has an opening therethrough having an hexagonal shape 
corresponding to that of the tool handle. Rotation of the tool will cause 
the axle end segment 34 to either retract or extend due to its threaded 
interconnection with retainer member 34 depending upon whether such 
rotation is clockwise or counterclockwise. 
Extending through stop member 36 and into the end of axle end segment 34 
opposed to tool 50 is a connector in the form of a shaft or spindle 58 
also having a hexagonal cross-section in the illustrated embodiment. 
Rotation of the axle end segment 34 by tool 50 will thus also cause 
rotation of the connector spindle. 
Positioned in the end of the axle end segment 34 remote from the tool is a 
bushing 60 which surrounds the connector spindle 58 and is secured thereto 
by means of a connector pin 62 extending through the bushing and connector 
spindle. Such arrangement will maintain interconnection between the axle 
end segment 34 and the connector spindle as the axial and rotational 
movement described above takes place. 
The other end of the connector spindle, i.e. the left end thereof is viewed 
in FIGS. 5 and 6, is positioned in a hex shaped opening formed at the 
inner end of axle end segment 32. Thus, rotation of the connector spindle 
58 will serve to rotate axle end segment 32 along with axle end segment 34 
to either retract or extend it. The connector spindle is free to move 
axially relative to axle end segment 34 since the connector spindle and 
the axle end segment 34 are in axially sliding engagement. 
The threads of the axle end segments 32, 34 are in opposition to one 
another so that simultaneous rotation of the axle end segments will cause 
both to simultaneously either retract or simultaneously extend upon 
rotation. FIG. 5 shows both axle end segments extended so that their 
distal ends are spaced outwardly from the hub member. In FIG. 6 the axle 
end segments are in their retracted positions. In this instance, the 
distal ends of the axle end segments are essentially flush with the ends 
of the hub member. 
Located at the distal end of each cycle leg is a wheel support 66 threaded 
internally as at 68. The wheel supports are located in notches or openings 
formed at the ends of the cycle legs and are secured to the cycle legs by 
means of a threaded shaft affixed to the wheel supports and threadedly 
engaging nuts 70 located on the opposed sides of the cycle legs. A 
concavity 72 is formed at the sides and bottoms of the wheel supports (See 
FIG. 11). 
One of the nuts 70 in the illustrated embodiment is utilized to provide 
access by tool shaft 52 to above described axle end segment 34. More 
particularly, the nut is hollow as is its associated wheel support 66. A 
bushing having a circular inner and outer cross-section and designated by 
reference numeral 74 is rotatably positioned in an end cap 76 which is 
threadedly secured to the nut 70 accommodating the tool shaft. A pin 78 
secures the bushing to the tool shaft. The bushing ensures proper 
alignment of the tool with the cooperating structural elements. A retainer 
clip 80 is located closely adjacent to the tool handle. 
The wheel supports 66 are for the purpose of releasably retaining in 
position between the cycle legs 12, 14 the cycle wheel including the 
above-described hub assembly. Projecting outwardly from retainer members 
42, 44 are extensions or sockets 84 defining notches 86. The notches are 
defined by the generally U-shaped inner walls of the sockets. 
The notches 86 are configured to conform to the outer shapes of wheel 
supports 66 and FIG. 5 shows the wheel supports positioned in the socket 
notches. It will be noted that the axle end segments 32, 34 have to be in 
their retracted positions to allow the wheel supports to enter the socket 
notches. 
When the wheel supports are fully seated in the sockets the wheel support 
axle 20 is coaxial with the wheel supports. Once the wheel supports are 
seated in the sockets the tool 50 is rotated to extend the axle end 
segments 32, 34 and thread them into engagement with the inner threads of 
the wheel supports as shown in FIG. 5. This results in a highly stable 
support for the cycle wheel. Also, such mechanism insures the prompt, 
accurate positioning of the cycle wheel relative to the cycle frame. 
It will be noted that grooves 88 are formed at the bottoms of the wheel 
supports. These grooves receive detents 90 at the bottoms of the sockets 
84. This arrangement insures that the hub assembly ends are brought into 
close proximity with the ends of the wheel supports 66 and prevented from 
moving away from the wheel support ends. This, in turn, means that the 
inner threads of the wheel supports are properly positioned to immediately 
receive the threads of the axle end segments when the latter are extended. 
The hub assembly and cycle wheel can just as easily be removed, the 
operator simply rotating the tool to retract the axle end segments and 
disengage them from the wheel supports. 
FIGS. 7, 8 and 12 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention 
wherein a wheel support axle 20A rotatably supports a hub member 22. In 
this embodiment of the invention an axle primary segment 30A forms a 
passageway or opening within which axle end segments 32A, 34A are slidably 
disposed. The axle end segments 32A, 34A are enlarged at the inner ends 
thereof and such ends normally bear against axle primary segment central 
portion 92 as shown in FIG. 8 under the urging of coil compression springs 
94. The outer ends of the springs 94 bear against retainer members 42A, 
44A. Internal threads 96 are formed in the outer ends of axle end segments 
32A, 34A. 
When one wishes to mount this version of the hub assembly, wheel supports 
66A mounted on cycle legs 12, 14 are positioned in notches 86 of sockets 
84 of the hub assembly in the manner described above with respect to the 
first described embodiment of the invention. Wheel supports 66A each have 
a central opening formed therein and a tool 50A is located within each 
wheel support. The tools 50A are threaded at their inwardly disposed ends. 
After the wheel supports 66A have been placed in notches 86, the tools 50A 
are brought into engagement with axle end segments 32A, 34A and rotated to 
thread the tools into threads 96 of the wheel supports. This causes the 
axle end segments 32A, 34A to be pulled outwardly or extended to lock the 
hub assembly to the cycle legs. Removal of the hub assembly is 
accomplished by unthreading the tools 50A. 
Referring now to FIGS. 9, 10 and 13, another embodiment of the invention is 
illustrated which is utilized in association with a bicycle rear drive 98 
deployed between rear cycle legs 12B, 14B. The rear drive is of standard 
construction including a free wheel 100 and sprockets such as sprockets 
102, 104. A wheel support 106 extends from leg 12B and is of sufficient 
length to support the drive mechanism. Wheel support 106 includes not only 
a central spindle portion 114 secured directly to leg 12B but also a 
bearing retainer 116 threadedly secured to the spindle portion. A wheel 
support 108 is secured to cycle leg 14B. The wheel supports 106, 108 
define through passageways 110, 112, respectively. 
Wheel supports 106, 108 are for the purposes of supporting a wheel and hub 
assembly including hub member 22 and wheel support axle 20B about which 
the hub member is rotatably disposed. 
Wheel support axle 20B includes an axle primary segment 30B and axle end 
segments 32B, 34B which are slidably disposed within axle primary segment 
30B. Retainer members 42B, 44B include internal threads which are 
threadedly engaged by the threads on the outer ends of axle end segments 
32B, 34B. 
A socket or extension 120 projects outwardly from retainer member 42B and a 
socket or extension 122 projects outwardly from retainer 44B. Socket 120 
defines a notch 124 which is larger than notch 126 formed by socket 122 
since notch 124 must accommodate therein bearing retainer 116 which in the 
arrangement illustrated is larger than wheel support 108. 
With the axle end segments 32B, 34B in their respective retracted positions 
shown in FIG. 10, the wheel support 106 and the wheel support 108 are 
positioned in notches 124, 126, respectively. Tool 50 is then inserted 
through opening 112 of wheel support 108 and enters the interior of axle 
end segment 34B, it being understood that the interior has generally the 
same cross-sectional configuration as the working end of the tool. 
Rotation of the tool will thus cause the axle end segment 34B to thread 
outwardly to its extended position shown in FIG. 9. A connector spindle 
58B transmits this rotating motion to axle end segment 32B which causes 
the latter to also move to its extended position and thread into spindle 
portion 114 of wheel support 106. At the same time, of course, axle end 
segment 34B has been threaded into engagement with the inner threads of 
wheel support 108.