Abstract:
A wheel lubricating device for lubricating at least a portion of a wheel, including: a lubrication applicator, a rotary drive mechanism at least indirectly coupled to said lubrication applicator, a lubrication supply conduit in fluid communication with said lubrication applicator, a transfer pump for transferring a lubricating medium through said lubrication supply conduit to said lubrication applicator.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This U.S. patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/836,475 filed on Jun. 18, 2013. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for greasing a wheel bore. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In order to facilitate the mounting and demounting of wheels onto a vehicle, grease may be applied to the bore of the wheel. The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for greasing a wheel bore. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustrating example components of a wheel bore greasing apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustrating an example grease roller assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating an example set of operations for a method for operating a wheel bore greasing apparatus. 
         FIGS. 4A-4E  are schematics illustrating different states of the wheel bore greasing apparatus during operation of the same. 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example wheel bore lubricating (greasing) apparatus  10 . The wheel bore greasing apparatus  10  is configured to receive a wheel  40  and to apply a lubricant (such as grease) grease to a wheel bore  44  of the wheel  40  (located at the center of the wheel plate  42 ). In some implementations, the wheel bore greasing apparatus  10  can include an actuator  12 , a rotary drive mechanism (such as a rotary electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic motor)  14 , a master controller  16 , an electrical controller  18 , a lubricant (grease) supply  20 , a lubrication supply conduit (such as supply line)  21 , and a lubrication applicator (such as a grease roller assembly)  22 . In an embodiment, the grease roller assembly  22  can include a shaft  23 , a support structure  24  having an aperture  25  defined along a lateral surface  27  of the support structure  24 , a roller  26  having at least one axle  28 , and one or more roller axle actuators  30   a  and  30   b  (herein referenced by reference number  30 ). The wheel bore greasing apparatus may include additional components not depicted in  FIG. 1 . For instance, the wheel bore greasing apparatus  10  may include a conveyor belt or any other suitable mechanism for placing the wheel  40  in position to be greased by the wheel bore greasing apparatus  10 . 
     The master controller  16  is configured to grease the wheel  40  by controlling the actuator  12 , the motor  14 , the electrical controller  18 , and the grease supply  20 . The master controller  16  may include one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing machine-readable instructions that are executed by the one or more processors. The master controller  16  can determine when the wheel  40  is in a position to be greased. When the wheel  40  is the position to be greased, the master controller  16  commands the actuator  12  to drive the grease roller assembly  22  into a greasing position, and the motor  14  to rotate the grease roller assembly  22 . Prior to and/or while the motor  14  is rotating the grease roller assembly  22 , the master controller  16  can command the lubrication transfer mechanism to pump lubricant through supply conduit  21 , and release lubrication medium (grease) onto the roller  26 . In some implementations, the master controller  16  may further command the electrical controller  18  to activate the roller axle actuators  30 , thereby driving the roller  26  into a position to grease the wheel bore  44 , whereby the command is provided prior to commanding the motor  14  to rotate the grease roller assembly  22 . 
     The actuator  12  may control the vertical movement of the grease roller assembly  22 . The actuator  12  is coupled (directly or indirectly) to the shaft  23  of the grease roller assembly  22 . Upon receiving a signal from the master controller  16 , the actuator  12  drives the shaft  23  in a downward direction (towards the wheel bore  44 ) until the grease roller assembly  22  is in a greasing position. The greasing position can refer to a position whereby the grease roller assembly  22  is positioned proximate the wheel bore  44  and the roller  26  is in line with the wheel bore  44 . In some implementations, the greasing position may refer to a position whereby the grease roller assembly  22  is positioned inside the wheel bore  44  and the roller  26  forcibly abuts the wheel bore  44 . When the greasing operation is completed, the actuator  12  retracts the grease roller assembly  22  from the greasing position in an upward direction (away from the wheel bore  44 ). 
     The motor  14  controls the rotational movement of the grease roller assembly  22 . The motor  14  is coupled (directly or indirectly) to the shaft  23  of the grease roller assembly  22 . In an embodiment, the master controller  16  may send an electrical command signal to motor  14  which, in turn, starts to rotate the shaft about its vertical axis. The motor  14  can continue to rotate until the signal is turned off by the master controller  16 . 
     The grease supply  20  stores grease and supplies the grease to the roller  26 . In some implementations, the grease supply  20  is a pressurized reservoir controlled by the master controller  16 . In some implementations, the grease supply  20  receives a signal from the master controller  16  to open a valve that obstructs the flow of the grease from the reservoir to the grease supply line  21 . Upon receiving the signal, the grease supply  20  can open a valve, thereby allowing the grease to flow from the reservoir to a proximate end of the grease supply line  21 . Additionally or alternatively, the grease supply  20  may include a transfer mechanism (such as a pump) that is controlled by the master controller  16 , whereby the master controller  16  commands the pump to pump grease into the grease supply line  21 . The grease supply line  21  can be positioned such that its distal end  21  feeds the grease onto the lubrication applicator  26 . The grease supply  20  can continue to supply grease, i.e., grease is flowing to the grease supply line  21 , until the master controller  16  turns the signal to the grease supply  20  off. 
     The electrical controller  18  can control the roller axle actuators  30 . Upon controlling the actuator  12  to drive the grease roller assembly  22  into the wheel bore  44 , the master controller  16  can provide a signal the electrical controller  18  to control the roller axle actuators  30  to drive the roller  26  towards the wheel bore  44 . In particular, the roller axle actuators  30  can drive the roller  26  from a first position where the roller  26  is contained within the perimeter of the support structure  24  to a second position where the roller  26  is positioned such that it is at least partially protruding from the aperture  25  in the support structure  24  and abutting the wheel bore  24 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a grease roller assembly  22  according to some implementations of the present disclosure is illustrated. As discussed the grease roller assembly  22  can include a shaft  23 , a support structure  24  having an aperture  25  defined along a lateral surface  27  of the support structure  24 , a roller  26  having at least one axle  28 , and one or more roller axle actuators  30 . 
     In some implementations, the shaft  23  couples to the motor  14  and actuator  12  via a first slip ring arrangement  17  and a second slip ring arrangement  19 . The first slip ring arrangement  17  allows power to be delivered from the electrical controller to the grease roller assembly  22 . The second slip ring arrangement  19  allows grease to be supplied from the grease supply  20  to the roller  26 . The shaft  23  may be fixedly coupled to the slip ring arrangements or may be arranged in a telescoping manner, such that the actuator drives the shaft  23  in and out of the one or more slip ring arrangements. 
     In some implementations, the support structure  24  is a substantially cylindrical body with an aperture  25  defined along a lateral surface  27  of the support structure  24 . The support structure  24  houses the roller  26 , the grease supply line  21 , and the roller axle actuators  30 . The aperture  25  has sufficient size to allow at least a portion of the roller  26  to extend outside the outer perimeter of the support structure  24 . The support structure  24  may be constructed of any suitable material, e.g., metal, steel, high density rubber, or high density plastic. The support structure  24  also includes an opening  32  at its upper end, the opening receiving the grease supply line  21  and any other wires or supply lines. The support structure  24  may be positioned relative to the shaft  23  either concentrically or off-center. In the former scenario, the support structure  14  rotates about its central vertical axis when rotated by the motor  14 . In the latter scenario, the support structure  14  rotates about the rotation axis of the shaft  23 . 
     The roller  26  is a body that is rolled about its axis while forcibly engaging the wheel bore  44 . The roller  26  may be constructed of any suitable material, e.g., high density plastic or rubber, foam, porous medium, or the like. The grease supply line  21  coats the roller  26  with grease which, by virtue of the roller  26  rolling along the wheel bore  44 , is ultimately applied to the wheel bore  44 . The roller  26  may include a cavity extending through its vertical axis that receives the axle  28 . The axle  28  is rotatably coupled to one or more roller axle actuators  30 , which drive the roller  26  through the aperture  25  and against the wheel bore  44 . In an embodiment, when the motor  14  rotates the grease roller assembly  22 , the roller  26  rotates about the axle  28  while remaining forcibly pressed against the wheel bore  44 . In other embodiments, the lubrication applicator does not rotate about an axle  28 , but, rather it is non-rotatably fixed to support structure  24 . 
     The wheel bore greasing apparatus  10  and the grease roller assembly  22  may contain additional or alternative components. Such implementations are contemplated and do not depart from the scope of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 3 , depicts an example set of operations for a method  100  for operating the wheel bore greasing apparatus  10 . Reference is made to  FIGS. 4A-4E  during the discussion of the method  100 . 
     At operation  110 , the wheel bore greasing apparatus  10  positions the wheel  40  in relation to the grease roller assembly  22 . As previously discussed, the wheel bore greasing apparatus  10  may include a conveyor belt or another mechanism that positions the wheel  40  relative to the grease roller assembly  22 . As shown in  FIG. 4A , the wheel  40  is positioned such that the center of the wheel bore  44  is substantially in line with the vertical rotation axis of the grease roller assembly  22 . At this juncture, the grease roller assembly  22  is in an “up” position. 
     At operation  112 , the actuator  12  drives the grease roller assembly  22  into the wheel bore  44 . As mentioned, the actuator  12  is controlled by the master controller  16 . Thus, the master controller  16  may provide an on signal to the actuator  12 , which in turn drives the grease roller assembly  22  in a downward direction and into the wheel bore  44 . At operation  114 , the roller axle actuators  30  drive the roller  26  in an outward direction and to the wheel bore  44 , such that the roller  26  forcibly abuts the wheel bore  44 . The master controller  16  can provide an on signal to the electrical controller  18 , which in turn controls the roller axle actuators  30  to drive the roller  26  towards the wheel bore  44 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , the grease roller assembly  22  is in the wheel bore  44  and being driven in an outwardly direction. In particular, the grease roller assembly  22  is positioned such that the roller  26  is in line with the wheel bore  44  and the roller axle actuators  30  are driving the roller  26  through the aperture  25 . 
     At operation  116  grease supply  20  applies grease to the roller  26  and at operation  118  the motor  14  rotates the grease roller assembly  22 . The master controller  16  can provide an on signal to the grease supply  20 , which causes the grease supply  20  to apply grease to the roller  26  via the grease supply line  21 . The master controller  16  may also provide an on signal to the motor  14 , which causes the motor  14  to rotate until the on signal is switched to off.  FIG. 4C  illustrates an example of a greasing operation being performed. In this example, the roller  26  is coated with grease and the motor  14  is rotating the assembly  22 . As the grease roller assembly  22  rotates, the roller  26  rolls about the axle  28  and the lateral surface of the roller  26  rotates along the wheel bore  44 . As the roller  26  rolls along the wheel bore  44 , the grease that was applied to roller  26  is rolled onto the wheel bore  44 , thereby greasing the wheel bore  44 . The wheel bore greasing apparatus  10  can continue to operate in this manner until the greasing operation is complete, as shown at operation  120 . A greasing operation may be completed after the motor  16  performs a predetermined amount of rotations. For example, a greasing operation may be completed after two full rotations. 
     At operation  122  the roller axle actuators  30  retract the roller  26  and at operation  124  the actuator  12  retracts the grease roller assembly  22 . As shown in  FIG. 4D , the roller  26  is retracted in an inward direction, i.e., back into the grease roller assembly  22 . Furthermore, the grease roller assembly  22  is retracted in an upward direction, such that it is removed from the wheel bore  44 . As shown in  FIG. 4E , the wheel bore  44  has been greased and the grease roller assembly  22  has been removed from the wheel bore  44 . The wheel  40  can be removed and a new wheel  40  can be placed in its place. 
     The method of  FIG. 3  is provided for example only. Variations of the method are contemplated and do not depart from the scope of the disclosure.