Patent Publication Number: US-2023141668-A1

Title: Integrated outer wheel assembly

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a compactor wheel for a compactor vehicle, and more specifically, to an integrated outer wheel assembly for the compactor wheel. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Compactor vehicle wheels are produced as a single steel weldment having a hub ring attached to two radially projecting conical members, an outer wrapper, and up to  40  tips attached to the outer wrapper. The compactor wheels are assembled in the order listed from innermost out. The outer wrapper and tips are the primary wear components as they contact the material being compacted by the compactor vehicle. The compactor wheel reconditioning process entails removal of the tips and the outer wrapper. The tips and the outer wrapper are cut from the compactor wheel using an acetylene torch. Installing a new outer wrapper involves rolling heavy plate into an open cylinder, lowering it over the two radially projecting conical members being reused, welding the open wrapper plate together, and welding it in place before welding on new tips. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,690,475 relates to a compaction apparatus that has a removable plate used to cover an outermost arcuate surface of a wheel of a compactor vehicle. The plate defines a plurality of ports, with each port used to receive at least a portion of a base of a compactor wheel projection. 
     While effective, there remains a need for improved compactor wheels for compactor vehicles used in high wear applications, such as the waste industry. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the present disclosure, an integrated outer wheel assembly for a compactor vehicle is disclosed. The outer wheel assembly has a hollow cylindrical wrapper, and the wrapper has an inboard side and an outboard side. The wrapper may have hard facing on a circumferential edge of the wrapper, and also has one or more tips on an outer surface of the wrapper. The integrated outer wheel assembly is secured to a wheel core. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a compactor wheel for a compactor vehicle is disclosed. The compactor wheel has a wheel core which has a circumference defined by an inboard side and an outboard side of the wheel core. The compactor wheel also has an integrated outer wheel assembly that is secured to the wheel core. The integrated outer wheel assembly has a hollow cylindrical wrapper that has an inboard side and an outboard side. The wrapper may have a hard facing on a circumferential edge of the wrapper and one or more tips on an outer surface of the wrapper. The integrated outer wheel assembly is secured to the wheel core by positioning the integrated outer wheel assembly over the circumference of the wheel core and securing the integrated outer wheel assembly to the wheel core by joining at a first interface of the inboard side of the wheel core and the inboard side of the wrapper and joining at a second interface of the outboard side of the wheel core and the outboard side of the wrapper. 
     In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, a method of remanufacturing a compactor wheel of a compactor vehicle is disclosed. The method includes providing a wheel core. The wheel core has an inboard conical member and an outboard conical member, with a circumference of the of inboard conical member and a circumference of the outboard conical member defining a circumference of the wheel core. The method further includes positioning an integrated outer wheel assembly over the circumference of the wheel core. The integrated outer wheel assembly has a hollow cylindrical wrapper which has one or more tips on an outer surface of the wrapper, an inboard side and an outboard side, and may have hard facing on a circumferential edge of the wrapper. Further, the method includes securing the integrated outer wheel assembly to the wheel core by joining at a first interface of the inboard conical member and the inboard side of the wrapper and joining at a second interface of the outboard conical member and the outboard side of the wrapper. 
     These and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is perspective view of an exemplary compactor vehicle, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the inboard side of a compactor wheel of the compactor vehicle of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of the outboard side of the compactor wheel of  FIG.  2   , in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is perspective view of an integrated outer wheel assembly and a wheel core of the compactor wheel of  FIG.  2    positioned over a wheel fixture, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the compactor wheel of  FIG.  2    having hard facing, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is an exemplary wheel fixture, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is a flow chart illustrating a method of remanufacturing a compactor wheel of a compactor vehicle, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A compactor vehicle, specifically a landfill compactor vehicle, is shown broadly at reference numeral  1  in  FIG.  1   . The compactor vehicle  1  includes a frame  2 , an engine  4  supported on the frame  2 , a cab  6  supported on the frame  2 , and a plow  8  attached to the frame. The compactor vehicle  1  further includes a plurality of compactor wheels  10  for compacting waste in a landfill as the compactor vehicle  1  drives over the waste. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the inboard side of the compactor wheel  10  is shown in  FIG.  2   , and the outboard side of the compactor wheel  10  is shown in  FIG.  3   . The inboard side being the side of the compactor wheel  10  that faces the frame  2 , or axle (not shown), of the compactor vehicle  1 , and the outboard side being the side of the compactor wheel  10  that faces away from the frame  2 , or axle, of the compactor wheel when the compactor wheels  10  are attached to the compactor vehicle  1 . As best shown in  FIG.  4   , the compactor wheel  10  is formed of a wheel core  11  secured to an integrated outer wheel assembly  12 . 
     The wheel core  11  has a rim core  13  attached to an inboard conical member  14  and an outboard conical member  16 . The rim core  13  and the attached inboard and outboard conical members  14 ,  16  form a single piece weldment, and is formed of a metal material. The rim core  13  is a hollow, or in another exemplary embodiment, solid, cylindrical member. The inboard conical member  14  has an inboard conical member circumference  17  encircling the outermost edge, away from the rim core  13 , of the inboard conical member  14 . The outboard conical member  16  has an outboard conical member circumference  18  encircling the outermost edge, away from the rim core  13 , of the outboard conical member  16 . The inboard conical member circumference  17  and the outboard conical member circumference  18 , in one exemplary embodiment, are equal in size, or substantially equal, and define a circumference of the wheel core  19 . Further, the rim core  13 , as shown in  FIG.  2   , may have a rim extension  20  to cover the axle of the compactor vehicle  1  to keep debris out. 
     The integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is integrated, or one-piece, with the integrated outer wheel assembly being pre-fabricated before being secured to the wheel core  11  to form the compactor wheel  10 . The integrated outer wheel assembly  12  has a hollow cylindrical wrapper  21 , and in one exemplary embodiment, the wrapper  20  is a one piece hollow cylinder made of metal, such as steel. The wrapper  21  may have a thickness of 0.001 to 4 inches, an outer wrapper diameter  21  of 10 to 100 inches, and a width of 10 to 100 inches. In this exemplary embodiment, the wrapper  21  has a wrapper circumference  23  that is larger than the circumference of the wheel core  19 , allowing wrapper  21  to be placed over the wheel core  11  before being secured to form the compactor wheel  10 . As best shown in  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the wrapper  21  further has a wrapper inboard side  24  and a wrapper outboard side  25  that are configured to be adjacent to the inboard conical member  14  and outboard conical member  16 , respectively, when the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is secured to the wheel core  11  to form the compactor wheel  10 . 
     On an outer surface of the wrapper  26  are a plurality of tips  28 . The tips  28  are projections made of metal and attached to the outer surface of the wrapper  26  by using any one of a variety of methods, including welding and bolting. The tips  28  are configured to compact waste as the compactor wheels  10  drive over the waste in a landfill, and are also configured to provide traction to the compactor vehicle  1 . In one exemplary embodiment, there are  5  rows of  8  tips on the outer surface of the wrapper  26 . In another exemplary embodiment, there are  35  tips  28 . In a further embodiment, the outer surface of the wrapper  26  has one or more tips  28  that are placed in any predetermined pattern configured to provide traction to the compactor vehicle  1  or compact waste in a landfill. 
     As best shown in  FIG.  5   , a hard facing  30  is applied to the integrated outer wheel assembly  12 , and specifically, is applied to a circumferential edge  31  of the wrapper  21 . To counter wear on the wrapper inboard side  24 , the hard facing  30  is applied, such as a surface treatment, to the circumferential edge  31  of the wrapper  21  to reinforce the circumferential edge  31  and thus provide increased wear resistance and serviceable life. For example, the coating may be extruded, welded, plasma flame sprayed, or otherwise coated across the circumferential edge  31 . The entire outer surface of the wrapper  26  need not be hard faced, but rather the circumferential edge  31  to allow for even wear across the width of the compactor wheel  10 . In one exemplary embodiment, the hard facing procedure involves applying melted metal, or melted weld wire, directly to the circumferential edge during the fabrication on the integrated outer wheel assembly  12 . The hard facing material, such as the mentioned metal or melted weld wire, may have a metal hardness that is harder than the metal hardness of the wrapper  21 , and thus is a harder more wear resistant metal than the metal used to construct the wrapper  21 . For example, the wrapper  21  may be constructed of a first metal and the hard facing is a weld applied surface treatment of a second metal, with the second metal being harder than the first metal. In another exemplary embodiment, a vertical edge of the wrapper  36  is also hard faced on the inboard side of the compactor wheel  10  to protect the vertical edge of the wrapper  36  in the same manner described above with reference to the circumferential edge  31 . The circumferential edge  31  of the wrapper  21  that is hard faced, in a non-limiting embodiment, extends between 0.001 to 3 inches from an edge of the wrapper  37  towards the wrapper outboard side  25 . In an even further exemplary embodiment, the hard facing, on either, or both of, the circumferential edge  31  or the vertical edge of the wrapper  36  is 0.001 to 1.5 inches thick. 
     Referring back to  FIG.  4   , a wheel fixture  40  is shown. The wheel fixture  40  has a fixture frame  41 , a pipe  42 , and one or more wheel conical support members  44 . The fixture frame  41  is used as a base to support the weight of the fixture and the components of the compactor wheel  10  while it is being assembled, and has a flat bottom to placed on a flat surface. The pipe  42  is a cylindrical tube, with the wheel core  11  being configured to be slidable onto the pipe  42 , such that the rim core  13  slides over the pipe  42 . The wheel conical support members  44  are placed on the fixture frame  40  and are placed and spaced to support, and hold in place, the inboard or outboard conical members  14 ,  16  as it rested on the wheel conical support members  44  when the wheel core  11  is placed onto the pipe. The wheel conical members  44  may be any support members configured to hold the inboard or outboard conical members  14 ,  16  in place, such as brackets or clamps. 
     The fixture is configured to hold the wheel core  11  in place, allowing the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  to be positioned over the wheel core  11 . The wheel fixture  40  is configured to position maintain an axial centerline A-A during the positioning of the integrated outer wheel assemblyl 2  over the as wheel core  11  as well as necessary axial location. Positioning the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  over the wheel core  11  is when the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is placed above the wheel core so as the axial centerline A-A of the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  aligns with the axial centerline A-A of the wheel core  11 , and the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is lowered over the wheel core  11  while maintaining the axial centerline A-A alignment. 
     Once positioned, the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is secured to the wheel core by joining the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  to the wheel core  11  by welding, or any other attachment means, such as bolting, screwing, or brass fit. In one embodiment the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is secured to the wheel core  11  by joining the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  to the wheel core  11  at a first interface  45  on the inboard side of the wheel core and the inboard side of the wrapper (welding, or other attachment means, between the inboard conical member  14  and the inboard side of the wrapper  24 ). Additionally, the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is secured to the wheel core  11  by joining at a second interface  46  on the outboard side of the wheel core and the inboard side of the wrapper (welding, or other attachment means, between the outboard conical member  16  and the outboard side of the wrapper  25 ). In one exemplary embodiment, the joining, by welding or other attachment means, at the first or second interface  45 ,  46  are substantially equidistantly spaced bout the circumference of the wheel core  19 . In another exemplary embodiment, the inboard conical member  14  is first placed face down on the wheel fixture  40 , the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is positioned over the wheel core  11  so as the inboard side of the wrapper  24  aligns with the inboard conical member  14 , the first interface  45  is joined or attached, the wheel core  11  is lifted off the wheel fixture  40 , the outboard conical member  16  is placed down on the wheel fixture  40 , and the second interface  46  is joined or attached to complete the compactor wheel  10 . In further exemplary embodiment, the outboard conical member  16  is first placed face down on the wheel fixture  40 , the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is positioned over the wheel core  11  so as the outboard side of wrapper  25  aligns with the outboard conical member  16 , the second interface  46  is joined, the wheel core  11  is lifted off the wheel fixture  40 , the outboard conical member  16  is placed down on the wheel fixture  40 , and the second interface  46  is welded to complete the compactor wheel  10 . 
       FIG.  7    depicts another embodiment of a wheel fixture  60 . The wheel fixture  60  includes a base  61 , a pipe  62 , a plate top  63  supported on the pipe  62 , and one or more wheel conical support members  44 . This embodiment differs from the wheel fixture  40  in that the plate top  63  is configured to be slidably engageable, without engagement the pipe  62 , into the rim core  13 . 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     In general, the teachings of the present disclosure may find applicability in many industries including, but not limited to, landfill waste compaction. More specifically, the teachings of the present disclosure may find applicability in any industry using compactors, such as, but not limit to, in the waste management industry, or any industry of the like compactor vehicles. 
     In accordance with the scope of the present disclosure, in one such operation it is desirable to remanufacture a compactor wheel, and specifically the outer wrapper and tips of a compactor wheel. Specifically, it is desirable to remanufacture the compactor wheel without a time consuming rebuild process that is labor intensive and requires specialized clamping equipment as well as high capacity press for rolling the outer wrapper. Embodiments described herein provide a pre-fabricated integrated outer wheel assembly that improves efficiencies and maintains compactor wheel diameter and symmetry around its axis. 
     Turning not to  FIG.  7   , with continued reference to  FIGS.  2 - 7   , a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method  1000  of remanufacturing a compactor wheel of a compactor vehicle is provided. At block  1002 , a compactor wheel is provided. The compactor wheel may have a wheel core  11  that is surrounded by a rolled plate wrapper (not shown) having tips (not shown) that is removed by burn through welds from the wheel core  11 . The wheel core  11  has an inboard conical member  14  and an outboard conical member  16 . A circumference of the inboard conical member  17  and a circumference of the outboard conical member  18  define a circumference of the wheel core  19 . The inboard conical member circumference  17  and the outboard conical member circumference  18  may be grinded, or sanded, to polish or smooth them from any residual from the removal of the rolled plate wrapper. 
     At block  1004 , the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is positioned over the circumference of the wheel core  19 . The integrated outer wheel assembly  12  has a hollow cylindrical wrapper  21  that has one or more tips  28  on an outer surface of the wrapper  26 , an inboard side  24  and an outboard side  25 , and a hard facing  30  on a circumferential edge  31  of the wrapper  21 . 
     At block  1006 , the integrated outer wheel assembly  12  is secured to the wheel core  11  at a first interface  45  of the inboard conical member  14  and the inboard side of the wrapper  24  and welding at a second interface  46  of the outboard conical member  16  and the outboard side of the wrapper  25 . 
     While the preceding text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of protection is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the scope of protection.