Abstract:
A quick replace axle for use on the non-drive axles of a vehicle comprising an outer sleeve and an inner axle wherein the inner axle fits into the outer sleeve and is held in place with a plurality of secure pins. The quick replace axle may also be hydraulic and may include a disk break assembly or a drum break assembly.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/232,9764, filed Apr. 29, 2016. 
     
    
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not Applicable 
       AMENDED DESCRIPTION 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This disclosure relates to a quick replace axle for non-drive axles of a vehicle. Many vehicles have non-drive axles. When these axles break down it is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor to replace the axle. The present disclosure reveals a quick replace axle that involves jacking the vehicle off the ground, removing a plurality of secure pins, pulling the inner axle from the outer sleeve, installing the replacement inner axle that may already have the wheel attached, replacing the plurality of secure pins and lowing the vehicle back to the ground. 
       AMENDED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Many vehicles have non-drive axles. When these axles break down it is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor to replace the axle. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,779, Hedgepeth reveals a trailer with easy change axles, whereas the present disclosure reveals a quick replace axle for use with the non-drive axles of any vehicle, wherein the axle sleeve and inner axle may be another shape other than rectangular, secure pins that are not ““L” shaped” and further reveals a hydraulic version of the quick replace axle and the capability of having a disk or drum break assembly included with the quick replace axle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present disclosure reveals a quick replace axle comprising an outer sleeve, and an inner axle wherein the outer sleeve can be attached by means of bolts or welds to the location of the non-drive axle of a vehicle and the inner axle comprises a length capable of fitting into the outer sleeve with a spindle on a first end of the length of the inner axle which is capable of attaching a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly comprises an inner bearing, inner cup, hub with studs to attach a wheel, an outer cup, outer bearing, washer, nut, and pin. A plurality of holes are aligned to pass through the outer sleeve and the inner axle in order to hold the outer sleeve and inner axle together. 
         [0008]    The axle may also act as a hydraulic cylinder for a hydraulic axle wherein each of the plurality of holes in the inner axle further comprise a plurality of sleeves that fit into the plurality of holes and are welded in place. A hydraulic fitting on the end of the length of the inner axle completes the seal on the inner axle and allows the inner axle to be connected to the remaining portion of a hydraulic axle system. In either the hydraulic or non-hydraulic version of the quick replace axle a disk break assembly or drum break assembly may be included. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a view of the outer sleeve, inner axle and wheel assembly; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a view of the outer sleeve as a single sleeve; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  is a view of the outer sleeve as a pair of sleeves; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2C  is a view of the outer sleeve as a plurality of sleeves; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  is a view of the outer sleeve and wheel assembly for the hydraulic version of the quick replace axle; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3B  is a view of the outer sleeve and inner axle for the hydraulic version of the quick replace axle; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a view of the inner axle of the quick replace axle with a wheel assembly; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a view of the inner axle of the quick replace axle with a disk break assembly; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a view of the inner axle of the quick replace axle with a drum break assembly; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a view of the wheel assembly; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a view of the disk break assembly; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a view of the drum break assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Present disclosure reveals a quick replace axle  1  for the non-drive axles of a vehicle comprising an outer sleeve  2 , and an inner axle  3 . The outer sleeve  2  is attached to a vehicle in the location where the wheel axle assembly would be located by an attachment means  4  such as a weld or bolts. The outer sleeve  2  can be a single sleeve  5  that extends from one side of the vehicle to the opposing side of the vehicle, could be a pair of sleeves  6 , one sleeve  2 ,  6  for one side of the vehicle with a second sleeve  2 ,  6  on the opposing side of the vehicle for the opposite wheel, or the outer sleeve  2  could be a plurality of sleeves  7  aligned such that the inner axle  3  on each side of the vehicle can be inserted through the plurality of sleeves  7  in order for the axle to be attached to the vehicle. There are a plurality of holes  8  in the outer sleeve  2  such that a secure pin  9  can pass from a first side  10  of the outer sleeve  2 , through outer sleeve  2  and continue to pass through an opposing side  11  of the outer sleeve  2 . The secure pin  9  comprises a main shaft  12  with a length  13  and a head region  14 , whereby the head region  14  may comprise a bend in the main shaft or a larger head portion. The secure pin  9  further comprises a hole  15  that passes through the main shaft  12  perpendicularly to the length  13  of the main shaft  12  to allow a cotter pin  16  to pass through the hole  15  in the main shaft  12  in order to prevent the secure pin  9  from being removed without the removal of the cotter pin  16 . 
         [0022]    The inner axle  3  comprises an axle length  17  and a spindle  18  at a first end  19  of the inner axle  3  to which a wheel assembly  20  is attached. The wheel assembly  20  comprises an inner bearing  50 , inner cup  59 , hub  51  with studs  52  to attach a wheel, an outer cup  54 , outer bearing  55 , washer  56 , nut  57 , and seal  58 . The axle length  17  comprises a plurality of holes  21  that align with the plurality of holes  8  in the outer sleeve  2  such that the secure pin  9  can pass from the first side  10  of the outer sleeve  2 , through the axle length  17 , and continue to pass through the opposite side  11  of the outer sleeve  2 , so that the inner axle  3  can be attached to the outer sleeve  2 . 
         [0023]    The inner axle  3  may further be act as a hydraulic axle  22  therein the inner axle  3  further comprises a plurality of sleeves  23  and a hydraulic coupling  24 . The plurality of sleeves  23  are co-located with the plurality of holes  21  in the inner axle  3 , fit through the plurality of holes  21  and are sealed to the inner axle  3 . The hydraulic coupling  24  is located at the end opposite the spindle  18  to connect the inner axle  3  to a hydraulic system  25 . 
         [0024]    An additional embodiment of the quick replace axle  1  comprises a brake assembly  26  for either disk brakes  27  or drum brakes  28 . 
         [0025]    For a disk break assembly  27  version of the quick replace axle  1 , the disk break assembly  27  comprises a rotor  29  and break pad assembly  30 . The rotor  29  is attached to the hub  51  the rotor  29  and the break pad assembly  30  is bolted to a support plate  31 , the support plate  31  being attached to the inner axle  3  by an attachment means  32  such as a weld or bolts. The disk break assembly  27  further comprises a hydraulic coupling  33  such that the break pad assembly  30  can be charged with hydraulic fluid without risk of leakage and a brake-line  34  of the vehicle can be removed from the disk break of the quick release axle  1  that is being removed and connected to the disk break assembly  27  on the new quick replace axle  1  with minimal the need of bleeding the brake-line  34 . 
         [0026]    For a drum break assembly  28  version of the quick replace axle  1 , the drum break assembly  28  comprises a break drum  35 , backing plate  36 , break cylinder  37 , a leading line shoe assembly  38 , and a trailing line shoe assembly  39 . The backing plate  36  is attached to the spindle  18  and comprises the break cylinder  37 , leading line shoe assembly  38 , and trailing line shoe assembly  39 . The break drum  35  is attached to the studs  52  of the wheel assembly  20 . The drum break assembly  28  further comprises a hydraulic coupling  33  such that the drum break assembly  28  can be charged with hydraulic fluid without risk of leakage and a brake-line  34  of the vehicle can be removed from the drum break assembly  28  of the quick release axle  1  that is being removed and connected to the drum break assembly  28  on the new quick replace axle  1  with minimal need of bleeding the brake-line  34 .