Patent ID: 7125029

Claim:
A wheel assembly for supporting a frame thereon for rolling movement along the ground, the wheel assembly comprising: a wheel rim for carrying a tire thereon; a wheel hub supported concentrically on the wheel rim for rotation relative to the wheel rim about a central axis of the wheel rim; an offset axle supported on the wheel hub radially spaced from the central axis for rotation with the wheel hub relative to the wheel rim about the central axis; a frame mount for coupling to the frame, the frame mount being rotatably coupled to the offset axle for relative rotation therebetween about an eccentric axis of the offset axle lying parallel to and spaced from the central axis; and a locking mechanism movable between a concentric mode in which the wheel hub is rotatable relative to the wheel rim about the central axis and an eccentric mode in which the wheel hub and the wheel rim are locked together for rotation together about the eccentric axis; the locking mechanism including a first mating portion rotatable with the wheel rim and a second mating portion rotatable with the wheel hub, the first and second mating portions being movable relative to one another in an axial direction of the wheel rim between the concentric and eccentric modes of the locking mechanism.