A wheel hub assembly having a rim, an outer cap and an inner body joined to the cap within the rim and carrying automatically extendable and retractable curved traction elements. The traction elements are curved pieces with inner end portions disposed on the inside of the tire when retracted and out
A wheel hub assembly having a rim, an outer cap and an inner body joined to the cap within the rim and carrying automatically extendable and retractable curved traction elements. The traction elements are curved pieces with inner end portions disposed on the inside of the tire when retracted and outer ends substantially concealed in gaps between the rim and the cap when retracted, and extendable into active positions overlying the tread of the tire by electric motors each driving two rack-and-pinion drives through T-drives between two traction elements. Channel-shaped tracks and guide rollers on the hub base support the fraction elements, which have traction-enhancing ribs and studs on their outer end portions. An alternative embodiment has a hollow annular hub body on which the traction elements are mounted and guided, in two circular slots, with the motors inside the annular body, the body being supported on a framework to be bolted to the central hub element of a conventional wheel.
대표청구항▼
I claim as my invention: 1. A safety traction device for use with a vehicle tire having laterally spaced inner and outer sidewalls and a tread area for engaging the ground or a roadway, comprising: an annular rim for supporting the vehicle tire and having a generally curved radially inner contour;
I claim as my invention: 1. A safety traction device for use with a vehicle tire having laterally spaced inner and outer sidewalls and a tread area for engaging the ground or a roadway, comprising: an annular rim for supporting the vehicle tire and having a generally curved radially inner contour; a hub assembly disposed coaxially within the rim and having laterally spaced inner and outer sides, said hub assembly comprising a hub body forming the inner side of the hub assembly and a cap forming the outer side of the hub assembly, said body and said cap each having abutting central hubs to be secured together within said rim and said rim and said cap defining gaps therebetween on the radially outer side of the hub assembly; a plurality of traction assemblies angularly spaced around the inner contour of said rim and mounted on said body, each of said traction assemblies having a curved traction element having one end portion mounted on said body to lie alongside the inner sidewall of the tire in a retracted position and an outer end disposed in one of the gaps between said cap and said rim; a track secured to said body and supporting said traction element slidably thereon, and rollers holding the traction element slidably in the track for movement from the retracted position into an extended position in which said outer end overlies the tread area and said one end portion is secured in said track within the rim; and power actuators for said traction assemblies comprising reversible motors housed in said hub assembly and drivingly coupled to said traction assemblies to move said traction elements back and forth between said retracted and extended positions on demand. 2. A safety traction device as defined in claim 1, wherein said hub body and said cap have spoke halves that abut to form spokes for said rim, and said power actuators are housed in said spokes. 3. A safety traction device as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said tracks is channel-shaped and curved to follow the contour of said rim, and said rollers are rotatably mounted between the sides of the channel-shaped track. 4. A safety traction device as defined in claim 1, wherein there is an even number of said traction assemblies and a power actuator is disposed between adjacent traction assemblies and drivingly coupled thereto by a T-drive that drives both traction assemblies in unison. 5. A safety traction device as defined in claim 4, wherein said T-drives are coupled to double-drive sprockets, each having a central spool guiding the traction element and two pinion gears spaced apart across the traction element, said traction element having two spaced rows of drive holes engageable with said pinion gears of said double-drive sprocket to extend and retract the drive element. 6. A safety traction device as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said power actuators is housed in a cavity defined in a spoke of the hub assembly. 7. A safety traction device as defined in claim 1, wherein said traction elements comprise molded pieces of impact resistant and resiliently flexible material. 8. A safety traction device as defined in claim 7, wherein said traction elements are composed of a material selected from the group comprising rubber and polystyrene. 9. A safety traction device as defined in claim 1, wherein said traction elements have traction-enhancing ribs and studs on the outer end portions thereof. 10. A safety traction device as defined in claim 1, wherein said power actuators are reversible rotary electric motors. 11. A safety traction device as defined in claim 10, wherein there is an even number of said motors, and each is drivingly coupled to two of said traction assemblies to extend and retract the traction elements thereof in unison. 12. A safety traction device for use with a vehicle tire having laterally spaced inner and outer sides and an area for engaging the ground or a roadway and an annular rim having laterally spaced inner and outer sides and a outer flange for supporting the tire, comprising: a hub assembly for mounting the tire on a vehicle and comprising a hub body for coaxial insertion into the inner side of the rim and a cap for fitting into the outer side of the rim and abutting against the body to be joined thereto; a plurality of traction assemblies angularly spaced around the hub assembly and each having a traction element with an outer end spaced from the ground-engaging area of the tire and being positioned within the circumferential boundary defined by said outer flange when the traction element is in the retracted position, said traction elements being movably mounted on said hub assembly for extension of said traction elements to position said outer ends over the ground engaging area of the tire for enhanced traction; and a power actuator drivingly coupled to each of said traction assemblies and operable when actuated to extend said traction elements for enhanced traction and to retract the traction elements to the retracted positions. 13. A safety traction device as defined in claim 12, wherein said traction assemblies include tracks mounted on said hub body and slidably supporting and guiding said traction elements for extension and retraction. 14. A safety traction device as defined in claim 13, wherein said rim has a curved inside contour and said tracks are channel-shaped and curved to follow the inside contour of the rim. 15. A safety traction device as defined in claim 14 further including rollers rotatably mounted on said tracks and holding the traction elements slidably therein. 16. A safety traction device as defined in claim 13, wherein said traction elements are curved to follow the tracks and the contour of the rim and the tire while moving between the extended and retracted positions. 17. A safety traction device as defined in claim 16, wherein said traction elements are composed of relatively stiff and resiliently flexible impact resistant material. 18. A safety traction device as defined in claim 17, wherein the material is selected from the group comprising hard rubber and polystyrene. 19. A safety traction device as defined in claim 12, wherein said hub body and said cap are formed with spoke halves that abut each other to form spokes for the rim. 20. A safety traction device as defined in claim 19, wherein said power actuators are reversible rotary electric motors housed in cavities defined in said spokes. 21. A safety traction device as defined in claim 20, wherein said motors are drivingly connected to said traction elements by rack-and-pinion drives. 22. A safety traction device as defined in claim 20, wherein each of said motors has an output shaft at the radially inner end of a spoke and is drivingly coupled to two of said traction assemblies positioned on opposite sides of the radially outer end of the spoke. 23. A safety traction device as defined in claim 22, wherein said motors are coupled to said traction assemblies by T-drives coupled to said output shafts, and each driving two rack-and-pinion drives for the two traction assemblies. 24. A safety traction device as defined in claim 21, wherein each of said rack-and-pinion drives comprises a sprocket spool with two spaced pinion gears, and two rows of gear holes formed in the traction element. 25. A safety traction device for use with a vehicle wheel having a tire mounted on annular rim with an outer flange and having a ground engaging tread portion, comprising: a hub assembly to be coaxially mounted within the rim; a plurality of traction assemblies mounted on said hub assembly and each having an extendable and retractable traction element, an outer end of said traction elements being positioned within the circumferential boundary defined by said outer flange, when retracted, and having end portions for overlying the tread portion, when extended; and a reversible power actuator for each traction assembly for moving the traction elements selectively between extended and retracted positions. 26. A safety traction device as defined in claim 25, wherein each of said elements is mounted to move between a retracted position with said outer end adjacent to the hub assembly and an extended position in which the outer end overlies the tire. 27. A safety traction device for use with a vehicle tire having an area for engaging the ground or a roadway and an annular rim for supporting the tire and having laterally spaced inner and outer sides and a peripheral flange, comprising: a hub assembly including a hub body for coaxial mounting within said peripheral flange of the inner side of the rim; a plurality of traction assemblies angularly spaced around the hub assembly and each having a traction element with one end portion guided on the hub body for back and forth movement and an opposite end portion for projecting out of the hub body and movable into and out of extended positions overlying the ground-engaging area of the tire during such back and forth movement, said opposite end portions being retracted into the hub assembly within the circumferential boundary defined by said peripheral flange when in retracted positions; and reversible power actuators mounted on said hub assembly and drivingly coupled to said traction elements to move said elements automatically into and out of the extended positions. 28. A safety traction device as defined in claim 27 wherein said hub assembly includes a cap secured to the outer side of said hub body, and said power actuators comprise motors housed in recesses defined between said hub body and said cap. 29. A safety traction device as defined in claim 28 further including tracks on said hub body slidably supporting said one end portions of said traction elements on said hub bodies, and roller guides holding said traction elements movably on said tracks, said opposite end portions extending outwardly from said hub body and around the outer side of the tire in said extended portions. 30. A safety traction device as fined in claim 27, wherein said hub assembly comprises a hollow annular hub body fitted against the inside of the rim and including a mounting structure for abutting against the inner side of the wheel, said body having two sets of guide slots slidably supporting said traction elements with said opposite end positions thereof adjacent the inner side of the tire and movable into extended positions overlying the ground-engaging area of the tire. 31. A safety traction device as defined in claim 30 wherein said body is composed of rubber and has flexible and compressible sections for adapting to the size of the rim. 32. A safety traction device s defined in claim 30 wherein said power actuators are housed in said body and are coupled to the traction elements by rack-and-pinion drives in the body. 33. A safety traction device as defined in claim 32 wherein said rack-and-pinion drives comprise at least one pinion gear driven by each power actuator and spaced openings in said traction elements meshing with said pinion gear. 34. A safety traction device as defined in claim 32 wherein said power actuators are rotary electric motors mounted on said hub body, each between two of said traction elements and having two output shafts, each of said shafts being coupled to a drive sprocket carrying two pinion gears meshing with two rows of spaced openings on the traction element, whereby one motor drives two adjacent traction elements.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (31)
Preusker Rosel (Atzelgift DEX) Preusker Werner (Atzelgift DEX), Adaptor disk for attaching an anti-skid device to a wheel disk or rim.
Ziccardi Philip (1700 New Haven Ave. Pittsburgh PA 15216) Ziccardi John (R.D. 1 Marshall Rd. Evans City PA 16033), Traction devices for automotive wheels.
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