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___Infinitely Self-Adjusting Wheel Bearing
The invention has two primary objectives for improving the wheel bearing. They are:
Current Wheel Bearings As illustrated in Figure 1 of the US Patent (Number 5,048,979), a standard wheel bearing consists of an inner and outer bearing. These wheel bearings support the spindle which is mounted by the wheel of an automobile. The outer bearing, the one that is replaced by the Coates invention, is threaded onto the spindle or axle and is secured by an adjustable nut. Between the nut and the bearing is a non-rotating washer. The nut is secured by the insertion of a pin through the locking nut. The process for determining the bearing's pressure is simplistic and unscientific. The mechanic’s tightening of the locking nut places what s/he feels to be the appropriate amount of tension. The insertion of the pin secures the locking nut and bearing. However, the bearing through normal road use erodes, loosening the fit between the nut and bearing. Eventually the erosion process causes the wheel to fall out of balance, resulting in excessive tire wear and the destruction of a smooth ride. The resulting repair process includes the replacement of the outer bearing, non-rotating washer and the threaded nut. If tire erosion was severe, the tires will need replacing and the wheel will need to be realigned. Only continued vigilance will prevent a similar repair scenario from occurring within a year or two.
Advantages
The Coates Infinitely Self-Adjusting Wheel Bearing has four principal advantages over the standard wheel bearings in use today:
This component can easily be retrofitted to existing vehicles from cars and buses to military and industrial at very low cost. |