U.S. patent application number 14/470032 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-05 for skateboard truck with improved axle assembly.
The applicant listed for this patent is Robert R. Lininger, JR.. Invention is credited to Robert R. Lininger, JR..
Application Number | 20150061252 14/470032 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52582132 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150061252 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lininger, JR.; Robert R. |
March 5, 2015 |
Skateboard Truck With Improved Axle Assembly
Abstract
A truck for use with skateboards and skate devices that includes
a novel kingpin assembly that includes a novel axle assembly that
is stronger, more durable and lighter than prior art axle
assemblies. The truck also has an improved truck hanger that
includes a specially designed pocket seat that encourages the
tilt-crush bushing of the truck to deform into a plurality of
recessed cavities formed in the pocket seat (or plurality of
recessed cavities in a novel tilt-crush bushing), thereby more
readily absorbing shock and improving the ride quality of the
truck. The improved truck hanger also includes uniquely positioned
stop pins that function to limit the rotational movement of the
truck hanger on the tilt axis during turning maneuvers so as to
prevent the wheels from contacting the bottom of the deck and
possibly ejecting the rider.
Inventors: |
Lininger, JR.; Robert R.;
(Redondo Beach, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lininger, JR.; Robert R. |
Redondo Beach |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52582132 |
Appl. No.: |
14/470032 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61959725 |
Aug 29, 2013 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/87.042 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 17/012 20130101;
A63C 17/0093 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/87.042 |
International
Class: |
A63C 17/01 20060101
A63C017/01; A63C 17/00 20060101 A63C017/00 |
Claims
1. A truck for a skateboard, scooter and the like, having a
structural member, said truck comprising: (a) a base assembly
connected to the structural member; (b) a kingpin assembly
connected to said base assembly; (c) a hanger assembly connected to
said kingpin assembly, said hanger assembly including an axle
having a central portion of a first diameter, a pair of end
portions of a second lesser diameter and a pair of intermediate
portions of a third diameter greater than said second diameter and
less than said first diameter; and (d) a pair of wheels rotatably
mounted on said axle.
2. The truck as defined in claim 1 in which said axle has
intermediate portions of a first wall thickness and end portions of
a second, lesser wall thickness.
3. The truck as defined in claim 1 further including inside wheel
bearings mounted on said intermediate portions of said axle.
4. The truck as defined in claim 1 further including outside wheel
bearings mounted on said end portions of said axle.
5. The truck as defined in claim 1 in which said axle is formed by
swaging a length of metal tubing.
6. The truck as defined in claim 1 in which said central portion of
said axle is generally rectangular in cross-section.
7. The truck as defined in claim 1 in which said central portion of
said axle is generally oval in cross-section.
8. The truck as defined in claim 1 in which said central portion of
said axle is generally triangular in cross-section.
9. The truck as defined in claim 1 in which said kingpin assembly
comprises a connecting rod having a trunk portion and a head
portion and a tilt-crush elastic bushing connected to said trunk
portion of said connecting rod.
10. The truck as defined in claim 9 in which said hanger assembly
comprises a hanger barrel and a kingpin connector connected to said
hanger barrel, said kingpin connector being provided with a pocket
seat having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs that
define a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities, said
pocket seat being so constructed and arranged to receive said
tilt-crush elastic bushing.
11. A truck for a skateboard, scooter and the like, having a
structural member, said truck comprising: (a) a base assembly
connected to the structural member; (b) a kingpin assembly
connected to said base assembly, said kingpin assembly comprising a
connecting rod having a trunk portion and a head portion and a
tilt-crush elastic bushing connected to said trunk portion of said
connecting rod; (c) a hanger assembly connected to said kingpin
assembly, said hanger assembly comprising: (i) a hanger barrel;
(ii) an axle carried by said hanger barrel; (iii) a kingpin
connector connected to said hanger barrel, said kingpin connector
being provided with a plurality of stop pins connected to and
extending from said kingpin connector; and (d) at least one wheel
rotatably mounted on said axle.
12. The truck as defined in claim 11 in which said axle has a
central portion of a first diameter, a pair of end portions of a
second lesser diameter and a pair of intermediate portions of a
third diameter greater than said second diameter and less than said
first diameter.
13. The truck as defined in claim 11 in which said base assembly
includes a base having a pivot cup and in which said hanger
assembly further includes a central alignment leg receivable within
said pivot cup.
14. The truck as defined in claim 11 further including a pocket
seat having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs that
define a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities, said
pocket seat being so constructed and arranged to receive said
tilt-crush elastic bushing.
15. The truck as defined in claim 11 in which said kingpin assembly
further includes a second tilt-crush elastic bushing connected to
said trunk portion of said connecting rod.
16. A truck for a skateboard, scooter and the like, having a
structural member, said truck comprising: (a) a base assembly
connected to the structural member, said base assembly including a
base having a pivot cup; (b) a kingpin assembly connected to said
base assembly, said kingpin assembly comprising a connecting rod
having a trunk portion and a head portion and first and second
tilt-crush elastic bushings connected to said trunk portion of said
connecting rod; (c) a hanger assembly connected to said kingpin
assembly, said hanger assembly comprising: (i) a hanger barrel;
(ii) an axle carried by said hanger barrel, said axle having
intermediate portions of a first wall thickness and end portions of
a second, lesser wall thickness; (iii) a kingpin connector
connected to said hanger barrel, said kingpin connector being
provided with a pocket seat having a plurality of circumferentially
spaced ribs that define a plurality of circumferentially spaced
cavities, said pocket seat being so constructed and arranged to
receive a selected one of said tilt-crush elastic bushing; and (d)
a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said axle.
17. The truck as defined in claim 16 in which said hanger assembly
further includes a central alignment leg receivable within said
pivot cup of said base assembly.
18. The truck as defined in claim 15 further including a plurality
of stop pins connected to and extending from said kingpin
connector.
19. The truck as defined in claim 15 in which said hanger assembly
further comprises a pair of cup washers carried by said connecting
rod of said kingpin assembly, said pair of cup washers being so
constructed and arranged to receive said first and second
tilt-crush elastic bushings.
20. The truck as defined in claim 15 in which said central portion
of said axle includes an inwardly curved recess.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a Non-Provisional Application claiming the benefit
of co-pending Provisional Application No. 61/959,725 filed Aug. 29,
2013.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT
DISC
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates generally to skateboards and
skate devices, including wheeled scooters. More particularly, the
invention concerns a truck having a novel axle assembly that is
stronger, more durable and lighter than prior art kingpin
assemblies. The invention also concerns a truck having an improved
truck hanger that includes a specially designed pocket seat that
encourages the tilt-crush bushing of the truck to deform into a
plurality of recessed cavities formed in the pocket seat thereby
more readily absorbing shock and improving the ride quality of the
truck. The improved truck hanger also includes uniquely positioned
stop pins that function to limit the rotational movement of the
truck hanger on the tilt axis during turning maneuvers so as to
prevent the wheels from contacting the bottom of the deck and
possibly ejecting the rider.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART INCLUDING INFORMATION DISCLOSED UNDER 37
CFR 1.97 AND 1.98
[0006] Skateboards of various designs having a pair of trucks in
opposing orientation disposed under a structural member are well
known in the art. The prior art trucks are typically fitted with a
pair of wheels with steering being accomplished by the rider
tilting the rider surface, thus pivoting the hangers on a tilt axis
between 30 and 55 degrees, rotating axles and wheels in opposite
directions, thus causing the board to turn. The conventional
kingpin truck consists of a hanger that tilts on a kingpin assembly
mounted approximately perpendicular to the tilt axis and extending
through a central aperture of the hanger with the steel connecting
rod forming the kingpin. The hanger has a central alignment leg
projecting in a transverse direction from the axle that maintains
the tilt axis and is received by a pivot cup in the mounting base
plate.
[0007] The thrust of the present invention is to solve the problems
discussed in the preceding paragraphs by providing a uniquely
designed truck that includes a novel axle assembly that is
stronger, more durable, and lighter than prior art axle assemblies.
The invention also embodies an improved truck hanger that includes
a specially designed pocket seat that encourages the tilt-crush
bushing of the truck to deform into a plurality of recessed
cavities formed in the pocket seat, thereby more readily absorbing
shock and improving the ride quality of the truck. The improved
truck hanger also includes uniquely positioned stop pins that
function to limit the rotational movement of the truck hanger on
the tilt axis during turning maneuvers so as to prevent the wheels
from contacting the bottom of the deck and possibly ejecting the
rider.
[0008] It is to be observed that the lighter a truck, the easier it
is to transport and the more it becomes useful for accomplishing
various types of tricks. Unfortunately however, with respect to
prior art trucks, a lighter truck is a weaker truck. To reduce
weight, some manufacturers have introduced axles with hollow center
cavities. Though there is a weight savings, the hollow axle does
not have the durability of a solid axle, since a tube of a given
diameter and material has at best only about 80%-90% the sheer
stress resistance of a solid bar of the same given diameter and
material. When the skateboard drops off a ledge or lands hard
during the performance of a trick, a very high sheer stress is
applied through the wheels, then to the inner and outer wheel
bearing and finally to the axle. These forces can yield the tubing
wall causing it to buckle. Skateboard axles are in reality
cantilever structures having a portion embedded into the hanger
casting and end portions that are threaded to receive a nut that
functions to retain the wheel bearings and wheel. The end portions
project from the hanger casting so that most of the sheer stress is
concentrated in the first 1/3 of the cantilever where the inside
wheel bearing resides, while the distal end of the axle where the
outer wheel bearing resides, bears significantly less stress. Yet,
in prior art truck axles, the diameter and the thickness of the
axle is the same at the proximal and distal ends of the
cantilever.
[0009] The prior art U.S. Publication issued to Shih, No.
2003/0137116, discloses a hanger having a hollow axle, of a
constant size, that is cast into a hanger that is lighter than a
solid axle of the same diameter. This is a trade-off, as both the
hanger and the cantilevered axle have been weakened for a very
modest weight savings.
[0010] A conventional skateboard truck hanger is located by the
kingpin between an upper and lower bushing having sockets recessed
in the hanger to receive the bushings. The lower bushing bears the
weight of the rider and is primarily responsible for shock
absorption generated from rough roads through elastic deformation.
The construction of bushing sockets of prior art hangers has been
solid and the lower bushing is received in a pocket located
proximate the bottom of the hanger. Since polyurethane distorts and
does not compress, as a load is applied to the bushing, the only
possible area for the bushing to flex is along the outer walls.
Because prior art hanger seats are solid, distortion primarily
occurs in the outside wall of the bushing, substantially limiting
the shock absorption potential of the bushing.
[0011] Unfortunately, the polyurethane as currently configured does
not absorb shock adequately. Urethane does not compress in the same
way the rubber bushing used decades-ago did, urethane reacts to
applied load by distorting or bulging. With prior art truck
hangers, since the seat pockets are solid, this distortion can only
occur in the outside wall of the bushing, limiting the shock
absorption potential.
[0012] Understanding that the ride of previous art was not
satisfactory, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,367,819 and 6,474,666 issued to
Anderson teach the use of additional lower bushings to help soften
the ride. However, in doing so, additional undesirable height and
weight is added to the truck assembly. Additionally, additional
length is added to the kingpin, thereby increasing stress on the
kingpin assembly. In sharp contradistinction, the skateboard truck
of the present invention provides a novel construction that allows
the skateboard to ride better while using the existing single lower
bushing found in prior art. Accordingly, the skateboard truck of
the present invention does not add any additional cost to the
truck.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 7,093,842 to Chemlar, discloses a means for
limiting the rotation of the hanger when turning. However, in
Chemlar, this means is positioned so close to the pivot axis that a
severe leverage disadvantage results which is readily apparent
during a hard turning maneuver or when landing a jump.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] It is an object of the present invention to provide a truck
for use with skateboards and skate devices that includes a novel
axle construction which comprises an axle that has greater wall
thickness in areas of high stress and lesser wall thickness in
areas of lower stress.
[0015] Another object of the invention is to provide a kingpin
assembly of the character described in the preceding paragraph in
which the diameter of the axle at the inner bearing area is larger
than the axle diameter at the outer bearing area.
[0016] Another object of the invention is to provide an improved
truck hanger that includes a specially designed pocket seat that
encourages the tilt-crush bushing of the truck to deform into a
plurality of recessed cavities formed in the pocket seat, thereby
more readily absorbing shock and improving the ride quality of the
truck.
[0017] Another object of the invention is to provide a kingpin
assembly of the character described that includes a novel
tilt-crush bushing having a plurality of recessed cavities into
which the bushing can deform when placed under load.
[0018] Another object of the invention is to provide an improved
truck hanger that includes stop means for limiting rotational
movement of the truck hanger on the tilt axis during turning
maneuvers so as to prevent the wheels from contacting the bottom of
the deck and possibly ejecting the rider.
[0019] Another object of the invention is to provide a truck that
is durable, safe, and highly reliable in operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a front view of one form of the skateboard truck
of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 1A is a generally perspective view, partly in
cross-section, of the form of the skateboard truck shown in FIG. 1
as it appears when mounted on a structural member.
[0022] FIG. 1B is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of one form of
the axle of the skateboard truck of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 1C is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of an alternate
form of axle of the skateboard truck of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 1D is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along
lines 1D-1D of FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of still another form of
axle of the skateboard truck of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of yet another form of
axle of the skateboard truck of the invention.
[0027] FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of still another form of
axle of the skateboard truck of the invention.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, illustrative cross-sectional view
illustrating the appearance of the device when no load force is
applied to the device.
[0029] FIG. 3A is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of the
area designated in FIG. 3 as 3A.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, illustrative cross-sectional view
similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the direction of load force applied
to the device and illustrating the manner of deformation of the
tilt bushings.
[0031] FIG. 4A is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of the
area designated in FIG. 4 as 4A.
[0032] FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged, generally perspective,
exploded view of one form of the hangar assembly of the
invention.
[0033] FIG. 6 is an enlarged, generally perspective view of a
typical prior art bushing.
[0034] FIG. 7 is an enlarged, generally perspective view of one
form of the novel bushing of the present invention.
[0035] FIG. 7A is a side view of the tilt bushing shown in FIG. 7
as it appears under no load.
[0036] FIG. 7B is a greatly enlarged view of the area designated in
FIG. 7A as 7B.
[0037] FIG. 8 is a side view of the tilt bushing shown in FIG. 7 as
it appears under load and illustrating the manner of deformation of
the tilt bushing.
[0038] FIG. 8A is a greatly enlarged view of the area designated in
FIG. 8 as 8A.
[0039] FIG. 9 is a generally perspective view of yet another form
of the skateboard truck as it appears when mounted on a structural
member.
[0040] FIG. 9A is a greatly enlarged view of the area designated in
FIG. 9 as 9A.
[0041] FIG. 10 is a generally perspective view of an alternate form
of the base assembly of the skateboard truck.
[0042] FIG. 11 is a generally perspective view of still another
form of the base assembly of the skateboard truck.
[0043] FIG. 12 is a generally perspective view of yet another form
of the base assembly of the skateboard truck.
[0044] FIG. 12A is a greatly enlarged, exploded view of the stop
pin holding bracket of the assembly shown in FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0045] Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and
1A, one form of the truck of the invention is there shown and
generally designated by the numeral 12. As will become clear from
the description that follows, the truck of the invention is usable
with a skateboard, a scooter, and like vehicles of the character
having a structural member 15, such as a deck upon which the truck
can be mounted. Truck 12 here comprises a base assembly 17 that is
connected to the structural member 15 and a kingpin assembly 18
that is connected to base assembly 17. Truck 12 also includes a
novel hanger assembly 20 that is interconnected with the kingpin
assembly. Hanger assembly 20 here includes a transversely extending
axle 21 to which a pair of wheels "W" is rotatably mounted in a
conventional manner well known to those skilled in the art (only
one wheel is shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A of the drawings).
[0046] Axle 21 is of the unique construction shown in FIG. 1B and
includes a central portion 21a, a pair of end portions 21b, and a
pair of intermediate portions 21c. Intermediate portions 21c here
define the inner bearings 22 of the axle. While the axle can be
formed in various ways, it is preferably constructed by swaging a
length of metal tubing to form an axle of the character shown in
FIG. 1B having central portion 21a of a first diameter, a pair of
end portions 21b of a second lesser diameter, and a pair of
intermediate portions 21c of a third diameter that is greater than
the second diameter but less than the first diameter. For a reason
presently to be described, central portion 21a includes an inwardly
curved recess 24.
[0047] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1B, intermediate portions 21c of the
axle 21 carry inside wheel bearings 32, while the threaded end
portions 21b carry outside wheel bearings 33. Bearings 32 and 33
support wheels "W" and conventional axle nuts 30 function to hold
the bearings and wheels in place.
[0048] Turning to FIG. 1C, an alternate form of axle is there shown
and generally designated by the numeral 35. Axle 35, which is
constructed in a different manner than axle 21, comprises first and
second metal portions 35a and 35b that are welded together at the
parting line 35c. Axle 35 is of the unique construction shown in
FIG. 1C and includes a central portion 36a, a pair of end portions
36b and a pair of intermediate portions 36c. Intermediate portions
36c here define the inner bearings of the axle, while end portions
36b define the outer bearings of the axle. Axle 35 can be formed in
various ways, but it is preferably constructed by boring out the
central portions of each of the first and second portions 35a and
35b to form hollow segments 40 and by boring out the end portions
of each of the first and second portions 35a and 35b to form hollow
segments 41. Following the boring step, the first and second axle
portions 35a and 35b are welded together and the central portion is
embossed to form inwardly curved recess 42 that accepts the kingpin
assembly. As in the earlier described axle 21, axle 35 has a
central portion 35d of a first diameter, a pair of end portions 35e
of a second lesser diameter, and a pair of intermediate portions
35f of a third diameter that is greater than the second diameter
but less than the first diameter. As before, intermediate portions
35f of the axle 35 carry inside wheel bearings 32, while the
threaded end portions 35e carry outside wheel bearings 33. Bearings
32 and 33 support wheels "W" and conventional axle nuts 30 function
to hold the bearings and wheels in place. As indicated in FIG. 1C,
the wall thickness of the inside wheel bearings, or intermediate
portions 35f where the sheer forces of an applied load are the
greatest, are of a first wall thickness. On the other hand, the
outside wheel bearings or end portions 35e, where less sheer forces
are less, are of a second wall thickness, less than the first wall
thickness.
[0049] In one form of the invention, the axle protruding from the
casting to receive a wheel begins as a larger diameter for
receiving an inside wheel bearing where the sheer forces of an
applied load are greatest, then reducing to a smaller standard
diameter for the outside bearing where sheer forces are less. FIG.
1D illustrates the cross- sectional appearance of the casting and
the axle that protrudes therefrom.
[0050] Referring now to FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, a plurality of
alternate forms of axle constructions are there shown. More
particularly, FIG. 2A shows an axle construction in which the
central portion of the axle is generally rectangular in
cross-section, FIG. 2B shows an axle construction in which the
central portion of the axle is generally oval in cross-section, and
FIG. 2C shows an axle construction in which the central portion of
the axle is generally triangular in cross-section.
[0051] In forming the hanger assembly 20 of the invention, a
selected one of axle 21, or axle 35, is cast into the hanger barrel
46a to form the construction illustrated in FIG. 1. As best seen in
FIG. 1A, connected to the hanger barrel 46a and extending therefrom
is a generally triangular shaped kingpin connector 46b to which the
highly important kingpin assembly 18 is connected. The kingpin
assembly 18 here comprises a connecting rod 39 having a trunk
portion 39a and a head portion 39b. Connected to the trunk portion
39a of connecting rod 39 are first and second tilt-crush elastic
bushings 48a and 48b. The function of these tilt-crush elastic
bushings will be described in the paragraphs which follow.
[0052] As seen in FIG. 3, hanger assembly 20 also includes a
central alignment leg 46c that projects in a transverse direction
from barrel 46a. Alignment leg 46c, the distal end of which is
received in a pivot cup 47 that is formed in base assembly 17 (FIG.
1A), functions to maintain the tilt axis of the skateboard.
[0053] The connecting rod 39 of the kingpin assembly 18 can be
described in structural terms as a cantilevered beam with the fixed
end being attached to the base plate member and a free end
protruding outwardly therefrom. When a force is placed at the free
end of the cantilevered beam, sheer stresses are unequally
distributed along the length of the beam with the greatest
magnitude of stress concentrated at the fixed point and the least
amount of stress being located at the free end.
[0054] Additionally, the fixed end of the connecting rod is
subjected to substantial tensile stresses. For example, as the
hanger tilts for steering, stress is applied to the fixed end of
the connecting rod as the hanger pries the two tilt-crush bushings
apart using the connecting rod as a fulcrum. The energy stored
during this compression of the tilt-crush bushings returns the
hanger back to a neutral steering position.
[0055] Considering now the function of the tilt-crush elastic
bushings 48a and 48b of the present invention, in a conventional
prior art skateboard, the lower polyurethane bushing bears the
weight of the rider and is primarily responsible for shock
absorption generated from rough roads through elastic deformation.
The construction of the bushing sockets of the prior art hangers is
typically solid and the lower bushing seats in a pocket formed
proximate the bottom of the hanger. Because polyurethane and
urethane does not compress, but only distorts, as load is applied
to the bushing, the only area possible for the bushing to flex is
along the outer walls of the bushing, thereby limiting the shock
absorption potential of the bushing. As best seen in FIG. 5 of the
drawings, the truck hanger of the present invention includes cup
washers 49a and 49b that receive bushings 48a and 48b respectively.
The truck hanger also includes the specially designed pocket seat
47 that comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs 52
that define a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities 54.
With this novel construction, as load is applied to the lower tilt
bushing 48b in the direction of the arrow 56 of FIG. 4, the lower
tilt bushing will be encouraged to bulge into recessed cavities 54
and between the seat pocket ribs 52 as indicated by the lines 58,
thereby encouraging movement, more readily absorbing shock and
significantly improving the ride quality of the truck.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 7, this figure drawing illustrates an
alternate form of lower bushing of the present invention, which is
identified as 48ALT. Unlike the upper surface "U" of the prior art
bearing shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the upper surface of this
bearing is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced
ribs 52ALT that define a plurality of circumferentially spaced
cavities 54ALT (see also FIGS. 7A and 7B). With this novel
construction, as load is applied to the bushing in the direction of
the arrow 56ALT of FIG. 8, the upper tilt bushing will be
encouraged to bulge into recessed cavities 54ALT and between the
ribs 52ALT as indicated by the lines 58ALT, thereby encouraging
movement, more readily absorbing shock, and significantly improving
the ride quality of the truck (see also FIG. 8A).
[0057] Another novel feature of the hanger of the present invention
is the provision of stop means for limiting the rotational movement
of the hanger on the tilt axis during turning maneuvers so as to
prevent the wheels "W" from contacting or biting into the bottom of
the deck 15 and possibly ejecting the rider. This important stop
means here comprises a plurality of stop pins 60 that are
threadably connected to and extend from the kingpin connector 46b
(FIGS. 5 and 9). As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9A, with this
construction, as the hanger tilts on the tilt axis in the manner
indicated by the arrow 61, the distal ends 60a of the stop pins 60
will engage the base assembly 17 and prevent the wheels "W" from
contacting the bottom of the deck 15. The extent to which the stop
pins 60 extend from kingpin connector 46b can be adjusted by
tightening and loosening the pair of lock nuts 60b.
[0058] Turning to FIG. 10, an alternate form of the base assembly
63 of the skateboard truck is there shown. In this form of the
invention, the stop pins 60 are mounted on a pair of generally
angularly extending faces 64 so that the pins extend angularly
outwardly from the base assembly.
[0059] In FIG. 11, there shown is a generally perspective view of
still another form of the base assembly of the skateboard truck 66
in which the stop pins 60 are mounted on a pair of
outwardly-extending ears 67 formed on the base assembly.
[0060] Turning to FIG. 12, yet another form of the base assembly of
the skateboard truck 70 is shown in which the stop pins are mounted
on a holding bracket 72 which, in turn, is mounted proximate the
upper portion of the base assembly. FIG. 12A is an enlarged,
exploded view of the stop pin holding bracket 72 of the assembly
shown in FIG. 9, showing the manner in which the stop pins are
threadably interconnected with a holding bracket.
[0061] Having now described the invention in detail in accordance
with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this
art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in
the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet
specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications
may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention, as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *