A vehicle includes a frame including a front frame part and a rear frame part. An elongated single wheel is rotatably connected to one of the front frame part and the rear frame part. The elongated wheel houses an expansion device including a linkage mechanism adapted to reconfigure a shape of the elongated wheel between a cylindrical shape in top view of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in a straight direction and a frustoconical shape in top view of the vehicle in a turning condition of the vehicle.

A patient transport apparatus transports a patient over a floor surface. The patient transport apparatus comprises a support structure and support wheels coupled to the support structure. An auxiliary wheel is coupled to the support frame to influence motion of the patient transport apparatus over a floor surface. The auxiliary wheel is movable to a deployed position with the auxiliary wheel engaging the floor surface and a stowed position with the auxiliary wheel spaced a distance from the floor surface. An actuator assembly including a lift actuator a biasing device, and a biasing load adjustment assembly. The lift actuator is operable to move the auxiliary wheel to the deployed position and to the stowed position. The biasing device configured to bias the auxiliary wheel towards the deployed position. The biasing load adjustment assembly configured to adjust a biasing force being applied by the biasing device to the auxiliary wheel.

A spherical/elliptical single-wheeled vehicle comprises a motor, pedals and a wheel. The motor comprises a motor shell and a spindle having two ends fixedly connected to the pedals respectively. The wheel is spherical or elliptical and is of a hollow structure having two ends formed with openings, and the wheel is arranged on the motor housing in a sleeving manner, is fixedly connected to the motor housing, and comprises a sleeve made from an elastic material. The wheel has a large contact area with the ground at any angles, thus the controllability of the single-wheeled vehicle is greatly improved; in addition, users can get on the vehicle easily, and the operation difficulty of the single-wheeled vehicle is lowered, and user experience is improved; and the reinforcing shells are used to support the two ends of the spherical/elliptical wheel, so that the structural stability of the spherical/elliptical single-wheeled vehicle is improved.

A spherical/elliptical single-wheeled vehicle comprises a motor, pedals and a wheel. The motor comprises a motor shell and a spindle having two ends fixedly connected to the pedals respectively. The wheel is spherical or elliptical and is of a hollow structure having two ends formed with openings, and the wheel is arranged on the motor housing in a sleeving manner, is fixedly connected to the motor housing, and comprises a sleeve made from an elastic material. The wheel has a large contact area with the ground at any angles, thus the controllability of the single-wheeled vehicle is greatly improved; in addition, users can get on the vehicle easily, and the operation difficulty of the single-wheeled vehicle is lowered, and user experience is improved; and the reinforcing shells are used to support the two ends of the spherical/elliptical wheel, so that the structural stability of the spherical/elliptical single-wheeled vehicle is improved.

A quick release mechanism for a wheel includes a hub and a clip, which interact with a wheel or roller that may or may not be part of the invention per se. The hub is disposable on a drive shaft such that it will rotate with the drive shaft. An optional hub cap is disposable on the wheel and has an opening that is complimentary to the geometry of the hub to allow engagement thereof such that the hub the hub cap rotate together. The clip is disposable on the hub in a closed or an open position so that the hub cap cannot or can be removed from the hub.

A quick release mechanism for a wheel includes a hub and a clip, which interact with a wheel or roller that may or may not be part of the invention per se. The hub is disposable on a drive shaft such that it will rotate with the drive shaft. An optional hub cap is disposable on the wheel and has an opening that is complimentary to the geometry of the hub to allow engagement thereof such that the hub the hub cap rotate together. The clip is disposable on the hub in a closed or an open position so that the hub cap cannot or can be removed from the hub.

Inspection robots and methods for inspection of curved surfaces with sensors at selected horizontal distances are described. An example of such an inspection robot includes a housing; a drive module with a wheel and a motor operatively linked to the housing, a plurality of sensor sleds, and a payload. The payload, which is coupled to the housing, may include a first and a second rail component, each with at least one connector, where the rail components are connectable at a first selected position of a plurality of discrete engagement positions. Each of the rail components may be structured to support at least one of the plurality of sleds where each of the plurality of sleds is coupled to the payload at a respective selected horizontal position such that the plurality of sleds are at selected horizontal distances from each other.

(Task) To provide a wheel of an omni-wheel type which can be made at low cost, and a method for making such a wheel.

(Means to Accomplish the Task) The wheel (3) comprises a core member (32) consisting of a tubular member (140) formed with a plurality of V-shaped notches (142) on one side thereof, and bent into an annular shape so as to close the notches, and a plurality of free rollers (60) each rotatably fitted on a linear section (120) of the tubular member located between a mutually adjoining pair of the V-shaped notches via a bearing (122) provided with an inner race (124) and an outer race (126), wherein a raised piece (130) is provided for each inner race on another side of the tubular member opposite from the one side as well as a protrusion (138) so as to engage an end surface of the inner race and fixedly secure the inner race to the core member.

(Task) To provide a wheel of an omni-wheel type which can be made at low cost, and a method for making such a wheel.

(Means to Accomplish the Task) The wheel (3) comprises a core member (32) consisting of a tubular member (140) formed with a plurality of V-shaped notches (142) on one side thereof, and bent into an annular shape so as to close the notches, and a plurality of free rollers (60) each rotatably fitted on a linear section (120) of the tubular member located between a mutually adjoining pair of the V-shaped notches via a bearing (122) provided with an inner race (124) and an outer race (126), wherein a raised piece (130) is provided for each inner race on another side of the tubular member opposite from the one side as well as a protrusion (138) so as to engage an end surface of the inner race and fixedly secure the inner race to the core member.

The welding shaft for a universal wheel includes a big wheel welding shaft and a small wheel welding shaft, wherein the big wheel welding shaft includes a big wheel welding shaft body, a big wheel welding shaft retainer ring and a big wheel welding shaft fixing head which are sequentially assembled into a whole. The small wheel welding shaft includes a small wheel welding shaft body, a small wheel welding shaft retainer ring and a small wheel welding shaft fixing head which are sequentially assembled into a whole. The wheel assembly for a universal wheel includes a wheel shaft fixing plate, the welding shaft, a big wheel, and a small wheel. The universal wheel includes an outer protection plate, an outer fixing plate, a wheel shaft drive connector, multiple wheel assemblies, an inner fixing plate, an inner protection plate, and multiple shock absorption assemblies.