A wheel of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, has a rim, a hub portion, and at least two spokes connecting the hub portion to the rim. At least one free space between the spokes is covered at least in part by a substantially planar covering element. The covering element is produced from two different material layers.

A spring-force adjustable, height-adjustable industrial caster assembly including a mounting plate, a swivel housing that swivels relative to the mounting plate, and a spring assembly having components that are moveable relative to the swivel housing to controllably alter spring deflection and/or caster wheel height, which components can be adjusted by accessing the height-adjustable industrial caster assembly from above, eliminating the need to raise a pallet truck or other moveable assembly to which the caster assembly is coupled, away from the floor to be able to access and adjust the industrial caster assembly.

A bicycle wheel comprises a rim and a valve assembly. The rim includes a radially inner wall having an inner opening and a radially outer wall having an outer opening. A first portion of the rim includes a first securing feature (e.g., inner threads). The valve assembly is positioned in the inner opening and outer opening and includes a second securing feature (e.g., outer threads) engaging the first securing feature. The rim can include a plate that defines the first engaging feature. The valve assembly preferably includes a valve stem and a resilient bumper coupled to the valve stem and aligned with a second portion of the rim. The valve assembly can further include a seal member compressed between the valve stem and the rim. Preferably, the seal member is positioned in an annular groove in an underside of an enlarged head of the valve stem.

The present invention is directed to airless tires. Exemplary airless tires include a hub configured for attachment to an axle and includes a hub support extending away from the hub. Such exemplary airless tires also include a heel configured around the hub and connected at a distal end of the hub support, whereby the heel includes an elastomer base oriented in a ring around a circumference of the hub support. Such exemplary airless tires also include elastomeric tubes extending radially outward from the heel. Other exemplary airless tires include a centerless hub assembly configured for attachment to an axle and a heel configured around the centerless hub assembly. The heel in such exemplary airless tires includes an elastomer base oriented in a ring around a circumference of the centerless hub assembly. These other exemplary airless tires include elastomeric tubes extending radially outward from the heel.

The present invention is directed to airless tires. Exemplary airless tires include a hub configured for attachment to an axle and includes a hub support extending away from the hub. Such exemplary airless tires also include a heel configured around the hub and connected at a distal end of the hub support, whereby the heel includes an elastomer base oriented in a ring around a circumference of the hub support. Such exemplary airless tires also include elastomeric tubes extending radially outward from the heel. Other exemplary airless tires include a centerless hub assembly configured for attachment to an axle and a heel configured around the centerless hub assembly. The heel in such exemplary airless tires includes an elastomer base oriented in a ring around a circumference of the centerless hub assembly. These other exemplary airless tires include elastomeric tubes extending radially outward from the heel.

A bicycle wheel comprises a rim and a valve assembly. The rim includes a radially inner wall having an inner opening and a radially outer wall having an outer opening. A first portion of the rim includes a first securing feature (e.g., inner threads). The valve assembly is positioned in the inner opening and outer opening and includes a second securing feature (e.g., outer threads) engaging the first securing feature. The rim can include a plate that defines the first engaging feature. The valve assembly preferably includes a valve stem and a resilient bumper coupled to the valve stem and aligned with a second portion of the rim. The valve assembly can further include a seal member compressed between the valve stem and the rim. Preferably, the seal member is positioned in an annular groove in an underside of an enlarged head of the valve stem.

An aircraft wheel including a rim (2) comprising two assembled-together rim halves (3a, 3b), each rim half (3a, 3b) having a bearing surface (7) extending in a plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation (X) of the aircraft wheel. The aircraft wheel further includes a spacer (9) situated between the two bearing surfaces (7) when the rim halves (3a, 3b) are assembled together.

A wheel hub assembly assembly having a central axis (X) and covers therefore. An outer ring provided with a tubular mounting portion, and a cover having a keying portion which is inserted inside the tubular mounting portion. The cover is made of plastic material, the keying portion comprises an annular seat made of plastic and a sealing element made of rubbery elastic material. The sealing element is defined by a solid of rotation mounted inside the annular seat over a whole of an axial length of the annular seat so as to project radially outside of the annular seat to make contact with the tubular mounting portion of the outer ring thereby sealingly closing the wheel hub assembly.

A composite wheel assembly and method of construction thereof is provided. The composite wheel assembly includes a wheel having an inwardly facing surface, an outwardly facing surface, a generally cylindrical barrel portion, and a plurality of apertures formed about a central hub aperture. At least one wheel cladding is fixedly bonded to at least one of the inwardly facing surface, the outwardly facing surface, and the generally cylindrical barrel portion. The wheel cladding increases the stiffness and/or strength of the wheel between about 2-16% or greater as compared to the wheel not having the at least one cladding.

A materials handling equipment has blades of a lifting fork wherein each of the blades engages a blade wheel that moves between a retracted position when the blade is lowered and an extended position when the blade is raised to lift and support a load. The blade wheels have a plurality of tires linearly aligned on a common axis, the tires each having a circular circumference and a sinusoidally varying peripheral surface. The sinusoidally varying peripheral surfaces have relative peaks and valleys uniformly spaced around the circular circumference wherein the peaks and valleys are mutually nested.