A self-locking device with continuous locking positions includes a housing with an internal cavity, a wall of the cavity including a first frictional contact face and a fourth frictional contact face; a locking member with a second frictional contact face and a third frictional contact face, which is movable in the cavity, with the second and third frictional contact faces facing the first and fourth frictional contact faces, respectively; and a first lock block and a second lock block, with the first lock block being arranged between and contacting with the first and second frictional contact faces, and the second lock block being arranged between and contacting with the third and fourth frictional contact faces. The first and second lock blocks allow the locking member to be movable with respect to the housing in a first direction but locked in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

A wheel assembly may include an inner rim and an outer rim surrounding the inner rim. The wheel assembly may also include gas springs coupled between the inner and outer rims, and a tread assembly carried by the outer rim. The tread assembly may include an inner resilient material layer carried by an outer circumferential surface of the outer rim, and an outer metallic layer carried by the inner resilient material layer to rotatably contact a ground surface as the wheel assembly moves along a path of travel.

A wheel assembly may include an inner rim, and an outer rim surrounding the inner rim. The wheel assembly may also include gas springs coupled between the inner and outer rims. Each gas spring may include a cylinder body, a piston rod movable within the cylinder body, and a damper assembly coupled to an end of the cylinder body. The damper assembly may include a plug body coupled to an end of the cylinder body and having an opening to permit passage of the piston rod therethrough, and a damper end cap coupled to the plug body to define a wedge cavity surrounding the piston rod. The damper assembly may also include a wedge body surrounding the piston rod within the wedge cavity to frictionally dampen piston rod movement.

Disclosed herein is a universal rotating hub that can facilitate movement of an automobile or other vehicle that has been rendered immobile by a condition that prevents rotation of one or more of the vehicle's wheels. The universal rotating hub can comprise a wheel flange comprising an axle bore adapted to receive an axle and a plurality of apertures adapted to receive a plurality of different lug bolt patterns of a plurality of respective wheel hubs. The universal rotating hub can further comprise a rotating flange adapted to be coupled to a wheel. The rotating flange can comprise a plurality of lug holes adapted to receive a plurality of lug bolts of the wheel. The universal rotating hub can further comprise a bearing coupled at a first end to the wheel flange and at a second end to the rotating flange. The bearing can be adapted to enable a rotation of the rotating flange.

An emergency wheel attachment is provided for attachment to an outside of a vehicle wheel so as to enable a driving operation with restricted tire function, and includes an annular mounting unit configured to mount the emergency wheel attachment on the vehicle wheel, and an annular tread unit configured to contact, in the operating state of the emergency wheel attachment, a road on which the vehicle wheel is intended to roll. The annular mounting unit has at least two retaining claws configured to fasten the annular mounting unit to a rim of the vehicle wheel, an annular actuating element forming part of a gear mechanism configured to convert rotation of the annular actuating element into radial movement of the retaining claws, and a drive device configured to be coupled to the annular actuating element and the actuation of which causes a rotation of the annular actuating element.

Methods and systems for selectively engaging a wheel hub to an axle or a shaft of a propulsion source are described. The wheel hub includes a wheel hub disconnect cap that may be rotated to release and engage the wheel hub to the axle. The wheel hub disconnect cap may also traverse in a longitudinal direction to engage and release the wheel hub from the axle or shaft.

A disconnector assembly for a wheel hub transmission where the wheel hub transmission may have an input shaft that receives an input torque from a drive unit. The disconnector assembly may have a first coupling portion driven by the input shaft, and a connector having a second coupling portion and being axially displaceable between a first axial position and a second axial position. Each of the first and second coupling portions may have at least two engagement sections and at least one disengagement section positioned between the engagement sections. The engagement sections of the first and second coupling portions may engage each other when the connector assumes the first axial position. When the connector assumes the second axial position, at least one engagement section of the first and second coupling portion may be received in the disengagement section of the respective other of the first and second coupling portion.