Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wheels used in mechanized vehicles. In particular, the present disclosure relates to tractor wheels, more particularly, to a lug for tractor wheels that has variable thickness.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] A wheel for tractor, such as tractor wheel shown in FIG. 1, like wheels of other vehicles, includes a rim 300 and a disc 200 attached to the rim 300. However, typically, coupling of the disc 200 to the rim 300 in tractor wheels is through threaded fasteners. The rim 300 includes multiple lugs 100 welded to the rim 300. The disc 200 includes multiple mounting holes. Threaded fasteners, such as bolts 400, are inserted through the mounting holes in the disc 200 and corresponding holes in the lugs 400 of the rim 300 to mount the disc 200 with the rim 300 to form a complete wheel assembly.
[0004] The lugs 100 typically include one or more U-shaped portions, each defining a hole to receive threaded fasteners to fasten the disc 200 and the rim 300. The lugs 100 themselves are fixed to an inner circumference of the rim 300, such as by welding, which is done at flange portions of the lugs100 that extend from the U-shaped portions.
[0005] As can be understood, in the tractor wheel shown in FIG. 1, transfer of traction and other loads between the rim 300 and disc 200 occurs through the lugs 100, including the load of the tractor as shared by the corresponding wheel, which is cyclic due to rotation of the wheel. Accordingly, the lug 100 has to be designed to meet life cycle requirement of the tractor wheel.
[0006] However, it is experienced that lugs 100 fail affecting reliability as well as life of the tractor wheels. The failure typically occurs at a radius portion that joins the flanges to the U-shaped portions (accordingly hereinafter referred to as joining radius).
[0007] It would therefore be advantageous if it were possible to provide a solution that prevents failure of the lugs, thereby enhancing the reliability and life of the tractor wheels without much effect on the weight of the wheel.
[0008] There is therefore a need in the art to provide a solution to the problem of failure of the lugs of the tractor wheels.
[0009] All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
[0010] In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
[0011] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0012] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
[0013] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0014] A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a tractor wheel that has improved reliability and life.
[0015] An object of the present disclosure is to prevent premature failure of a lug of the tractor wheel to increase life and reliability of the wheel.
[0016] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an improved lug for the tractor wheels that is more reliable and has longer life without much effect on the weight of the wheel.
[0017] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a lug for the tractor wheels that is strengthened in a zone of likely failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to tractor wheels. Specifically, the present disclosure pertains to an improved lug for tractor wheels that has improved life and reliability, thereby improving life and reliability of the tractor wheel.
[0019] In an aspect, the disclosed tractor wheel includes a disc configured to be mounted to a tractor and a rim configured to support the tyre and fixed to the disc. To facilitate assembly of the disc and the rim, a plurality of lugs are fixed to the rim. The lugs are configured to receive at least one threaded fastener used for assembling the disc with the rim.
[0020] The lugs include at least one U shaped portion that is configured to receive the threaded fastener, and at least two flanges extending on each side of the U-shaped portions and configured to be fixed to an inner circumference of the rim.
[0021] In an aspect, at least two joining radii between the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges have a thickness that is more than a thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion and a thickness of the at least two flanges.
[0022] In an embodiment, the thickness of the joining radii is 10-40% more than the thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion and the thickness of the at least two flanges.
[0023] In an embodiment, the thickness of the joining radii can be equal to the thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion and more than the thickness of the at least two flanges.
[0024] In an embodiment, the thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion is less than, or equal to or, more than the thickness of the at least two flanges. In an embodiment, the thinning of the sheet metal in the zones of the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges is done by any or a combination of forging, cold forming, hot rolling and cold rolling or any other known method of thinning of sheet metal,
[0025] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrate a conventional wheel for tractors showing assembly of a disc and a rim through holes in the disc and lugs fixed to the rim.
[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary cross sectional view of the disclosed mono lug showing thicknesses of different portions of the lug, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary cross sectional view of the disclosed twin lug showing thicknesses of different portions of the lug, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0031] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.
[0032] Various terms are used herein. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.
[0033] Embodiments explained herein relate to a lug for tractor wheels that improves reliability and life of the tractor wheel. The lug includes a larger thickness in zones that are found to be susceptible to premature failure.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 2, where a cross sectional view of a lug of the disclosed tractor wheel is shown, the lug 100 can include a U-shaped portion configured to receive a threaded fastener, such as the threaded fastener 400 shown in FIG. 1, to assemble a disc, such as the disc 200 shown in FIG. 1, and a rim, such as the rim 300 shown in FIG. 1, of the tractor wheel, such as tractor wheel shown in FIG. 1. The U-shaped portion of the lug 100 can include a generally semicircular portion 102 and two legs, such as legs 104-1 and 104-2 (collectively / individually referred to as legs/leg 104, hereinafter). The lug 100 can further include a pair of flanges, such as flanges 106-1 and 106-2 (collectively /individually referred to as flanges/flange 106, hereinafter) that extend outward from the two sides of the U-shaped portion 102 and 104. The flanges can be configured to be fixed to an inner circumference of the rim 300 of the tractor wheel.
[0035] The flanges 106 can be coupled to the leg 104 on the respective side by a joining radius, such as joining radii 108 shown in FIG. 2.
[0036] In an aspect, thickness t2 of the joining radii 108 is more than thickness t1 of the U-shaped portion 102, 104, as well as the flanges 106. The higher thickness can increase load bearing capacity of the lug 100 in the zone of the joining radii 108, which is a critical zone as the failures have been reported in this zone affecting reliability and life of the tractor wheels. In another aspect, increasing the thickness t2 of the joining radii 108 alone prevents increase in weight of the lugs and thereby of the tractor wheel.
[0037] In an embodiment, the thickness of the joining radii 108 can be equal to the thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion 102, 104 and more than the thickness of the at least two flanges 106.
[0038] In an embodiment, thickness t1 of the U-shaped portion 102, which is less critical can be kept less than, or equal to, or more than thickness t3 of the flanges 106, which are non-critical, being welded to the rim of the tractor wheel.
[0039] In an embodiment, the thickness of the joining radii 108 can be 10-40% more than the thickness of the U-shaped portion 102, 104 and the thickness of the flanges 106.
[0040] It is to be appreciated that at least a portion of the legs 104 shall have tapering thickness being lowest towards the end that joins the semi-circular portion t1 and highest on the end that joins the joining radius 108.
[0041] FIG. 3 shows an alternate configuration of the disclosed lug, where the lug 200 includes two U-shaped portions 102, 104 and three flanges 106, one of the three flanges joining the two U-shaped portions 102, 104. Other features related to the thicknesses t1, t2 and t3, of the U-shaped portions 102, 104, the joining radius 108 and the flanges 106 respectively, of the lug 200 remain same as described above with reference to FIG. 2.
[0042] In an embodiment, the difference between the thicknesses of the at least two joining radii, the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges can be achieved by thinning the sheet metal in zones of the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges.
[0043] In an embodiment, the thinning of the sheet metal in the zones of the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges can be done by any or a combination of forging, cold forming, hot rolling and cold rolling.
[0044] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0045] The present disclosure provides a tractor wheel that has improved reliability and life.
[0046] The present disclosure provides a solution to prevent premature failure of a lug of the tractor wheel to increase life and reliability of the wheel without much effect on the weight of the wheel.
[0047] The present disclosure provides an improved lug for the tractor wheels that is more reliable and has longer life.
[0048] The present disclosure provides a lug for the tractor wheels that is strengthened in a zone of likely failure.
 
, Claims:1. A tractor wheel to support a tyre, the tractor wheel comprising:
a disc configured to be mounted to a tractor;
a rim configured to support the tyre and fixed to the disc; and
a plurality of lugs fixed to the rim, each of the plurality of lugs configured to receive at least one threaded fastener for assembling the disc with the rim, each of the lugs comprising at least one U shaped portion, the at least one U-shaped portion being configured to receive the at least one threaded fastener, and at least two flanges portion extending on each side of the at least one U-shaped portion and configured to be fixed to an inner circumference of the rim;
wherein at least two joining radii between the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges have a thickness that is more than a thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion and a thickness of the at least two flanges.

2. The tractor wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the joining radii is 10-40% more than the thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion and the thickness of the at least two flanges.

3. The tractor wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the joining radii is be equal to the thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion and more than the thickness of the at least two flanges

4. The tractor wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the at least one U-shaped portion is less than, or equal to, or more than the thickness of the at least two flanges.

5. The tractor wheel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the difference between the thicknesses of the at least two joining radii, the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges is achieved by thinning the sheet metal in zones of the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges.

6. The tractor wheel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the thinning of the sheet metal in the zones of the at least one U-shaped portion and the at least two flanges is done by any or a combination of forging, cold forming, hot rolling and cold rolling.