Adjustable steering stop apparatus
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to vehicles of the type having adjustable steering stops for axle steering joint assemblies. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus disposed for repeated contact with a designated surface of an axle housing for purposes of limiting pivotal movement of a steering knuckle. 
     Numerous prior art devices are employed for the purpose of providing adjustable stops or rotation limiting devices for steering knuckles. The bulk of such devices, however, are of an infinitely adjustable nature, typically comprising a threaded bolt having a head for contacting a portion of the axle housing. Such systems suffer from several drawbacks. First, the use of tools, such as a wrench or screw driver, is required for adjustment. Secondly, the threaded members often can become jammed resulting in damage to threads and loss of subsequent adjustability. 
     Thirdly, such devices have lacked specific indicators of or means for determining the degree of rotatability of the steering knuckle relative to the axle. Thus, the devices have been without visual or other indication as to selectable limits of steering knuckle rotation relative to the axle members. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention disclosed and described herein provides a steering stop apparatus which alleviates the aforenoted drawbacks of the prior art. Specifically, the stop apparatus of the present invention does not require tools for adjustment, which facilitates simple field changes of steering angle. In addition, the apparatus of the present invention does not include threaded members which, as noted, are potentially subjected to damage. Finally, the stop apparatus of the present invention contains a positive indication in any selected position of the apparatus as to rotational or pivotal limits of the steering knuckle. 
     In a preferred form, the steering stop apparatus is defined by a cylindrical stub shaft which extends through an aperture of a steering knuckle boss. The stub shaft contains a plurality of apertures which extend laterally through the shaft body. The apertures of the stub shaft are disposed for selectively receiving a removable clevis pin for securing any given one of the apertures rigidly with respect to the knuckle boss, as selected by an operator of the associated vehicle. 
     In the preferred form, the boss contains a mark such as an arrow disposed for registration with an associated arrow positioned adjacent each of the apertures in the stub shaft for alignment with the boss arrow. Each aperture is associated with a rotational limit which is indicated as a number representing degrees of free pivotal movement of the steering knuckle for each stub shaft aperture selection. 
     Finally, the axle housing includes a contact surface disposed for making repetitive contact with one end of the stub shaft. In the preferred form, the contact surface is concave and is disposed for abutting the stub shaft regardless of which aperture is selected. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmented plan view of a steering axle assembly which incorporates a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view along lines 2--2 of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a view along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to FIG. 1, a conventional steering axle assembly 2 includes a wheel hub 4 rigidly secured to a pivotal steering knuckle 16. A tie rod end 8 is coupled conventionally to the knuckle 16 as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The knuckle 16 is pivotal relative to an axle housing 40, and rotation of the knuckle is achieved by means of a conventional steering linkage 6. 
     An adjustable steering stop apparatus is provided to limit the amount of steering knuckle rotation, as shown generally at 10 in FIG. 2. The stop apparatus 10 includes an elongated member 12 which in the preferred form is a cylindrical stub shaft, having ends 13 and 15 at opposite extremities of the shaft 12. A boss 14 extends laterally outwardly of a steering knuckle 16, the boss being an integral part of the pivotal knuckle 16. The boss contains an aperture 18 (see FIG. 3) disposed for containment of the stub shaft 12 within the boss 14. 
     A plurality of apertures 30, 32, and 34 are disposed from approximately the midpoint of the shaft to the extremity defining the end 13 thereof. The apertures 30,32,34 extend transversely through the shaft perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis a--a of the stub shaft 12. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the steering knuckle 16 rotates about an axis b--b (FIG. 1) relative to a projection 48 integral with the axle housing 40. It will be appreciated that the apertures 30,32,34 may be utilized to secure the stub shaft 12 rigidly within the aperture 18, securely holding the same with respect thereto in a finite number of positions. For this purpose, the boss 14 also includes a transversely extending aperture designed to accommodate a clevis pin 20 (FIG. 3) which may removably extend therethrough for purposes of selecting one of the apertures of the stub shaft for securement in the boss. The clevis pin 20 has a head 22 and an end 24, the latter of which contains a transverse bore 26 for receiving a pull pin or cotter pin 28 for securement of the clevis pin 20 within a transverse aperture 19. 
     The axle housing 40 includes an integral contact surface having a geometric shape and size positioned and disposed for accommodating the end 15, or alternatively 13 as will be explained hereinbelow, regardless of which aperture of the stub shaft is being utilized. Thus it will be seen that whenever a different aperture 30,32,34 is utilized for achievement of a selected stop limit, the end 15 will contact the surface 42 in a different location. Thus it will be noted that the path of a centroid 52 on the shaft 12 will define a swing arc 50 between the limits of rotation of the boss 14, and that the centroid 52 will traverse a different, although concentric, swing arc for each aperture choice selected. For this purpose, the surface 42 must have a lateral extent great enough to receive the ends 13 and 15 in all possible respective positions. In the preferred embodiment, the surface 42 is part of the projection 48 extending from and integral with the axle housing 40. 
     Referring now particularly to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the boss 14 includes an arrow 60 disposed for selective registration with one of the alignment arrows 62 on the stub shaft 12 shown in FIG. 2. It will also be noted that each of these arrows is associated with a numerical indication which reflects the number of degrees of the swing arc 50 associated with that particular aperture selection. Thus, in the position shown in FIG. 1, the arrow 62 associated with the numeral &#34;50&#34; is shown to be in registration with the arrow 60 on the boss 14 (FIG. 3). In this position, the centroid 52 will rotate about an arc of 50° as indicated. If, however, the apertures for the numerical indications of &#34;35&#34; or &#34;25&#34; degrees of arc are selected, the end 15 will accommodate only 35 or 25 degrees of swing, respectively. 
     It will be noted that the arrows 62 associated with the numerical indications of &#34;28&#34; and &#34;44&#34; degrees of arc have an opposite orientation relative to the arrows previously described. For selection of the latter choices of swing arc, the stub shaft 12 must be completely removed from the aperture 18, and turned end for end and reinserted within the aperture. This action will place the opposite end 13 of the stub shaft 12 in a position for contact with the surface 42. Thus, it will be appreciated that two of the apertures, apertures 32 and 34, will each be effective to provide two swing arc limit selections, depending on the orientation of the stub shaft. 
     Although only one preferred embodiment has been detailed and described herein, the following claims are envisioned to cover numerous alternative embodiments which may fall within the spirit and scope thereof.