Releasable axle assembly for skate wheels
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to skate wheel axles, and, more particularly, relates to skate wheel axle securing assemblies. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Roller skates and in-line skates may utilize different types of wheels depending upon a variety of conditions or preferences (wheel damage, skating surface type, ambient temperature, nature of use and skater preferences, for example). It is thus necessary for a skater to be able to change wheels on a skate to meet conditions if so desired by the skater. 
     Often, however, a wheel change is needed while skating or when tools (wrenches or the like) usually necessary to perform a skate wheel change are otherwise unavailable. Moreover, the requirement that tools be utilized to change skate wheels is undesirable generally, considering that many skaters are young or otherwise unfamiliar with manipulation of such tools and the skate hardware typically employed to secure (or release) an axle in a skate truck. 
     While various arrangements have been suggested and/or utilized for releasing wheels from a skate (often called &#34;quick-release&#34; or &#34;quick-change&#34; devices), such arrangements have not been met with wide acceptance and/or have not eliminated the need for tools to accomplish a wheel change (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,321, 5,277,437, 4,666,168, and 5,190,301). Further improvement could thus be utilized. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides an easily releasable axle assembly for skate wheels that is particularly well adapted for in-line skates. The axle assembly is attractive, durable, reliable, and can be removed from a skate and reassembled on the skate without use of tools, thus allowing on-site wheel changes. 
     The axle assembly includes an axle having first and second end portions, a first retainer (a nut) engagable at the first end portion of the axle, and a second retainer pivotably connected with the second end portion of the axle and having first surface. A stop is positioned at the second end portion of the axle adjacent to the second retainer, the first surface of the second retainer bearing against the stop when the second retainer is pivoted to a securing position. The second retainer has an actuator/cap pivotably connected thereto for manipulation and protective covering of the second retainer. 
     The axle is slidably receivable through openings in the truck of the skate. The nut includes a friction face for abutting the truck when the axle is received through the openings in the truck and the nut is engaged on the first end portion of the axle. The second retainer is of a size larger than the openings in the truck and is pivotable between a securing position inhibiting axle rotation when the axle is received through the openings in the truck and the nut is engaged at the first end portion of the axle and a relaxed position enabling such axle rotation. 
     It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved axle assembly for skate wheels. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a releasable axle assembly for in-line skates. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide an axle assembly for skate wheels that can be removed from, and reassembled on, the skate truck without use of tools. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a durable, attractive and reliable axle assembly for skates that is easily releasable from a skate to allow on-site wheel change. 
     It is yet another object of this invention to provide a skate wheel axle assembly including an axle having first and second end portions, a first retainer engagable at the first end portion of the axle, a second retainer pivotably connected with the second end portion of the axle and having first surface, and a stop on the second end portion of the axle adjacent to the second retainer, the first surface of the second retainer bearing against the stop when the second retainer is pivoted to a securing position. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a releasable axle assembly for skate wheels including an axle having first and second end portions, a first retainer engagable at the first end portion of the axle, a second retainer pivotably connected with the second end portion of the axle, and manipulating means pivotably connected with the second retainer for movement of the second retainer. 
     It is yet another object of this invention to provide a manually releasable axle assembly for a skate wheel associated with an in-line skate having a truck with openings for receipt therethrough of an axle, the axle assembly including an axle having first and second end portions and slidably receivable through the openings in the truck, a nut threadably engagable at the first end portion of the axle and having a friction face for abutting the truck when the axle is received through the openings in the truck and the nut is engaged on the first end portion of the axle, and a retainer pivotably secured at one side thereof to the second end portion of the axle and being of a size larger than the openings in the truck, the retainer pivotable between a securing position inhibiting axle rotation when the axle is received through the openings in the truck and the nut is engaged at the first end portion of the axle and a relaxed position enabling such axle rotation. 
     With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as come within the scope of the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings illustrate a complete embodiment of the invention according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an in-line skate with a portion cut away to show the axle assembly of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the axle assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through section lines 3--3 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view illustrating (in a relaxed position) a pivotable retainer mechanism at one end of an axle of the assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken through section lines 5--5 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of key dimensions of a camming lever of the retainer mechanism; 
     FIGS. 7A through 7C are perspective views of the axle assembly of this invention illustrating axle release steps; and 
     FIGS. 8A through 8C are perspective views of the axle assembly of this invention illustrating axle reassembly steps; and 
     FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the axle assembly of this invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Axle assembly 10 of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 mounted in truck 12 of in-line skate 14 (this invention may be utilized with most other types of skates known in the art). Axle assembly 10 has conventional skate wheels 16 mounted thereon. 
     As is shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, axle assembly 10 includes axle 18 having threaded end portion 20 and tongue 22 configured (machined, molded, cast or the like depending on axle material) at end portion 24. End portion 24 includes abutment 26 between larger diameter axle body 28 and smaller diameter stop mount 30 from which tongue 22 extends. Pivot connection 32 (a bore, for example) is formed at tongue 22. 
     Retainer nut 34 is threadably receivable at threaded end portion 20 of axle 18. Removal of nut 34 is the means by which axle 18 is removed from truck 12. As seen in FIG. 3, nut 34 includes threaded flange nut body 36, O-ring 38 inserted into machined cavity 40 of nut body 36, and cap 42 maintained over nut body 36 (for example, molded onto the nut body in the case of a plastic material cap). Cap 42 is configured with gripping wings 44 at the outer face thereof to facilitate manual manipulating of nut 34. Serrated face 46 of nut body 36 provides a friction locking face for inhibiting nut movement when the nut is secured on axle 18 with face 46 abutting truck 12 of skate 14 (i.e., the serrated locking face provides additional securement against inadvertent loosening while skating). 
     Stop/washer 48 is mounted over stop mount 30 of axle end portion 24 on center bore 50 (while stop 48 is preferred, one could omit the stop, utilizing the outer wall of truck 12 as the stop with appropriate sizing of the remainder of the components). Stop/washer 48 is retained on mount 30 between axle abutment 26 and pivotable retainer 52, and is free to move axially with respect to mount 30 under some circumstances as set forth hereinafter (see FIG. 4). 
     Pivotable retainer 52 includes camming lever 54 and actuator/cap (or cover) 56. Lever 54 includes spaced, substantially parallel pivot connections 58 and 60 (a bored yoke and tongue, respectively, though it is to be realized that all yokes and tongues referenced herein could be interchanged on their respective component and/or that other pivot connections could be utilized). The pivot connections are oriented along rotational axes that are substantially perpendicular to axle 18. Pivot connection 58 receives tongue 22 of axle 18 for pivotable movement therebetween utilizing pivot pin 61 through their respective bores. Actuator/cap 56 includes a pivot connection 62 (a yoke) for pivotable connection to connection 60 of lever 54 utilizing pivot pin 64 through their respective bores. 
     Actuator/cap 56 is structured both for actuation and manipulation of lever 54 and axle 18 using appendage 66 and for covering lever 54 when the assembly is in the secured position as shown in FIG. 3, lever 54 in such case locating in cavity 68 of actuator/cap 56. 
     Axle 18, nut body 36 and pins 61 and 64 are preferably made of aluminum, steel or stainless steel. All other parts are preferably made of plastic material suitable for the purpose. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 camming lever 54 includes first bearing surface 70, second bearing surface 72 and intermediate curved surface portion 74, each of which, at different phases of pivoting movement of lever 54, are adjacent to and/or in contact with stop/washer 48. The relative position of these surfaces in relation to the arc of bore 76 through yoke 58 nearest each of the surfaces is important to the safety and function of this invention. 
     Dimension D is smaller (in the preferred embodiment by about 0.015&#34;) than dimension E (which in the preferred embodiment is about 0.073&#34;). Dimension F is larger than dimension E (in the preferred embodiment by about 0.010&#34;). It is also important that the radius defining curved surface portion 74 not meet the center point (i.e., the axis of pivotal movement) of bore 76. This allows camming lever 54 to snap firmly into place, as hereinafter discussed, and to be thus retained in the secured position while skating. 
     After axle 18 is slid through openings 78 of truck 12 and through axle bore 80 in wheel 16 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), nut 34 is tightened by hand until surface 72 of camming lever 54 is against stop/washer 48. As cam lever 54 is pivoted, curved surface portion 74 creates pressure against stop 48 drawing the assembly tight in truck 12. Further rotation of cam lever 54 forces the cam lever to snap into place with surface 70 firmly pressed against stop 48 thus securing the assembly and locking lever 54 in place. 
     To remove the axle assembly from a skate, actuator/cap 56 is lifted at appendage 66 (FIG. 7A), a firm pull on actuator/cap 56 causing lever 54 to pivot to a relaxed position with surface 72 adjacent to stop 48 (FIG. 7B). Using appendage 66, axle 18 is turned to loosen the axle from nut 34 (FIG. 7C), friction face 46 of nut 34 holding the nut motionless for at least a part of a turn. The nut may then be removed and the axle slid from truck and wheel openings 78 and 80, respectively. 
     For reassembly with a different wheel, axle 18 is inserted through truck and wheel openings 78 and 80, and nut 34 is made finger tight until cam lever surface 72 contacts stop 48 (FIG. 8A). Actuator/cap 56 is pivoted toward stop 48, and thus truck 12 (FIG. 8B), and then firmly pressed with the fingers or palm of the hand, snapping cam lever 54 down into place and with actuator/cap 56 covering lever 54 (FIG. 8C). Actuator/cap 56 is secured at this position by a tight relative fit of stop/washer 48 within cavity 68 of actuator cap 56. 
     A second embodiment 110 of the axle assembly of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 9. As may be appreciated, many of the elements heretofore set forth are identical in both assembly and function. However, axle 18 includes a unitarily formed flange 112 at one end thereof in place of the threaded end and nut. Axle 18 is provided with threaded bore 114 at abutment end 26, and end portion 24 of axle 18 includes threaded portion 116 for engagement in bore 114. Thus embodied, axle 18 is inserted through openings 78 and 80. Axle end 24, stop 48, and retainer 52, already assembled, are then attached to axle 18 by inserting and turning threaded end 116 of axle end 24 in bore 114 of axle 18. The remainder of the assembly (and/or dissassembly/reassembly) steps are substantially as heretofore set forth. 
     As may be appreciated, this invention provides a releasable skate wheel axle assembly that allows a skater to change skate wheels without tools. The assembly is durable, safe and easy to secure for skating.