Skateboard Truck With Improved Axle Assembly

Abstract

A truck for use with skateboards and skate devices that includes a novel kingpin assembly that includes a novel axle assembly that is stronger, more durable and lighter than prior art axle assemblies. The truck also has an improved truck hanger that includes a specially designed pocket seat that encourages the tilt-crush bushing of the truck to deform into a plurality of recessed cavities formed in the pocket seat (or plurality of recessed cavities in a novel tilt-crush bushing), thereby more readily absorbing shock and improving the ride quality of the truck. The improved truck hanger also includes uniquely positioned stop pins that function to limit the rotational movement of the truck hanger on the tilt axis during turning maneuvers so as to prevent the wheels from contacting the bottom of the deck and possibly ejecting the rider.

1 . A truck for a skateboard, scooter and the like, having a structural member, said truck comprising:
 (a) a base assembly connected to the structural member;   (b) a kingpin assembly connected to said base assembly;   (c) a hanger assembly connected to said kingpin assembly, said hanger assembly including an axle having a central portion of a first diameter, a pair of end portions of a second lesser diameter and a pair of intermediate portions of a third diameter greater than said second diameter and less than said first diameter; and   (d) a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said axle.   
     
     
         2 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  in which said axle has intermediate portions of a first wall thickness and end portions of a second, lesser wall thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  further including inside wheel bearings mounted on said intermediate portions of said axle. 
     
     
         4 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  further including outside wheel bearings mounted on said end portions of said axle. 
     
     
         5 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  in which said axle is formed by swaging a length of metal tubing. 
     
     
         6 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  in which said central portion of said axle is generally rectangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         7 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  in which said central portion of said axle is generally oval in cross-section. 
     
     
         8 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  in which said central portion of said axle is generally triangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The truck as defined in  claim 1  in which said kingpin assembly comprises a connecting rod having a trunk portion and a head portion and a tilt-crush elastic bushing connected to said trunk portion of said connecting rod. 
     
     
         10 . The truck as defined in  claim 9  in which said hanger assembly comprises a hanger barrel and a kingpin connector connected to said hanger barrel, said kingpin connector being provided with a pocket seat having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs that define a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities, said pocket seat being so constructed and arranged to receive said tilt-crush elastic bushing. 
     
     
         11 . A truck for a skateboard, scooter and the like, having a structural member, said truck comprising:
 (a) a base assembly connected to the structural member;   (b) a kingpin assembly connected to said base assembly, said kingpin assembly comprising a connecting rod having a trunk portion and a head portion and a tilt-crush elastic bushing connected to said trunk portion of said connecting rod;   (c) a hanger assembly connected to said kingpin assembly, said hanger assembly comprising:
 (i) a hanger barrel; 
 (ii) an axle carried by said hanger barrel; 
 (iii) a kingpin connector connected to said hanger barrel, said kingpin connector being provided with a plurality of stop pins connected to and extending from said kingpin connector; and 
   (d) at least one wheel rotatably mounted on said axle.   
     
     
         12 . The truck as defined in  claim 11  in which said axle has a central portion of a first diameter, a pair of end portions of a second lesser diameter and a pair of intermediate portions of a third diameter greater than said second diameter and less than said first diameter. 
     
     
         13 . The truck as defined in  claim 11  in which said base assembly includes a base having a pivot cup and in which said hanger assembly further includes a central alignment leg receivable within said pivot cup. 
     
     
         14 . The truck as defined in  claim 11  further including a pocket seat having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs that define a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities, said pocket seat being so constructed and arranged to receive said tilt-crush elastic bushing. 
     
     
         15 . The truck as defined in  claim 11  in which said kingpin assembly further includes a second tilt-crush elastic bushing connected to said trunk portion of said connecting rod. 
     
     
         16 . A truck for a skateboard, scooter and the like, having a structural member, said truck comprising:
 (a) a base assembly connected to the structural member, said base assembly including a base having a pivot cup;   (b) a kingpin assembly connected to said base assembly, said kingpin assembly comprising a connecting rod having a trunk portion and a head portion and first and second tilt-crush elastic bushings connected to said trunk portion of said connecting rod;   (c) a hanger assembly connected to said kingpin assembly, said hanger assembly comprising:
 (i) a hanger barrel; 
 (ii) an axle carried by said hanger barrel, said axle having intermediate portions of a first wall thickness and end portions of a second, lesser wall thickness; 
 (iii) a kingpin connector connected to said hanger barrel, said kingpin connector being provided with a pocket seat having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs that define a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities, said pocket seat being so constructed and arranged to receive a selected one of said tilt-crush elastic bushing; and 
   (d) a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said axle.   
     
     
         17 . The truck as defined in  claim 16  in which said hanger assembly further includes a central alignment leg receivable within said pivot cup of said base assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The truck as defined in  claim 15  further including a plurality of stop pins connected to and extending from said kingpin connector. 
     
     
         19 . The truck as defined in  claim 15  in which said hanger assembly further comprises a pair of cup washers carried by said connecting rod of said kingpin assembly, said pair of cup washers being so constructed and arranged to receive said first and second tilt-crush elastic bushings. 
     
     
         20 . The truck as defined in  claim 15  in which said central portion of said axle includes an inwardly curved recess.