Wheel and axle assembly

Claim 1

Wheel and axle assembly for a small vehicle such as a riding lawnmower including a frame and an engine mounted upon said frame, said assembly comprising an axle having opposite first and second ends, means for journal mounting said axle for rotation on said frame, means for drivingly connecting said engine to said axle, first and second wheels for mounting, respectively, on said first and second axle ends, in which the improvement comprises means for rigidly connecting said first wheel to said first axle end for rotation therewith, and means for providing a torque-limited driving connection between said second wheel and said second axle end, said torque-limited connecting means permitting relative rotation between said second wheel and said axle when a predetermined torque level is exceeded, said torque-limited connecting means including a first clutch plate concentrically connected to said second wheel for rotation therewith, a second clutch plate concentrically mounted on said second axle end for rotation therewith, and spring means for yieldably urging said plates into engagement, said second wheel including a rigidly fixed sleeve, said sleeve having a pair of axially and rigidly spaced apart bearings fixed in said sleeve and journal mounted on said second axle end, one of said bearings having a radially outwardly extending peripheral flange providing said first clutch plate, means providing a stop on said second axle end, the other of said bearings being against said stop, said second clutch plate being axially movable toward and away from said first clutch plate, said spring means being disposed to urge said second clutch plate toward said stop and against said first clutch plate, and means for providing a hub against which said spring means acts yieldably to urge said plates into engagement.