| CPC B60B 19/08 (2013.01) [F16H 57/0424 (2013.01); F16H 57/0441 (2013.01); F16N 13/10 (2013.01); B60B 2900/321 (2013.01)] | 8 Claims |
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1. A wheel support comprising:
a housing including a base portion defining a cavity for receiving at least one gear for transmitting rotational movement to a wheel mountable on the wheel support, and lubricant for lubricating the gear, the housing further including opposing first and second arm members extending from the base portion such that they are spaced from each other with the wheel supportable between the arm members, wherein each arm member includes a bearing receiving formation for receiving a bearing; and
internal lubricant feed means extending internally from the base portion into at least one of the arm members, for feeding lubricant from a lubricant supply, via the base portion, to the bearing receiving formation associated with the at least one arm member,
wherein the internal lubricant feed means is connected to and in fluid flow communication with the cavity, and the lubricant supply is lubricant located in the cavity,
wherein the internal lubricant feed means includes: a first internal lubricant feed passage, defined in the housing, that has a first internal inlet connected to and in fluid flow communication with the cavity such to operatively receive lubricant from it, and a first outlet, forwardly spaced from the first internal inlet, disposed for operatively dispensing lubricant received from the cavity in the bearing receiving formation in the first arm member, and a second internal lubricant feed passage, defined in the housing, that has a second internal inlet connected to and in fluid flow communication with the cavity such to operatively receive lubricant from it, and a second outlet, forwardly spaced from the second internal inlet, disposed for operatively dispending lubricant received from the cavity in the bearing receiving formation in the second arm member,
wherein the internal lubricant feed means includes lubricant pump means being in fluid flow communication with the cavity and the first and second internal inlets for operatively feeding lubricant, under pressure, from the cavity to the bearing receiving formations in the first and second arm members, and
wherein the lubricant pump means includes at least a first lubricant pump that protrudes, at least partially into the cavity wherein it is disposed to reciprocally engage with a protrusion of the gear and adapted to, as a result of such engagement, cause lubricant to be fed from the cavity to any one or both of the bearing receiving formations.
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