Vehicle locking hub

Claim 1

A HUB FOR SELECTIVELY LOCKING A WHEEL ON AN AXLE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF INTERFITTED ANNULAR MEMBERS ONE SECURED TO THE AXLE AND THE OTHER OF THE WHEEL, SAID MEMBERS HAVING AXIALLY EXTENDING LUGS ADAPTED TO COME INTO RADIAL ALINEMENT UPON RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID MEMBERS, A HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID LUGS AND BEING SECURED TO THE OUTER ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING ALINED WITH AN AXLE, AN ANNULAR LOCKING ELEMENT SLIDABLY FITTED IN SAID HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT AXIALLY OF SAID MEMBERS BETWEEN LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS, SAID ELEMENT HAVING AXIALLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS WHICH CLOSELY INTERFIT THE LUGS OF ONE OF SAID MEMBERS IN BOTH THE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS OF SAID ELEMENT, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING FORMED TO CLOSELY INTERFIT THE LUGS ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS WHEN SAID LOCKING ELEMENT IS ADVANCED TO ITS LOCKED POSITION BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS WHILE THE LUGS OF SAID MEMBERS ARE IN RADIAL ALINEMENT, BIASING MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND BEARING AGAINST SAID ELEMENT TO URGE IT TOWARD ITS LOCKED POSITION, A CONTROL SHAFT ROTATABLY EXTENDING AXIALLY THROUGH SAID ANNULAR LOCKING ELEMENT AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID HOUSING, SAID CONTROL SHAFT BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOCKING ELEMENT, A CONTROL KNOB SECURED TO THE END OF SAID SHAFT OUTSIDE SAID HOUSING, A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED CAM FOLLOWERS MOUNTED IN SAID CONTROL SHAFT WITHIN SAID ANNULAR LOCKING ELEMENT, A SINGLE SPRING MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CONTROL SHAFT BETWEEN THE CAM FOLLOWERS AND BIASING SAID CAM FOLLOWERS RADIALLY OUTWARDLY TOWARD SAID LOCKING ELEMENT, SAID LOCKING ELEMENT HAVING A PAIR OF CORRESPONDING HELICAL CAM SURFACES ON THE INNER PERIUPHERY THEREOF ABUTTING SAID CAM FOLLOWERS UNDER THE URGING OF SAID BIASING MEANS, SAID SURFACES BEING FORMED TO CAM SAID LOCKING ELEMENT AGAINST SAID BIAS FROM LOCKED TO UNLOCKED POSITIONS UPON ROTATION OF SAID CONTROL KNOB, SAID CAM SURFACES ALSO HAVING SLIGHT DEPRESSIONS AT EACH END THEREOF SO AS TO RESILIENTLY SEAT SAID CAM FOLLOWERS UNDER THE URGING OF SAID SPRING MEMBER IN BOTH THE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS.