Truck assemblies for skateboards

Abstract

A truck assembly for a skateboard, having a body for mounting to the underside of a skateboard deck. The body supports an axle and wheels mounted for pivoted movement for steering and includes adjustment means for varying steering characteristics of the skateboard. The axle may be mounted by a pair of opposite trunnions which define a pivot axis for the axle. The pivot axis is adjustable by a rotatable boss, preferably with a pivot arm which may be locked in place by a spring loaded pin inserted into a selected aperture. The truck may include two pairs of angled springs which are arranged similar to adjacent sides of a triangle and adapted to centre the axle. The truck assembly may include a removable spacer locatable between the deck and axle and extension pieces for the axle.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A truck assembly for use with a skateboard, the truck assembly comprising: 
 a main body adapted to be mounted to the underside of a deck of the skateboard;    an axle for supporting a pair of spaced wheels;    a mount for mounting the axle to the main body and permitting pivotal movement of the axle in a plane to effect steering of the skateboard; and    an adjuster for selectively adjusting the plane of pivotal movement of the axle and thereby enabling variation of steering characteristics of the skateboard.    
     
     
         2 . The truck assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mount includes a pivot mounting the axle to the main body, the pivot defining an axis of pivotal movement of the axle.  
     
     
         3 . The truck assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the pivot is located intermediate opposite ends of the axle.  
     
     
         4 . The truck assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the pivot is located centrally between opposite ends of the axle.  
     
     
         5 . The truck assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the adjuster selectively adjusts the pivot and thereby adjusts the plane of pivotal movement of the axle.  
     
     
         6 . The truck assembly of  claim 5 , wherein an axis of pivotal movement of the wheel axle lies in a first plane extending substantially longitudinally of and normal to a plane of the deck of the skateboard and wherein the adjuster adjusts the position of the axis in the first plane.  
     
     
         7 . The truck assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the pivot includes a pair of opposite trunnions rotatably engaged with the main body by trunnions supports.  
     
     
         8 . The truck assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the trunnions supports comprises an adjustable support boss rotatably mounted to the main body thereby providing rotational movement about an axis extending substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the skateboard and parallel to the deck of the skateboard.  
     
     
         9 . The truck assembly of  claim 8 , wherein a central axis of the axle and the axis of rotational movement of the boss are substantially co-linear.  
     
     
         10 . The truck assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising an adjustment arm for adjusting a rotational position of the support boss and thereby adjusting a pivot axis of the trunnions.  
     
     
         11 . The truck assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustment arm is formed integrally with the support boss.  
     
     
         12 . The truck assembly of  claim 10 , wherein positioning of the adjustment arm is infinitely variable.  
     
     
         13 . The truck assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a locator for locating the adjustment arm in two or more fixed positions.  
     
     
         14 . The truck assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the locator comprises a plurality of one or more of a stop, an aperture, a marker, and an indicator.  
     
     
         15 . The truck assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the locator comprises a plurality of apertures adapted to co-operate with a spring loaded pin to reversibly locate the arm in a selected position.  
     
     
         16 . The truck assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of apertures are distributed in an arc on the main body.  
     
     
         17 . The truck assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising biasing means adapted to oppose reciprocal pivotal movement of the axle.  
     
     
         18 . The truck assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the biasing means comprises springs.  
     
     
         19 . The truck assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the springs comprise two pairs of coiled springs, each pair located on a respective side of the main body and interconnecting the axle and the main body.  
     
     
         20 . The truck assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the springs on one side of the main body and a portion of the main body define a substantially triangular shape.  
     
     
         21 . The truck assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a mounting member for detachably mounting the truck assembly to a skateboard deck.  
     
     
         22 . The truck assembly of  claim 21 , further comprising at least one spacer detachably engageable between the main body and the mounting member.  
     
     
         23 . The truck assembly of  claim 22 , wherein a plurality of spacers is provided, each spacer of different thickness to each other spacer.  
     
     
         24 . A skateboard comprising: 
 a deck;    a pair of truck assemblies secured to the underside of the deck, each truck assembly comprising an axle supporting a pair of wheels, the axle mounted to the deck for pivotal movement in a plane to allow steering of the skateboard; and    an adjuster for selectively adjusting the plane of pivotal movement of the axle thereby providing variation of steering characteristics of the skateboard.    
     
     
         25 . The skateboard of  claim 24 , wherein each truck assembly comprises: 
 a main body and a mount for mounting the main body to the deck of the skateboard, the mount comprising a first mounting member adapted to be mounted directly to the underside of a deck of the skateboard, the first mounting member having a mounting member adapted for at least one of cooperating with the truck assembly to mount the truck assembly to the skateboard and cooperating with at least one spacer for mounting the truck assembly and at least one spacer to the skateboard.    
     
     
         26 . The skateboard of  claim 25 , wherein the truck assembly, the spacer, and the mounting member are each slideably engageable with the others.  
     
     
         27 . The skateboard of  claim 26 , wherein the truck assembly, the spacer, and the mounting member are slidably engageable through rib and complementary groove couplers.  
     
     
         28 . The skateboard of  claim 25 , further comprising a releasable latch for latching together two of the mounting member, the truck assembly, and the at least one spacer.  
     
     
         29 . The skateboard of  claim 25 , further including at least one extension piece screw threadably engageable with the axle to thereby extend the axle and space the wheels further apart.  
     
     
         30 . The skateboard of  claim 29 , including two extension pieces for each track assembly, each extension piece engageable with opposite ends of the axle.  
     
     
         31 . An adjustable support for use with a truck assembly for a skateboard, the truck assembly comprising a generally transversely arranged wheel axle and providing support for rotation of the axle about a generally longitudinally arranged axis, the longitudinal axis being arrangeable at an angle of caster from vertical by the adjustable support, wherein the adjustable support can vary the angle of caster.  
     
     
         32 . The adjustable support of  claim 31 , wherein the adjustable support provides infinitely variable adjustment of the angle of caster.  
     
     
         33 . The adjustable support of  claim 31 , wherein the adjustable support provides a plurality of discreet angles of caster.