A hubometer (from ''hub'', center of a wheel; ''-ometer'', measure of) or hubodometer, is a device mounted on the

axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotation, rotating wheel and axle, wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In ...

of any land vehicle to measure the distance traveled by a vehicle based on the rotations of the wheel hub. The whole device rotates with the wheel, except for an eccentrically mounted weight on an internal shaft. The weight remains pointing downwards, and drives the counting mechanism as the body of the hubometer rotates around it.

Typical uses

Hubometers are essential for semi-trailers, serving as the primary method to track the accumulated distance traveled throughout the vehicle's lifespan. They find application in buses, trucks, or trailers, particularly those whose tires are provided to the vehicle operator through an independent company under a "price per thousand kilometers" contract. In this arrangement, the tire company installs the hubometer to obtain accurate measurements of the distance covered. In

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, hubodometers are used for the calculation of road user charges for

HGVs A large goods vehicle (LGV), or heavy goods vehicle (HGV), in the European Union (EU) is any lorry with a Gross combined weight rating, gross combination mass (GCM) of over . Sub-category N2 is used for vehicles between 3,500 kg and and N ...

Historical data

At the Veeder Manufacturing Company in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

production of cyclometers, hubodometers, and other scientific tools was underway for contracts with the United States government. Designed by Curtis Veeder in 1895, the cyclometer measured the distance traveled by bicycles as Curtis was a bicycle enthusiast. He would later adapt the invention to measure distance traveled for

automobiles A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

, hubodometers, as well as hand-turned cyclometers for use by the US Weather Bureau. The Veeder Manufacturing Company would produce these tools for use by the US government during World War One. These devices would be placed on the wheel of an automobile to measure the distance traveled by counting the rotations of its wheels. Curtis Veeder acquired the Root Company of Bristol in 1928 before retiring to form the Veeder-Root Corporation. It has remained in operation up to the present day. Utilizing his industrial riches, Veeder constructed an intricate stone mansion located on Elizabeth Street in Hartford. This mansion currently houses the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.Veeder Manufacturing Company, atalog no date, Hartford, Ct., Trade Literature, Smithsonian Institution Libraries.

References

Vehicle technology Measuring instruments Length, distance, or range measuring devices {{Automotive-part-stub

Typical uses

Historical data

See also

References