Wheelwright machines – Rubber tire mounting and/or demounting apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-09
2001-01-30
Smith, James G. (Department: 3723)
Wheelwright machines
Rubber tire mounting and/or demounting apparatus
C157S001300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179032
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a bead depressor for use in fitting a tire onto or removing a tire from a wheel, and more specifically, for holding a bead of a tire to be fit or removed in a rim well base of a disk wheel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When a motor vehicle tire is to be fit on to or removed from a wheel, such as a disk wheel, which is held in position on a tire-fitting machine, a bead depressor with a plurality of bead depressor elements which are connected together by a cable, that provide for depressing the tire bead into and holding it in the rim well base of the wheel can be used. This fitting tool is of particular advantage more especially when dealing with wide tires having hard side walls. Of the depressor elements which are connected together by the above-mentioned cable, a first depressor element is connected by a holding rod member to a clamping bar, which is fit through a centering bore in the center of the wheel and which is clamped fast to a wheel-mounting assembly of the tire-fitting machine. Therefore, that form of bead depressor can only be used in connection with tire-fitting machines that have a wheel-mounting assembly of a particular configuration, which is suitable for clamping fast the clamping bar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a bead depressor for use in fitting or removing a tire on a wheel, which can be used irrespective of the type of tire-fitting machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bead depressor for use in fitting or removing a tire bead, which is of a simple design configuration while affording reliability of operation in terms of certainty of bead depression and enjoying substantial universality of use.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bead depressor assembly enjoying enhanced simplicity of operation.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by a bead depressor with which, upon fitting or removing of a tire, a bead of the tire is held in a rim well base of a wheel, such as a disk wheel. The bead depressor comprises a plurality of depressor elements, which are connected together by a cable and of which a first depressor element is adapted to be fixedly clamped to a rim flange of the wheel by a clamping bar adapted to be disposed in a centering bore in the wheel, and a holding rod member which connects the first depressor element to the clamping bar. The bead depressor has means for arresting the clamping bar in the centering bore in the wheel, and a clamping element, which is operative between the first depressor element and the part of the clamping bar which projects beyond the wheel. The clamping element is operative to urge the first depressor element substantially in a radial direction against the rim flange.
As will be seen from preferred embodiments of the bead depressor according to the invention which are described in greater detail hereinafter, the fact that the clamping bar can be suitably arrested in the centering bore in the wheel and the depressor element can be firmly pressed against the rim flange of the wheel by the clamping element, which is possibly of a rubber-elastic nature, means that attaching the bead depressor by the clamping bar is independent of the type of tire-fitting machine on which the tire fitting or removal procedure is implemented.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamping bar can be arrested in the centering bore in the disk wheel by the clamping bar being subject to the effect of a clamping force acting in a substantially radially outward direction by the clamping element. In that situation, the clamping bar can adopt a position in which it is obliquely inclined with respect to the axis of the wheel and is held or clamped in position in the centering bore in the wheel, bearing against diametrally opposed disposed locations in the centering bore, by virtue of the radially outwardly acting force produced by the clamping element. To promote the arresting action, the clamping bar may be provided with engagement configurations for cooperating with the centering bore, for example, arresting notches or recesses in the clamping bar. As a result, secure engagement of the clamping bar against diametrally opposed disposed edges of the centering bore is achieved. The clamping element can operatively engage the upper end of the part of the clamping bar which projects beyond the wheel, in order to produce the highest possible level of torque urging the clamping bar into the inclined position to produce the arresting effect.
The holding rod member by which the first depressor element is mounted to the clamping bar can be mounted displaceably on the clamping bar. The mounting location at which the holding rod member is mounted to the part of the clamping bar that projects beyond the wheel can be rotatable or pivotable about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of the clamping bar. That can provide for adaptation to different disk wheel dimensions.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the clamping element can be in the form of a rubber-elastic element and can be formed, for example, by one or more rubber cords. The clamping element may, however, also be formed by the holding rod member, which can be of a flexurally resilient nature, in which case the functions of the holding rod member and the clamping element are performed by one and the same component.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof.
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patent: 2545483 (1951-03-01), Martin
patent: 2684710 (1954-07-01), Calvin
patent: 2925857 (1960-02-01), Twiford
patent: 3266548 (1966-08-01), Kolosowsky
patent: 3709278 (1973-01-01), Comer
patent: 3747661 (1973-07-01), Freyling
patent: 4271884 (1981-06-01), Udall et al.
patent: 4491165 (1985-01-01), Mott
patent: 5022451 (1991-06-01), Fenderson
Hofmann Werkstatt-Technik GmbH
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Smith James G.
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