Measuring and testing – Tire – tread or roadway
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-01
2001-01-30
Oen, William (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Tire, tread or roadway
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178814
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to automobile racing and, more particularly, to a device for mounting a tire.
During automobile racing, the tires of a racing car are continuously checked for variations in dimensions due to changes in temperature, pressure, the condition of the race track, or other conditions. To perform these inspections or to repair the surface of the tire, the tire needs to be supported for a person to easily access the surface of the tire.
Some automobile racing crews manually check the circumference of the tires by wrapping a tape measure around the tire. Due to various conditions of a race track, debris is removed from the tire by hand using a scraper tool, and the surface of the tire is roughed up by hand using a wire brush or grinder.
There are several kinds of devices for mounting objects. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,036 to Church. The tire inspection apparatus includes a base, rotatable rollers, and a tire support structure. However, the tire support structure may only be used to rotate a tire resting upright on the support structure, and the tire is not fastened to the rotatable member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,355 to Doi and U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,219 to Popio disclose mounting devices for tires having pivots for altering the angular position of a rotational member. However, due to the design of the mounting devices, the pivotal movement is limited to slight arching. The Doi device is constrained by the vertical movement of the drum, enabling the tire to only be raised or lowered, and the Popio device is limited by the load mechanisms which are attached to the device and is designed to impart a camber or slight arch to the tire.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus for mounting a tire which is transportable, rotatable and includes a pivot for positioning the tire either horizontally or vertically for providing an accurate and convenient means for measuring and/or preparing the tire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A tire inspection and preparation device includes a mount having an elongated member for supporting a tire in spaced apart relation to a support surface, a rotatable member rotatably attached to the elongated member for rotating the tire about an axis, and a fastener coupled to the rotatable member for securing the tire to the mount. A support arm is attached to the mount and includes a first arm adjustably attached to the mount and extending substantially perpendicular to the elongated member, and a second arm adjustably attached to the first arm and extending substantially perpendicular to the first arm. At least one tool is interchangeably attached to the second arm for contacting the tire.
One embodiment includes the tool being a contact wheel. The tool includes a bracket attached to the second arm and having a reference marking for alignment with a reference marking on the tire for determining a revolution of the tire. An encoder is attached to the wheel for measuring rotation of the wheel and producing a signal, and a counter is electrically connected to the encoder for receiving the signal from the encoder and determining a circumference of the tire.
As an alternative to the use of the contact wheel, a dial indicator may be attached to the bracket for contacting the tire for measuring run out of the tire and wear of the tire.
As another alternative, a preparation tool may be attached to the support arm for removing debris from the tire or scuffing the surface of the tire. A first motor may be coupled to the mount for automatically rotating the tire and a second motor may be coupled to the tool for rotating the tool.
An alternative embodiment of the mounting system is a portable, rotatable tire support for mounting a tire including a base having a first arm, a second arm, and a first extension. The first and second arms rest on a support surface and have the second arm removably attached to the first arm and positioned substantially perpendicular to the first arm. The first extension is attached to the first arm and extends substantially perpendicular to and vertically upwardly from the first arm.
A mount is removably attached to the first extension of the base and has an elongated member attached to the first extension and extending substantially vertically upwardly for supporting the tire in spaced apart relation to the support surface. The mount further includes a rotatable member rotatably attached to the elongated member for rotating the tire about an axis, and a fastener coupled to the rotatable member and rotatable with the rotatable member for securing the tire to the mount and enabling rotation of the tire, the fastener and the rotatable member.
The mount is pivotally attached to the base by a connector which is mateably connectable with a protuberance on the mount. The connector and the mount each have a first bore and a second bore which are alignable. A connector pin is disposed within the first bores of the connector and the mount for enabling the mount to rotate about the connector pin, and a pin is engagable within the second bores of the connector and the mount for securing the mount in an upright, non-pivoted position.
The mount may be pivoted through approximately 90° for positioning the tire both horizontally and vertically.
The tire support further includes a tire base having at least one hole alignable with at least one hole of the wheel of the tire and being rotatably attached to the elongated member. A cap has at least one hole alignable with the at least one hole of the wheel of the tire, and an alignment pin is sized and adapted to be disposed through each of the aligned holes of the wheel, the cap, and the tire base for coupling the tire and the rotatable member together.
A motor is attached to the rotatable member for rotating the rotatable member and the tire, and a clutch is attached to the rotatable member and to the motor and has a first position for enabling the rotatable member to be manually rotated and has a second position for enabling the rotatable member to be rotated automatically with the motor.
The tire support further includes a second extension attached to the base and extending vertically upwardly and substantially perpendicular to the first arm and extending substantially parallel to the first extension. The second extension has a support surface for contacting the elongated member of the mount for supporting the mount in a pivoted position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3899917 (1975-08-01), Kisbany
patent: 4348891 (1982-09-01), Stickler et al.
patent: 4404848 (1983-09-01), Iwama et al.
patent: 4969355 (1990-11-01), Doi et al.
patent: 5107703 (1992-04-01), Ota
patent: 5197200 (1993-03-01), Bahr et al.
patent: 5313827 (1994-05-01), Yovichin
patent: 5448910 (1995-09-01), Yurjevich et al.
patent: 5460036 (1995-10-01), Church
patent: 5777219 (1998-07-01), Popio et al.
patent: 5789668 (1998-08-01), Coe et al.
Addessi Aileen Champion
Oen William
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