Adapter units for wheel balancing apparatus

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED ADJUSTABLE ADAPTER UNIT FOR WHEEL BALANCING APPARATUS OF THE KIND INDICATED INCLUDING A BODY PORTION ADAPTED AT ITS LOWER END FOR REMOVABLY MOUNTING ON AN UPSTANDING SUPPORTING MEMBER WHICH FORMS PART OF SAID BALANCING APPARATUS SO THAT THE MAIN AXIS OF SAID BODY PORTION IS COALIGNED WITH THE AXIS OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING A TRANSVERSE FLANGE EXTENDING AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE MAIN AXIS OF SAID BODY PORTION AND WHICH HAS FORMED THEREIN AT LEAST THREE SLOTS WHICH EXTEND BETWEEN THE OUTER EDGE PORTION OF SAID FLANGE AND SAID BODY PORTION, AT LEAST THREE POSTS EACH OF WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH ONE OF SAID SLOTS AND IS SLIDABLE LENGTHWISE THEREIN AND DEPENDS BENEATH THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE WHERE IT IS PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED COLLARLIKE ABUTMENTS WITH A NECK PORTION THEREBETWEEN, A MASTER CONTROL ASSEMBLY AND GUIDE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING AND GUIDING SAID POSTS SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME MOVEMENT MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPARTED THERETO SO AS TO CAUSE THEM TO MOVE INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY IN RELATION TO SAID MAIN AXIS WHILST MAINTAINING SAID POSTS EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM SAID MAIN AXIS, AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID POSTS IN ANY OF THEIR ADJUSTED OPERATIVE POSITIONS SO THAT WHEN SAID RETAINING MEANS ARE SECURED THE UPPER SURFACES OF THE LOWER COLLARLIKE ABUTMENTS ARE LOCATED IN A COMMON PLANE AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID MAIN AXIS, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID PARTS BEING SUCH THAT THEY REMAIN BALANCED ABOUT SAID MAIN AXIS IRRESPECTIVE OF ADJUSTMENT OF SAID POSTS, WHEREBY SAID ADAPTER UNIT MAY BE CONNECTED TO A WHEEL TO BE BALANCED FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF BY RETRACTING IF NECESSARY, THE ASSEMBLY OF POSTS SO THAT THEY MAY BE PASSED THROUGH THE USUAL CENTRAL APERTURE IN THE WHEEL AND THEN EXPANDING SAID POSTS UNTIL THEIR NECK PORTIONS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER PERIPHERY OF THE WHEEL DEFINING SAID APERTURE WITH SAID LOWER COLLARLIKE ABUTMENTS LOCATED BENEATH SAID INNER PERIPHERY SO THAT WHEN THE ADAPTER UNIT IS FITTED TO SAID UPSTANDING SUPPORTING MEMBER OF THE BALANCING APPARATUS, THE WHEEL IS SUSPENDED UPON THE LOWER COLLARLIKE ABUTMENTS OF SAID POSTS.