Tire changer apparatus

Claim 1

In a tire changer for mounting and dismounting tires from a wheel comprising a wheel support means having an upper surface for supporting a tire and a wheel, said support means including wheel positioning means for positioning a wheel thereon, wheel retaining means arranged to co-operate with the support and positioning means to maintain the wheel position on the support means, said upper surface of the support means including a plurality of air pressure directing holes lying on a common radius determined by the positioning means greater than the radius of the rim supporting portion of a wheel, each of the plurality of holes having a longitudinal axis sloped generally inwardly at a predetermined angle with respect to the positioning means, said support means including an integral manifold chamber positioned beneath the plurality of holes to provide an air chamber integral with the support means and beneath the upper surface thereof, a source of air pressure coupled to said manifold for selectively applying air pressure through said sloped holes against said wheel for air deflection into the tire for mounting the tire on the wheel in tire bead seating relationship.

Claim 6

An apparatus for seating the beads of a tubeless tire onto a wheel having bead receiving elements and a tire cavity periphery comprising, support means having a surface for supporting a tire and a wheel, air pressure transmitting means including orifice means extending through said surface and defining an arc circumscribing a portion of the periphery of the wheel, the orifice means including a longitudinal axis which is sloped inwardly toward the periphery of the wheel, a source of air pressure coupled to said air pressure transmitting means to selectively direct air pressure from the orifice means thereof between the tire sidewall and wheel for deflection by the wheel into the cavity to cause flexing of the tire sidewall and seating of an unseated tire bead on a bead receiving element of the wheel, and said source of pressure including a manifold chamber mounted beneath the support means in fluid communication with the orifice means, the orifice means includes a plurality of holes extending through said support means in a surrounding relationship to a portion of the periphery of a wheel supported thereon, the support means includes a first surface for supporting the wheel and tire and a second surface through which the plurality of holes pass, and said first surface and said second surface form an upper surface having a truncated shape.

Claim 7

An apparatus for seating the beads of a tubeless tire onto a wheel having bead receiving elements and a tire cavity periphery comprising, support means having a surface for supporting a tire and a wheel, air pressure transmitting means including orifice means extending through said surface and defining an arc circumscribing a portion of the periphery of the wheel, the orifice means including a longitudinal axis which is sloped inwardly toward the periphery of the wheel, a source of air pressure coupled to said air pressure transmitting means to selectively direct air pressure from the orifice means thereof between the tire sidewall and wheel for deflection by the wheel into the cavity to cause flexing of the tire sidewall and seating of an unseated tire bead on a bead receiving element of the wheel, and said source of pressure including a manifold chamber mounted beneath the support means in fluid communication with the orifice means, the orifice means includes a plurality of holes extending through said support means in a surrounding relationship to a portion of the periphery of a wheel supported thereon, the support means includes a first surface for supporting the wheel and tire and a second surface through which the plurality of holes pass, and said first surface and said second surface form an upper surface having a truncated shape.

Claim 13

A method of seating the beads of a tubeless tire on a wheel comprising the steps of positioning a wheel and an unseated tubeless tire on a table, directing from a manifold chamber beneath the table through the orifice means a supply of air pressure against a portion of the periphery of the wheel to fill the entire cavity of the wheel, and deflecting the supply of air pressure of the wheel into the cavity of the tubeless tire to flex the sidewall thereof to cause seating of the tire bead onto the wheel.

Claim 14

A method of seating the beads of a tubeless tire on a wheel comprising the steps of positioning a wheel and an unseated tubeless tire on a table, directing from a manifold chamber beneath the table through the orifice means a supply of air pressure against a portion of the periphery of the wheel to fill the entire cavity of the wheel, and deflecting the supply of air pressure of the wheel into the cavity of the tubeless tire to flex the sidewall thereof to cause seating of the tire bead onto the wheel.