Tire changer with improved tire changing tool

Claim 1

In a tire changing apparatus including a rotatable table on which a rim may be placed for rotation therewith for mounting or demounting a tire on the rim, a structure adjacent the table mounting extendable elements above the table including a tool haaving a tool head adapted to be brought in close proximity to the upper edge of a rim on the table for guiding the bead of a tire during a mounting or demounting operation, the improvement in said tool head comprising: a member having a downwardly extending projection, said projection also extending inwardly toward said table and defining a concave area in which the upper edge of a rim may be received, said downwardly extending projection including tire bead guiding recesses on opposite sides thereof, and an upper, outwardly extending, bulbous portion under which the bead of a tire to be mounted may be received and located so that the bead of the tire will be located below the upper edge of a rim on the table whereby the circumference of the bead of the tire need not be stretched during a mounting operation and whereby a portion of the tire bead opposite that in engagement with said tool need not be located on the dropped ceNter of a rim on said table so that the force required to locate said table during a tire mounting operation is minimized, said downwardly extending projection further including a rounded surface remote from said table, and further including an additional concave area on the upper side of said bulbous portion and adjacent said table for receiving and guiding the bead of a tire during a tire demounting operation.