Tire changing apparatus

Claim 2

In a tire changing apparatus including a rim receiving table, means associated with said table for holding a tire rim stationarily thereon, a tire mounting and/or demounting tool and means for effecting relative rotary movement between a rim on said table and said tool, the improvement in said holding means comprising at least three rim engaging elements movably affixed to said table and extending upwardly from a rim receiving surface thereon and movable toward and away from a predetermined position on said table, each of said rim engaging members having downwardly canted surfaces facing said predetermined position; means mounting said rim engaging members for movement on said table toward and away from said predetermined position on said table and providing for a limited amount of movement toward and away from said rim receiving surface in a direction generally non-parallel thereto; and means for moving said rim engaging members toward said predetermined position whereby when said rim engaging members engage the flange of a rim received on said surface, the same will exert a downward force on said rim to cause the same to frictionally lock against said surface to preclude rotation of said rim relative to said table when relative movement is being effected between said tool and said table; said mounting means including slots in said surface, said rim engaging members extending through said slots, and a plurality of links, one for each of said rim engaging members, beneath said slots having one end mounting an associated one of said rim engaging members and the other end pivotally secured to said table; said one end of each of said links being free for limited movement toward and away from said slots in a direction transverse to said surface.

Claim 3

Tire changing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said rim engaging members comprises an inverted frusto-coniCal roller.

Claim 4

In a tire changing apparatus including a rim receiving table, means associated with said table for holding a tire rim stationarily thereon, a tire mounting and/or demounting tool and means for effecting relative rotary movement between a rim on said table and said tool, the improvement in said holding means comprising at least three rim engaging elements movably affixed to said table and extending upwardly from a rim receiving surface thereon and movable toward and away from a predetermined position on said table, each of said rim engaging members having downwardly canted surfaces facing said predetermined position; means mounting said rim engaging members for movement on said table toward and away from said predetermined position on said table and providing for a limited amount of movement toward and away from said rim receiving surface in a direction generally non-parallel thereto; and means for moving said rim engaging members toward said predetermined position whereby when said rim engaging members engage the flange of a rim received on said surface, the same will exert a downward force on said rim to cause the same to frictionally lock against said surface to preclude rotation of said rim relative to said table when relative movement is being effected between said tool and said table; said mounting means comprising a plurality of pairs of links, one for each of said rim engaging members, adjacent ends of the links of each pair being pivotally connected together and an opposite end of one of said links being pivotally secured to said table; said moving means being pivotally connected to the opposite end of the other of said links; and said rim engaging members being located approximately at the pivotal interconnection of the two links of each pair whereby said links may deflect in a direction transverse to said surface to provide said limited movement.

Claim 5

In a tire changing apparatus including a rim receiving table, means associated with said table for holding a tire rim stationarily thereon, a tire mounting and/or demounting tool and means for effecting relative rotary movement between a rim on said table and said tool, the improvement in said holding means comprising at least three rim engaging elements movably affixed to said table and extending upwardly from a rim receiving surface thereon and movable toward and away from a predetermined position on said table, each of said rim engaging members having downwardly canted surfaces facing said predetermined position; means mounting said rim engaging members for movement on said table toward and away from said predetermined position on said table and providing for a limited amount of movement toward and away from said rim receiving surface in a direction generally non-parallel thereto; and means for moving said rim engaging members toward said predetermined position whereby when said rim engaging members engage the flange of a rim received on said surface, the same will exert a downward force on said rim to cause the same to frictionally lock against said surface to preclude rotation of said rim relative to said table when relative movement is being effected between said tool and said table; said mounting means comprising a plurality of pairs of links, one for each of said rim engaging members, adjacent ends of the links of each pair being pivotally connected together and an opposite end of one of said links being pivotally secured to said table; said moving means being pivotally connected to the opposite end of the other of said links; and said rim engaging members being located approximately at the pivotal interconnection of the two links of each pair whereby said links may deflect in a direction transverse to said surface to provide said limited movement.

Claim 6

A tire changing apparatus including a rim receiving table; said apparatus being adapted to be associated with a tool for use in mounting and demounting tires from rims received on said table; said apparatus further including means for effecting relative rotational movement between the tool associated therewith and said table, said movement effecting means including a fluid actuated, double acting cylinder having an internal dashpot whereby said relative movement may be effected bidirectionally and the rate of movement controlled by said internal dashpot, said internal dashpot having a closed, restricted flow fluid circuit wholly within said cylinder; said double acting cylinder and internal dashpot including a cylindrical sleeve having a pair of end walls and an approximately central wall to provide two compartments; a pair of pistons, one in each of said compartments; a piston rod having an end extending exteriorly of at least one of said end plates and passing through an opening in said central plate and mounting both of said pistons; said opening being slightly larger than said piston rod; and a body of fluid trapped between said pistons to define a dashpot, said opening defining the restriction to the flow of said body fluid in said closed, restricted flow fluid circuit from one side of said central plate to the other side thereof to control the rate of movement of said piston rod.

Claim 7

A tire changing apparatus including a rim receiving table; said apparatus being adapted to be associated with a tool for use in mounting and demounting tires from rims received on said table; said apparatus further including means for effecting relative rotational movement between the tool associated therewith and said table, said movement effecting means including a fluid actuated, double acting cylinder having an internal dashpot whereby said relative movement may be effected bidirectionally and the rate of movement controlled by said internal dashpot, said internal dashpot having a closed, restricted flow fluid circuit wholly within said cylinder; said double acting cylinder and internal dashpot including a cylindrical sleeve having a pair of end walls and an approximately central wall to provide two compartments; a pair of pistons, one in each of said compartments; a piston rod having an end extending exteriorly of at least one of said end plates and passing through an opening in said central plate and mounting both of said pistons; said opening being slightly larger than said piston rod; and a body of fluid trapped between said pistons to define a dashpot, said opening defining the restriction to the flow of said body fluid in said closed, restricted flow fluid circuit from one side of said central plate to the other side thereof to control the rate of movement of said piston rod.