Tire Testing Machine

Claim 2

Apparatus for measuring dimensional characteristics of a pneumatic tire sample, said apparatus comprising: a. a frame; b. a pair of coaxially aligned, confronting, bead-holding members shiftably supported on said frame for movement toward and away from one another and, thereby, into and out of bead holding association with corresponding bead region of a pneumatic tire sample; c. power means for selectively shifting said bead-holding members toward and away from one another; d. locking means for clamping said bead-holding members to one another when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; e. tire inflation means operatively associated with said beadholding members for inflating the tire sample between and from within said bead-holding members when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; f. tire sensing means shiftably mounted on said frame for effecting measurement of selected dimensional characteristics of the inflated tire sample; g. further power means for shifting said tire sensing means into and out of operative engagement with selected portions of the tire sample, and h. drive means for rotating the clamped bead-holding members and, thereby, the tire sample relative to said tire sensing means when the latter is in operative engagement with the tire sample, said frame including a stationary frame portion and a pivotal frame portion hinged upon said stationary frame portion, said stationary frame portion including a roadsimulating drum freely journaled thereupon, said pivotal frame portion supporting said bead-holding members and being displaceable pivotally relative to said stationary frame portion such that the tire sample held by said bead-holding members is engageable radially with said drum.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including at least one power cylinder interconnecting said pivotal and stationary frame portions for effecting displacement of said pivotal frame portion relative to said stationary frame portion.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means for radially adjusting the axial position of said drum relative to said stationary frame portion.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latter said means includes a threaded shaft terminating in one end portion which is operatively associated with said drum and in an opposite end portion upon which is affixed a hand-wheel, an intermediate portion of said shaft being rotatably mounted in and endwise movable relative to a conforming internally threaded bracket affixed to said stationary frame portion.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a pair of shaft portions upon which are mounted said bead-holding members, respectively, and a pair of shoes shiftably supported on said stationary frame portion for movement between first and second positions, said shoes when in said first position supporting said shaft portions and, thereby, said pivotal frame portion in an elevated condition such that said drum and tire sample are engaged, said shoes when in said second position freeing said shaft portions and pivotal frame portion to pivot downwardly and disengage the tire sample from said drum.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, including at least one power cylinder operatively associated with and interposed between said stationary frame portion and said shoes for effecting displacement of the latter to and from said first and second positions.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, including means for adjusting the position of said shoes relative to said stationary frame portion independently of said power cylinder.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the latter said means includes a threaded shaft terminating in one end portion which is operatively associated with said power cylinder and in an opposite end portion which is operatively associated with a hand-wheel, an intermediate portion of said threaded shaft being rotatably mounted in and endwise movable relative to a conforming internally threaded bracked affixed to said stationary frame portion.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a motor affixed to said stationary frame portion, and a clutch operatively associated with and interposed between said motor and one of said bead-holding members mounted upon said pivotal frame portion, said clutch including a driving element rotated by said motor and a driven element operatively associated with the latter said bead-holding member for transmitting rotary motion thereto, and means for selectively shifting said driving element axially into and out of operative engagement with said driven element.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the latter said means includes a carriage upon which said driving element is supported, at least one track upon which said carriage is shiftably supported, said track being affixed to said stationary frame portion and extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said bead-holding members, and a power cylinder operatively associated with and interposed between said carriage and said stationary frame portion.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said bead-holding members is provided with a substantially circular body portion and an annular flange portion of increased diameter.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said body portions is generally frusto-conical.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said annular flange portions are separated from one another through the intermediary of said body portions.

Claim 15

Apparatus for measuring dimensional characteristics of a pneumatic tire sample, said apparatus comprising: a. a frame; b. a pair of coaxially aligned, confronting, bead-holding members shiftably supported on said frame for movement toward and away from one another and, thereby, into and out of bead holding association with corresponding bead regions of a pneumatic tire sample; c. power means for selectively shifting said bead-holding members toward and away from one another; d. locking means for clamping said bead-holding members to one another when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; e. tire inflation means operatively associated with said bead-holding members for inflating the tire sample between and from within said bead-holding members when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; f. tire sensing means shiftably mounted on said frame for effecting measurement of selected dimensional characteristics of the inflated tire sample; g. further power means for shifting said tire sensing means into and out of operative engagement with selected portions of the tire sample; and h. drive means for rotating the clamped bead-holding members and, thereby, the tire sample relative to said tire sensing means when the latter is in operative engagement with the tire sample, and including a pair of shaft portions upon which said bead-holding members are mounted, respectively, a pair of sleeves surrounding a respective part of each of said pair of shaft portions, said shaft portions being rotatably mounted in said sleeves but constrained against axial movement relative to the latter, and a pair of housings surrounding a respective part of each of said pair of sleeves and in and relative to which said sleeves together with said shaft portions are axially shiftable, each of said housings defining with its corresponding sleeve an axially variable annular chamber terminating at one end in an annular flange affixed to its corresponding sleeve internally of each housing and at an opposite end in an annular flange affixed to and internally of each said housing.

Claim 16

Apparatus for measuring dimensional characteristics of a pneumatic tire sample, said apparatus comprising: a. a frame; b. a pair of coaxially aligned, confronting, bead-holding members shiftably supported on said frame for movement toward and away from one another and, thereby, into and out of bead holding association with corresponding bead regions of a pneumatic tire sample; c. power means for selectively shifting said bead-holding members toward and away from one another; d. locking means for clamping said bead-holding members to one another when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; e. tire inflation means operatively associated with said bead-holding members for inflating the tire sample between and from within said bead-holding members when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; f. tire sensing means shiftably mounted on said frame for effecting measurement of selected dimensional characteristics of the inflated tire sample; g. further power means for shifting said tire sensing means into and out of operative engagement with selected portions of the tire sample; and h. drive means for rotating the clamped bead-holding members and, thereby, the tire sample relative to said tire sensing means when the latter is in operative engagement with the tire sample, and including a pair of shaft portions upon which said bead-holding members are mounted, respectively, a pair of sleeves surrounding a respective part of each of said pair of shaft portions, said shaft portions being rotatably mounted in said sleeves but constrained against axial movement relative to the latter, and a pair of housings surrounding a respective part of each of said pair of sleeves and in and relative to which said sleeves together with said shaft portions are axially shiftable, each of said housings defining with its corresponding sleeve an axially variable annular chamber terminating at one end in an annular flange affixed to its corresponding sleeve internally of each housing and at an opposite end in an annular flange affixed to and internally of each said housing.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein each said housing includes a further internal annular flange affixed theretO and spaced axially from the first said flange affixed to each said housing, said flange affixed to each said sleeve being intermediate said flanges which are affixed to each said housing and defining with the latter said further internal flange a further axially variable annular chamber which cooperatively with the first said annular chamber increases or decreases in axial dimension as the first said annular chamber decreases or increases in axial dimension, respectively, as a function of the direction of movement of said flange affixed to each said sleeve.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, including means intercommunicating each of said annular chambers with the exterior of said housings for channeling pressurized fluid to and from said chambers to selectively displace said annular flange affixed to each said sleeve and, thereby, each said sleeve relative to its corresponding housing.

Claim 19

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said bead-holding members and at least one of said shaft portions is hollow, and including at least one latch member pivotally mounted in one of said bead-holding members and sufficiently long to extend into the other of said bead-holding members when said bead-holding members are shifted into close proximity with one another, the other of said bead-holding members including internally thereof a beak lockingly engageable by said latch member, and camming means shiftably mounted axially in said hollow shaft portion for engaging and pivoting said latch member into locking engagement with said beak.

Claim 20

Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, including resilient means for urging said latch member out of locking engagement with said beak when said camming means releases said latch member.

Claim 21

Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, including two further latch members equidistantly spaced from the first said latch member circumferentially of the interior of said one bead-holding member, all of said latch members being substantially identical, engageable with said beak and pivotally displaceable by said camming means.

Claim 22

Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said camming means defines cooperatively with the interior of said hollow shaft portion an axially variable annular chamber terminating at one end in an annular flange affixed to said camming means internally of said hollow shaft portion and at an opposite end in an annular flange affixed to and internally of said hollow shaft portion.

Claim 23

Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said hollow shaft portion includes a further internal annular flange affixed thereto and spaced axially from the first said annular flange affixed to said hollow shaft portion, said flange affixed to said camming means being intermediate said flanges which are affixed internally of and to said hollow shaft portion and defining with the latter said further internal flange a further axially variable annular chamber which cooperatively with the first said annular chamber internally of said hollow shaft portion increases or decreases in axial dimension as the latter said first annular chamber decreases or increases in axial dimension, respectively, as a function of the direction of movement of said flange affixed to said camming means.

Claim 24

Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, including means intercommunicating each of the latter said annular chambers with the exterior of said hollow shaft portion for channeling pressurized fluid to and from the latter said chambers to selectively displace said annular flange affixed to said camming means and, thereby, said camming means relative to said hollow shaft portion.

Claim 25

Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, including detecting means for sensing both locked and unlocked conditions of said latch member, said detecting means including a pair of microswitching elements spaced axially from one another and affixed to said hollow shaft portion, actuating means for selectively activating said microswitching elements alternately, said actuating means being operatively asSociated with said camming means and displaceable by the latter axially relative to said hollow shaft portion, said actuating means including a cam-acting member which is alternately engageable with said microswitching elements as a function of the direction of movement of said camming means and, thereby, said actuating means relative to said hollow shaft portion.

Claim 26

Apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein said actuating means further includes an elongate rod at one end of which is affixed said cam-acting member, said camming means being hollow and slidably supporting therein an opposite end portion of said rod, the latter said end portion of said rod and said hollow camming means including respective abutment members which are engageable with one another to effect axial displacement of said rod relative to said hollow shaft portion when said hollow camming means is shifted.

Claim 27

Apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said rod has a sufficiently long axial extent to maintain its abutment in axially spaced relation relative to the abutment of said hollow camming means when the latter is in an extreme end position relative to said hollow shaft portion such that said latch member is unlocked, the mutually engageable abutments of said rod and hollow camming means remaining out of engagement during shifting of said hollow camming means into locking engagement with said latch member and until locking of the latter, said hollow camming means being further shiftable beyond the locking position of said latch member and into engagement with the interior of the bead-holding member opposite the one mounted upon said hollow shaft portion, during which further shifting the abutment of said rod is engaged by the abutment of said hollow camming means and is carried along with the latter to effect a transfer of said cam-acting element from one of said microswitching elements which detects the unlocked condition of said latch member to the other which detects the locked condition of said latch member, the axial distance between said microswitching elements being substantially less than the axial distance between said respective abutments of said rod and camming means when the latter is in said extreme end position relative to said hollow shaft portion.

Claim 28

Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, including resilient means interposed between said cam-acting member and the end exterior of said hollow shaft portion for urging said cam-acting member and, thereby, said rod to an at-rest end position into engagement with that microswitching element which detects the unlocked condition of said latch member.

Claim 29

Apparatus as claimed in claim 23, including a coupling interconnecting said microswitching elements to said hollow shaft portion, said coupling including a non-rotatable portion upon which are mounted said microswitching elements, and a rotatable portion affixed to said hollow shaft portion for rotation with the latter relative to said non-rotatable portion and said microswitching elements.

Claim 30

Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said tire inflation means includes duct means communicating the exterior of said hollow shaft portion with said hollow bead-holding members for channeling pressured fluid to the latter, said bead-holding members having a passageway for communicating the interior thereof with both the exterior thereof andn the interior of the tire sample held thereby.

Claim 31

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, including means for preventing rotation of said sleeves relative to their corresponding housings, the latter said means including a rod affixed to each of said sleeves and extending in radially spaced, parallel, relation relative to the latter and externally of said housings, said housings each including guide means affixed to the exterior thereof and confining each said rod, said guide means permitting only axial displacement of each said bar relative thereto.

Claim 32

Apparatus for measuring dimensional characteristics of a pneumatic tire sample, said apparatus Comprising: a. a frame; b. a pair of coaxially aligned, confronting, bead-holding members shiftably supported on said frame for movement toward and away from one another and, thereby, into and out of bead holding association with corresponding bead regions of a pneumatic tire sample; c. power means for selectively shifting said bead-holding members toward and away from one another; d. locking means for clamping said bead-holding members to one another when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; e. tire inflation means operatively associated with said bead-holding members for inflating the tire sample between and from within said bead-holding members when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; f. tire sensing means shiftably mounted on said frame for effecting measurement of selected dimensional characteristics of the inflated tire sample; g. further power means for shifting said tire sensing means into and out of operative engagement with selected portions of the tire sample; and h. drive means for rotating the clamped beadholding members and, thereby, the tire sample relative to said tire sensing means when the latter is in operative engagement with the tire sample, said tire sensing means including at least one tire tread sensing unit and at least one tire sidewall sensing unit, said frame including a bracket disposed adjacent to said bead-holding members, and a carriage slidably supported on said bracket, said tread and sidewall sensing units being mounted upon said carriage in spaced mutually perpendicular relation, said further power means including a power cylinder interconnecting said carriage and bracket and operatively associated with each of the latter to effect displacement of said carriage relative to said bracket, said tread and sidewall sensing units including respective further power cylinders for displacing said units into proximity with the tire sample, and resilient means for urging said units into operative engagement with the tire sample independently of said further power cylinders.

Claim 33

Apparatus for measuring dimensional characteristics of a pneumatic tire sample, said apparatus Comprising: a. a frame; b. a pair of coaxially aligned, confronting, bead-holding members shiftably supported on said frame for movement toward and away from one another and, thereby, into and out of bead holding association with corresponding bead regions of a pneumatic tire sample; c. power means for selectively shifting said bead-holding members toward and away from one another; d. locking means for clamping said bead-holding members to one another when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; e. tire inflation means operatively associated with said bead-holding members for inflating the tire sample between and from within said bead-holding members when the latter are in bead holding association with the tire sample; f. tire sensing means shiftably mounted on said frame for effecting measurement of selected dimensional characteristics of the inflated tire sample; g. further power means for shifting said tire sensing means into and out of operative engagement with selected portions of the tire sample; and h. drive means for rotating the clamped beadholding members and, thereby, the tire sample relative to said tire sensing means when the latter is in operative engagement with the tire sample, said tire sensing means including at least one tire tread sensing unit and at least one tire sidewall sensing unit, said frame including a bracket disposed adjacent to said bead-holding members, and a carriage slidably supported on said bracket, said tread and sidewall sensing units being mounted upon said carriage in spaced mutually perpendicular relation, said further power means including a power cylinder interconnecting said carriage and bracket and operatively associated with each of the latter to effect displacement of said carriage relative to said bracket, said tread and sidewall sensing units including respective further power cylinders for displacing said units into proximity with the tire sample, and resilient means for urging said units into operative engagement with the tire sample independently of said further power cylinders.

Claim 34

Apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein each of said tread and sidewall sensing units are provided as respective pairs, said carriage including means for adjusting the position of each of said units relative thereto and relative to respective positions on the tread and sidewalls of the tire sample.

Claim 35

Apparatus as claimed in claim 31, including power means affixed to said bracket and operatively associated with said carriage for locking the latter in a raised inoperative condition relative to the tire sample, said power means including a retractable pin engageable with said carriage and still a further power cylinder for protracting and retracting said pin.

Claim 36

Apparatus as claimed in claim 30, including means for selectively adjusting the stroke of the power cylinder of said further power means and, thereby, the extent of displacement of said carriage relative to said bracket.

Claim 37

Apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the latter said means includes a threadedly adjustable shaft rotatably affixed to said bracket, a nut threaded on said shaft, a tube surrounding both said shaft and nut and affixed to said carriage, said tube terminating in an upper inner shoulder engageable with said nut when said carriage and, thereby, said tube is displaced downwardly by said further power means.