Wheel manipulator

Claim 1

A wheel manipulator for manipulating a wheel having a hub comprising a base frame having a vertical column, a carriage slidably mounted on said column and adapted to be vertically adjustably positiond thereon, a turret rotatably mounted on said carriage and means for retaining a wheel hub to said turret, said retaining means having a plate secured to said turret in axial engagement with said hub and having a plane positioned transversely to the axis of rotation of said turret, and means for securing said wheel hub to said plate, said hub has an internal rim flange and said securing means comprises rim clamps adapted to be circumferentially secured to the internal rim flange of said hub, plate anchors secured to said plate in radial positions therearound and respectively adapted to engage said rim clamps to secure said hub against movement relative to said plate to be manipulated therewith, said rim clamps comprise U-shaped brackets having two leg portions interconnected at one end by a curved portion adapted to be frictionally radially received over said hub rim with said leg portions of each of said brackets being respectively positioned radially on respective opposite radial sides of the rim and the curved portion of said brackets positioned radially inwardly from said rim, said brackets having aligned openings through the legs thereof adjacent the curved portion thereof with one of said openings being threaded to threadably receive a threaded shaft, said plate anchors having a shaft with a threaded end inserted through the other of said openings in a respective rim bracket and threadably retained in said threaded opening of said bracket, and a hooked end adjacent said plate, and adjustable attachment means adapted to engage said hook end of said shaft and said plate for retaining said rim and hub to said plate.