Wheel balancing system

• US 3,888,128 A
• Filed: 05/31/1974
• Issued: 06/10/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ammco Tools Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wallace F. Mitchell
• Inventors: Mitchell, Wallace F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gill, James J.
• Application Number:
  US05/475,105
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 73/480,482-487 144/288A 157/1.11,1.24
• US Class Current: 73/484
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/045 the body being a vehicle wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/12 Static balancing; Determining position of centre of gravity by determining imbalance G01M1/14

Abstract

Apparatus for balancing the wheels of automotive vehicles utilizes a set of slotted, relatively rotatable plates for adjusting and holding a plurality of wheel support members in symmetrically disposed positions around the vertical spindle of a bubble type wheel balancer.

Claims

1. In combination with a wheel balancing device of the type including a base, a vertical spindle pivotably balanced on said base, means indicating the angular relationship of said spindle to the vertical, and means for mounting a wheel to said spindle, the improvement being in said last named means and the improvement comprising a support member mounted to said spindle and having a planar upper surface surrounding said spindle and lying perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, a plurality of upstanding wheel supports resting on said planar surface, and first and second locating plates disposed in mutually parallel relationship and each having a plurality of symmetrically disposed slots through which said supports respectively and slidably extend, said slots being rectilinear and extending tangentially to a circle concentric with said longitudinal axis of said spindle, the slots in said first plate being the mirror image of the slots in said second plate with the slots in said first plate overlying the slots in said second plate, whereby relative rotation of said plates varies the radial positions of said wheel supports relative to said spindle without disturbing the symmetry of said locating plates and thus the balance of said spindle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plates are annular.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of said wheel supports comprises a pedestal portion supporting the lower one of said plates.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 comprising means for locking one of said plates against rotation relative to said support surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said plates are in face to face abutting relationships.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said wheel supports comprises a base portion having an upstanding cylindrical portion extending through one of the slots in each of said plates, and an upper part removably mounted to said base portion above said plates and having an upper seating surface positionable in one of the bolt holes in the wheel to be supported thereby on said wheel balancing device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said plates are respectively provided with central holes slidably and removeably positioned over said spindle with said spindle extending through said holes, and the base portions of said wheel supports provide the sole support for said plates.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein is provided means depending from the lower one of said plates into interengaging relationship with said spindle to prevent rotation of said lower one of said plates on said spindle.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said base portions hold the lower one of said plates in substantial spaced apart relationship with respect to said planar support surface to facilitate manual rotation of the upper plate relative to the lower plate.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said base portions each include an upstanding post, said upper parts are each provided with a downwardly opening recess respectively receiving said posts, and detent means for holding said upper parts on the associated posts.