Tire-inflation appraisal apparatus

• US 3,973,436 A
• Filed: 11/17/1975
• Issued: 08/10/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerald H. Lenderman
• Original Assignee: Gerald H. Lenderman
• Inventors: Lenderman, Gerald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodiel, Donald O.
• Application Number:
  US05/632,639
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146, 73/146.2, 73/146.3
• US Class Current: 73/146.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/005 using a sensor contacting the exterior surface, e.g. for measuring deformation

Abstract

This is an apparatus for receiving an inflated pneumatic vehicle tire while the tire is mounted on a vehicle. The apparatus includes pressers and levers which facilitate the visual appraisal of the road-engagement pattern across the tire tread in aid of quickly determining the inflation and other characteristics of the tire.

Claims

1. Apparatus for appraising the road engagement pattern of a pneumatic vehicular tire while mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

means providing a treadway;

a plurality of parallel elongated levers disposed beneath said treadway in alignment therewith;

means forming a common axis fulcrum transverse said treadway for said levers, said axis being located proximate the first ends of said levers, a minor fraction of the distance of said axis to the other ends of said levers;

an upstanding depressible pin operably associated with each lever first end and extending through and above said treadway; and

said treadway, including means providing a window located to permit viewing of the other ends of said levers while a tire is standing on said upstanding pins to permit appraisal of the road engagement patterns of such tire.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the upstanding pins are spring biased upward.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which each upstanding pin is pivotally coupled to its associated lever first end.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the treadway is disposed in spaced relation above a supporting surface, and ramps are provided at each end of the treadway.

5. Apparatus for appraising the road engagement pattern of the tread of a vehicular tire while mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

means for guidingly supporting a plurality of depressible pins disposed in a row transverse the tread of a vehicle tire to be appraised;

a first end of each of a series of elongated levers depressibly associated with a lower end of one of said pins;

means forming a common transverse fulcrum for said series of elongated levers in spaced relation to their associations with said depressible pins;

the other ends of said levers extending oppositely from said transverse fulcrum a distance several times the spacing between said common fulcrum and the lower ends of said buttons; and

means providing a window disposed to permit viewing of said other ends of said elongated levers while the road engaging tread of the tire is standing on said plurality of buttons.