Wheel mounting assembly for tire balancing machine

• US 3,995,498 A
• Filed: 05/13/1975
• Issued: 12/07/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norton Healthcare Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Norton Healthcare Incorporated
• Inventors: Curchod, Donald B., Borner, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Gill, James J.
• Application Number:
  US05/577,034
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 73/487, 73/480, 73/482, 73/483, 73/485, 73/486, 144/288 A, 157/1.24, 74/409, 74/440, 74/445, 74/449, 74/461
• US Class Current: 73/480
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/045 the body being a vehicle wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19898 Backlash take-up
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19935 Sheet metal

Abstract

A wheel mounting assembly for a tire balancing machine of a type for rotating a wheel with a tire mounted thereon includes an annular support plate arranged to be mounted for rotation by the machine. The support plate carries means for simultaneously moving a plurality of studs uniformly between first and second radial positions defined about the axis of rotation of the support plate. The foregoing means includes a central gear disposed on the axis of rotation of the support plate. A plurality of satellite gears corresponding in number to the number of the studs needed for support of a given wheel are disposed about the axis of rotation of the plate in engagement with the central gear. The studs are carried on means supported from each satellite gear so as to revolve about the axis of rotation of the satellite gears whereby rotation of one of the satellite gears serves to rotate the others to the same degree via the central gear so as to move all studs simultaneously from the first to the second position.

Claims

1. A wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying a wheel and tire combination, a plurality of wheel mounting studs, means carried by said plate and associated with said studs for simultaneously moving said studs uniformly between first and second radial positions defined about the axis of rotation of said support plate, the last named means including a central gear disposed on the axis of rotation of the support plate, a plurality of satellite gears corresponding in number to the number of said studs and disposed about said axis of rotation in engagement with said central gear, a plurality of stud support means each mounting one of said studs therefrom and coupled to rotate with an associated one of said satellite gears whereby rotation of one of said stud support means rotates the others to the same degree via said central gear to move said studs from said first to said second position bearing means disposed between said plate and said stud support means, and means releasably engaging said plate for tightening said stud support means against said bearing means in varying degree to remove substantially all clearance between said stud support means and said bearing means and between said plate and said bearing means consistent with permitting the gears to be rotated while so disposed.

2. A wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying a wheel and tire combination, a plurality of wheel mounting studs, means carried by said plate and associated with said studs for simultaneously moving said studs uniformly between first and second radial positions defined about the axis of rotation of said support plate, the last named means including a central gear disposed on the axis of rotation of the support plate, a plurality of satellite gears corresponding in number to the number of said studs and disposed about said axis of rotation in engagement with said central gear, a plurality of stud support means each mounting one of said studs therefrom and coupled to rotate with an associated one of said satellite gears whereby rotation of one of said stud support means rotates the others to the same degree via said central gear to move said studs from said first to said second position, bearing means disposed between said plate and said stud support means, and means for drawing said stud support means toward said plate sufficiently tightly to remove substantially all clearance between said stud support means and said bearing means and between said plate and said bearing means consistent with permitting the gears to be rotated while so disposed, said central gear including a central web portion and teeth formed around the periphery of the gear so as to lie in an imaginary plane, not including said web portion, and means for urging said web portion toward said plane to move said teeth radially outwardly to expand the diameter of said gear, to fully engage said satellite gears upon expansion of said central gear.

3. A wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying a wheel and tire combination, a plurality of wheel mounting studs, means carried by said plate and associated with said studs uniformly between first and second radial positions defined about the axis of rotation of said support plate, the last named means including a central gear disposed on the axis of rotation of the support plate, a plurality of satellite gears corresponding in number to the number of said studs and disposed about said axis of rotation in engagement with said central gear, a plurality of stud support means each mounting one of said studs therefrom and coupled to rotate with an associated one of said satellite gears whereby rotation of one of said stud support means rotates the others to the same degree via said central gear to move said studs from said first to said second position, bearing means disposed between said plate and said stud support means, and means for drawing said stud support means toward said plate sufficiently tightly to remove substantially all clearance between said stud support means and said bearing means and between said plate and said bearing means consistent with permitting the gears to be rotated while so disposed, said central gear including a pair of gear elements disposed in confronting relation, each said element including a central web portion and teeth formed around the periphery of the element so as to lie in an imaginary plane common to the teeth of the other said element, said web portions lying in spaced relation to each other, and means for urging said web portions relatively toward said plane to move said teeth radially outwardly in response thereto to fully engage said satellite gears.

4. In a machine for rotating a wheel with a tire mounted thereon for balancing the wheel and tire combination, a wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying the wheel and tire combination, a plurality of satellite gears carried by said plate and mounted for rotation at a common radial displacement for the axis of rotation of said plate, central gear means disposed on the first named said axis of rotation for engaging and simultaneously rotating said satellite gears upon rotation of said central gear means, means for radially expanding the diameter of said central gear means in response to application of force to said gear means in a direction generally parallel to said axis of rotation, means for applying said force, a support arm carried by each satellite gear for rotation therewith and wheel mounting studs carried by said arms to rotate therewith about the axis of rotation of the satellite upon rotation of one of the satellite gears to move said studs between first and second positions lying on concentric circles about the axis of rotation of said plate.

5. In a machine for rotating a wheel with a tire mounted thereon for balancing the wheel and tire combination, a wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying the wheel and tire combination, gear means disposed centrally of said plate for rotation about the axis of rotation of the plate, first and second pluralities of satellite gears carried on opposite sides of said plate respectively and mounted for engagement by the first named said gear means, a support arm carried by each satellite gear for rotation therewith, wheel mounting studs carried by said arms to move therewith about the axis of rotation of its associated satellite, means for readily removably mounting said studs to one or the other of said pluralities of said arms to permit a wheel to be mounted on said studs of a selected one of said pluralities, the first named gear means including means for expanding and contracting the periphery thereof radially of said axis of rotation of said plate in response to force applied axially thereto or relieved therefrom.

6. A wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying a wheel and tire combination, a plurality of wheel mounting studs, means carried by said plate and associated with said studs for simultaneously moving said studs uniformly between first and second radial positions defined about the axis of rotation of said support plate, the last named means including a central gear disposed on the axis of rotation of the support plate, a plurality of satellite gears corresponding in number to the number of said studs and disposed about said axis of rotation in engagement with said central gear, a plurality of stud support means each mounting one of said studs therefrom and coupled to rotate with an associated one of said satellite gears whereby rotation of one of said stud support means rotates the others to the same degree via said central gear to move said studs from said first to said second position, said central gear being formed and disposed to expand and contract radially of said axis of rotation to fully engage said satellite gears upon expansion of said central gear, said central gear comprising a pair of gears dished centrally thereof and disposed in confronting relation, the teeth of said pair of gears being mutually aligned for engaging the teeth of the satellite gears, and means for compressing said gears axially of the axis of rotation of said plate to radially enlarge the diameter of said gears for removing substantially all clearance between the teeth of the central gear and said satellite gears consistent with permitting the gears to rotate.

7. A wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying a wheel and tire combination, a plurality of wheel mounting studs, means carried by said plate and associated with said studs for simultaneously moving said studs uniformly between first and second radial positions defined about the axis of rotation of said support plate, the last named means including a central gear disposed on the axis of rotation of the support plate, a plurality of satellite gears corresponding in number to the number of said studs and disposed about said axis of rotation in engagement with said central gear, a plurality of stud support means each mounting one of said studs therefrom and coupled to rotate with an associated one of said satellite gears whereby rotation of one of said stud support means rotates the others to the same degree via said central gear to move said studs from said first to said second position, bearing means disposed between said plate and said stud support means, and means for drawing said stud support means toward said plate sufficiently tightly to remove substantially all clearance between said stud support means and said bearing means and between said plate and said bearing means consistent with permitting the gears to be rotated while so disposed, said bearing means including a ball bearing race formed in a surface of each satellite gear in confronting relation to said plate, corresponding races formed in said support plate each in substantial alignment with an associated one of the races in said gears, ball bearing means interposed between said aligned races to maintain said satellite gears in alignment, means for holding each said satellite gear to its associated said ball bearing race serving to permit each said satellite gear to rotate and to move laterally into accurate alignment with respect to the axis of rotation thereof so as to cause said bearing means and races to align said satellite gear accurately with respect to its own axis of rotation a dust cover of pliable material surrounding and overlaying a portion of said plate and said satellite gear teeth to prevent entry of contamination into said bearing means, the inner edge margin overlying said central gear in sliding contact relation thereto.

8. In a machine according to claim 7 comprising an annular liner of V-shaped cross-section disposed in at least one of said races to receive said ball bearing means and serving to protect said plate or said satellite gear against inordinate wear.

9. In a machine for rotating a wheel with a tire mounted thereon for balancing the wheel and tire combination a wheel mounting assembly comprising a support plate designed and adapted to be supported for rotation while carrying the wheel and tire combination, a plurality of satellite assemblies disposed about the axis of rotation of said plate and rotatable at fixed positions therearound on said plate, wheel mounting means carried by each said satellite assembly to move around the axis of rotation of its associated satellite while off-set therefrom, and means for simultaneously rotating a plurality of said satellites to move their associated studs between first and second radial positions relative to the axis of rotation of said plate, the last named means including a central gear having teeth formed around the periphery thereof to lie in an imaginary plane for engaging gear teeth associated with each said satellite assembly, said central gear having a web portion spaced from said plane, and means for urging said web portion toward said plane to move said teeth radially outwardly to expand the diameter of said central gear.