Vehicle wheel changing tool

• US 5,176,487 A
• Filed: 07/11/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael B. Flitton
• Original Assignee: Michael B. Flitton
• Inventors: Flitton, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Frank E.
• Application Number:
  US07/728,351
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 414/426, 414/427, 414/428, 414/429, 414/430, 414/433, 280/79.4, 280/47.131, 254/10 R, 254/131, 254/133 R
• US Class Current: 414/428
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 29/002 provided with a dolly

Abstract

The wheel changing apparatus includes a pair of angular arms supported at their outer ends by caster wheels or skids with the arms joined at their remaining ends by a connector housing. A handle on the housing facilitates raising and lowering of the arms and a vehicle wheel assembly in place thereon for wheel assembly removal and attachment to an axle mounted hub. Multiple rollers in each arm rotatably support the wheel assembly. The arms are collapsible toward one another and the handle repositionable between the arms for compact stowage of the apparatus in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A wheel changing apparatus for positioning a wheel assembly during removal from and installation on a vehicle hub and comprising,

arm members of tubular construction including aligned end segments,

wheels at distal ends of said arm members supporting the apparatus,

means mounting each of said wheels to said arm members,

said arm members each including internal rollers for supporting the wheel assembly being installed in a rotatable manner,

axles supporting said rollers, said axles mounted one each in said arm members, axle mounting plates secured in the arm members,

tubular connector means and adjustably receiving both of said end segments, and

a handle on said connector means facilitating raising and lowering of said arm members about said wheels and the positioning a wheel assembly thereon in relation to the vehicle hub.

2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said arm members each define an elongate cut out area to expose an arcuate portion of the rollers therein for supporting the wheel assembly.

3. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular connector means includes a tubular housing, said end segments and said housing having registerable apertures, locking pins each detachably engageable with said housing and with said end segments of said arm members relative one another and to said tubular housing to accommodate a range of wheel assembly sizes.

4. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 wherein said housing is rotatably mounted on said end segments whereby upon detachment of said locking pins from said housing and from the arm end segments said housing and said handle thereon may be rotated about the arm end segments to locate the handle intermediate said arm members for compact storage of the apparatus in a vehicle.

5. The wheel changing apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said means mounting each of said wheels includes removable axles to permit the removal of said wheels and skids for mounting on said axles upon removal of said wheels.