Fixture for locking motorcycle wheels onto a balancing machine shaft

• US 5,773,719 A
• Filed: 10/25/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Femass
• Original Assignee: Femass
• Inventors: Maioli, Franco, Ferrari, Gino
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moller, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US08/738,284
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 73/487, 73/66, 73/460, 301/5.21
• US Class Current: 73/487
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/02 Details of balancing machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/045 the body being a vehicle wheel

Abstract

A fixture for locking motorcycle wheels onto the shaft of balancing machines having a spindle coaxial to the shaft for supporting the wheel to be balanced, and members for making the shaft and the wheel rotationally rigid. The fixture includes a diametrical entrainment arm to be fixed to the end of the balancing shaft, and wheel clamping members provided by a body pivoted in the manner of a rocker element to each of the ends of the entrainment arm. The body having clamping members at one end, and at its opposite end a counter-weight is arranged such that, under the action of centrifugal force, the body increases its clamping action on the wheel.

Claims

1. A fixture for locking motorcycle wheels onto the shaft of balancing machines having a spindle coaxial to the shaft and provided for supporting the wheel to be balanced, and means for making said shaft and said wheel rotationally rigid, comprising:

a diametrical entrainment arm to be fixed to the end of the shaft; and

wheel clamping members each comprising a body in the manner of a rocker element pivotally attached to each of the ends of the entrainment arm, said body having clamping means at one end, and at its opposite end a counter-weight such that, under the action of centrifugal force, the body increases its clamping action on the wheel.

2. The fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body includes a rocker lever which is pivotally attached to the end of the arm and has a free end situated at the same end as said clamping means.

3. The fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein between said diametrical arm and each individual body there is interposed elastic means arranged to maintain said clamping means constantly urged into contact with the tire of said wheel.

4. The fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein for each individual body there is provided a retention device which is arranged to determine the limit of rotation of said body by the effect of elastic means, to maintain said body in a rest configuration in which the clamping means are spaced from the tire, and to allow free rotation of said body when said clamping means are engaged with said tire.

5. A balancing machine for motorcycle wheels, the balancing machine being provided with the fixture claimed in claim 1.

6. A balancing machine for motorcycle wheels, the balancing machine being provided with the fixture claimed in claim 2.

7. A balancing machine for motorcycle wheels, the balancing machine being provided with the fixture claimed in claim 3.

8. A balancing machine for motorcycle wheels, the balancing machine being provided with the fixture claimed in claim 4.