Tire jack and trolley

An apparatus for retaining and moving an automobile tire having forward and rearward end portions and generally circular interior and exterior lateral surfaces, the apparatus comprising a pair of tire engagement roller assemblies for mounting the tire thereon and an actuator assembly coupled to the roller assemblies for effecting relative movement thereof towards a mounting arrangement, wherein:

• each said roller assembly comprises a movable base frame and a tire engaging roller rotatably coupled to the base frame along a generally horizontal rotational axis, the roller comprising first and second axial ends and an outer peripheral surface longitudinally extending between the first and second axial ends for at least partially contacting the tire, wherein the base frame is for positioning on the ground for slidable movement thereon, and wherein the respective rollers of the roller assemblies are oriented generally parallel to each other to define an inward space therebetween,
• wherein the respective base frames of the roller assemblies are movable on the ground to position the respective rollers proximal to or to contact an associated one of the forward and rearward end portions of the tire, whereby the first axial ends of the rollers are proximal to the exterior lateral surface, and the tire is located in the inward space interposed between the rollers, wherein the actuator assembly is operable to effect the slidable movement of one or both of the base frames inwardly towards each other to thereby mount the tire on the respective rollers in the mounting arrangement, and
• wherein the tire engagement roller assembly further comprises a plurality of casters secured to the base frame for effecting the slidable movement thereof on the ground, and wherein the tire engaging roller comprises a pair of axially disposed tire stop radial flanges each extending outwardly from the outer peripheral surface to impede lateral movement of the automobile tire off the roller.

A process for attaching an automobile tire to an automobile, the automobile having a wheel hub provided with a lateral wheel contact surface and a plurality of wheel studs extending laterally outwardly from the surface, and the tire having forward and rearward end portions and generally circular interior and exterior lateral surfaces, wherein the tire defines a plurality of wheel stud holes for receiving the associated wheel studs therethrough, and wherein the process comprises:

• providing an apparatus for retaining and moving the tire, and the tire on the ground, the apparatus comprising a pair of tire engagement roller assemblies for mounting the tire thereon and a lever actuator assembly coupled to the roller assemblies for effecting relative movement thereof towards a mounting arrangement, wherein:
• each said roller assembly comprises a movable base frame and a tire engaging roller rotatably coupled to the base frame along a generally horizontal rotational axis, the roller comprising first and second axial ends and an outer peripheral surface longitudinally extending between the first and second axial ends for at least partially contacting the tire, wherein the base frame is for positioning on the ground for slidable movement thereon, and wherein the respective rollers of the roller assemblies are oriented generally parallel to each other to define an inward space therebetween, and
• the lever actuator assembly comprises a lever arm, a link arm pivotally coupled to the lever arm, and a retention bar for selectively holding the lever arm and the link arm in the mounting arrangement, wherein the lever arm comprises first and second longitudinal lever end portions, and the link arm comprises first and second longitudinal link end portions, each said first lever and link end portions being pivotally coupled to an associated one of the roller assemblies proximal to the first axial end of the respective roller for pivoting movement along a pivoting axis oriented generally parallel to the horizontal rotational axis, and the second link end portion being pivotally coupled to the lever arm at a linking location between the first and second lever end portions,
• wherein the respective base frames of the roller assemblies are movable on the ground to position the respective rollers proximal to or to contact an associated one of the forward and rearward end portions of the tire, whereby the first axial ends of the rollers are proximal to the exterior lateral surface, and the tire is located in the inward space interposed between the rollers, wherein pivoting movement of the lever arm about the second lever end portion towards a generally upright orientation effects the slidable movement of one or both of the base frames inwardly towards each other to thereby mount the tire on the respective rollers in the mounting arrangement;
• moving the respective base frames of the roller assemblies on the ground to position the respective rollers proximal to or to contact an associated one of the forward and rearward end portions of the tire, whereby the first axial ends of the rollers are proximal to the exterior lateral surface, and the tire is located in the inward space between the rollers;
• pivoting the lever arm about the second lever end portion towards the generally upright orientation to effect the slidable movement of one or both of the base frames inwardly towards each other, thereby wedgingly displacing the tire located in the inward space upwardly from the ground onto the respective rollers;
• moving the apparatus and the tire mounted on the rollers adjacent to the automobile and proximal to the wheel hub, and rotating the tire on the rollers to align the wheel stud holes of the tire with the wheel studs of the automobile;
• and
• further moving the apparatus and the tire mounted on the rollers to receive the wheel studs through the wheel stud holes, and to at least partially contact the interior lateral surface of the tire with the wheel contact surface of the wheel hub, and threadably engaging lug nuts to the wheel studs to thereby secure the tire to the automobile.