Method and Apparatus For Mounting a Tire
OwnerWilliam Manning Reeves Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for mounting a tire onto a wheel rim are provided. The wheel rim has an inside bead seat and an outside bead seat for receipt of an inside bead and an outside bead of the tire respectively. The wheel rim may also have a seat for receipt of a support ring. Seating of the bead rings of the tire into the bead seats is provided. When a support ring is desired and the wheel rim has a seat for receipt of the support ring, seating of the support ring as well as the tire onto the wheel rim is also provided. In certain embodiments, substantially simultaneous mounting of the inside and outside beads of the tire is provided by rollers that press these beads towards one another and onto the respective bead seats of the wheel rim.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A method of mounting a tire onto a wheel rim, the tire having an inside bead and an outside bead, the wheel rim defining axial and radial directions, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing the tire over the rim such that the inside bead is located at an intermediate position around the rim and the outside bead is located axially outside of the rim;
- rotating the rim;
- moving the inside bead to a position axially outside of the rim during said step of rotating the rim;
- and
- pressing the inside bead and the outside bead of the tire axially towards each other while moving the rim radially so as to urge the inside and outside bead into respective mounted positions on the rim.
An apparatus for mounting a tire onto a wheel rim, the tire having an inside bead and an outside bead, the rim having an inside bead seat and an outside bead seat, the apparatus comprising:
- a slide that is selectively movable between a first and second position;
- a pedestal attached to said slide, said pedestal including a hub for the receipt of the rim, said hub defining axial and radial directions, said hub capable of being rotated about the axial direction;
- an actuator attached to said slide, said actuator including an inside bead receiving element configured for receipt of the inside bead, said actuator configured with a cam that defines the radial position of said inside bead receiving element as said actuator is caused to move in the axial direction;
- a rim press attached to said slide, said rim press including a shaft configured for rotation about the axial direction, said shaft being movable in the axial direction so as to selectively secure the rim between said shaft and said hub;
- and
- a plurality of upper and lower bead rollers located proximate to the second position, said bead rollers being movable along the axial direction towards or away from the tire when in position on said hub, said bead rollers being configured for pressing the inside and outside bead rings into the inside and the bead seats respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.