Tire uniformity testing system

A load wheel carriage assembly, comprising:

• a) a pair of spaced apart vertical supports;
• b) upper and lower, vertically spaced apart cross pieces supported by said vertical supports;
• c) upper and lower load cells mounted to said upper and lower cross pieces, respectively, between which a load wheel is rotatably supported;
• d) said load wheel having a rolling surface which engages a periphery of a tire to be tested when said carriage assembly is moved into a tire testing position;
• e) said load wheel including a portion nested between said vertical columns and an upper radial side of the load wheel located in an upper plane and a lower radial side located in a lower plane;
• f) at least one actuator for moving said carriage towards and away from said tire testing position, said actuator located above or below said upper and lower planes of said load wheel.

A load wheel carriage assembly, comprising:

• a) a pair of spaced apart vertical supports;
• b) upper and lower, vertically spaced apart cross pieces supported by said vertical supports;
• c) upper and lower load cells mounted to said upper and lower cross pieces, respectively, between which a load wheel is rotatably supported;
• d) said load wheel having a rolling surface which engages a periphery of a tire to be tested when said carriage assembly is moved into a tire testing position;
• e) said load wheel including a portion nested between said vertical columns and an upper radial side of the load wheel located in an upper plane and a lower radial side located in a lower plane;
• f) at least one actuator for moving said carriage towards and away from said tire testing position, said actuator located and configured such that said actuator does not extend substantially outside an outer footprint plane defined by said vertical supports when said load wheel is moved towards and away from said tire testing station.

A tire uniformity testing machine, comprising:

• a) a base;
• b) an upper cross frame member spaced above said base;
• c) a pair of spaced apart vertical columns extending upwardly from another end of said base;
• d) said base defining a tire testing position at which a tire to be tested is rotatably mounted;
• e) an upper chuck assembly movable towards and away from said tire testing position, said upper cross frame member including clearance openings which enable at least a portion of said upper chuck assembly to be received within said upper cross frame member when said upper chuck assembly is retracted;
• f) a super structure secured to the top of said upper cross frame member at least partially supporting an actuator for moving said upper chuck assembly towards and away from said tire testing position.

A load wheel carriage assembly, comprising:

• a) a pair of spaced apart vertical supports;
• b) upper and lower, vertically spaced apart cross pieces supported by said vertical supports;
• c) upper and lower load cells mounted to said upper and lower cross pieces, respectively, between which a load wheel is rotatably supported;
• d) said load wheel having a rolling surface which engages a periphery of a tire to be tested when said carriage assembly is moved into a tire testing position;
• e) said load wheel including a portion nested between said vertical columns and an upper radial side of the load wheel located in an upper plane and a lower radial side located in a lower plane;
• f) at least one actuator for moving said carriage towards and away from said tire testing position, said actuator located above or below said upper and lower planes of said load wheel;
• g) said carriage assembly engaging a track way mounted to said base, said track way supporting linear motion of said carriage towards and away from said tire testing position;
• h) a linkage arrangement coupling said spaced apart vertical supports to said track way, whereby a bending moment in said vertical supports generated during a tire testing cycle is resisted by said linkage.