Wheel balancing instrument

An instrument for indicating the balance condition of a centrally apertured wheel;

• said instrument being adapted to be pendently suspended from an elevated support and being adapted to carry said wheel in a generally horizontal orientation;
• said instrument comprising:
• wheel support means having a generally circularly symmetric upwardly facing surface for generally concentrically engaging a bottom side of said wheel;
• the top surface of said wheel support means being formed by a generally planar member having a plurality of radially directed elongated apertures therethrough;
• and elongated generally tubular member extending upwardly fixedly and concentrically from said surface for passage through the center of said wheel;
• a flexible line means for passage through said generally tubular member;
• said line means having an upper end for connection to said elevated support;
• means carried by the center of said wheel support means for engaging a lower end of said line means;
• centrally apertured upwardly converging means for engaging the center of said wheel;
• said wheel center engaging means being carried concentrically by said wheel support means for vertical movement along said tubular member;
• said wheel center engaging means comprising a plurality of vertically and radially oriented angularly spaced apart triangular blades which are slideable respectively through said plurality of apertures;
• said wheel support means having a generally circular elongated portion projecting downward fixedly from said generally planar member coaxially with said tubular member;
• spring means disposed about said portion and acting against said wheel center engaging means for urging said center engaging means upward;
• said portion having a plurality of longitudinally directed angularly spaced apart slots formed therein respectively in line with said radially elongated apertures;
• said plurality of blades extending radially inward for sliding movement in said slots;
• wherein a condition of concentricity between said line means and an upper end of said tubular member indicates a condition of balance of said wheel.