Tire buffing machine system

A tire buffing machine for reducing the loaded radial runout of an inflated pneumatic tire comprising:

• a support frame;
• tire mounting means on said support frame for mounting and rotating the tire about an effective tire rotational axis;
• tire loading means including a tire loading drum, and drum support means on said support frame rotatably mounting said tire loading drum about a drum rotational axis generally parallel to said effective tire rotational axis and for selectively moving said drum rotation axis toward and away from the tire tread to cause said tire loading drum to selectively radially load the tire at a first prescribed circumferential position through the tire tread, said drum support means including a drum support arm assembly pivotally mounted on said support frame about a drum arm pivot axis, said drum support arm assembly having an effective drum arm length between said drum rotational axis and said drum arm pivot axis greater than the radius of the tire tread, said drum arm pivot axis located so that the longitudinal centerline of said drum support arm assembly is generally normal to the radius of the tire tread at said first circumferential position when said loading drum is radially loading the tire tread at said first circumferential position;
• and,
• tread removal means on said support frame movable to and from engagement with the tire tread, said tread removal means capable of removing a portion of the tire tread when in engagement with the tire tread, said tread removal means including buffer member means for selectively grinding away portions of the tire tread, and buffer support means on said support frame rotatably mounting said buffer member means about a buffer rotational axis generally parallel to said effective tire rotational axis and for selectively moving said buffer rotational axis toward and away from the tire tread to cause said buffer member means to selectively engage the tread of the tire at a second prescribed circumferential position angularly displaced from said first circumferential position, said buffer support means including a buffer support arm assembly pivotally mounted on said support frame about a buffer arm pivot axis, said buffer support arm assembly having an effective buffer arm length between said buffer rotational axis and said buffer arm pivot axis greater than the radius of the tire tread, said buffer arm pivot axis located so that the longitudinal centerline of said buffer support arm assembly is generally normal to the radius of the tire tread at said second circumferential position when said buffer member means is engaging the tire tread at said second circumferential position so that different size tires may be buffed without machine adjustment.

A tire correction system for use on a tire assembly having an inflated pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicular wheel rim with an effective rotational axis, said system comprising:

• a tire buffing machine for reducing the loaded radial runout of the tire assembly, said buffing machine including a buffer drive spindle rotatable about a buffer spindle axis and buffer drive key means fixedly mounted on and rotatable with said buffer drive spindle;
• a tire balancing machine for balancing the tire assembly, said balancing machine including a balancer drive spindle rotatable about a balancer spindle axis and balancer drive key means fixedly mounted on and rotatable with said balancer drive spindle;
• and
• a tire assembly mounting adapter having an adapter central axis for fixedly yet removably mounting the tire assembly thereon so that the effective axis of rotation of the tire assembly coincides with the adapter central axis, said adapter including drive means for engaging the tire assembly while the tire assembly is mounted on said adapter for maintaining a fixed rotational position of the tire assembly relative to said adapter, said adapter defining a spindle receiving passage therethrough concentric about said adapter central axis so that said buffer drive spindle and said balancer drive spindle are alternatively slidably receivable therethrough to alternatively removably mount said adapter with the tire assembly thereon on said buffing machine with the adapter central axis coinciding with said buffer spindle axis and on said balancing machine with the adapter central axis coinciding with said balancer spindle axis, and said adapter including key engaging means for alternatively engaging said buffer drive key means when said adapter is mounted on said buffer drive spindle for maintaining a fixed rotational position between said adapter and said buffer drive spindle and said balancer drive key means when said adapter is mounted on said balancer drive spindle for maintaining a fixed rotational position between said adapter and said balancer drive spindle.

A tire correction system for use on a tire assembly having an inflated pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicular wheel rim with an effective rotational axis, said system comprising:

• a tire buffing machine for reducing the loaded radial runout of the tire assembly, said buffing machine including a buffer drive spindle rotatable about a buffer spindle axis;
• a tire balancing machine for balancing the tire assembly, said balancing machine including a balancer drive spindle rotatable about a balancer spindle axis;
• and,
• a tire assembly mounting adapter having an adapter central axis for fixedly yet removably mounting the tire assembly thereon so that the effective axis of rotation of the tire assembly coincides with the adapter central axis, said adapter including drive means for engaging the tire assembly while the tire assembly is mounted on said adapter for maintaining a fixed rotational position of the tire assembly relative to said adapter, said adapter including spindle mounting means for alternatively and removably mounting said adapter with the tire assembly thereon on said buffing machine drive spindle so that the adapter central axis coincides with said buffer spindle axis and on said balancing machine drive spindle axis so that the adapter central axis coincides with said balancer spindle axis without removing the tire assembly from said adapter, and said adapter including interlocking means for positively maintaining a fixed rotational position between said adapter and said buffer drive spindle when said adapter is mounted on said buffer drive spindle and for positively maintaining a fixed rotational position between said adapter and said balancer drive spindle when said adapter is mounted on said balancer drive spindle.