US 4,585,046 AGranted

Apparatus for truing a spoked wheel

OwnerRonald E. Buckleyinventor

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Abstract

A spoked wheel truing machine is provided with a tool that is capable of clamping the shank of each spoke nipple and rotating it an integral number of revolutions. The particular direction of rotation of the clamping tool is determined by top and bottom limit switches along with left and right limit switches. A drive motor is used to rotate the spoked wheel about its axle and is provided with an automatic brake that maintains the position of the wheel when the motor is de-energized. The clamping tool is rotated into position around the nipple's shank when a signal is received indicating that a nipple is in an operative position and the rim proximate that nipple is axially misaligned. The truing apparatus also comprises a means for supporting the spoked wheel by its central axle in a position that disposes the axle in a horizontal plane. The truing apparatus aligns the radius of the rim in a preferred reference circle and aligns the rim in a vertical plane that intersects the hub of the wheel midway between its flanges.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A spoked wheel truing machine, comprising:

means associated with the axle of said wheel for supporting said wheel, said supporting means being arranged to support said wheel with the central axis of said axle being disposed is a generally horizontal plane;
first means for rotating said wheel about said central axis of said axle;
means for temporarily preventing said wheel from rotating about said central axis when the rim of said wheel is at one of a preselected plurality of arcuate positions;
means for indicating locations of said rim at which said rim deviates from a predetermined plane perpendicular to said central axis of said axle;
second means for rotating a nipple of said wheel about the centerline of a spoke that is associated with said nipple, said second rotating means being shaped to engage the outer surface of said nipple, said second rotating means comprising two jaw pieces, said two jaw pieces being associated for relative movement, each of said two jaw pieces having a clamping surface shaped to engage said outer surface of said nipple, said second rotating means being configured to cause the clamping surface of a preselected one of said two jaw pieces to move toward the clamping surface of the other one of said two jaw pieces in response to rotation of said second rotating means, said second rotating means being rotatable in two directions of rotation;
and
means for actuating said second rotating means upon a signal from said indicating means that represents a deviation of said rim from said predetermined perpendicular plane in excess of a predetermined magnitude.

4 more elements

Apparatus for truing a spoked wheel having an axle and a plurality of spokes with each of said plurality of spokes being connected to a rim of said wheel with a nipple, said apparatus comprising:

means for supporting said wheel, said supporting means being shaped to receive said axle of said wheel with the central axis of said axle being generally horizontal;
first means for rotating said wheel about said central axis of said axle;
means for stopping said first rotating means when a preselected one of said spokes is located in an operative position;
means for determining whether said rim is disposed in a preselected vertical plane proximate said preselected one of said spokes;
second means for rotating the nipple associated with said preselected one of said spokes in a preselected rotational direction, said second rotating means being shaped to receive the outer surface of said associated nipple between two jaw pieces, said two jaw pieces being associated for relative movement, said two jaw pieces being configured to move together in a clamping motion in response to rotation of said second rotating means;
and
means for selecting said preselected rotational direction as a function of the direction of deviation of said rim from said preselected vertical plane.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.