Apparatus and method for mounting tires on split wheels
AssigneeTheuber Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorDavid M. Theuber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method are provided for mounting tires on divided or split wheels. Tension members are guided by a guide body through holes of the wheels to pull the two halves of the wheel together after a tire has been put in place between the halves. Lug bolts to hold the wheel segments together are placed in cavities in the guide body and protrude to hold the bolts in position for affixing nuts and to prevent paint damage on the surface of wheels.
Claims12
Apparatus for mounting a tire on a split wheel, the split wheel having two segments, each segment having a first and a second set of holes therein, comprising:
- a support;
- a plurality of tension members adapted to pass through the first set of holes of each segment of the split wheel in a first direction and being adapted to receive removable means for stopping movement of the tension members through the first set of holes in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction;
- removable means adapted to stop movement of the tension members through the first set of holes when affixed to the tension members;
- means for supplying tension to the tension members;
- and
- a guide body, the guide body having an upper surface and a plurality of cavities contiguous with the upper surface adapted to receive lug bolts, the lug bolts having heads and the cavities being in a pattern on the upper surface adapted to match the second set of holes in the two segments of the split wheel, and the guide body further having a pattern of holes adapted to guide the tension members through the first set of holes in the split wheel, so as to draw the two segments of the wheel into into juxtaposition when tension is applied to the tension members with the tire positioned between the two segments of the split wheel being mounted.
A method for mounting tires on a split wheel comprising the steps of:
- placing lug bolts in cavities of a guide body, the lug bolts being in a pattern adapted to place the lug bolts through a set of holes of the split wheel;
- placing a half of the split wheel on the guide body, the guide body having tension members protruding therefrom in a pattern adapted to match the hole pattern of a set of holes of the split wheel;
- placing a tire to be mounted on the half of the split wheel;
- placing a second half of the split wheel on the tire;
- placing on the tension members means for stopping movement of the members through the machine holes;
- activating movement of tension members so as to place the halves of the split wheel in juxtaposition;
- and
- affixing the halves of the split wheel together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.