Apparatus for machining vehicle wheel bead seats

An apparatus adapted to releasably clamp an annular clamping flange formed upon an end of a wheel component to a lathe spindle, the clamping flange adjacent to and extending axially from a tire bead seat portion of the wheel component, the apparatus comprising:

• a support structure adapted to be secured to a lathe spindle;
• a circular support ring mounted upon said support structure, said support ring being movable in an axial direction relative to said support structure;
• a plurality of part rests mounted upon said support ring;
• and
• a plurality of rigid arms movably mounted upon said support structure, each of said arms corresponding to one of said part rests, said arms being movable between a first and a second position, each of said arms having a first and a second end with said second end adapted to clamp the clamping flange formed on the end of the wheel component against said corresponding part rest when said arms are in said second position whereby a tire bead seat portion of the wheel component which is adjacent to the clamping flange is exposed for a turning operation.