System and method for processing a tire-wheel assembly
AssigneeAndroid Industries LLC
InventorsLawrence J. Lawson, Barry A. Clark, Robert Reece, Joshua J. Hicks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for processing a tire and a wheel for forming a tire wheel assembly is disclosed. The apparatus includes a tire support member including a first tire support member, a second tire support member and a third tire support member. Each of the first, second and third tire support members include an upper surface and a lower surface. The apparatus includes a plurality of tire engaging devices including a first tire tread engaging post and a second tire tread engaging post. A method for processing a tire and a wheel for forming a tire wheel assembly is also disclosed.
Claims13
A method for processing a tire and a wheel for forming a tire wheel assembly, comprising the steps of:
- partially arranging the wheel within a passage of the tire such that one or both of an upper bead of the tire and a lower bead of the tire is/are not entirely arranged about a circumference of the wheel;
- moving the wheel through a first gap formed by an apparatus;
- and
- utilizing the movement of the wheel to impart corresponding movement of the tire through a second gap formed by a first tire engaging post and a second tire engaging post of the apparatus for
- contacting the tire with the tire engaging posts, causing one or both of a substantially circular, upper tire opening and a substantially circular, lower tire opening that form the passage of the tire to be manipulated to have a substantially non-circular form to permit both of the upper bead of the tire and the lower bead of the tire to be arranged about the circumference of the wheel;
- and wherein the first tire engaging post and second tire engaging post are fixed relative to one another to render the second gap as having a non-variable geometry.
A method for processing a tire and a wheel for forming a tire wheel assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing an apparatus including a tire support member that includes a first tire support member, a second tire support member and a third tire support member;
- arranging the tire adjacent a tire tread engaging surface of a tire tread engaging post, wherein the tire tread engaging post is connected to an upper surface of the first tire support member;
- partially arranging the wheel within a passage of the tire such that one or both of an upper bead of the tire and a lower bead of the tire is/are not entirely arranged about a circumference of the wheel;
- moving the wheel through a first gap formed by the apparatus;
- and
- utilizing the movement of the wheel to impart corresponding movement the tire through a second gap formed by a first tire engaging post and a second tire engaging post of the apparatus for
- contacting the tire with the tire engaging posts, causing one or both of a substantially circular, upper tire opening and a substantially circular, lower tire opening that form the passage of the tire to be manipulated to have a substantially non-circular form to permit both of the upper bead of the tire and the lower bead of the tire to be arranged about the circumference of the wheel;
- and wherein the second tire support member and third tire support member form the first gap, wherein the second tire support member and third tire support member are fixed relative to one another to render the first gap as having a non-variable geometry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.