Self-centering wheel clamp with no wheel contact

A wheel clamp for attaching to a vehicle wheel for performing a wheel alignment on the vehicle, the wheel comprising a tire and a rim, the wheel clamp comprising:

• a clamp body;
• three elongated arms, each arm having a proximal end pivotally mounted to the clamp body such that the arm extends outward from the clamp body, each arm having a distal end with a gripping portion for gripping a tread surface of the vehicle tire and a sidewall contact portion for contacting a sidewall of the tire when the gripping portion is gripping the tire tread surface;
• and
• a self-centering mechanism comprising an arm gear attached to the proximal end of each of the arms coaxial with the pivot point of each respective arm, and a central connecting gear engaged with all the arm gears for synchronizing the movement of each arm with respect to the other arms, such that when any of the gears are rotated, all the arms simultaneously proportionally pivot relative to the clamp body;
• wherein the self-centering mechanism is for moving the arms such that the gripping portions of the arms engage and grip the tire tread surface and tighten the clamp onto the tire, while the sidewall contact portions of the arms contact the tire sidewall;
• and
• wherein the arms are for spacing the wheel clamp away from the wheel rim when the gripping portions are gripping the tire tread surface and the sidewall contact portions are contacting the tire sidewall, such that the clamp body is substantially parallel to the vehicle wheel and the wheel clamp has no contact with the rim.

A wheel clamp for attaching to a vehicle wheel for performing a wheel alignment on the vehicle, the wheel comprising a tire and a rim, the wheel clamp comprising:

• a clamp body for supporting an apparatus used in performing the wheel alignment;
• three extendable arms, each slidably mounted to the clamp body such that they extend outward radially from a central point, each extendable arm having a gripping portion for gripping a tread surface of the vehicle tire and a sidewall contact portion for contacting a sidewall of the tire when the gripping portion is gripping the tire tread surface;
• and
• a linkage mechanism comprising a plurality of gears rotatably mounted to the clamp body and engaged with each other, and a plurality of link arms, each link arm movably connecting one of the extendable arms to one of the gears such that when the gears are rotated, the extendable arms simultaneously slide relative to the clamp body;
• wherein the linkage mechanism is for moving the extendable arms such that the gripping portions of the extendable arms engage and grip the tire tread surface and tighten the clamp onto the tire, while the sidewall contact portions of the extendable arms contact the tire sidewall;
• and
• wherein the extendable arms are for spacing the wheel clamp away from the wheel rim when the gripping portions are gripping the tire tread surface and the sidewall contact portions are contacting the tire sidewall, such that the clamp body is substantially parallel to the vehicle wheel and the wheel clamp has no contact with the rim.