| 摘要 |
An improved power column latch for an upper bead breaker mechanism that is adapted to restrain the upper bead breaker in desired location on the power column when the power column is drawn down to break a tire's bead away from a wheel's rim on a tire changer machine. The upper bead breaker mechanism includes a collar, the collar being telescoped over and slidable relative to the substantially vertically oriented power column. The improved latch is characterized by a doughnut-shaped element that surrounds the power column, the element having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the power column. The doughnut-shaped element is pivotally mounted on its outer periphery, to the upper bead breaker mechanism beneath the collar. This allows the doughnut-shaped element to fall by gravity into latching engagement with the power column, thereby precluding upward movement of the upper bead breaker on the power column as the power column is drawn downwardly when breaking a bead. This also allows the doughnut-shaped element to be easily lifted out of latching engagement with the power column by an operator, thereby permitting the upper bead breaker to be manually positioned on the power column as desired by the operator and as dependent on the width of the tire being changed.
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