THRUST-APPLYING MECHANISM FOR TIRE CHANGING APPARATUS

摘要

In that type of apparatus for mounting the largest sizes of pneumatic tires on drop-center wheels, where thrust is applied slantingly to drive one of the tire beads into the drop-center of the wheel preparatory to use of contra-rotating bead deflectors, the present invention provides for applying and manipulating such thrust forces with exceptional ease. Two hydraulic struts of equal size are mounted in a vertical plane, with their pistons extending to fittings on a common lateral shaft. The fitting of one actuator is a clevis which surrounds the fitting of the first. Their remote ends are spaced vertically, so that the thrust at the shaft is reacted truss-like by the triangulated cylinders. On the lateral shaft is mounted a thrust shoe, whose angle may be fixed perpendicular to either actuator; or it may be varied relative to one of the actuators by a hydraulic motor. By varying the length of the extension of the actuators, the shoe is moved at any chosen direction in the vertical plane. Using the hydraulic motor to vary the angle of the thrust shoe affords to the operator a new manipulative control over the thrust force.