A tire changing machine of the present disclosure may comprises a chassis base, a rotatable wheel holder, a tower, and an arm. A linear actuator is attached to the tower via a pivoting arm assembly. The linear actuator includes an implement on a lower end of the linear actuator. The arm includes an elongate portion, a coupler, first and second ends, first and second halves, and first and second claws. The coupler is located at a central portion of the elongate portion and is operable to couple the arm to the implement of the linear actuator. The first and second claw are operable to engage a tread portion of a tire.

Systems, methods and apparatus for automated vehicle wheel removal and replacement are provided. One system includes a computer system with applications for scheduling the replacement of tires for the vehicle. An electronically controlled lift device and robotic apparatus is configured for interaction with the computer system. The lift device mechanically adjusts arms for placement on lift points of vehicles. The robotic apparatus detects positioning of lug nut configuration for a wheel, removes lug nuts, and then removes the wheel from the wheel hub with gripping arms. The wheel and tire are then handed off to a separate tire changing machine. When a new tire is replaced the robotic apparatus then mounts the wheel to the original wheel hub, and then secures the lug nuts to the lug nut bolts.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for attaching or detaching a commercial vehicle tire hub drum. According to the present invention, the apparatus for attaching or detaching a commercial vehicle tire hub drum may comprise: a main body frame 100 having traveling wheels 110 mounted on a lower part thereof; a holding means 200 formed so as to face forward from the main body frame 100 for holding upright a circular load mounted on a commercial vehicle; an attachment/detachment means 300 for executing an attachment/detachment operation of the load from above the holding means 200; and a position adjustment device 400 coupled to the main body frame 100 to adjust the position of the holding means 200 and the attachment/detachment means 300. Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus for attaching or detaching a commercial vehicle tire hub drum, which, by using a hydraulic device providing a hydraulic driving force, can conveniently attach or detach a load of various sizes to a vehicle from a fixed position while simultaneously adjusting the vertical position of a load-holding means.

Systems, methods and apparatus for automated vehicle wheel removal and replacement are provided. One system includes a computer system with applications for scheduling the replacement of tires for the vehicle. An electronically controlled lift device and robotic apparatus is configured for interaction with the computer system. The lift device mechanically adjusts arms for placement on lift points of vehicles. The robotic apparatus detects positioning of lug nut configuration for a wheel, removes lug nuts, and then removes the wheel from the wheel hub with gripping arms. The wheel and tire are then handed off to a separate tire changing machine. When a new tire is replaced the robotic apparatus then mounts the wheel to the original wheel hub, and then secures the lug nuts to the lug nut bolts.

A tire changer apparatus includes: a base, a wheel-holder configured to rotate a wheel around a rotation axis, a first and second column emerging from the base, a first device having an extensible arm carrying a tool, a second device having a respective extensible arm carrying a tool opposite the tool of the first device with respect to an ideal middle plane of the apparatus. The tire changer apparatus further includes: a first and a second bar respectively connecting the arms of the first and second devices, a transmission which connects the first and the second bar to synchronize the movement of the arms of the first and second devices.

A bead exerciser system for an automated wheel assembly may include a center lift configured to lift a wheel assembly off of a conveyor belt, a drum roller configured to rotate the wheel assembly, a pair of pinch rollers driven by a driver and configured to apply force to a tire of the wheel assembly, a force sensor configured to detect a force of the tire against the pinch rollers, and a controller configured to receive the force from the force sensor and generate a command for an alert in response to the force falling outside of a predefined threshold range.

An autonomous traverse tire changing bot includes a carriage having a carriage frame with a carriage drive section effecting autonomous traverse of the carriage, along a traverse path, relative to a traverse surface or a floor on which the bot rests, and a bot frame including at least one actuator mounted to the carriage and a bot drive section with a motor defining an actuator degree of freedom, wherein the at least one actuator has an end effector having a tire engagement tool disposed so that articulation of the at least one actuator with the actuator degree of freedom effects engagement contact of the tire engagement tool and a tire mounted on a vehicle, and a controller effects traverse of the bot along the traverse path effecting dynamic positioning of the at least one actuator relative to a variable position of the vehicle with the tire mounted thereon.

Methods, Apparatus, and Articles of Manufacture are disclosed for determining a tread depth status of a tire of a vehicle, including an accelerometer interface to access acceleration data from an accelerometer associated with the tire, the acceleration data including first acceleration data indicative of acceleration in a first direction, second acceleration data indicative of acceleration in a second direction, and third acceleration data indicative of acceleration in a third direction, and a data segmenter to segment the first acceleration data into a first data segment, the second acceleration data into a second data segment, and the third acceleration data into a third data segment based on at least one of an acceleration cycle or a common time interval.

A jaw (1) for clamping a wheel rim comprises a body (2) extending along a longitudinal orientation (L). The body (2) includes: a connecting portion (22) configured to be connected to the head of the wheel-holder unit; a base portion (21) extending along the longitudinal orientation (L); a first abutment wall (23) extending from the base portion (21) along a clamping orientation (R); a second abutment wall (24) extending from the base portion (21) along the clamping orientation (R) in a spacing-apart direction (VA) and longitudinally spaced from the first abutment wall (23) by a working distance (DL); an abutment surface (251), longitudinally interposed between the first abutment surface (23) and the second abutment surface (24) and including a first portion (251A) and a second portion (251B, 251C), disposed at an advanced position relative to the first portion (251A) in the spacing-apart direction (VA) of the clamping orientation (R) to come into contact with the wheel rim. The second portion is spaced from the first abutment wall (23) along the longitudinal orientation (L) by a first abutment distance (D1), greater than 30% of the working distance (DL).

A hub chuck, includes a clamping center shaft, a top cover plate, a middle step gear and a tapered bottom plate. In a three-layer structure of the cover plate, the step gear and the tapered bottom plate of the chuck, the maximum outer ring diameter of the cover plate is smaller than that of the step gear, the minimum outer ring diameter of the step gear is smaller than that of the tapered bottom plate, the lower part of the step gear and the upper surface of the tapered bottom plate form a ring groove, a lower rim of a hub can be caught in the ring groove, and tapered teeth at the upper part of the step gear can be pressed to an inner wheel lip.