A vehicle wheel service apparatus that includes: a frame; a plurality of working tools, connected to the frame and movable to perform operations for mounting and/or demounting the tyre relative to the wheel rim; a shaft driven by an actuator rotationally about a longitudinal axis and connectable to the rim; a measuring system for generating vibration signals representing vibrations of the shaft produced by wheel imbalances; a control unit, connected to the measuring system to receive the vibration signals; a support device, connected to the frame and movable between an activated position, where it encircles the shaft while still allowing it to rotate, and a deactivated position, where it is spaced from the shaft; a connector, movable between a working position, where it mechanically connects the measuring system to the frame, and a rest position, where the measuring system is mechanically disengaged from the frame.

The machine (1) for fitting and removing wheel tyres for vehicles comprises a bearing structure (2), an attachment and rotation arrangement (4) of the rim (C) of a wheel (R) for vehicles, a tool-holder assembly (5) movably associated with the bearing structure (2) and having at least a tool (8, 9, 10) for removing and/or fitting a tyre (P) from/onto the rim (C), an adjustment arrangement (11, 12) able to adjust the relative position between the tool-holder assembly (5) and the rim (C), to place the tool-holder assembly (5) in an optimal operating position wherein the tool (8, 9, 10) is operable to remove and/or fit a tyre (P), and a visual signaling assembly (13, 14) of said optimal position having at least an emitter (13, 14) of a light beam (L1, L2), the optimal operating position being defined when the point of incidence of the light beam (L1, L2) on the wheel (R) coincides with an external point of the edge of the rim (C).

A method is presented for fitting a tyre onto a rim or removing a tyre from a rim in a tyre fitting machine using an appropriate tool. A wheel, a tyre/rim assembly, or the rim alone is caused to rotate about an axis of rotation, and at least one operating parameter of the tyre fitting machine is continuously monitored during the rotation to determine every actual value. Change in or gradient of such actual value is automatically monitored over time and each actual value found and/or the change in the value over time is compared with corresponding predetermined threshold values. The predetermined threshold values define a range of present values and/or change in values delimiting an accepted operating range for the tyre fitting machine, and the machine is controlled to maintain each measured present value and/or change therein over time within the range of corresponding predetermined threshold values.

A portable roadside assistant device; a system which includes a tool designed to ease the process of removing and changing a tire for any user. The present invention is superior to other systems in that it effectively automatically loosens and tightens lug nuts to assist users in changing a flat tire.

A robot tool has a chassis and a wheel servicing sub-system supported on the chassis, the wheel servicing sub-system having a sub-system interface part engageable with a wheel interface part, the wheel servicing sub-system interface part engagement with the wheel interface part permitting operation of the wheel servicing sub-system to service the wheel, and a control unit on the robot tool to control operation of the wheel servicing sub-system to effect said wheel servicing. The wheel servicing sub-system is one or more of a chassis sub-system, a tool support sub-system, a fastener detaching/attaching sub-system, a fastener storage sub-system, a jacking sub-system, a wheel gripper sub-system, a tire inspection sub-system, a tire pressure sub-system, and a wheel balancing sub-system.

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.

The present invention relates to a machine for treating a tired wheel comprising a base (2), at least one column (3) which projects from the base (2), at least one tool-holder arm (4a, 4b, 4c) supported by the column (3) and at least one work tool (5a, 5b, 5c) supported by or articulated to the tool-holder arm (4a, 4b, 4c).

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.

An apparatus for use in measuring a parameter is provided that includes a pry end, a handle, and a sensor that detects a parameter imparted onto the apparatus when the handle is grasped and the pry end is between a tire and a wheel. An output member is also included that outputs the parameter received from the sensor. The handle, the sensor and the output member are part of an electronic torque wrench.

Described is a device for locking a rim of a wheel to a wheel-holder unit (4) equipped with a supporting plate (12) and a hollow rotary shaft having an end portion projecting in a cantilever fashion from the supporting plate (12), comprising: a centring cone (16) having a through hole; a clamping rod (11) having at a first end a clamping element (10) which can be inserted inside the hollow shaft to prevent a movement of the clamping rod (11) along a first axis (A) of the wheel-holder unit (4), and having at a second end a threaded portion; a clamping element (17) coupled to the threaded portion and which can be rotated for translating along an axis of the clamping rod; a centring flange (23) operatively interposed between the centring cone (16) and the clamping element (17). The first end of the clamping rod (11) is operatively inserted in a hole of the centring flange (23), with the same direction as that in which centring rods (23b) of the centring flange project, and in the hole of the centring cone (16), with the opposite direction to that along which the centring cone (16) is tapered.