Abstract: A method and apparatus for seating a tire bead in the bead seat of a wheel includes the basic steps of: engaging the wheel and generating reciprocating movement of the wheel along the axis of rotation to fully seat the tire bead on the wheel. The method and apparatus further involves the step of rotating the tire and wheel about the wheel's axis of rotation while generating the reciprocating movement, as well as the step of applying pressure to the side walls of the tire while generating the reciprocating movement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for seating a tire bead in the bead seat of a wheel includes the basic steps of: engaging the wheel and generating reciprocating movement of the wheel along the axis of rotation to fully seat the tire bead on the wheel. The method and apparatus further involves the step of rotating the tire and wheel about the wheel's axis of rotation while generating the reciprocating movement, as well as the step of applying pressure to the side walls of the tire while generating the reciprocating movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for inflating a wheel-mounted tire on a high production basis comprises a platen supported on a frame beneath an inflation head on which the wheel-mounted tire is received. The platen has internal air passages opening opposite a fixed support plate of the frame through which pressurized air is directed to selectively float the platen above the support plate to facilitate near-frictionless horizontal movement of the platen in all radial directions. A centering device locates the wheel-mounted tire precisely in line with the inflation head after which the air is discontinued to lower the platen back onto the support plate. The inflation head is then operated to inflate the tire. The platen is refloated and centered in a home position by a platen centering device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining camber and caster of a vehicle wheel in which the camber angle is determined in a manner that accounts for the influence of any existing toe angle. This is accomplished by detecting the displacement of one or more points located fore or aft of the wheel's vertical measurement plane and then making a correction to these displacements to account for influence of the toe angle. The apparatus includes a laser that projects shaped light onto the sidewall of the tire at a location offset from the normal upper measurement position. The shaped light illuminates an offset measurement point on the tire sidewall and an optical sensor detects the reflected image. A computer then determines the location of the measurement point within the two-dimensional image space of the optical sensor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the caster angle and the steering angle inclination of a steerable wheel on a vehicle. The wheel is supported on a member which has freedom of motion along the fore-and-aft and transverse axes of the vehicle and freedom of rotation about a mutually perpendicular rotation axis. When the wheel is turned both right and left to a given steering angle from the straight ahead direction, a rotary encoder measures the steering angle and an X-axis encoder and a Y-axis encoder measure the linear displacement along the transverse and fore-and-aft axes, respectively. These measurement values, along with known values of axle height and wheel camber angle, as well as the automobile manufacturer's design dimensions of caster offset and steering axis inclination offset, are supplied to a computer which calculates the caster angle or the steering angle inclination, or both, in accordance with a functional relationship of the measured values and known values.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the caster angle and the steering angle inclination of a steerable wheel on a vehicle. The wheel is supported on a member which has freedom of motion along the fore-and-aft and transverse axes of the vehicle and freedom of rotation about a mutually perpendicular rotation axis. When the wheel is turned both right and left to a given steering angle from the straight ahead direction, a rotary encoder measures the steering angle and an X-axis encoder and a Y-axis encoder measure the linear displacement along the transverse and fore-and-aft axes, respectively. These measurement values, along with known values of axle height and wheel camber angle, are supplied to a computer which calculates the caster angle or the steering angle inclination, or both, in accordance with a functional relationship of the measured values and known values.

Abstract: A brake filling apparatus uses nitrogen or dry air as a desiccant to assure freedom from moisture in brake fluid supplied from a supply tank as well as at the filling location. A main fluid tank has a vacuum over the fluid to deaerate the fluid and has a pump submerged in the fluid to deliver fluid to the brake system. The pump is driven by a submerged motor which is driven by pressurized brake fluid. The brake system is evacuated, the low pressure is monitored for a test interval for leak detection, the system is filled by the pump and excess fluid is returned to the main tank and is replaced by the nitrogen or dry air.

Abstract: Toe adjustment apparatus for an alignment machine includes wheel position and body height sensors for providing input to a controller, and a power wrench carried by an adjustment mechanism for engaging and adjusting the vehicle tie rod under control of the controller. Power operated multi-axis actuators approximately align and couple the wrench head with the tie rod and multi-axis passive adjustments perfect registration of the head on the tie rod. The wrench head includes an open end socket configured to mate with a jam nut at one end and a tie rod hex portion at the other end so that both elements are selectively engaged by lateral shifting along the rod from one to the other for turning the jam nut and the rod as required for proper toe set. An encoder on the wrench produces pulses representing rotation increments and thus wheel adjustment increments.