Abstract: A tire testing machine is for testing a tire, comprising a free roller section configured to include a plurality of rollers having an endmost roller disposed downstream of a lubricator in a conveying direction and farthest from a predetermined reference position, the endmost roller being disposed such that a horizontal distance from the reference position is equal to or greater than a radius of a largest of a plurality of tires set in advance as objects of application of a lubricant.

Abstract: A rim replacing mechanism includes a pressing member including a spring and a body having a pressing surface applying downward pressing force to an upper surface of an upper rim, and an actuator configured to vertically displace the body within a range including an upper position and a lower position. As to the lower position, the body is configured to shift downward toward the lower position while the pressing surface of the body is applying the downward pressing force to the upper surface of the upper rim, to dispose the upper surface of the upper rim to be separated downward from a lower surface of an upper spindle. The spring is configured to apply downward pressing force to the body disposed at the lower position.

Abstract: A rim size management method for a tire testing machine includes: a registration step of registering a rim size of each of rims mounted on a rim table in association with a corresponding one of mounting positions on the rim table; a measurement step of actually measuring, with use of a rim measurement mechanism, a size at an outer circumferential edge of at least a first rim mounted at a first mounting position among the plurality of mounting positions; a determination step of determining whether or not the size thus measured at the outer circumferential edge of the first rim corresponds to a registered rim size as the rim size thus registered; and an avoidance step of executing avoidance operation of avoiding contact between the rim and the pair of conveyors when the size at the outer circumferential edge is determined as not corresponding to the registered rim size.

Abstract: Provided is a tire testing machine allowing rim replacement work to be performed easily and safely without requiring a large overall device length. The tire testing machine includes: a rim table allowing a plurality of rims to be placed thereon; a pair of left and right conveyors that convey a tire having been subjected to a tire test and removed from a rim downstream; and a rim replacement mechanism allowing a replacement target rim selected from the rims placed on the rim table to be replaced with another rim. The rim table is rotatable about a vertical axis at a position below the pair of conveyors, and the rims are placed at respective positions arranged in the rotation circumferential direction thereof. The rim replacing mechanism includes a rotational drive mechanism that rotates the rim table to move the replacement target rim to a replacement position.

Abstract: The present invention includes a belt conveyor (14) including a conveyance belt configured to convey downstream a tire (T) having been subjected to a tire test and detached from a spindle unit (9), the conveyance belt which is a loop-shaped strip forming an endless track, a drive mechanism (60) including a drive section configured to drive the conveyance belt and a control section configured to operate the drive section for control of a conveyance position of the conveyance belt, a first marking mechanism (61) configured to stamp, in accordance with a first stamping system, a first mark indicating a result of the tire test on the tire (T) mounted on the conveyance belt, and a second marking mechanism (62) configured to stamp, in accordance with a second stamping system different from the first stamping system, a second mark indicating a result of the tire test on the tire (T) mounted on the conveyance belt.

Abstract: Provided is a tire testing machine including a tire stripper capable of separating the tire from the upper rim well. The tire stripper includes first and second pressing mechanisms pressing the tire downward, a linking mechanism linking the first and second pressing mechanisms so as to cause them to move in directions of coming close to or separating from each other while keeping a mutually symmetrical positional relationship across the upper spindles radially thereof, and a positioning mechanism operating the linking mechanism to allow the first and second pressing mechanisms to be positioned.

Abstract: Provided is a rim width adjustment mechanism for the tire testing machine, capable of being reduced in the number of components and miniaturized. The rim width adjustment mechanism includes a lower spindle for rotatably supporting the tire about a vertical axis through the lower rim, a plunger disposed in a through hole of the lower spindle to be raisable and lowerable to the lower spindle and having an upper end connectable to the upper spindle, and a rim width adjustment cylinder for adjusting the rim width by changing the protrusion length of the plunger beyond the lower spindle. The lower spindle is coupled to a cylinder side wall of the rim-width adjustment cylinder, thereby allowing a downward load applied to the lower spindle to be supported by the cylinder sidewall.

Abstract: A tire testing machine is for testing a tire, comprising a free roller section configured to include a plurality of rollers having an endmost roller disposed downstream of a lubricator in a conveying direction and farthest from a predetermined reference position, the endmost roller being disposed such that a horizontal distance from the reference position is equal to or greater than a radius of a largest of a plurality of tires set in advance as objects of application of a lubricant.

Abstract: A moment calibrating apparatus (1) is provided with an elongated force transmitting member (6) for transmitting a force applied to the end portion thereof to a multi-component force gauge (5), a load applying mechanism (7) for applying a load without changing the direction of the force along a direction perpendicular to said end portion, and a calculation unit (8) for calculating a true moment free from the effect of a perpendicular load on the basis of the moment value around the axis in the direction orthogonal to the perpendicular direction, measured by the multi-component force gauge (5) under the condition that said perpendicular load along the direction perpendicular to said end portion is applied by the load applying mechanism (7), wherein a moment calibration of the multi-component force gauge (5) is performed using said true moment calculated by the calculation unit (8).

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-component force measurement spindle unit that accurately measures forces and moments applied to a tire in a tire testing machine. The multi-component force measurement spindle unit of a tire testing machine includes: a spindle shaft on which a tire can be mounted; an inner sleeve that rotatably supports the spindle shaft via a bearing part; an outer sleeve arranged on an outside of the inner sleeve along an axial center direction of the spindle shaft; a multi-component force measurement sensor that connects an end of the inner sleeve and an end of the outer sleeve to each other and is capable of measuring a load acting on the outer sleeve from the inner sleeve; and a cooling part that cools the inner sleeve.

Abstract: A rotary drum used in a tire testing machine has a road surface base material made of an aluminum alloy and provided with a road surface onto which a tire is pushed. The road surface is coated with a thermally-sprayed steel film having higher hardness than the road surface base material, and polished. With such a configuration, a favorable test result can be obtained.

Abstract: A rotary drum used in a tire testing machine has a road surface base material made of an aluminum alloy and provided with a road surface onto which a tire is pushed. The road surface is coated with a thermally-sprayed steel film having higher hardness than the road surface base material, and polished. With such a configuration, a favorable test result can be obtained.

Abstract: A tire testing machine according to the present invention, which can measure both uniformity and dynamic balance of a tire T, comprises a spindle for driving the tire T to rotate about a vertical axis, a spindle housing which supports the spindle rotatably, and a rotating drum rotatable about an axis parallel to an axis of the spindle and movable toward and away from the tire T. The spindle housing is fixed to a base through a piezoelectric sensor so that it can bear a pressing force provided from the rotating drum. The piezoelectric sensor is disposed within a plane including the axis of the spindle and perpendicular to the pressing force. With this structure, dynamic balance of the tire can be measured accurately and easily.

Abstract: A moment calibrating apparatus (1) is provided with an elongated force transmitting member (6) for transmitting a force applied to the end portion thereof to a multi-component force gauge (5), a load applying mechanism (7) for applying a load without changing the direction of the force along a direction perpendicular to said end portion, and a calculation unit (8) for calculating a true moment free from the effect of a perpendicular load on the basis of the moment value around the axis in the direction orthogonal to the perpendicular direction, measured by the multi-component force gauge (5) under the condition that said perpendicular load along the direction perpendicular to said end portion is applied by the load applying mechanism (7), wherein a moment calibration of the multi-component force gauge (5) is performed using said true moment calculated by the calculation unit (8).

Abstract: A tire testing machine according to the present invention, which can measure both uniformity and dynamic balance of a tire T, comprises a spindle for driving the tire T to rotate about a vertical axis, a spindle housing which supports the spindle rotatably, and a rotating drum rotatable about an axis parallel to an axis of the spindle and movable toward and away from the tire T. The spindle housing is fixed to a base through a piezoelectric sensor so that it can bear a pressing force provided from the rotating drum. The piezoelectric sensor is disposed within a plane including the axis of the spindle and perpendicular to the pressing force. With this structure, dynamic balance of the tire can be measured accurately and easily.