GB2045956A

GB2045956A - Wheel Aligning Apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2045956A
Application number: GB7912145A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Henter T C
Current assignee: Henter T C
Priority date: 1979-04-06
Filing date: 1979-04-06
Publication date: 1980-11-05
Also published as: GB2045956B

Abstract

An apparatus for aligning the road-wheels of single track vehicles such as motor-cycles comprises a first, generally rectangular frame 10, and a second, generally rectangular frame 12 which is open at one side. The first frame 10 is engageable around a portion of a vehicle wheel by grips 26-32, and the two sides of the second frame 12 adjacent to the open side are pivoted to the first frame about the central longitudinal axis 14 of the first frame so that the remaining side 44 of the second frame extends laterally and outwardly of the first frame. The remaining (sighting) side 44 of the second frame 12 is parallel to the central longitudinal axis 14 of the first frame 10. The sighting side 44 of the second frame 12 is provided with pegs 34, 36 and 38 which, in use with the side 44 horizontal, are aligned with the pegs of a second aligning apparatus affixed to the other wheel of the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheel Aligning Apparatus This invention relates to vehicle wheel aligning apparatus.

A particular problem is presented in the alignment of single track vehicles, such as motorcycles and the like. The desideratum of such apparatus is that the longitudinal axis through the centre of the front wheel and the longitudinal axis through the centre of the rear wheel should be parallel, that is to say, both wheels should track in a common, vertically-extending longitudinal plane to assure each of vehicle handling and control.

Known types of prior art wheel aligning apparatus are for the most part complex devices designed for mounting upon the exterior sides of an automobile wheel. For the most part they are adaptable only to vehicles having the same width tires at the front and rear.

The present invention provides a wheel aligning apparatus comprising a first, generally rectangular frame, and a second, generally rectangular frame which is open at one side, the first frame being engageable around a portion of a vehicle wheel, and the two sides of the second frame adjacent to the open side being pivoted to the first frame about the central longitudinal axis of the first frame so that the remaining side of the second frame extends laterally and outwardly of the first frame, said remaining side of the second frame being parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the first frame, wherein said remaining side of the second frame is provided with means for aligning a wheel held within the first frame.

Advantageously, the first frame is provided with an opening in one of its sides, and the inner periphery of the first frame is provided with tireengaging, adhesive elements which are contactable with the tire sides of a wheel to be aligned.

The apparatus may further include adjustable means for locking the two frames together, and a counter-balancing resilient member may be interposed between the two frames.

Preferably, the second frame is of such a weight as to apply sufficient torque to the first frame for the first frame to be self-supported upon the tire sides of a wheel to be aligned.

Advantageously, the aligning means is constituted by a plurality of pegs projecting perpendicularly from said remaining side of the second frame. Preferably, there are three pegs positioned respectively at the ends and the centre of said remaining side of the second frame, and the centre peg lies in the central transverse plane of the first frame.

When two such apparatuses are mounted upon the front and rear tires, of a motor-cycle, for example, the tires may be aligned with respect to each other by sighting along said remaining side of one apparatus the centre peg of the apparatus of the other wheel. Thus extremely accurate alignment is provided without expensive gadgetry.

One form of wheel aligning apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1 shown with a wheel ready to be aligned; Figure 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus and wheel of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus and wheel of Figures 2 and 3.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows wheel-aligning apparatus including an inner, wheel-engaging frame 10, having tire-engaging adhesive elements 26, 28, 30 and 32 mounted upon its inner periphery. Each end of an outer, sighting frame 12 which is open at one side, is pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the inner, wheel-engaging frame 10 by a respective wing nut 1 6 which is screwed onto a shaft 14 (shown in dashed lines). Each shaft 14 extends from the inner, wheel-engaging frame 10 and through a respective collar 20, each collar being provided with an appropriate aperture 42 (also shown in dashed lines).

The wing nuts 16, of course, provide a locking torque so that the sighting frame 12 may be positioned laterally and in a horizontal plane by rotating the associated wheel, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. A plurality of alignment sighting elements such as pegs 34, 36 and 38 extend upwardly from the closed sighting side 44 of the frame 12, the centre peg 36 being so positioned that it always lies in a transverse vertical plane through the axle of a wheel held by the frame 10 when the closed side 44 of the frame 12-is rotated into a horizontal position. A counterbalance spring 24 is provided for counterbalancing the frames 10 and 12 with respect to each other.

As will be apparent, a respective wheelaligning apparatus is mounted upon each of the front and rear wheels of a vehicle such as a motor-cycle, so that a sight may be made along the pegs 34, 36 and 38 of the wheel being aligned and towards the sighting pegs positioned upon the frame 12 of the apparatus mounted upon the other wheel. The apparatus will fit any size tire, while ensuring that the central sighting peg 36 will always lie in a transverse vertical plane through the wheel axle when the sighting side 44 of the frame 1 2 is horizontally disposed.

The angle X between the sighting side 44 of the frame 12 and the adjacent vertical side of the tire 40 of the wheel is arranged to be identical for both front and rear wheels (see Figure 3) to ensure alignment when sighting fore and aft.

One important advantage of this alignment apparatus is the ability to accommodate wheels of different widths at the front and rear positions; a common situation in motor-cycle configurations. The outer frame 12 is easily adjustable with reference to the adjacent vertical side of the wheel, so that the different angular orientations which the inner frame 10 must take up owing to variations in the thickness of the tires are of no consequence. When the plane of the frame 12 is adjusted so as to be perpendicular to the adjacent vertical side of the wheel to which it is attached, that is to say the angle x is 900, the entire wheel may then be rotated so that the sighting side 44 of the frame 12 is horizontal.

Then, the sighting side 44 of the aligning apparatus which is attached to the other wheel, need only be placed so that it is also parallel to the horizontal ground reference, and its outer frame 12 is rotated until the sighting pegs 34,36 and 38 on the other wheel are co-linear, or parallel to, the centre peg 36 on the first wheel. If this co-linearity is not found, because, for example, the rear axle of the motor-cycle has been skewed during a chain replacement, then the rear axle is adjusted so that sighting pegs 34, 36 and 38 on each wheel are either co-linear or parallel. Of course, if the front and rear wheels are of exactly the same outer diameter, though of different widths, a tight engagement of the inner frames 10 will ensure that, when angle x is 900, the sighting pegs 34, 36 and 38 of both wheels will be exactly co-linear, after adjustment.

As will be apparent, the apparatus provides a means of determining whether the rear wheel of a single track vehicle is in line with the front wheel and vice versa. Throughout this specification, "in line" or "proper alignment" should be taken to mean that the longitudinal axis through the centre of the front wheel and the longitudinal axis through the centre of the rear wheel are parallel, so that the two wheels track in a common, vertically-extending longitudinal plane.

It will be apparent that the sighting pegs 34, 36 and 38 may be replaced by a scope, a light source with a collimating lens, or by any other suitable sighting arrangement. In operation, the inner, wheel-engaging frame 10 of one apparatus is placed around one vehicle tire, and tilted about its longitudinal axis with the open side of that frame higher than the closed side, so that the adhesive elements 26, 28, 30 and 32 contact the tire at four points. The longitudinal axis of the wheel-engaging frame 10 should be approximately parallel to the ground. The outer, sighting frame 12 is then locked by means of the wing nuts 1 6 in a position approximately perpendicular to the vertical side of the tire (see Figure 3).The weight of the frame 12 will impose a torque on the frame 10 at the pivot points 14, so as to force the adhesive elements 26, 28, 30 and 32 against the tire, thereby gripping the tire.

The pivot points 14 are thus positioned at the centre of the width of the tire 40 regardless of its width. Moreover, the longitudinal sighting side 44 of the frame 12 is always the same transverse distance from, and parallel to, the longitudinal Yine of the tire, regardless of the width of the tire.

When similar apparatuses are mounted fore and aft, for example, upon equal outer diameter, single track vehicle tires, the angles that their frames 12 make with the adjacent vertical sides of the tires will both be 900. Hence, the sighting sides 44 will be aligned, when the wheels are "in line".

Similar apparatuses are required to be mounted on the front and rear wheels of the vehicle, such that each apparatus will have its centre peg 36 below, and at the same lateral distance from,=the middle of the respective tire.

When sighting through the front wheel pegs 34, 36 and 38, these pegs will place the front wheel in a straight-ahead position by alignment with the centre peg 36 of the rear aligning apparatus. Each centre peg 36 will lie in a transverse vertical plane through the associated wheel axle, and, thus, is always the same transverse distance from the longitudinal centre axis of the tire of that wheel regardless of any slight misalignments of that tire.

Hence, even if the front wheel is slightly skewed, the rear wheel may be positioned by aligning the rear pegs 34, 36 and 38, with the centre peg 36 of the front wheel aligning apparatus. Thereafter, the pegs 34, 36 and 38 associated with the front wheel can be aligned with the centre peg 36 of the rear frame 12. Thus, both wheels can be aligned.

Claims

1. A wheel aligning apparatus comprising a first generally rectangular frame, and a second, generally rectangular frame which is open at one side, the first frame being sngageable around a portion of a vehicle wheel, and the two sides of the second frame adjacent to the open side being pivoted to the first frame about the central longitudinal axis of the first frame so that the remaining side of the second frame extends laterally and outwardly of the first frame, said remaining side of the second frame being parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the first frame, wherein said remaining side of the second frame is provided with means for aligning a wheel held within the first frame.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the first frame is provided with an opening in one of its sides.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the inner periphery of the first frame is provided with tire-engaging, adhesive elements which are contactable with the tire sides of a wheel to be aligned.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, further including adjustable means for locking the two frames together.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein a counter-balancing resilient member is interposed between the two frames.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the second frame is of such a weight as to apply sufficient torque to the first frame for the first frame to be self-supported upon the tire sides of a wheel to be aligned.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the aligning means is constituted by a plurality of pegs projecting perpendicularly from said remaining side of the second frame.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein there are three pegs positioned respectively at the ends and the centre of said remaining side of the second frame.

9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the centre peg lies in the central transverse plane of the first frame.

10. A wheel aligning apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, in combination with a vehicle wheel positioned vertically within the first frame.

11. A combination as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the second frame is lockable so as to be perpendicular to the vertical axis of the wheel.

12. A wheel aligning apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.

1 3. A wheel aligning apparatus adapted to be mounted on a wheel of a vehicle for aligning that wheel with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising a generally rectangular wheel-engaging frame, constructed so as to engage around a portion of the wheel, a sighting frame having a lateral opening at one side and pivoted at each end about the longitudinal axis of the wheel-engaging frame, so as to extend laterally of, and in parallel with, the wheelengaging frame, and longitudinal sighting indicators supported upon the sighting frame.