Patent ID: 9134125
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: A43D,B25B,G01B

Abstract:
1. A wheel clamp for attaching to a vehicle wheel for performing a wheel alignment on the vehicle, the wheel comprising a tire and a rim, the wheel clamp comprising: a clamp body for supporting an apparatus used in performing the wheel alignment; three extendable arms, each slidably mounted to the clamp body such that they extend outward radially from a central point, each extendable arm having a gripping portion for gripping a tread surface of the vehicle tire and a sidewall contact portion for contacting a sidewall of the tire when the gripping portion is gripping the tire tread surface; and a self-centering linkage mechanism comprising a plurality of gears rotatably mounted to the clamp body and engaged with each other, and a plurality of link arms, each link arm movably connecting one of the extendable arms to one of the gears such that when the gears are rotated, the extendable arms simultaneously proportionally slide relative to the clamp body; wherein the linkage mechanism is for moving the extendable arms such that the gripping portions of the extendable arms engage and grip the tire tread surface and tighten the clamp onto the tire, while the sidewall contact portions of the extendable arms contact the tire sidewall; and wherein the extendable arms are for spacing the wheel clamp away from the wheel rim when the gripping portions are gripping the tire tread surface and the sidewall contact portions are contacting the tire sidewall, such that the clamp body is substantially parallel to the vehicle wheel and the wheel clamp has no contact with the rim.