Abstract:
A mounting system and method of mounting an alignment instrument onto a vehicular wheel which is to be used to align the wheels of a vehicle. The mounting system includes a mounting plate which has an engagement structure located directly adjacent the peripheral edge of the plate. At least a pair of the lug nuts of the vehicular wheel are to be removed and replaced with elongated internally threaded sleeves which are substantially longer in length than the lug nuts. A fastener assembly is used to fixedly mount the mounting plate onto these sleeves. The alignment instrument is then to be clamped onto the mounting plate by engaging the engagement structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to automotive vehicular service equipment and more particularly to a mounting system and method therefor for mounting a vehicular wheel alignment instrument in conjunction with the wheels of a vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Proper alignment of vehicle wheels is necessary for smooth vibration-free handling of the vehicle and also so the vehicle doesn&#39;t have a tendency to drift one way or another on the road. Also, proper alignment of vehicle wheels is a necessary component for even tire wear. To accomplish vehicular alignment, it is necessary to establish the position of certain measurements in conjunction with each vehicle wheel. These measurements are camber, caster, steering axis inclination, and toe. 
     Typical present day alignment instruments utilize placing a separate alignment instrument (sensor) on each vehicular wheel. Each instrument has an emitter and a receiver. The emitter emits a signal which is transmitted to the receiver of another alignment instrument. The receiver will convert the signal into a value which is indicative of the corresponding alignment angle of the vehicle. This information can then be used by the mechanic to adjust the aforementioned measurements in order to achieve the correct and necessary alignment for the vehicular wheels. 
     Alignment instruments that are in widespread present day usage are normally mounted onto the tire rim of the vehicular wheel. Tire rims sometimes may be damaged and may be slightly out of round or may be slightly inclined relative to the wheel hub. Such damage frequently occurs by the tire and the rim coming into hard contact with an uneven roadway, such as a chuckhole or a curb. Using of the alignment instrument in conjunction with the tire rim does not achieve an accurate alignment because the rim itself is not correctly aligned relative to the wheel hub on which it is mounted. 
     Additionally, most tire rims, in years past, have been manufactured with an annular raised lip located directly adjacent the peripheral edge of the tire rim. The alignment instruments have been constructed to utilize that annular raised lip to mount the instrument onto the tire rim. Currently, some tire rims are no longer being manufactured with this annular raised lip. Therefore, there is no way to mount the alignment instrument onto the tire rim. The result is the mechanic doing the alignment just does a lot of “fudging” or “speculating” and guesses at what he or she hopes will be a correct alignment. The result is the alignment is of poor quality and proper handling of the vehicle is not obtained. Uneven tire wear is also obtained. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject matter of the present invention is directed to a mounting system for an alignment instrument for a vehicular wheel that mounts the alignment instrument directly to the wheel hub completely by passing the tire rim. If, per chance, the tire rim is out of round, it is immaterial. The particular constructional arrangement of the tire rim is of no matter. 
     The first basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of aligning a vehicular wheel which is achieved by the steps of removing at least two lug nuts of the vehicular wheel, installing in conjunction with the vehicular wheel at each location of a removed lug nut an elongated sleeve which is substantially longer in length than the removed lug nut, securing onto the sleeves by screw fasteners a mounting plate with their being an annular wall located directly adjacent to and spaced slightly from the peripheral edge of the plate. The screw fasteners are to be tightened so that the mounting plate is tightly mounted on the wheel hub of the vehicular wheel and then installing a conventional aligning instrument in a fixed position onto the mounting plate by being pressed tightly against the annular wall. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by forming the mounting plate in a circular configuration. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the annular wall being formed by a groove formed within the mounting plate. 
     A second basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a mounting system for an alignment instrument for a vehicular wheel which comprises a mounting plate with this mounting plate having a peripheral edge. An engagement means is located on the mounting plate directly adjacent this peripheral edge. A spacing means is used for mounting the mounting plate in a spaced position from the vehicular wheel and in juxtaposition to the vehicle wheel and in a fixed relationship to the vehicle wheel. A fastener assembly is secured to the spacing means, the fastener assembly connecting with the mounting plate. An alignment instrument is to be clamped onto the mounting plate and it is forced outwardly against the engagement means. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified by the mounting plate being circular. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by the engagement means being defined as an annular groove. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the spacing means being defined as a plurality of sleeves each of which has an internally threaded through opening. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by the sleeves being all of the same length. 
     A third basic embodiment of the present invention is defined as a mounting system which is adapted to mount an alignment instrument on a vehicular wheel with this vehicular wheel being fixedly mounted on a wheel hub. A mounting plate, which has a peripheral edge, has an engagement means located directly adjacent this peripheral edge. A spacing means mounts the mounting plate on the wheel hub and fixedly mounts the mounting plate in a spaced position from the vehicular wheel. A fastener assembly is secured to the spacing means with this fastener assembly connecting also with the mounting plate. An alignment instrument is to be clamped onto the mounting plate by engaging with this engagement means. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the third basic embodiment is modified by the mounting plate being formed circular. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified the engagement means being defined as an annular groove. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by the spacing means being defined as a series of sleeves each of which has an internally threaded through opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view showing a prior art mounting of a typical alignment instrument in conjunction with a prior art tire rim of a vehicular wheel; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view depicting in more detail how the alignment instrument of the prior art is mounted in conjunction with the tire rim; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view through the prior art tire rim showing the relationship of a mounting finger of the alignment instrument in conjunction with the peripheral edge of the tire rim; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a tire rim which is being used to a greater extent in present day society where there is no annular wall or raised lip directly adjacent the peripheral edge of the tire rim; 
         FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  but where the mounting system of the present invention is utilized; 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric exploded view of the mounting of an alignment instrument in conjunction with a vehicular tire using the system of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a transverse cross-sectional view through the mounting system of the present invention showing how the alignment instrument is mounted in conjunction with the vehicular wheel hub bypassing the tire rim; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a tire rim mounted on a wheel hub which has four lug bolts; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a tire rim mounted on a wheel hub which has five lug bolts; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of a tire rim mounted on a wheel hub which has six lug bolts; and 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic view of a tire rim mounted on a wheel hub which has eight lug bolts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a conventional alignment instrument which is generally referred to as an aligning sensing head  20 . The specific construction of the sensing head  20  does not constitute any specific part of this invention. Mounted in conjunction with the sensing head  20  is a bar  22 . Mounted on the bar  22  is a reflector  24 . Again, the bar  22  and reflector  24  form no specific part of this invention. 
     The sensing head  20  is mounted on a mounting frame  26 . The mounting frame  26  includes a pair of parallel spaced apart rods  28  and  30 . Slidably mounted on the rods  28  and  30  is a bottom crossbar  32  and an upper crossbar  34 . The sensing head  20  is mounted on a support bar  74 . The support bar  74  is mounted on the rods  28  and  30 . The sensing head  20  is to be adjustable on the rods  28  and  30  by being slidable thereon by sliding the support bar  76  on the rods  28  and  30 . Mounted on the upper crossbar  34  is a block  36 . Mounted on the block  36  is a pair of fingers  38 . Mounted on the bottom crossbar  32  are a pair of fingers  40  and  42 . The fingers  38 ,  40  and  42  are to be pressed tightly against the inside surface  44  of the peripheral edge  46  of a tire rim  48 . This clamping arrangement for the sensing head  20  securely mounts the sensing head  20  in a fixed relationship on the tire rim  48 . This type of conventional mounting for the sensing head  20  requires that the tire rim  48  have an inside surface  44  that is basically transversely positioned relative to the frontal planar surface of the tire rim  48 . If there is no such surface  44 , there is no way to mount the sensing head  20  onto the tire rim  48 . A tire  50  will normally be mounted on the tire rim  48 . 
     Utilizing of the conventional alignment instrument structure, shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , any misalignment of the tire rim  48  is not compensated for by the aligning instrument mounting structure shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . In other words, the mounting structure for the sensing head  20  aligns the vehicle wheel according to the tire rim and not the wheel hub on which the tire rim is mounted. The tire rim  48  is fixedly mounted to the wheel hub by means of a series of lug bolts  52  with there being five in number of such lug bolts  52  shown in FIG.  2 . Each lug bolt  52  engages with a nut  54  which securely mounts the tire rim  50  onto the wheel hub. Again, the wheel hub is deemed to be conventional and forms no specific part of this invention. It is to be understood that there is a nut  54  for each lug bolt  52 . 
     Referring particularly to  FIGS. 4-11  of the drawings, there is shown a vehicular tire  56  which is mounted on a tire rim  58 . The tire rim  58  has a peripheral edge  60 . Adjacent the peripheral edge  60  is a mounting annular surface  62 . The tire  56  is to be mounted directly against the surface  62 . The tire rim is to be securely mounted by a plurality of lug bolts  70  that engage with lug bolt holes  64 . Nuts, which are not shown, are to be engaged with each lug bolt located within lug bolt hole  64 , and when tightened securely fix in position the tire rim  58  onto the wheel hub. It is to be noted that the tire rim  58  does not include any outwardly extending transverse surface directly adjacent the peripheral edge  60 . The tire rim  58  is smoothly contoured and there is no surface on which to mount the sensing head  20  as was accomplished in  FIGS. 1-3 . Therefore, some other structure has to be utilized in order to mount the sensing head  20  on the tire rim  58 . This other structure is as follows: 
     Two of the lug bolts  64  that engage with the lug holes  54  are removed and each are replaced with a sleeve  66  which has an internally threaded through hole  68 . The sleeve  66  is generally about three to four inches in length which is at least three to four times the length of the lug bolt nut which has been removed in order to threadably mount the sleeve  66  on the lug bolt  70 . At the opposite end of the through hole  68  there is threadably engaged a connecting bolt  72 . The connecting bolt  72  extends outwardly from the sleeve  66 . 
     A single connecting bolt  72  is conductible through elongated holes  76  and  77  formed within a mounting plate  78 . Once a bolt  72  passes through either elongated hole  76  or  77 , a washer  80  and a nut  82  is to be attachable to the bolt  72  and tightly secured thereto. The mounting plate  78  can be adjusted prior to tightening of the nuts  82  because the holes  76  are oversized by being elongated. Normally, the mounting plate  78  is to be centrally mounted relative to the tire rim  58 , and when that center position is achieved, then the nuts  82  are tightened. 
     The elongated holes  76  and  77  are to be utilized when there is a four in number of equally spaced apart lug bolt pattern  70 , which is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 . This way, only two of the lug bolt nuts  70  are removed and these two are to be in alignment with each other passing through the center of the lug bolt pattern. Any two aligned lug bolts  70  can be used. As there are two in number of sets of aligned lug bolts  70  in any four lug bolt pattern, such as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 . The mounting plate  78  is also similarly mounted on two similarly aligned lug bolts when utilizing of a six in number lug bolt pattern, such as shown in  FIG. 10 , which is utilized in conjunction with a tire rim  84 . The same pair of two aligned lug bolts is also to be used in conjunction with a tire rim  86 , which is shown in  FIG. 11 , where there is an eight in number of lug bolt pattern. However, if there is a five in number lug bolt pattern, as shown in tire rim  88  of  FIG. 9 , there are actually three in number of lug bolts  70  that are used with sleeves  90  and  92  which are not in alignment with sleeve  66 . The connecting bolt  72  of sleeve  90  is to connect with elongated slot  94  and another connecting bolt  72  connects with elongated slot  96 . Slots  94  and  96  are radially disposed relative to the center  98  of the mounting plate  78 . However, they are inclined relative to a line that passes through the center  98  and through the aligned elongated slot  76 . When there is a five lug bolt pattern on which the mounting plate  78  is to be mounted, as is shown in  FIG. 9 , three in number of the sleeves  66 ,  90  and  92  are required to be used rather than the previous embodiments lug bolt patterns where only two in number of the sleeves  66  required. 
     The mounting plate  78  has a peripheral edge  100 . Formed within the mounting plate  78  is an engagement structure in the form of an annular groove  102 . The annular groove  102  has an annular wall surface  104  which is located parallel to and directly adjacent the peripheral edge  100 . Normally, the annular groove  102  will be located no more than one-quarter or one-half of an inch away from the peripheral edge  100 . 
     The fingers  38 ,  40  and  42  are to be mounted in conjunction with the annular groove  102 . The fingers  38 ,  40  and  42  are then moved in an outwardly direction and pressed tightly against annular wall surface  104 . The fingers  38 ,  40  and  42  are then locked in this position. The sensing head  20  is now fixedly mounted onto the mounting plate  78  which is in turn fixedly mounted onto the wheel hub from which lug bolts  70  extend and pass through the tire rim  58 . The alignment instrument, in the form of a sensing head  20 , can now be used in a conventional manner to affect the desired necessary alignment of the vehicle. 
     It is to be understood that there should be four in number of the sensing heads  20 , one for each vehicular wheel and therefore there will be four in number of the mounting plates  78 .