Patent Abstract:
A tool is provided for assistance in removing tires from wheel rims. The tool has a body with a lateral opening for engaging the flange of a wheel rim, preferably opening into a cavity that is wider than the opening such that the tools pivots between stable positions on a fulcrum at which lips of the lateral opening bear against the flange. A roller is mounted on one end of the tool body to exert a downward pressure on the tire sidewall, and a handle protrudes on an end opposite the cavity and fulcrum from the roller. The roller displaces the tire bead from its seat against the rim when removing or installing the bead of a tire that is already at least partly on the rim, or supports the second bead of a tire whose first bead is axially outside of the rim relative to the wheel rotation axis. Displacing the bead from its seat opens a radial clearance between the bead and the rim, so that the tire can be displaced eccentrically to relieve tension on the bead due to prying on a diametrically opposite side of the tire. The roller has a rotation axis tangential to the rim, and thus is positioned to facilitate eccentric displacement of the tire on the rim, namely by radial displacement in the area of the roller. The tool can have one cavity or a number of cavities among which the user chooses as appropriate to the dimensions of the tire and the amount of leverage to be applied to the roller via the handle.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to tools for assisting in the installation and removal of vehicle tires to/from wheel rims. In particular, the invention concerns a manually manipulated tool that is structured to engage the wheel rim flange and to manipulate the tire axially inwardly (relative to the wheel axis) from a position of engagement with the wheel rim flange. By assisting in separating the tire bead from the rim flange, the tool permits displacement of the tire relative to the rim in axial and radial directions, and thereby facilitates tire removal or installation.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Various manual and powered tools for installing and removing tires from wheel rims are known. In a manual version such tools generally comprise an elongated pry bar handle, which is gripped by a user, and a flattened tool end for insertion between the tire bead and the wheel rim. The bead of a tire is generally wire reinforced and resists deformation. The bead is usually intended to seal a mounted tire to the wheel rim. For this purpose the bead has a diameter that is somewhat less than the diameter of the wheel rim flange and resides between the spaced flanges of the wheel rim. The bead resists stretching and is urged axially against the rim and sealed to the rim, inter alia, by pneumatic pressure in the tire or in an inner tube in the tire.  
         [0003]     To remove a tire from a rim, the beads are unsealed or “broken” by moving them axially inwardly to disengage from sealing engagement with the rim. Then the two beads and sidewalls of the tire are passed axially over one of the rim flanges to remove the tire from the rim. Inasmuch as the diameter of the bead is less than that of the rim, this involves forcing the bead over the rim, by stretching the bead and/or deforming the bead into an oval and moving the longer dimension of the oval around the rim.  
         [0004]     A working end of a tool is typically inserted between the tire bead and the rim flange. The user then applies pressure to the opposite handle end, using the tool as a lever and the wheel rim as a fulcrum. A short length of the tire bead is thereby lifted axially over the rim flange. This process is repeated in successive stages to increase the length of the bead on the axial outside of the rim flange, often using two or three pry tools around the periphery of the wheel rim to hold a portion of the bead against popping back over the rim flange while more of the bead is pried over the rim flange. After a certain angular span of the bead has been passed over the rim flange, prying at a distance from that span (e.g., at a diametrically opposite position) pulls the bead portion that is already outside the rim radially inwardly on the outside, rather than tending to pull that portion back between the rim flanges. It thus becomes easier to pass the remainder of the bead axially over the rim until the entire tire bead resides outside the rim.  
         [0005]     Powered machines are available to serve the same function. Using such devices, the wheel is typically mounted on a spindle and the bead is broken. A short length of the tire bead is then pried over the rim flange, and a tool is placed under the lifted bead and engaged with a driving shaft on the spindle. An end of the tool is then passed circumferentially around the periphery of the wheel rim flange, pulling the entire bead over the rim flange.  
         [0006]     With each of the above techniques, in order to fully remove the tire from the rim, the opposite side bead must be passed over the same rim flange as the first bead, in a similar manner. For installing a tire on a wheel rim, the foregoing process is carried out in reverse order, manually or using powered means.  
         [0007]     Recently, truck tire manufacturers have introduced tires that are sized to take the place the traditional “dual tire” pairs used for trailer applications. These new tires are significantly wider than either of the single width tires they replace. As such, they can also have significantly deeper wheel rims, which can complicate the removal process when using current tools as described above.  
         [0008]     Often, truck tires must be replaced on the roadside, such as when a truck driver experiences a flat on the highway. In such cases, the driver usually calls ahead for roadside assistance, rather than attempt to change the tire himself. Thus, a desirable tool for performing the above functions should be compact for easy storage and transportation. Additionally, since it can be expected that flats will occur in the winter, the tool should reduce or eliminate the need for the user to stand on the tire or wheel rim to remove and install a tire on a rim. This would reduce the chance that the user could slip and injure himself when applying the forces to the handle necessary to operate the tool.  
         [0009]     Thus, there remains a need to provide an easy to use tool that is effective for installing and removing any of a wide variety of sizes of tires from their associated wheel rims, including newer truck tires having significantly wider wheel rims, and which can be used by the operator in a safe manner, even in inclement weather.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     A tool is disclosed for removing a tire from a wheel rim defining a wheel axis, the tool comprising a rim engaging member positioned on the tool such that a first surface of the rim engaging member can be positioned to engage against the wheel rim, using a handle of the tool. A tire engaging member can be movably coupled on the tool relative to the rim engaging member, the tire engaging member having a first tire-engaging surface and an oppositely disposed handle engaging end, wherein the tire engaging member and the rim engaging member are movable relative to one another and carried on the handle. The tool can have a first position in which the rim engaging member is engaged with the wheel rim and the tire engaging member is engaged with a surface of the tire; wherein the tire engaging member is movable relative to the rim engaging member from the first position to impart a removal force in a direction parallel to the wheel axis to disengage a bead of the tire from the wheel rim.  
         [0011]     The connection between the tire engaging member and the rim engaging member can comprise a pin slidable in a slot for allowing the tire engaging member and the rim engaging member to translate and rotate relative to one another. The rim engaging member can have a rim-flange engaging lip and an oppositely disposed rim-body contact part, the rim-flange engaging lip being hooked to engage over a flange of the wheel rim, and the rim-body contact part having a roller for bracing against a body portion of the wheel rim.  
         [0012]     The tire engaging member can have a roller at a distal end of the tire engaging surface for reducing friction between the tire and the tire engaging member; wherein the roller has a roller axis that is oriented substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis. A distal portion of the tire engaging surface can be angled away from the rim engaging member.  
         [0013]     The tire engaging member further can comprise a tire-bead engaging member disposed adjacent the handle engaging end, the bead engaging member being placed and configured to engage a first bead of the tire to support to the tire when engaging a second bead of the tire with the tire engaging surface. The tire-bead engaging member can be selectively movable along the tire engaging member and/or provided with plural engagement positions so as to receive and engage beads of a plurality of different tire sizes.  
         [0014]     A tool for removing a tire from a wheel rim is disclosed comprising a rim engaging portion having at least one lip for engaging the wheel rim, and a tire engaging portion having a tire engaging end and a handle engaging end. The tire engaging portion can be slidably connected relative to the rim engaging portion via a pin and slot connection. The tire engaging end can further have a tire-engaging surface; wherein when the rim engaging portion is engaged with the wheel rim and the tire engaging surface is engaged with a surface of the tire, the tire engaging member can be movable along the rim engaging member via the pin and slot connection to impart a removal force to the tire in a direction substantially parallel to the wheel axis to axially disengage a bead of the tire from the wheel rim.  
         [0015]     The pin and slot connection can enable the rim and tire engaging portions to translate and rotate with respect to each other to impart a removal force to the tire, wherein a component of the removal force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the wheel axis.  
         [0016]     The rim engaging portion further can comprise a rim-body contact part disposed opposite to the lip, the lip further having a hooked shape for engaging a flange of the wheel rim, and the rim-body contact part further having a roller for bracing against a body portion of the wheel rim, wherein the roller has an axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis.  
         [0017]     The tire engaging end can have a roller disposed at a distal end thereof for reducing friction between the tire and the tire engaging end during use. A distal portion of the tire engaging surface can be angled away from the rim engaging portion. The tire engaging portion can further comprise a tire bead support member disposed adjacent the handle engaging end, the support member being placed and configured to engage a first bead of the tire to provide support to the tire when the tool is used to a second bead of the tire.  
         [0018]     Furthermore, the tire bead support member can be movable along the tire engaging member and/or provided with plural engagement positions to receive and engage beads of a plurality of different tire sizes.  
         [0019]     A method is also disclosed for removing a tire from a wheel rim having a wheel axis, the method comprising: providing a rim engaging member having a recess with first and second opposing lips configured to engage a rim of the wheel, the rim engaging member having a clamping position in which the first lip engages a flange of the wheel rim and the second lip engages a wall portion of the wheel rim to clamp the rim engaging member to the rim; providing a tire engaging member having a tire engaging surface for imparting a removal force to a tire using a handle, the tire engaging member connected to the rim engaging member for sliding movement thereon; pressing the tire engaging surface between the rim and the tire in a direction substantially parallel to the wheel axis until the rim engaging member is in the clamping position; and moving the tire engaging member on the rim engaging member in a first direction by rotating the handle toward the wheel axis, the movement imparting a removal force to the tire in a direction substantially parallel to the wheel axis to lift a tire bead over the flange of the wheel rim.  
         [0020]     The connection between the tire engaging member and the rim engaging member can comprise a slot and pin connection that allows the tire engaging member and rim engaging member to translate and rotate with respect to each other. The rim engaging member can have a rim-flange engaging lip and an oppositely disposed rim-body contact part, the rim-flange engaging lip being hooked to engage a flange of the wheel rim, and the rim-body contact part having a roller for bracing against a body portion of the wheel rim, the roller having an axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis. The tire engaging member can have a roller at a distal end of the tire engaging surface for reducing friction between the tire and the tire engaging member during use, the roller having an axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis.  
         [0021]     The moving step further can comprise imparting a removal force to the tire, the removal force having a first force component substantially parallel to the wheel axis and a second force component substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis. The method can further comprise the steps of moving the tire engaging member in the first direction by an amount sufficient to lift the tire bead over the wheel flange; moving the tire engaging member on the rim engaging member in a second direction that is opposite the first direction by an amount sufficient to engage the tire bead with a tire bead support member disposed on a handle engaging portion of the tire engaging member; moving the tire engaging member on the rim engaging member in the second direction until the tire engaging surface is engaged with a second tire bead, wherein the engagement between the tire bead support member and the first tire bead supports the tire so that the tire engaging surface can be engaged with the second tire bead; and moving the tire engaging member on the rim engaging member in the first direction by rotating the handle toward the wheel axis, the movement imparting a removal force to the tire in a direction substantially parallel to the wheel axis to lift the second tire bead over the flange of the wheel rim.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a tool according to the invention for removing and installing a tire;  
         [0024]      FIG. 1   a  is a perspective view of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2   a  is a partial front view of a hook portion of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2   b  is a front view of the tire engaging portion of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 2   c  is a perspective view of the rim engaging portion of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 2   d  is a reverse perspective view of the rim engaging portion of  FIG. 2   c;    
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view through a section of the tire, showing the relative position of the tool of  FIG. 1  in an installation position with respect to the tire and associated wheel rim;  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view through a section of the tire, showing the tool of  FIG. 1  provisionally engaged with the tire and wheel rim;  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view through a section of the tire, showing the tool in the partially rotated position lifting an upper bead of the tire toward a top flange of the wheel rim;  
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view through a section of the tire, showing the tool lifting a portion of the upper tire bead beyond the top flange of the wheel rim;  
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view through a section of the tire, showing the tire removal tool lifting the entire upper tire bead over the top flange of the wheel rim;  
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view through a section of the tire, showing the bead hook engaging the upper tire bead and the tire engaging portion positioned below the lower tire bead;  
         [0035]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view through a section of the tire, showing the tool in the partially rotated position lifting the lower bead beyond the top flange of the wheel rim;  
         [0036]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view through a section of a double-width tire, showing one of the hooks of the adjustable bead hook element engaging the upper tire bead, and the tire engaging portion of the tool positioned below the lower tire bead. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0037]     This description of preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. In the description, relative terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and normally are not intended to require a particular orientation. Terms including “inwardly” versus “outwardly,” “longitudinal” versus “lateral” and the like are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. The term “operatively connected” is such an attachment, coupling or connection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intended by virtue of that relationship.  
         [0038]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 1   a,  a tool  1  is provided for facilitating easy hand-operated removal of a vehicle tire  20  on a wheel rim  12  ( FIG. 3 ). The tool  1  has a wheel rim engaging portion  2  and a tire engaging portion  4 . The rim engaging portion  2  has a generally C-shaped cavity  6  with a pair of opposed first and second engaging lips  8 ,  10 , at least one of which is configured to engage an upper flange  12   a  of the wheel rim  12 . The tire engaging portion  4  generally comprises a handle engaging end  14 , an oppositely disposed tire engaging end  16  and an intermediate portion  18  that is configured to cooperate with the rim engaging portion  2 . The tire engaging portion  4  is configured to physically engage the tire  20  to lift it up over the rim  12 . The rim- and tire-engaging portions  2 ,  4  are connected together via a slotted  22  and pinned  240  connection, which enables the pieces to move with respect to each other. This arrangement allows the tool  1  to be firmly fixed to the wheel rim  12  (via rim engaging portion  2 ) while allowing the tire engaging portion  4  to move with respect to the tire  20 , thus maximizing the engaging and lifting efficiency of the tool  1 .  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-5 , in use the tool  1  is oriented so that the tire engaging part  28  points generally downward, and then the tire engaging portion  4  is pressed into the joint between the wheel rim  12  and the upper bead  30  of the tire  20  to break the seal between the bead and the rim. The tire engaging portion  4  is then pressed further down between the rim and tire until the cavity  6  contacts the upper flange  12   a  of the rim  12 . Further downward movement of the tool  1  causes the rim engaging portion  2  to rotate slightly until the first engaging lip  8  of the rim-engaging portion cavity  6  securely engages the upper flange  12   a  of the rim  12 , locking the tool  1  to the rim  12 . Once the tool  1  is fully engaged with the tire and rim, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the tool handle  32  can be levered to impart an upward force on the tire&#39;s upper bead  30  (via the tire engaging portion  4 ), and through the continued application of force the upper bead  30  is slid up and over the upper flange  12   a  of the rim  12 , disengaging the upper bead  30  from the wheel rim  12  ( FIG. 7 ). The process is then repeated for the lower bead  32 . A hook member  34  is provided on the handle engaging end  14  of the tool to allow the tire engaging portion  4  to easily slide beneath the lower bead  32  of the tire  20 . The user simply engages the upper bead with the hook ( FIG. 8 ), to provide vertical support for tire  20 , thus preventing the tire from falling back down onto the rim  12  when the tire engaging portion  4  is pressed into engagement with the lower bead  32 .  
         [0040]     Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 1   a,  tool  1  has tire and rim engaging portions  4 ,  2  as previously noted. The tire engaging portion  4  can have a handle engaging end  14  that is configured to engage an elongated handle member  100 . In the illustrated embodiment, the handle engaging end  14  has a reduced diameter portion  14   a  configured to receive the tubular end  102  of the handle member  100 . A pinned connection can be provided to axially and rotationally lock the handle member  100  to the handle engaging end  14  via pin member  104 . Thus, the handle  10   b   0  and tool  1  can be disassembled for convenient storage simply by removing pin  104 . The pieces can then be reassembled at the work site, again by sliding the handle over the reduced diameter portion and insertion pin  104  through the associated holes in the pieces. A suitable handgrip part, for example a tubular grip or closed end U-shaped member or the like, can be attached to a distal portion of the handle member  100 . The handle member  100  should be sufficiently long so that a user of the tool  1  can develop adequate leverage to pass the tire bead  30 ,  32  over the rim  12  of a tire  20  by using the handle member as a lever arm as hereinafter described, without having to apply excessive force at the handle end. The handle member  100  and tool  1  are preferably made from a corrosion resistant steel for adequate strength and durability.  
         [0041]     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , a conventional pneumatic tire  20  for motor vehicles and the like has a bead  30 ,  32  along the radial inner edge of the tire, which engages with axial pressure, due to tire inflation, against the radially outermost surface of the upper and lower wheel rim flanges  12   a, b  on opposite sides of the wheel. The beads  30 ,  32  and the rim flanges  12   a, b  in each case are continuous circles, and the bead is slightly smaller in diameter than the rim flange. The bead is sufficiently resilient that with sufficient force the bead can be stretched in circumference to be forced over the rim flange.  
         [0042]     The tool  1  includes a tire engaging portion  4  having a handle engaging end  14  and an oppositely disposed tire engaging end  16 . The tire engaging end  15  is configured to engage various parts of the tire during use (e.g., inner and outer side walls, beads), but will generally contact one of the tire beads  30 ,  32 . As previously noted, a rim engaging portion  2  is provided to affirmatively engage the tool  1  with the wheel rim  12  to facilitate proper positioning of the tire engaging portion  4  and also to ensure safe operation of the tool by preventing slippage. The rim engaging portion  2  has a pair of slots ( FIG. 1   a ) configured to receive a pin or pins  240  disposed within an intermediate portion  18  of the tire engaging portion  4  to allow sliding movement of the portions  2 ,  4  with respect to each other. On its opposite surface, the rim engaging portion  4  has a generally C-shaped cavity  6  for engaging a targeted wheel rim  12  as previously noted.  
         [0043]     The tool  1  is configured to successively engage both the upper and lower beads  30 ,  32  of a targeted tire to remove the tire from its rim. When removing the upper bead  30  from the rim, the tire engaging end  16  can simply be inserted between the rim and the tire and the handle rotated to lever the bead up and over the top rim flange  12   a.  To engage the lower bead, however, the tire engaging end  16  is pressed downward into the space between the tire and the rim until it contacts the inner sidewall portion of the tire, adjacent to the lower bead. Additional downward pressure, combined with inward rotational movement of the tire engaging end  16 , causes the tire engaging end to slide (or roll if a roller  28  is provided on the tire engaging end) along the inside of the tire until the tire engaging end  16  slips beneath the lower bead  32 . When downward pressure is applied to the tire during this operation, however, the tire can tend to simply flex or fall downward on the rim, thus preventing the tire engaging end  16  from sliding beneath the lower bead  32 .  
         [0044]     To address this, a hook element  34  can be provided on tire engaging portion  4  of the tool, near the handle-engaging end  14 . This hook  34  can be configured to automatically engage and hold the upper bead  30  in a desired vertical position while the tire engaging end  16  is pressed down below the lower bead  32 . This engagement is shown in  FIG. 8 . With normally-sized tires, the bead hook  34  disposed between the tire- and handle-engaging portions  16 ,  14  automatically becomes engaged with the upper bead  32   a  when the tire engaging member  16  is inserted between the lower bead  32   b  and the rim  12 .  
         [0045]     As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the tire engaging end  16  can be angled relative to the rest of the tire engaging portion  4 . This angulation facilitates insertion of the tool  1  between the rim and tire by allowing the tire engaging end  16  to be oriented substantially parallel to the wheel axis W-W ( FIG. 3 ) while still presenting the cavity  6  of the rim engaging portion  2  toward the upper flange  12   a  of the wheel rim. This angulation also enhances the efficiency of the tire removal process by shifting the point of engagement between the tire engaging end  16  and the tire  20  upward, thereby maximizing the allowable travel of the handle  100  in levering the tire off the rim.  
         [0046]     Preferably the tire engaging end  16  has a tire engaging part  28  at the distal end thereof comprising at least one rotatable roller  281  for decreasing sliding friction between the end  16  and the tire  20  to minimize potential damage to the tire. In one embodiment the rotatable roller  281  is a single cylindrically shaped member having an axle  280  such as a pin or the like which is retained in the tire engaging end  16  by an interference fit. Alternatively, the roller  281  may have a conical or spherical shape, and may include more than one roller, such as two or more spherical members, etc. The roller  281  can be made of any appropriate material such as metal, polymer, rubber, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the roller  281  comprises a polymer material.  
         [0047]     The intermediate portion  18  of the tire engaging portion  4  can have proximal and distal ends  18   a, b  and can be angled relative to the tire engaging end  16 , as described previously, thus forming a Y-shaped extension. The proximal end  18   a  connects to the tire engaging portion  4  at a point located approximately midway between the handle- and tire-engaging ends  14 ,  16 , while the distal end  18   b  engages and cooperates with the rim-engaging portion  2 . Thus, distal end  18   b  can have a transverse pin  24  that is disposed within, and slides with respect to, slots  22  to allow the tire engaging portion  4  and the rim engaging portion  2  to move along a predetermined path with respect to each other. In a preferred embodiment, the distal end  18   b  can further have a rotatable roller  24  disposed about the pin  240  for engaging the inner surfaces of the slots  22  to minimizing friction between the pieces. This roller  24  can be made of any appropriate material, including metals, polymers and the like, and it can be removable to allow a new roller to be installed if the existing piece becomes worn or damaged. In a preferred embodiment, the roller  24  is made of a metal material to provide maximum durability.  
         [0048]     The slots  22  ( FIGS. 1, 2   c,    2   d ) in the rim engaging portion  2  can be generally elongated and can have a slot axis “S-S” that is oriented so that when the rim engaging portion  2  engages the wheel rim  10 , the slot is substantially parallel to the wheel axis W-W (see  FIG. 3 ). Once the rim engaging portion  2  is fully engaged with the rim  12  ( FIG. 5 ), the slots are oriented at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the wheel axis, thus maximizing the available vertical and horizontal travel of the handle  100 . In the illustrated embodiment, the slot orientation allows the tire engaging portion  4  to move inward with respect to the wheel and tire, thus imparting a slight inward force to the tire as it is being moved up and over the top flange of the wheel rim  12 . It is noted that alternative orientations of the slots  22  are contemplated, and thus the actual orientation can be different depending upon the desired application. Also, although the slots  22  are illustrated as being generally linear, they can have other shapes, such as curved, stepped, etc., as appropriate to provide a desired movement of the tire engaging member  4  during use.  
         [0049]     As previously noted, the rim-engaging portion  2  has a generally C-shaped cavity  6  with a pair of opposed engaging lips  8 ,  10 . The first engaging lip  8  is disposed at one end of the cavity  6  and is sized and configured to cup the top wheel rim flange  12   a  to axially engage the rim engaging portion  2  with the rim  12 . The second engaging lip  10  abuts an intermediate portion of the wheel rim  12  at a location below the top flange  12   a,  as shown in  FIG. 5 . In a preferred embodiment, the second engaging lip  10  comprises a rotatable roller  11  at the end thereof for minimizing potential damage to the wheel rim in use. This roller  11  can be similar to rollers  24 ,  281  described in relation to the tire and rim engaging portions  16 ,  18 . In a preferred embodiment, roller  11  comprises a polymer or other material that is substantially softer than the metal wheel rim material to maximize protection of the rim surfaces.  
         [0050]     As previously noted, when the tire engaging portion  4  moves with relation to the rim engaging portion  2 , the two pieces contact each other in two distinct locations. The first location is between the slots  22  and pin  240  or roller  24 . The second location is between the back face  4   b  of the tire engaging portion  4  and an outer surface of the rim engaging portion  2 . Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2   c  and  2   d,  an outer roller member  36  is positioned on the rim engaging portion  2  so as to contact the back face  4   b  between the intermediate portion  18  and the tire engaging end  16 . The roller member  36  is connected to the rim engaging portion  2  via a press-fit pin  360 . In use, the roller  36  reduces friction between the portions  2 ,  4  when they move with respect to each other, thus making the tool I easier to operate and also reducing wear. The roller  36  can have any or all of the features previously described in relation to rollers  24 ,  26 ,  281 , and can be made of a metal material to maximize durability. In an alternative embodiment, the roller  36  can be made of a polymer or soft material, to provide smooth operation of the device and to minimize wear of tool surfaces.  
         [0051]     It is noted that this roller  36 , as well as the previously described rollers  24 ,  26 ,  28  can be replaced to allow the tool to be refurbished to provide smooth long term use and operation. Such replacement can be easily accomplished through the removal/reinstallation of the press-fit pin associated with the roller. Additionally, any or all of the rollers can be replaced with metal or non-metal wear surfaces, such as discretely shaped and sized pieces of material that can be easily replaced when worn. In one example, solid or non-solid plugs of polymer material can be embedded in the appropriate tool surface to perform a function similar to that of one or more rollers.  
         [0052]     In use, the intermediate portion  18  can initially be disposed in a proximal end portion  22   a  of slot  22 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Once the tire engaging end  16  has been inserted between the tire and wheel, and the rim engaging portion  2  engages the wheel rim  12 , further downward movement of the tire engaging portion  16  is made possible through the downward sliding of the intermediate portion  18  within the slots  22  ( FIG. 4 ) until the pin  240  and roller  24  are positioned at the distal end  22   b  of the slots  22 . This allows the user to position the front face  4   a  ( FIGS. 1   a,    2   b ) of the tire engaging end  16  directly against the upper bead  30 . Thereafter, when the user rotates the handle  100  toward the wheel axis W-W, an upward force is imparted directly to the bead  30 . Further rotation of the handle in the same direction causes the tire engaging portion  4  to rotate upward, with the entire tire engaging portion  16  “carrying” the tire upward through the reverse movement of the tire engaging portion  16  along slots  22  (see  FIGS. 4-7 ). The pin/slot connection also allows the tire engaging portion  16  to move inward with respect to the wheel so as to impart a slight inward force to the tire as it is being lifted over the upper flange  12   a  of the rim. This movement is described in reference to  FIGS. 5 and 7 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the user first begins to rotate the handle  100  to impart the desired upward force to the tire, the pin  240  is located adjacent the distal end portions  22   b  of the slots  22 . As the user continues to rotate the handle  100 , the tire engaging portion  4  moves with respect to the rim engaging portion  2  via the pin/slot interaction, so that pin  240  and roller  24  move within the slots  22  toward the proximal slot ends  22   a.  When the handle  100  has been rotated an amount sufficient to disengage the upper bead  30  of the tire from the upper flange  12   a  of the wheel rim, the pin  240  and roller  24  are disposed adjacent to the proximal end portion  22   a  of the slots  22 , as shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0053]     This sliding arrangement between the tire engaging portion and the rim engaging portion provides significant flexibility in the use of the tool  1 , and also provides increased safety in using the tool because the rim engaging portion provides a positive lock on the wheel rim. Prior tools merely contact the wheel rim and do not provide positive engagement between the tool and the rim. The result of such a lack of positive engagement is the increased potential for the tire engaging portion  16  of the tool to slide down into tire during use, thus limiting the effectiveness of the handle in separating the tire from the wheel. Further, since the tool will undoubtedly be used in roadside applications, it should engage the wheel rim as stably as possible so that in situations of snow and ice, which are prevalent during the winter months in northern climates, the chance that the tool or operator will slip will be substantially reduced.  
         [0054]     The tool  1  can be adapted to work equally well for removing tires from modern wide truck tires, such as the new single tires that are designed to take the place of two standard tires (e.g. the X One XTE tire by Michelin). Tires of this size can have depths up to twice that of standard dual tires (see dimension “D” in  FIG. 3 ), which indicates, which can render the hook element  34  ineffective in holding the upper bead sufficiently high to enable the tire engaging end  16  to be pressed down below the lower tire bead  32 . This is because the distance between the upper and lower tire beads on such a tire may be greater than the distance between the hook element  34  and the tire engaging end  16 . As such, the user may be required to lift up on the tire while moving the tire engaging end  16  beneath the lower tire bead  32 . This is neither convenient nor safe.  
         [0055]     In order to accommodate these increased depth tires, the handle engaging portion  14  of the tool can have an adjustable bead hook element  38  slidably disposed thereon to provide a set of hook elements  38   a, b  that are spaced from the tire engaging end  16  by a distance greater than the distance between the upper and lower tire beads  30 ,  32 . Thus, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , when the upper bead  30  of the tire is hooked onto a selected hook element  38   a, b,  the tire engaging end  16  can be positioned below the lower tire bead  32  without the need for the user to hold onto the tire. It is noted that for unusually deep tires it may be necessary for the user to manually lift the tire up onto the desired hook  38 . Once this is done, however, the tire engaging member  16  can be operated as before to disengage the second bead  32   b  from the rim.  
         [0056]     The adjustable bead hook element  38  can have one or more individual bead hooks  38   a, b  ( FIG. 2   a ) to provide a variety of positions to engage the upper tire bead  30  of a tire to perform the same function as hook  34 , for larger depth tires. As noted, the bead hook element can be slidable along a portion of the length of the tool  1  to provide an additional degree of adjustability. The element  38  can be locked in one of a variety of positions using a pin  138  disposed through one of a plurality of corresponding holes  141  in the handle engaging end  14  of the tool  1 .  
         [0057]     It is noted that while the tool  1  is shown as having a bead hook element  38  with a pair of individual hook elements  38   a, b,  alternative arrangements are also contemplated, such as providing multiple fixed hook elements at spaced intervals along the tool  1 .  
         [0058]     Successive steps for use of the tire removal tool according to the invention to remove a tire  20  from a rim  12  are shown in  FIGS. 3-9 . The tire  20  and rim  12  are preferably disposed horizontally on the ground, and can be deflated sufficiently that the bead can be pushed back from the rim flange. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the tool  1  can be held by the handle  100  in a manner so as to orient the tire engaging part  28  in a generally downward direction, and so that the rim engaging portion  2  hangs loosely from the pin  240  in the intermediate portion  18  so that the cavity  6  faces the upper rim flange. The tire engaging part  28  is then pressed downwardly between the upper tire bead  30 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , and the upper wheel rim flange  12   a,  in a direction substantially parallel to the wheel axis “W-W.” Typically, it will first be necessary to use a separate tool to break the seal between the tire and the rim. This often requires the application of significant force, which can be applied using a “bead breaker,” or other tool prior to insertion of the tire engaging part  28 .  
         [0059]     During the initial insertion process, the rim engaging portion  2  hangs from the pin  240  of the intermediate portion  18  in the manner illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . In this position, the second engaging lip  10  of the rim engaging portion  2  is located above the first engaging lip  8 , and the cavity  6  faces away from the back face  4   b  of the tire engaging portion  4 . Thus positioned, the tire engaging portion  4  can be driven down between the rim  12  and tire  20  until the cavity  6  contacts the rim  12  adjacent its upper flange  12   a.  As the tire engaging portion  4  is driven down further between the rim and the tire, the rim engaging portion  2  and tire engaging portion  4  slide with respect to each other via the slot/pin interface, and the rim engaging portion  2  rotates about the pin  240  until the first engaging lip  8  engages the upper flange  12   a  of the rim, and the second engaging lip  10  rests against an inner side portion  12   c  of the rim  12 .  
         [0060]      FIG. 5  shows the tool  1  in the resulting fully engaged position, in which the first engaging lip  8  is located above the second engaging lip  10  and the cavity  6  is facing the back face  4   b  of the tire engaging portion. Further, the pin  240  is located at or near the proximal end  22   a  of the slot  22  in the rim engaging portion  2 . Likewise, in this position the tire engaging portion  4  is fully engaged with the tire such that the upper bead  30  of the tire is in contact with the front face  4   a  of the tire engaging portion  4 . In this position, the handle is substantially parallel to the plane of the ground upon which the tire is resting so as to provide maximum levering movement to the tool. The tool  1  may now be used to remove the tire from the rim.  
         [0061]     The first step in the tire removal process is to separate the upper bead  30  from the upper flange  12   a  of the rim. Thus, the user can apply a rotational force to the handle  100  to press the front face  4   a  of the tire engaging portion  4  against the upper bead  30 . This force causes the tire engaging portion  4  to move both upward (due to the lifting of the handle) and slightly inward (due to the movement of the tire engaging portion  4  along the slots  22  in the rim engaging portion  2 ). This combination of rotational and sliding movement continues until the pin  240  in the intermediate portion  18  engages the proximal end  22   a  of the slot  22 . At this point, sufficient force and displacement will have been applied to the upper bead  30  to pull it up and over the upper flange  12   a  of the rim.  
         [0062]     As illustrated and described, the rim engaging portion  4  serves three functions. First, it serves as a pivot member for the tire engaging portion  2 , translating the lifting motion of the handle  100  into an upward force on the upper tire bead  30 . Second, it serves to secure the tire engaging portion  4  to the rim  12 , thus preventing the tire engaging member  4  from sliding down into the tire thus diluting the levering action applied to the upper tire bead  30 . Third, it allows the tire engaging portion  4  to translate inward, toward the center of the wheel, to provide a moving pivot point to provide substantially constant leverage against the upper tire bead  30  over the entire range of motion of the tire engaging portion  4 . Prior to maximum rotation of the tool  1  to the point where the handle  100  contacts the tire  20  at a point diagonally opposite from where the tire engaging portion  2  is inserted, the entire circumference of the upper tire bead  30  is pulled beyond the wheel rim flange. Accordingly, in one quick lever-like motion involving inserting the tool  1  and rotating the tool handle  100  across the tire, the entire upper bead  30  is pulled over the upper rim flange  12   a.  The resulting location of the tire  20  with respect to the wheel rim  12  is as shown in  FIG. 7 , where the upper tire bead  30  is removed from the wheel rim  12  and lower tire bead  32  remains between the upper wheel rim flange  12   a  and lower wheel rim flange  12   b,  keeping the tire captive on the wheel.  
         [0063]     After the entire upper bead  30  of the tire is lifted up over the upper rim flange  12   a,  the tool  1  can be repositioned to remove the lower bead  32  from the rim  12 . Thus, handle  100  is rotated back toward its original engaged position ( FIG. 5 ). This movement causes the tire engaging portion  4  to translate with respect to the rim engaging portion  2  until the pin  240  of the tire engaging portion  4  is located adjacent the distal end  22   a  of the slot  22  in the rim engaging portion  2 . As the tire engaging portion  4  approaches this position, the hook  34 , which located near the handle engaging end  14  of the tool, slides beneath the upper bead  30 , hooking the upper bead  30  and preventing the tire  20  from sliding back downward on the rim  12 . Simultaneous to the engagement of the hook  34  with the upper bead  30 , the tire engaging part  28  contacts an inner surface  31  of the tire adjacent to the lower bead  32 . Rotating the handle further toward its original position causes the tire engaging part  28  to slide along the inner surface of the tire until it slides beneath the lower bead  32 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . It is noted that providing a roller  281  at the end of the tire engagement part  28  can make it much easier to move the tire engagement part  29  beneath the lower bead  32  due to the reduced friction associated with the rolling contact between the tire and tool.  
         [0064]     Once the tool is positioned so that the front face  4   a  of tire engaging portion  4  engages the lower bead  32 , the user can lift up on the handle  100  and remove the lower bead  32  from the rim  12  in the same manner as described for the upper bead  30  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ).  
         [0065]     When removing a particularly wide (i.e. deep) tires, such as those previously described as being used to replace the standard dual tire arrangement (e.g. X One XTE tire by Michelin), the user can employ one of the hook members  38   a, b  associated with the an adjustable bead hook element  38 . It is noted that it may be necessary for the technician to manually lift the upper bead  30  into engagement with the appropriate hook  38   a, b.    
         [0066]     As part of any or all of the above removal steps, an appropriate oil or other lubricant may be applied to the tire surface immediately adjacent to the beads in order to reduce the friction between the beads  30 ,  32  the upper flange  12   a  of the rim  12  and the tool  1 .  
         [0067]     Accordingly, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and the scope thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1