Patent Description:
It is known that, in order to verify the alignment of the wheels of vehicles, operators use specific measuring instruments which can be removably mounted on brackets which can be attached, also removably, on each wheel.

<CIT> discloses a bracket for supporting a measuring instrument of a vehicle wheel alignment system.

A known bracket comprises a flat central body which, on a face which faces the outside of the vehicle when it is mounted on the wheel, is equipped with a central attachment, typically consisting of a substantially horizontal hub protruding cantilevered, on which the measurement and control instruments can be engaged.

The central body is typically made in the form of a triangular or star-shaped metal flange, and comprises three radial arms which are normally disposed angularly with respect to each other at <NUM>°.

Each arm is equipped with its own spike facing the tire of a wheel, shaped so as to go over the tread and engage gripping in the grooves thereof.

All the spikes are mounted sliding with respect to the respective arms, so that they can adapt to the various diameters of the wheels and tires on which the brackets have to have a temporary but stable grip in order to carry out the checks and any adjustments to correct alignment defects.

For this purpose, the spikes have the respective distal ends bent into an "L" shape so as to all together encompass, in the configuration of use of the brackets, the external circumference of the wheel's tire.

Each end of the spikes is also provided with a specific contact member which, as mentioned, is intended to engage in the grooves of the tread of the tires, and which consists of a gripping fastener whose external surface comprises a series of raised teeth which can be coupled to the grooves in order to guarantee their grip.

The spikes are mounted sliding along the respective arms and are driven simultaneously with translational motion to converge with or diverge from each other, with respect to the center of the central body and to tighten, or widen, on the external surfaces of the tires to be gripped.

In order to drive the spikes simultaneously, a first system of articulated connecting rods is mounted on the central body, which are interposed between a central command disk and the spikes.

The central command disk is coaxial to the hub on which the instruments are mounted and can be driven in positive or negative rotation with respect to the central body by means of special knobs that can be driven manually by the operators and are mechanically coupled to a movement transmission toothing provided between them and the central disk.

Therefore, by rotating the knobs in one or the opposite direction, a simultaneous movement is imparted to all the connecting rods which in turn transmit it to the spikes, making them slide in centrifugal or centripetal directions along the respective arms in the radial directions, guided by guide members, normally rectilinear grooves, provided for this purpose on the very arms.

The precision of the checks and any corrective adjustments of the alignment of the wheels of a vehicle require that the support apparatuses are mounted in a perfectly centered position with respect to the axes of rotation of the wheels, therefore, in other words, that the central hubs are coaxial to the latter.

A precise positioning of these support apparatuses on the wheels is therefore essential to obtain precise measurements and equally precise corrections, and it is normally entrusted to the experience and manual skills of the operators, who also need to carry out all the assembly, disassembly and measurement operations, avoiding accidentally damaging the rims of the wheels in any way, some of which are typically of a very delicate and expensive type.

To solve this additional problem of safeguarding the integrity of the rims, the arms are specifically equipped with respective stoppers made of shockproof material, for example elastic/rubber, which perform the function of elements for resting the bracket at a distance on the shoulder of a wheel's tire, during assembly and use, in such a way that the central metal body of the bracket cannot come into contact with the rim, but remains far enough away from it to guarantee its safeguarding during the work steps. These stoppers are also mobile in radial directions and simultaneously along the arms of the brackets, in some cases independently from the spikes, in other cases simultaneously with them, so that they can be adapted and positioned resting on the shoulders of tires of various diameters.

In detail, these stoppers are driven, like the spikes, by a specific second movement system which comprises a second disc, supported on the central rotating body and coaxial to the one that drives the spikes, equipped with an angular graduation.

Respective connecting rods are also provided between the stoppers and the second disk, which are intended to transmit the radial movements imparted by a second knob which, driven by the operators, drives the second disk into angular rotation.

In correspondence with pre-selected angular values, which correspond to the widths of the diameters of the rims and tires of wheels available on the market, normally expressed in inches, a temporary clamping system is provided which snap-fixes the position of both the spikes and also of the stoppers on each selected diameter, so that the bracket, during use, is secured and substantially monolithic with the wheel.

This state of the art presents some problems.

A first problem is that the shoulders of some types of tires, despite having smooth surfaces, are equipped with inscriptions of various kinds, such as for example the brand and/or logo of the manufacturer, the characteristic measurements of the tire, its intended use, which protrude embossed by a few millimeters from the surface of the shoulder, and it often happens that the contact zones of the rest stoppers of the brackets on the shoulders partly or totally correspond to the position of the embossed inscriptions.

This causes the stoppers to rest imprecisely and, consequently, an imperfect skewed positioning of the brackets with respect to the plane on which the wheels rest, especially when only a part of the stoppers rest on the embossed inscriptions while the other parts rest correctly on the smooth surfaces of the shoulders.

It has been verified that this skewed resting of the brackets of the instruments, however limited it may be, nevertheless affects the precision of the instruments' measurement data, resulting in errors with the indication of the wheel alignment, the extent of which cannot be determined and, therefore, corrected.

Consequently, to overcome these faulty wheel alignment measurements detected by the instruments mounted on the brackets, the operators, in order to restore the optimal wheel positions provided by the vehicle manufacturers, are led to carry out adjustments which are sometimes not even necessary, or in any case affected by errors, even if apparently corrective of the defects mistakenly detected by the instruments.

Another problem of known brackets is that the adjustment of the radial positions for adapting the stoppers to the diameters of the tires on the shoulders of which they have to rest occurs with pre-set angular rotations of the second central disk, that is, according to convergent or divergent movements and fixed in pre-selectable positions, corresponding to the standardized diameters of the wheels currently available on the market.

This type of adjustment can cause the stoppers to rest on the shoulders of the tires precisely in the zones where the embossed inscriptions are present, with the previously-described consequences for the precision of the measurements and any corrections to the wheel alignment.

One purpose of the invention is to improve the state of the art.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a bracket for control instruments of the alignment of wheels of vehicles, which allows operators to position the instruments in a substantially perfect manner with respect to the axes of rotation of the wheels, obtaining precise measurements and allowing to perform adequate adjustments free of errors, and only if actually necessary.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a bracket for control instruments of the alignment of wheels of vehicles that is simple to position, relatively economical and easy to use.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a bracket for control instruments of the alignment of wheels of vehicles in accordance with the characteristics of claim <NUM>.

Other characteristics are specified in the dependent claims.

The bracket for control instruments of the alignment of wheels of vehicles therefore allows to:.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a bracket for control instruments of the alignment of wheels of vehicles, shown as a non-limiting example in the attached drawings wherein:.

With reference to the aforementioned drawings, <NUM> indicates, as a whole, a bracket for control instruments of the alignment of wheels R of vehicles, hereafter bracket <NUM> for short.

The bracket <NUM> comprises a central body <NUM>, hereafter body <NUM> for short, which has a perimeter preferably, but not exclusively, in the shape of a star with three arms 2a, 2b, 2c.

Usefully, the three arms 2a, 2b, 2c develop in three radial directions spaced apart angularly at <NUM>° from each other; however, other angular dispositions are also possible, even non-symmetrical.

The body <NUM> is preferably made of a lightweight material, chosen, for example, from aluminum, aluminum alloys, or synthetic material with a three-dimensional structure, possibly alveolar, such as, for example, carbon or honeycomb; however, depending on specific structural needs or to contain the costs of manufacturing the bracket according to the invention, it is also possible to make the body <NUM> with metal/ferrous material.

The body <NUM> has a center indicated with C which, when mounted on the wheel R, coincides coaxially with the ideal axis of rotation of the latter, and in correspondence with which the ideal median longitudinal lines B1, B2, B3 intersect, hereafter lines B1, B2, B3 for short, along which the three arms 2a, 2b, 2c develop symmetrically.

The body <NUM> is strongly flattened and has a small thickness that defines two opposite and parallel flat faces, precisely one face facing outward when the bracket <NUM> is mounted on the wheel R, and for this reason indicated as external face 2e, and an opposite internal face 2i.

As can be seen in the drawings, coinciding with the three lines B1, B2, B3, corresponding rectilinear through slots <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are made in the arms 2a, 2b, 2c, whose function will be explained in detail below.

On the side of the internal face 2i there are mounted gripping means consisting of three spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> which extend radially toward the outside of the body <NUM> until they protrude from the vertices V1, V2, V3 of the arms 2a, 2b, 2c with respective distal end portions 7a, 8a, 9a.

The distal portions 7a, 8a, 9a of the spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are bent, preferably at right angles, that is, in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the body <NUM>, and are equipped with terminal segments 7b, 8b, 9b, each of which outlines a raised indentation <NUM> (<FIG>).

Still on the side of the internal face 2i, there are also mounted means for resting on a shoulder F of a tire P of a wheel R, which are made in the form of three prismatic stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, hereafter stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> for short, which have equal thicknesses (<FIG>).

As can be seen in the drawings, all three spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are supported sliding with respect to the body <NUM> along its arms 2a, 2b, 2c and are driven with first driving means <NUM> and guided with first guide means <NUM>.

In order to simultaneously drive the three spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, for each arm the driving means comprise a pin <NUM> which is engaged transversely sliding in a respective one of the aforementioned through slots <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> (which together form the first guide means <NUM>), and which constitutes an articulation hinge for an end 20a of a connecting rod <NUM> located on the external part 2e.

The opposite end 20B of the connecting rod <NUM> is instead hinged with a hinge <NUM> to a first disc <NUM> that is mounted on the external part 2e of the body <NUM>, concentric to the center C thereof and capable of rotating.

The first disc <NUM> has a portion of its perimeter zone, indicatively, but not necessarily, equal to a third of a circumference, on which there is created a first toothing <NUM> with millimeter pitch.

A sprocket <NUM> engages the first toothing <NUM>, which is supported on the body <NUM> with axis of rotation perpendicular thereto, which can be manually driven in bidirectional rotation by an operator by means of a knob <NUM> which is rotatably integral with and concentric to it.

The person of skill in the art will understand that the drive in rotation of the entire first disc <NUM> or of the sprocket <NUM> alone can take place not only manually, but also by means of an electrically powered motorized element, powered for example with one or more rechargeable batteries, or ones that can be replaced when exhausted.

Therefore, the rotation of the first disc <NUM> imparts a synchronized movement of the three connecting rods <NUM> and, consequently, of the spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> in centripetal directions, converging toward the center C, or centrifugal directions.

The three stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are also supported on the body <NUM> sliding in radial directions along the three arms 2a, 2b, 2c, driven with respective second driving means <NUM> which can be activated independently with respect to the first driving means <NUM> of the spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

In detail, the second driving means <NUM> comprise a second disc <NUM> which is keyed coaxially onto the first disc <NUM>, but disposed on the internal face 2i of the body <NUM> and independently rotatable with respect thereto.

As for the first disc <NUM>, the second disc <NUM> also has, on its external perimeter part, a second toothing <NUM>, also with a millimeter pitch that can be the same as or different from the pitch of the first toothing <NUM>.

A second sprocket <NUM> is engaged on the second toothing <NUM> and is supported rotating on the body <NUM> with an axis of rotation perpendicular to it, and is able to be manually driven in positive or negative rotation by an operator by means of a second knob <NUM> coaxial to and rotatably integral with it.

Between the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and the second disc <NUM> there are interposed respective second connecting and motion transmission rods, indicated with <NUM>.

The second connecting rods <NUM> all have corresponding ends 30A hinged to the peripheral zone of the second disc <NUM>, and opposite ends 30B which are each hinged to a respective stopper <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, typically in a zone thereof considered as base and indicated in the drawings and hereafter, for short, as respective bases 11a, 12a, 13a.

The bases 11a, 12a, 13a are made in such a way that they can slide guided on the spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, more precisely on rectilinear segments thereof, respectively indicated with 7c, 8c, 9c, which are parallel to the internal face 2i of the body <NUM> and oriented converging toward the center C or diverging from it, according to an observer.

In practice, to allow each stopper to be guided, each of the bases 11a, 12a, 13a is equipped with its own through hole 7d which is shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, referring to the base 11a of the stopper <NUM> due to the particular viewing angle shown in the drawings, but which is also identical in the other bases 12a and 13a.

The corresponding rectilinear segment 7c of the spike <NUM> is accommodated in the through hole 7d sliding and with precision, so that the stopper <NUM> can slide, by sliding remaining guided thereon and in a manner independent therefrom.

The same coupling between the hole 7d of the bases 12a and 13a is created in order to accommodate the respective rectilinear segments 8c and 9c of the spikes <NUM> and <NUM>.

Therefore, also in this case a rotation of the second disc <NUM> induced by the operator through the second knob <NUM> produces a simultaneous movement of the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> in the centripetal or centrifugal direction, so that they align with the shoulders F of the tires P of various diameters of wheels R on which the bracket <NUM> has to be mounted.

Each of the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, in addition to the respective bases, has a contact face 11b, 12b, 13b with the shoulder F of a tire P and a portion for connection to the respective base.

In detail, with reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, note that the stopper <NUM> (taken as an example - the same applies to the other stoppers <NUM> and <NUM>) is formed by the base, indicated in this case with 11a, a portion for contact with a shoulder F of a tire P which defines the contact face 11b, and by a connection portion 11c that joins the contact portion to the base 11a without a break in continuity.

In particular, according to the invention, a cantilevered pin <NUM> extends from the connection portion 11c, which is perpendicular to the body <NUM> and which, when the bracket <NUM> is in a position of use, faces a rim CK of a wheel R.

When necessary, a sleeve <NUM> can be engaged on the pin <NUM> with precision and in a temporary and removable manner, said sleeve <NUM> having a length such as to extend beyond the contact face 11b when it is engaged on the pin <NUM>.

Between the pin <NUM> and the sleeve <NUM> there are provided known removable retention means for holding the sleeve <NUM> when it is engaged on the pin <NUM>, the retention means not being described in detail because they are known to the person of skill, but designed to allow the stable coupling or decoupling between them with simple pressing or manual traction movements by the operators.

As can be seen in the drawings, the sleeve <NUM> has a distal end 33a that outlines a special profile suitable to rest on the edge <NUM> of the rim CK, coupling to it in a mating manner.

When they are all engaged on the respective pins <NUM>, the set of three sleeves <NUM> keeps the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> deliberately detached from the shoulder F, making the bracket <NUM> rest overall for reference not on the latter, but on the edge <NUM> of the rim CK.

The use of the sleeves <NUM>, and therefore their engagement on the respective pins <NUM>, preferably occurs when there are embossed inscriptions on the shoulder F of a tire P, schematically indicated with <NUM> in <FIG>.

All the distal ends 33a resting on the edge <NUM> prevents imperfect resting of the portions 11a, 12a, 13a of the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> on the inscriptions <NUM> from generating overall an imperfect positioning (for example skewed) of the bracket <NUM> with respect to the wheel R and, therefore, causing incorrect measurements and equally incorrect corrections of the alignment of wheels of the vehicles by the operators.

With reference to <FIG>, also note that the body <NUM> centrally has diameter indicator means consisting of a fixed hub <NUM>, on which the second disc <NUM> is rotatably engaged and retained, and an angular numerical scale <NUM> which substantially corresponds to radial positions of the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and therefore also of the pins <NUM> and of the corresponding sleeves <NUM> mounted thereon, with respect to the diameters of rims CK of a standardized type. The angular numerical scale <NUM> is preferably expressed in inches, so as to give an immediate visual feedback to an operator.

In substantial correspondence with the angular numerical scale <NUM>, a punctual reference index <NUM> is made on the second disc <NUM> which, together with the angular numerical scale, immediately indicates to the operator who makes the second disc <NUM> rotate which rim CK diameter the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, that is, the pins <NUM> and the sleeves <NUM>, are suitable for.

The micrometric pitch of the second toothing <NUM> allows the operator to make very precise adjustments, since these occur continuously and not for positions at predefined sectors. The operation of the bracket <NUM> for control instruments of the alignment of wheels R of vehicles according to the invention is as follows.

When an operator has to check, or correct, the alignment of a wheel "R" of a vehicle by using the known instrumentation and without disassembling it from the hub thereof to which it is attached, in the event that on the shoulder F of the tire P there are significantly embossed inscriptions <NUM>, the operator proceeds to rest the bracket <NUM> on the edge <NUM> of the rim CK, instead of resting the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> on the shoulder F.

In detail, to do this, they first engage the sleeves <NUM> on the corresponding pins <NUM>, ensuring that the retention means provided between them activate in order to hold them in the correct position, engaged on the respective pins <NUM>.

Then, looking at the radial numerical scale <NUM> and the corresponding punctual index <NUM>, the operator acts on the second knob <NUM>, rotating it in such a direction that the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or more precisely the ends 33a of the sleeves <NUM> supported by the stoppers, radially and precisely adapt to the diameter of the edge <NUM> of the rim CK they are intended to rest on, so as to prevent - during resting - a direct contact between the portions 11b, 12b, 13b of the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and the shoulder F of the tire P, thanks to their specific length which allows the ends 33a of the sleeves <NUM> to extend by a segment that is the same for all beyond the portions 11b, 12b, 13b of stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

The rotation of the second knob <NUM> transmits the rotary motion to the sprocket <NUM> with which it is integral, which, since it is engaged on the second toothing <NUM> with millimeter pitch of the second disc <NUM>, sets the second disc <NUM> into a controlled angular rotation.

The latter in turn transmits the motion to the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> by means of the second connecting rods <NUM>, making them slide simultaneously in radial directions, moving them centripetally to converge with each other or centrifugally to diverge from each other.

During the radial positioning of the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, the bases 11a, 12a, 13a thereof are travelled through by the segments 7c, 8c, 9c of the spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, which are engaged in the corresponding holes 7d, 8d, 9d.

In this way, the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> slide along the rectilinear segments 7c, 8c, 9c, independently thereof and without their sliding interfering with them in any way whatsoever.

When the adjustment of the stoppers and of the corresponding sleeves <NUM> is completed, the operator proceeds to rest the bracket <NUM> on the edge <NUM> of the rim CK and acts on the first knob <NUM>, attaching the bracket <NUM> onto the wheel R.

By rotating the first knob <NUM>, the sprocket <NUM> integral with it imparts the particularly precise rotation to the first disc <NUM> by means of the engagement on the first toothing <NUM> thereof, which also has a millimeter pitch.

In turn, the first disc <NUM> drives the first connecting rods <NUM> which in turn move the spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> in a radial centripetal direction until the indentations <NUM> of the terminal segments 7b, 8b, 9b thereof engage with the typical grooves that form the pattern of the tread of the tire P, clamping the bracket <NUM> on the wheel R.

The operator, after having attached the bracket <NUM> on the wheel R, proceeds to mount the detection and measurement instruments on the latter's hub in a known manner, and proceeds with the required readings and adjustments, without the influence of the presence of embossed inscriptions <NUM> on the shoulder F.

Once the intervention on the wheel R is finished, the operator acts again on the first knob <NUM>, rotating it in the direction opposite to the previous one, causing the centrifugal and simultaneous radial movement of the spikes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and freeing the bracket <NUM> from the wheel, so that it can be used on another wheel.

In the event that the operator has to mount the bracket <NUM> on a wheel R that has a tire without embossed inscriptions on the shoulder F, before proceeding with the assembly in a known manner, they provide to remove the sleeves <NUM> from the respective pins <NUM>, thus restoring the functionality of a typically known bracket.

In other words, the invention allows to have a single bracket <NUM>, which can be used both on a wheel R with a tire P without embossed inscriptions, and also on a wheel R equipped with a tire P that has strongly embossed inscriptions on the shoulder F.

In the first case, after the operator has made the adjustments described above to adapt to the diameters of the wheels R, the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> rest directly on the shoulder F in a known manner; in the second case, instead, the stoppers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are kept distanced from the shoulder F, since it is the sleeves <NUM> that, after being engaged on the respective pins <NUM>, extend beyond the portions 11b, 12b, 12c and rest with their distal ends 33a directly on the edge <NUM> of a rim CK.

The person of skill will understand that the distal ends 33a of the sleeves <NUM> can have profiles that are shaped as a function of the profiles of the edges <NUM> of the rims CK on which they are intended to be rested, in a manner that is preferably mating.

In practice, it has been verified that the invention achieves the intended purposes.

The invention as conceived is susceptible to modifications and variants, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

Claim 1:
A bracket (<NUM>) for control instruments of the alignment of the wheels (R) of a vehicle, which comprises:
- a body (<NUM>) from which three arms (2a, 2b, 2c) depart, each of which has a respective vertex (V1, V2, V3) and gripping means (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) configured to engage with said wheels (R), mounted sliding in radial directions with respect to the body (<NUM>) and angularly distanced from each other by pre-selected angles;
- first driving means (<NUM>) for driving said gripping means (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
- first guide means (<NUM>) for guiding said first gripping means (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) between positions of grip on, or release from, a wheel (R) ;
- adjustable rest means for resting the bracket (<NUM>) in a work position in which it is parallel to a shoulder (F) of a wheel (R), said adjustable rest means comprising one or more stoppers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
- said stoppers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) being mounted sliding with respect to said body (<NUM>) independently of said first gripping means (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), driven mobile with second driving means (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) independent of said first driving means (<NUM>) and guided radially with said first guide means (<NUM>) ;
- said stoppers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) having respective contact portions (11b, 12b, 13b) for contact with said shoulder (F) ;
characterized in that each of said stoppers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprises:
- a respective cantilevered pin (<NUM>) which extends from said stoppers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) toward said wheel (R);
- a respective sleeve (<NUM>), able to be temporarily and removably associated with the respective pin (<NUM>), wherein said sleeve (<NUM>) is equipped with a distal end (33a) extending beyond said contact ends (11b, 12b, 13b) in order to rest on the edges (<NUM>) of rims (CK) of said wheels (R).