Patent ID: 6988397

Claim:
A tire uniformity machine for testing a wheel that includes a tire mounted on a rim having a central bore, the tire uniformity machine comprising: a frame defining a machine proper for receiving the wheel; a chuck assembly adapted to hold the wheel during testing, said chuck assembly including a protuberance insertably received within the central bore; wherein a portion of said protuberance is adapted to expand radially outwardly within the central bore to fix the rim to said chuck assembly, wherein said protuberance includes a collet having at least one flexible finger adapted to expand radially outward within the central bore wherein said finger includes a thickened portion adapted to extend axially beyond the rim upon insertion of the protuberance through the bore; said thickened portion having a shoulder that extends radially outward from said finger, where radial expansion of the finger causes said shoulder to overlap a portion of the rim.