Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title: Apparatus for cleoning the rim of a rounded object.
Descriptlon of Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning the rim of a rounded
object such as a wheel.
It will be appreciated by those involved in changing tyres for
automotive wheels, that the internal surfaces of the rim can become pitted
and rusty and thus it is difficult to achieve sealing between the tyre and the
rim.
Conventionally an inner tube then has ~o be used, but with moàern low
profile tyres it is not feasible or safe to use inner tubes. Thus the rims have
to be cleaned.
According to one aspect of the invention we provide an apparatus for
cleaning the rim of a rounded object comprising means to support the object,
a cleaning tool movable into engagement with the rim of the object and
means to cause relative rotation between the rounded object and the cleaning
tool, the support means comprising a pair of roilers, one being mounted
generally above the other, and a third roller carried by a movable arm which
is movable from a first position in which the object is out of engagement with
the pair of rollers, to a second position when the object is engaged with the
pair o~ rollers and the third rolter and supported in a generally upright
orientation with its central axis located in a generally horizontal plane.
It will be appreciated that the rounded object may be maintained out of
engagement with the pair of rollers, by gravity, the movable arm moving the
object against gravity when moving from its first to its second position.
According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of
cleaning a rounded object using an apparatus according to the first aspect of
the invention9 the method comprising placing the object on the movable arm
with the movable arm in the first position, moving the movable arm to the
second position to urge the rounded object towards and into engagement with
the two rollers of the pair of rollers, moving the cleaning tool into
engagement with a rim of the object, and cavsing relative rotation between
the rounded object and the cleaning tool.
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The invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE I is a side illustrative view of an apparatus in accordance with
the invention in one condition, partially cut away.
FIGURE 2 is a view similar to Figure I but showing the apparatus in a
second condition.
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a rounded object for cleaning.
Referring to the drawings, an apparatus 10 for cleaning the rim of a
wheel 11 is shown which comprises a housing 12 which includes a visor 13
which permits an operator to see inside the housing 12.
The wheel 11 may be inserted in the housing 12 through an opening in
the side of the housing 12 or otherwise as required.
The housing 12 is mounted on a base 14.
The apparatus lû includes a movable support arm 15 which is pivotable
about an axis 16 from a first position shown at A in figure I when the wheel
I l may be received in the housing 12, to a second position shown at B in
figure 2 when the arm 15 urges the wheel 11 towards a pair of rollers 16,17,
mounted by the housing 12.
The arm 15 itself carries two rollers 18 and 19 which are rotatable so
that as the arm 15 is pivoted to position B, the wheel 11 is supported on the
rollers 18 and 19. However when the arm 15 is in position 8, there is a three
point support only by the pair of rollers 16,17 of the housing 12 and a third
roller, i.e. roller 19 of the two rollers 18,19, carried by the arm 15.
~ ovement of the arm 15 is achieved by a linear actuator 20 which in
this example is pneumatically operated, although any other drive means for
moving the arm 15 between the positions A and B could alternatively be
employed.
A motor 21, in this example an electrical motor, is mounted in the
housing 12 and is connected via a transmission belf or chain 22 to roller 16
mounted on the housing 12 so that drive can be imparted from the motor 21
via the roller 16 to the wheel 11, at least when the arm 15 is in position B, sothat the wheel 11 will rotate about its own central axis 24.
It will be appreciated that wheels 11 of many varied diameters can be
supported in the housing 12 by the rollers 16,17, and 18 or 19, but in each
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case, when the arm 15 is in position 8, the central axis 24 of the wheel 11
will lie between the rollers i6,17, in a plane indicated at 25 which is
generally halfway between the rollers 16,17.
The rollers 16,17,18 and 19 each have end stops (not seen) to prevent
sideways movement of the wheel 11 along the rollers, and to maintain the
wheel I ! in the upright orientation shown when the central axis 24 of the
wheel 11 is in a horizontal or near horizontal plane 25.
The apparatus 10 further comprises a cleaning tool 30 which comprises
an abrasive cleaning head 31 of circular configuration, and a pneumatic
motor carried in a body 3~ which provides a handle 33 to facilitate manual
use of the tool 3û.
The head 31 is preferably a plastic/foam abrasive such as is made by 3M
as part of their Roloc+ abrasive system range, which has been found
efficiently to clean the rim of the wheel 11 without removing excess metal.
The tool 30 is mounted on a generally horizontal support surface
comprising a table 33, for linear movement towards and away frorn the wheel
I l by an operator, over the surface of the table 33 i.e. in a direction
generally parallel with plane 25 containing the central axis 24 of the wheel
(when the arm 15 is in its second position B).
In fact, in the arrangement shown, the axis of rotation of the cleaning
head 31 is coincident with plane 25.
Air for the tool 30 may be provided via a hose 34 from a compressor
within the housing as shown at 12, or from external air supply as desired.
Referring to figure 3, it will be appreciated by those involved in
changing tyres on vehicle wheels that internal surfaces 4û and 41 of the
wheel rim9 in use,-become corroded and pitted.
When it is desired to replace a tyre on the wheel 11, it is then difficult
to achieve a seal between walls of the tyre and the surfaces 4û and 41, to
enable the tyre to be inflated.
Various sealing solutions can be applied to the surfaces 4û,41, in an
attempt to improve the position but these are not very successful.
With o conventional tyre, an inner tube can be inserted between the
wheel rim and the tyre, but with modern low profile tyres, this is not
possible.
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Accordingly, it is necessary to clean the surfaces 4û and 41 to remove
corrosion and pitting so that a seal can be achieved when a tyre is replaced
on the wheel 11.
Utilising the apparatus 1~) of the present invention, the wheel 11 is
inserted into the housing 12. The wheel 11 is placed on a generally horizontal
support strut 42 shown in figure 1.
The arm 15 is then moved from position A to position B when the wheel
I I will be urged upwardly by the rollers 18,19, carried by the arm 15, towards
the rollers 16 and 17 mounted on the housing 12.
When the wheel 11 is in position B shown in figure 2 of the drawings,
the tool 30 can be moved linearly across the surface of the table 33 until the
head 31 engages with one or other of the surfaces 40/41 of the wheel rim.
Thus the surfaces 40 and 41 of the wheel rim are cleaned by the abrasive
head 31. The wheel 11 is rotated by virtue of being engaged with roller 16
which is rotated by the motor 21.
Preferably, the motor 21 is caused to rotate to move roller 16 oniy
when the arm 15 reaches position B.
By virtue of the visor 13, an operator can observe inside the housing 12
and in particular can safely observe the point of contact between the
abrasive head 31 and the wheel.
Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of
the invention. For example, the housing 12 could be of any other desired
shape and configuration.
Instead of an air powered tool 3û, a tool driven by electrical, or any
other power means, may instead be provided.
Any alternative means for causing the wheel 11 to ro1ate when the arm
is in position B may be employed. For example instead of a belt or chain
transmission, any other suitable transmission between a motor and a roller IG
could be provided.
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