APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TIRE CENTERING OF TIRE TESTING MACHINE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To center a tire to the rims of a tire testing machine accurately and to perform the inspection for the uniformity of the tire with excellent precision by providing a positioning means or the like, which determines the position of the tire at the degree so that a contracted chuck enters the tire to be carried. SOLUTION: A positioning means 5 determines the position at the degree so that a chuck 4 in the reduced-diameter state enters a tire 2, which is carried by a tire carrying means 3. A moving means 6 moves or turns the chuck 4 horizontally and then lowers the chuck vertically. Then, a bead part 2A of the tire 2 is held by each pawl 4a of the chuck 4, and the center of the bead part 2A is made to agree with the center of rims 7 and 8 of a tire testing machine 1. Thereafter, the bead parts 2A and 2B are held with the rims 7 and 8. Therefore, the tire 2 can be centered highly accurately with respect to the rims 7 and 8 of the testing machine 1. Furthermore, since the centering to the rims 7 and 8 is performed by holding the bead part 2A with each pawl 4a of the chuck 4, the carriage of the tire 2 to the testing machine 1 can be readily performed.