Quick action nut for fixing the wheel rim of a vehicle wheel on an end of a shaft of a balancing machine, said end having an outer thread

Abstract

A speed clamping nut to clamp the rim of a vehicle wheel on an end fitted with an outer thread of a shaft of a balancing machine, comprising a housing having at least one grip mounted in substantially radially manner to the housing, and an inside thread. A threaded component rotational about the screw axis of the speed clamping nut and relative to the housing is connected to the housing and comprises an inside thread and is connected with the drive side of a rotational drive system connected to the housing. Following engagement, the rotational drive system assumes the complex and time-consuming screwing-on procedure when the wheel rim is pulled against spring forces toward a centering cone.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A speed clamping nut to clamp the rim of a vehicle wheel on and fitted with an outside thread of a shaft of a balancing machine, comprising: 
 a housing ( 2 ),    at least one grip ( 4 , 6 ) radially mounted on the housing ( 2 ), and    a threaded component ( 12 ;  66 ) displaceably received in the housing ( 2 ) and fitted with an inside thread ( 22 ,  24 ;  64 ), characterized in that    the threaded component ( 12 ;  66 ) is supported in the housing ( 2 ) in rotatable manner about the screw axis of the speed clamping axis and relative to said housing, and    a rotational drive system is Connected to the housing ( 2 ) of which the drive side rotationally engages the threaded component ( 12 ;  66 ) to rotate it.    
     
     
         2 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the rotational drive system is mounted in a grip ( 6 ).  
     
     
         3 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that an energy storage means for the rotational drive system is received in the housing ( 2 ) and/or in a handgrip ( 4 ).  
     
     
         4 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that four grips ( 4 ,  6 ,  82 ,  84 ) are cross-wise mounted to the housing ( 2 ), the rotational drive system being received in one grip ( 6 ) and energy storage means being received in the further grips ( 4 ,  82 ,  84 ).  
     
     
         5 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that a drive shaft of the rotational drive system is operationally connected by a bevel drive (gear rim  52 , gear  54 ) to the threaded component ( 66 ).  
     
     
         6 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 5 , characterized in that the bevel drive (gear rim  52 , gear  54 ) is a gear drive.  
     
     
         7 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 6 , characterized in that the grip ( 6 ) is mounted away from the clamping system relative to the axis of rotation of the speed clamping nut and in that the gear drive is a conical-gear drive.  
     
     
         8 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the threaded component ( 12 ) comprises at least one thread segment ( 18 ,  20 ) prestressed radially inward by an engaging spring ( 44 ) toward the engaging position and in that actuation means are provided which act against the force of the engaging spring ( 44 ).  
     
     
         9 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that the threaded segment ( 18 ,  20 ) is prestressed radially outward by a disengaging spring ( 26 ), the force exerted by the disengaging spring ( 26 ) being so much weaker than that of the engaging spring ( 44 ) that in the absence of operation of the actuation means the threaded segment ( 18 ,  20 ) is constantly kept in the engaged position.  
     
     
         10 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that the actuation means are operationally connected by a cam drive with the threaded segments ( 18 ,  20 ).  
     
     
         11 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 10 , characterized in that the cam drive comprises an actuation ring ( 30 ) irrotationally affixed to the threaded component and fitted with a conical inside surface ( 48 ) to rest against complementary conical shoulders ( 50 ) of the threaded segment ( 18 ,  20 ), and in that the actuation gas are fitted with a disengaging fork ( 38 ) in the form of a two-arm lever and comprising, at the ends of its prongs ( 36 ), pins ( 34 ) projecting radially inward into an outer annular slot ( 32 ) and of which the other arm constitutes an actuation arm ( 42 ) prestressed by the engaging spring opposite ( 44 ) the direction of actuation.  
     
     
         12 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that a switch to turn ON or reverse the direction of the rotational drive system is mounted to the speed clamping nut.  
     
     
         13 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that two pushbutton switches ( 68 ,  70 ) are mounted to the speed clamping nut, one of which turns ON one direction of the rotational drive system and the other turns ON the other direction of the rotational drive system.  
     
     
         14 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in either of claims  12  and  13 , characterized in that the switch or the pushbutton switches ( 68 ,  70 ) are mounted on or inside the housing ( 2 ) in the vicinity of a grip ( 4 ,  6 ).  
     
     
         15 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the rotational drive system is fitted with an electric motor ( 10 ).  
     
     
         16 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in claims  3  and  12 , characterized in that the energy storage means is a battery or a storage battery ( 8 ).  
     
     
         17 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the rotational drive system is a compressed-air motor ( 72 ).  
     
     
         18 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in claims  3  and  17 , characterized in that the energy storage means consists of a pressurized chamber ( 74 ) mounted in a grip ( 4 ).  
     
     
         19 . Speed clamping nut as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the rotational drive system is self-locking.