Tool for automatically assembling-disassembling a tire to/from a wheel rim

1. A tire assembling-disassembling machine comprising a support base arranged to support a tired wheel or wheel rim and to cause its rotation about an axis of rotation, at least one guide member extending substantially parallel to said axis of rotation upwards from said support, a tool-carrying arm which is slidably mounted on said guide member, and a plate like tool member having one free end thereof, said machine comprising constrain means designed to articulate on end of said plate-like tool member to said tool-carrying arm, thereby allowing rotational and translational movements of said tool member with respect to said tool-carrying arm as a function of a force applied to said tool member, said free end of said tool member being provided with a back facing said wheel rim.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said constrain means comprises resiliently yielding contrast means between said tool-carrying arm and said tool member.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said tool member is articulated at said first end thereof within at least one recess or slot formed in said tool-carrying arm.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said at least one recess or slot extends in a direction inclined with respect to both the axis of said tool-carrying arm and a direction perpendicular thereto.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said tool-carrying arm is supported by said guide member at one end thereof, and terminates at its other end with a fork-shaped member for articulated connection to said tool member.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said tool member at said first end thereof is articulated to an end of a shackle member, whose other end is articulated to said tool-carrying arm.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said resiliently yielding means is provided between said tool member and said shackle member, and between said shackle member and said tool-carrying, thereby holding said tool in its rest position oriented substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said wheel rim.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said resiliently yielding means comprises at least one spring.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said tool-carrying arm is cantileverwise supported by said guide member at one end thereof, whereas at its other end it terminates with a fork member for articulated connection to said shackle member.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said free end of said tool member terminates with a transversal length suitable for delimitating an inner recess facing, in use, said tool-carrying arm, and an outer groove facing away from said recess.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said inner recess is designed to engage and extract, in use, an edge of a tire bead from a respective wheel rim.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said outer groove is designed to slidably rest on a wheel rim edge.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said tool member is made of a suitable anti-friction plastics material.

14. A tire assembling-disassembling machine as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least one pair of bead-releasing rollers arranged, in use, on opposite sides with respect to a wheel rim or tired wheel placed on said machine, and uprights which slide parallel to the axis of rotation of said wheel rim or tyred wheel along two directions parallel to, and spaced from, one another of a predetermined distance.