A cooling apparatus for an electronics rack is provided which includes a door assembly coupled to the electronics rack at an inlet or air outlet side of the rack. The door assembly includes: an airflow opening configured to facilitate ingress or egress of airflow through the electronics rack with the door assembly mounted to the rack; an air-to-coolant heat exchanger disposed so that airflow through the airflow opening passes across the air-to-coolant heat exchanger, the air-to-coolant heat exchanger being configured to extract heat from the airflow passing thereacross; and a vapor condenser configured to facilitate condensing of dielectric fluid vapor egressing from at least one immersion-cooled electronic component section of the electronics rack. The cooling apparatus, including the door assembly, facilitates air-cooling and immersion-cooling of different electronic components of the electronics rack.

A method is provided which includes providing a cooling apparatus which includes a door assembly coupled to the electronics rack at an inlet or air outlet side of the rack. The door assembly includes: an airflow opening configured to facilitate ingress or egress of airflow through the electronics rack with the door assembly mounted to the rack; an air-to-coolant heat exchanger disposed so that airflow through the airflow opening passes across the air-to-coolant heat exchanger, the air-to-coolant heat exchanger being configured to extract heat from the airflow passing thereacross; and a vapor condenser configured to facilitate condensing of dielectric fluid vapor egressing from at least one immersion-cooled electronic component section of the electronics rack. The cooling apparatus, including the door assembly, facilitates air-cooling and immersion-cooling of different electronic components of the electronics rack.

A silicon-based thermal energy transfer apparatus that aids dissipation of thermal energy from a heat-generating device, such as an edge-emitting laser diode, is provided. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a silicon-based base portion having a first primary surface and a silicon-based support structure. The silicon-based support structure includes a mounting end and a distal end opposite the mounting end with the mounting end received by the base portion such that the support structure extends from the first primary surface of the base portion. The support structure includes a recess defined therein to receive the edge-emitting laser diode. The support structure further includes a slit connecting the distal end and the recess to expose at least a portion of a light-emitting edge of the edge-emitting laser diode when the edge-emitting laser diode is received in the support structure.

Metal nanoparticles having improved migration resistance are provided. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing composite nanoparticles including obtaining composite nanoparticles containing at least silver and copper in a single particle by heat treating a mixture containing an organic silver compound and an organic copper compound at a temperature of 150° C. or more in a non-oxidative atmosphere in the presence of a tertiary amine compound represented by the general formula R1R2R3N (wherein R1 through R3 are optionally substituted alkyl groups or aryl groups that may be the same or different, R1 through R3 may be linked in a ring, and the number of carbon atoms in each of R1 through R3 is 5 through 18 and may be the same or different).

Disclosed herein is a sintered composition comprising iron; about 0.05 to about 1 wt % molybdenum; about 3 to about 4.5 wt % silicon; about 0.05 to about 0.5 wt % chromium; about 0.011 to about 0.015 wt % magnesium; all weight percents being based on the total weight of the composition; the composition being devoid of carbon except for trace amounts; and wherein the composition is sintered. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising blending a powdered composition that comprises iron; about 0.05 to about 1 wt % molybdenum; about 3 to about 4.5 wt % silicon; about 0.05 to about 0.5 wt % chromium; about 0.011 to about 0.015 wt % magnesium; all weight percents being based on the total weight of the composition; the composition being devoid of carbon except for trace amounts; compacting and sintering the composition.

New net shape strength retaining high temperature alloy parts are formed from fine metallurgical powders by mechanically blending the powders and placing them in die, placing a piston in the die, extending the piston into a driving chamber, filling the chamber with CH4 and air and compressing the powders with the filling pressure. Igniting gas in the chamber drives the piston into the cavity, producing pressures of about 85 to 150 tsi, compacting the powders into a near net shape alloy part, ready for sintering at 2300° C. without shrinking. The alloy parts are Re, Mo—Re, W—Re, Re—Hf—HfC, Re—Ta—Hf—HfC, Re—Mo—Hf—HfC, Mo—Re—Ta, Mo—Re-f-HfC, W—Re—Hf—HfC, W—Re—Ta—Hf—HfC or W—Re—Mo—Hf alloys.

Provided is bond coating powder and method of making. The method includes providing a powder including a plurality of parent particles. The method includes providing a plurality of dispersoids. The method includes mechanically alloying the powder and the plurality of dispersoids at ambient temperature. The mechanical alloying operable to provide a selective occupation of the plurality of dispersoids in a grain boundary area of the plurality of parent particles providing the bond coating powder. The plurality of dispersoids occupy about 18 percent to about 30 percent of the grain boundary area of the bond coating powder.

Transient liquid phase sintering compositions comprising one or more high melting point metals and one or more low melting temperature alloys are known in the art as useful compositions for creating electrically and/or thermally conductive pathways in electronic applications. The present invention provides transient liquid phase sintering compositions that employ non-eutectic low melting temperature alloys for improved sintering and metal matrix properties.

A process for producing pig iron or liquid primary steel products is provided. Charge materials containing iron ore and, if appropriate, additions are reduced in at least one reduction unit by means of a reducing gas, and at least parts thereof are smelted in a smelting unit, with coal being added and with formation of the reducing gas. Reducing gas from the smelting unit and/or top gas from the reduction unit are/is subjected to cleaning. The process water obtained during the wet cleaning is degassed and in the process volatile organic compounds are removed from the process water.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method for making silver nanoparticles, and includes steps of reacting a silver salt with a phosphene amino acid to make silver nanoparticles. Exemplary phosphene amino acids include trimers, with a particular example being a trimeric amino acid conjugate containing one phosphene group. In an exemplary method of the invention, the silver nanoparticles may be produced in timer periods of less than about 30 minutes, and at temperatures of less than about 40° C. Other methods of the invention are directed to methods for stabilizing silver nanoparticles.

A pump for pumping molten metal and delivering flux includes a refractory base that can be submerged in molten metal including an impeller chamber, an inlet and an outlet. A refractory shaft sleeve has upper and lower end portions and is fastened to the base at the lower end portion. A motor is disposed near the upper end portion of the shaft sleeve. A refractory shaft extends in the shaft sleeve and is connected to the motor near the upper end portion of the shaft sleeve. A refractory impeller is connected to the shaft and is rotatable in the impeller chamber. A flux feeding device feeds flux into the shaft sleeve. Also featured is a method for delivering flux in the shaft sleeve of the pump and a method for cleaning flux accretions in the shaft sleeve.

Articles containing a matrix material and plurality of copper nanoparticles in the matrix material that have been at least partially fused together are described. The copper nanoparticles are less than about 20 nm in size. Copper nanoparticles of this size become fused together at temperatures and pressures that are much lower than that of bulk copper. In general, the fusion temperatures decrease with increasing applied pressure and lowering of the size of the copper nanoparticles. The size of the copper nanoparticles can be varied by adjusting reaction conditions including, for example, surfactant systems, addition rates, and temperatures. Copper nanoparticles that have been at least partially fused together can form a thermally conductive percolation pathway in the matrix material.

A method for the oxidation and sintering of pellets includes the introduction of a first medium into a compartment through an inlet connected to the compartment and the heating of the medium in the inlet through the use of a combustion arrangement. The use of the combustion arrangement includes the ignition of the fuel, the combustion of the fuel, and the transfer of combustion heat to the first medium that is present at the combustion arrangement. In a region in the inlet outside the direct passage of the first medium, the ignition of the fuel, the combustion of the fuel and the transfer of combustion heat to the first medium take place. By the introduction of a second medium into the region in the direct vicinity of the combustion arrangement, the combustion of the fuel and the transfer of combustion heat also to the second medium take place.

A method of generating hydrogen gas from the reaction of stabilized aluminum nanoparticles with water is provided. The stabilized aluminum nanoparticles are synthesized from decomposition of an alane precursor in the presence of a catalyst and an organic passivation agent, and exhibit stability in air and solvents but are reactive with water. The reaction of the aluminum nanoparticles with water produces a hydrogen yield of at least 85%.

The present invention relates to a process for the recycling of steel industry iron bearing by-products into a shape suitable for feeding into a direct reduction furnace, comprising the steps of mixing and grinding 50 to 99 wt % of ore and pellet fines and 1 to 50 wt % of slurry, mill scale and/or bag house dust, pelletizing the mixture and indurating the pellets so obtained by heating for 5-60 minutes at a temperature in the range of 1100-1350° C.; and a pellet produced from Iron bearing waste material and having compression strength of at least 2.8 kN and/or a drop number of at least 3.

A method for leaching copper and molybdenum from an ore, residue and/or concentrate containing such, in which more than 1% w/w of the total molybdenum is present as a sulfide and in which more than 1% w/w of the total copper is present as an oxide, the method comprising the steps of: exposing the ore, residue and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine (I)-based oxidizing species of a pH of at least 3.0; oxidizing the molybdenum by the chlorine-based oxidizing species thereby providing a treated ore, residue and/or concentrate and a reduced aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidizing species; leaching the treated ore, residue and/or concentrate by exposing the treated ore, residue and/or concentrate to an aqueous ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution to form a pregnant leach solution containing both copper and molybdenum; and passing the pregnant leach solution containing both copper and molybdenum to a means for metal recovery.

The present invention provides a process for recovering valuable metals from precious metal smelting slag, comprising: smelting the precious metal smelting slag and a flux in a top-blown rotary furnace to produce a lead-bismuth alloy, wherein the precious metal smelting slag comprises Au, Ag, Bi and Pb; electrolyzing the lead-bismuth alloy at a current density ranging from 60 to 110 A/m2 to obtain lead cathode and lead anode slime; refining the lead anode slime to produce bismuth and silver-zinc crust, and extracting gold and silver separately from the silver-zinc crust. Through utilizing a top-blown rotary furnace as the smelting apparatus and adjusting the ratio of the flux, the present invention enriches the valuable metals gold, silver, bismuth, lead or the like to lead-bismuth alloy, ensures lower contents of gold, silver, bismuth and lead in the reducing slag and thereby increases the comprehensive recovery rates of gold, silver, bismuth and lead from the precious metal smelting slag.

There is provided a sliding part in which a surface coverage ratio of copper in the sliding part increases. A bearing which is the sliding part is formed by filling the raw powder into the filling portion of the forming mold, compacting the raw powder to form a powder compact, which is sintered. A copper-based raw powder is composed of a copper-based flat raw powder whose diameter is smaller than that of an iron-based raw powder and an aspect ratio larger than that of the iron-based raw powder, and a copper-based small-sized raw powder whose diameter is smaller than that of the copper-based flat raw powder. The copper is allowed to segregate at the surface of the sliding part. The surface of the bearing is covered with the copper-based small-sized raw powder and the copper-based flat raw powder, thereby the surface coverage ratio of copper can be increased.

The invention relates to sputter targets and methods for depositing a layer from a sputter target. The method preferably includes the steps of: placing a sputter target in a vacuum chamber; placing a substrate having a substrate surface in the vacuum chamber; reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber to about 100 Torr or less; removing atoms from the surface of the sputter target while the sputter target is in the vacuum chamber (e.g., using a magnetic field and/or an electric field). The deposited layer preferably is a molybdenum containing alloy including about 50 atomic percent or more molybdenum, 0.5 to 45 atomic percent of a second metal element selected from the group consisting of niobium and vanadium; and 0.5 to 45 atomic percent of a third metal element selected from the group consisting of tantalum, chromium, vanadium, niobium, and titanium.

A cored wire for introducing additive into a bath of liquid steel, of the type comprising a metal sheath surrounding said additive, characterized in that said additive predominantly comprises calcium silicate. A process for manufacturing a resulfurized steel, characterized in that it comprises a step of introducing, into the bath of liquid steel, such a cored wire.

A method during the oxidation and sintering of pellets includes the introduction of a first medium into the compartment through an inlet connected to the compartment and the heating of the first medium in the inlet through the use of a combustion arrangement. The use of the combustion arrangement includes the ignition of the fuel, combustion of the fuel, and the transfer of the combustion heat to the first medium that is present at the combustion arrangement. A second medium is introduced to the inlet through an intake in the direct vicinity of the combustion arrangement, where the ignition of the fuel and the combustion of the fuel take place for the transfer of combustion heat also to the second medium. The heated first medium and the heated second medium are mixed before or during their introduction into the compartment.

Methods of forming metal matrix nanocomposites are provided. The methods include the steps of introducing a master metal matrix nanocomposite into a molten metal at a temperature above the melting temperature of the master metal matrix nanocomposite, allowing at least a portion of the master metal matrix nanocomposite to mix with the molten metal and, then, solidifying the molten metal to provide a second metal matrix nanocomposite.

The invention is directed to a process and apparatus for recovering metals from bottom ash from incineration plants, such as municipal waste incineration plants. The process includes directing a feed containing ash into an oxidizing unit, wherein at least part of the metals is oxidized in the presence of one or more acids and at least one oxygen donor, thus producing a stream comprising metal ions. From this stream the metals of interest are selected and converted into metallic form.

The present invention aims at improving a recovery rate of a positive-pole active substance and preventing a recovery loss of valuable metals when a positive-pole active substance is separated from a lithium ion battery. In the present invention, a material resulting from battery dismantling obtained by dismantling a lithium ion battery is stirred using a surfactant solution, whereby a positive-pole active substance is separated from a positive-electrode substrate. Also, it is preferable that an alkaline solution is added to a positive-electrode material of a material resulting from battery dismantling, thereby dissolving a positive-electrode substrate to which a positive-pole active substance adheres to obtain a slurry containing the positive-pole active substance, and a surfactant solution is added to the slurry to disperse the positive-pole active substance in the slurry, whereby the positive-pole active substance is separated from the alkaline solution.

The invention relates to methods and devices for breaking up ore. The methods and devices are characterized in particular in that ore mineral or ore minerals can be subsequently easily extracted. For this purpose coherent NIR radiation, non-coherent NIR radiation, at least one electric alternating field having a frequency greater than 300 GHz, at least one magnetic alternating field having a frequency greater than 300 GHz, at least one electromagnetic alternating field having a frequency greater than 300 GHz, or a combination thereof are respectively applied to the ore at least once by means of a device for generating the radiation, the at least one alternating field, or the radiation and the at least one alternating field, wherein ore mineral, ore minerals, absorbent components, or ore minerals and absorbent components of the ore absorb(s) energy from the radiation, the alternating field, or the radiation and the alternating field and said energy is not or is only slightly absorbed by the lode matter. Thus, advantageously, cracks are formed in the ore or the ore splits by means of the resulting stresses.

Seizure resistance and wear resistance of Cu—Bi—In copper-alloy sliding material are enhanced by forming a soft phase of as pure as possible Bi. Mixed powder of Cu—In cuprous alloy powder and Cu—Bi containing Cu-based alloy powder is used. A sintering condition is set such that Bi moves outside particles of said Cu—Bi containing Cu-based powder and forms a Bi grain-boundary phase free of In, and In diffuses from said Cu—In containing Cu-based powder to said Cu—Bi containing Cu-based powder.

A process for producing refractory metal alloy powders includes the steps of blending at least one powder with at least one solvent and at least one binder to form a slurry; forming a plurality of agglomerates from the slurry; screening the plurality of agglomerates; sintering the plurality of agglomerates; and melting said plurality of agglomerates to form a plurality of homogenous, densified powder particles.

Novel systems and methods are described for reducing iron oxide to metallic iron in an integrated steel mill or the like that has a coke oven and/or an oxygen steelmaking furnace. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel systems and methods for reducing iron oxide to metallic iron using coke oven gas (COG) or COG and basic oxygen furnace gas (BOFG).

A method for making a metal-based nano-composite material is disclosed. In the method, a semi-solid state metal-based material is provided. The semi-solid state metal-based material is stirred and nano-sized reinforcements are added into the semi-solid state metal-based material to obtain a semi-solid state mixture. The semi-solid state mixture is heated to a temperature above a liquidus temperature of the metal-based material, to achieve a liquid-metal-nano-sized reinforcement mixture. The liquid-metal-nano-sized reinforcement mixture is ultrasonically processed at a temperature above the liquidus temperature by conducting ultrasonic vibrations to the liquid-metal-nano-sized reinforcement mixture along different directions at the same time.

In a method for producing a reduced iron pellet, when a powder formed article including iron oxide and carbon is heated and reduced in a rotary hearth furnace, a formed article produced using a raw material, in which an average diameter of the iron oxide is 50 microns or less and a ratio of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in a reduction zone is from 0.3 to 1, is reduced at a temperature of 1400° C. or less, thereby producing a reduced iron pellet in which a metallization ratio of iron is 50 to 85% and a ratio of residual carbon is 2% or less.

A process for manufacturing high aspect ratio silver nanowires is provided, wherein the recovered silver nanowires exhibit an average diameter of 25 to 80 nm and an average length of 10 to 100 μm; and, wherein the total glycol concentration is

The invention provides a recycling step in an oxidative pressure leaching process for recovery of metals using halide ions, in which a portion of the leached solids are recycled back to the feed to the autoclave, to allow two or more passes through the high temperature leaching step.

Embodiments relate to unidirectional TPMS utilizing information from a corresponding vehicle system in order to correlate with vehicle speed information to be used in a tire localization methodology. In an embodiment, the vehicle system is an anti-lock brake system (ABS), and the vehicle speed can be used in a localization scheme that reconstructs a +/−1 g ripple with waveform, amplitude, frequency and phase parameters. Because the waveform is known to be sinusoidal (due to the wheel rotation), the amplitude is known to be 2 g peak-to-peak (due to the gravitational +/−1 g), the frequency depends on vehicle speed (which can be estimated from centrifugal force measurements), and an algorithm is discussed herein for determining the phase by correlation, the +/−1 g ripple can be reconstructed and the wheels localized therefrom.

In a tire inflating station for inflating a tubeless tire arranged on a rim with a pressurized gas, arranged on a stand are a conveyor for receiving and conveying a wheel consisting of a wheel rim and a tire mounted on the wheel rim, and an inflation device above the conveyor and having an inflation opening which can be connected to a gas supply. The lower side of the inflation device has a carrier plate that is mounted to move backwards and forwards along an axis between at least two positions in a straight-line mechanism. There are inflation rings attached in tandem in a gas-tight manner to the lower side of a carrier plate. Inside the inflation rings, the carrier plate has a respective continuous opening. In each of the different working positions of the carrier plate, another of the continuous openings is connected to the inflation opening of the inflation device, which inflation opening is arranged on the upper side of the carrier plate.

Tire changing machines having force feedback and position control systems are described that may be used to control operation of one or more components of the machine during a tire change procedure. Information may be provided to a machine operator concerning detected operating conditions during the procedure. Excessive or abnormal forces or component positions can be detected and corrective action may be taken at any point in the tire change procedure. Successful component position profiles may be saved for future recall and execution by the machine.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus of reducing current requirements by increasing resistance of the blade structure by reducing the cross sectional area of at least one section of the blade so that the electrical current requirements for heating of the blade to cutting temperature are reduced wherein the power supply and substantially entire unit may be mounted within a hand held unit. Methods of shaping blades to perform various heat distributions for specialty blades for custom cutting are disclosed. Further, an improved blade mounting structure is provided which includes structure for maintaining the legs of the blade parallel to the direction of cut and provides for easy insertion of new blades by maintaining a slotted blade cradle stable and in alignment with the blades and a clamp member away from the blade when the clamp mounting structure is loosened.

A device for changing the rotational angle position of a pneumatic tire relative to a rim, on which the pneumatic tire is fitted to the rim, includes a manipulating device with a gripper adapted to be rotated by a positionable rotary drive mechanism and having radially adjustable gripper fingers with oppositely facing lift-off devices. Via the gripper it is possible to load a wheel into a clamping fixture, and following unseating of the tire beads from the clamped rim the pneumatic tire can be rotated relative to the rim through a computed angular difference.

A system and method for removing an outer layer of resilient material from an object to achieve a target outer dimension includes performing an initial cut at a cutting depth to remove an outer layer of the material. A parameter indicative of a work input to a cutter that performed the cut is acquired and used to determine the cutting depth that will be used for performing a subsequent cut to remove an additional layer. In this way, subsequent cuts are performed until the target outer dimension is achieved.

An apparatus is configured to receive a tire having at least two bead portions, including a first bead portion and a second bead portion. The apparatus includes a plurality of members configured to engage the first bead portion of the tire, at least one expander configured to move the plurality of members outward, and a rotating device configured to rotate the plurality of members about an axis of the tire.

A tire-changing machine comprising support means (4) for a wheel, a tool-bearing arm (50) at an end of which a bead-breaking tool (6) is hinged according to a hinge axis (E) which is perpendicular to an axis (A) of the wheel, and first motorised means (32, 33) for causing a relative movement, in a parallel direction to the axis (A) of the wheel, between the support means (4) and the tool-bearing arm (50), such as to press the bead-breaking tool (6) against a flank of a tire on the wheel, characterized in that it comprises second motorised means (64), activatable independently from the first motorised means (32, 33), which second motorised means (64) are destined to rotate the bead-breaking tool (6) about the hinge axis (E) with the tool-bearing arm (50), in order to vary an inclination of the bead-breaking tool (6) with respect to the axis (A) of the wheel which is mounted on the support means (4).

A sealing tube is wrapped around the rim and inflated such as to seal the gap between tire and rim if the seal between the tire bead and rim has lost its integrity. After this, the tire can be inflated to specified pressure at a slow rate using a portable compressor. The repair can be done at roadside on any vehicle using inflatable tires usually without demounting the wheel or even jacking up the defective wheel.

A mounting device for mounting or dismounting a vehicle tire on a wheel rim, the wheel rim or the wheel being supported on a mounting table and a pressing-down device being provided for sliding the vehicle tire on the wheel rim. A movement of the pressing-down device is essentially parallel to the wheel axis for sliding the vehicle tire on the wheel rim or pulling off the vehicle tire from the wheel rim.

A motorcycle wheel changing tool is presented that utilizes a rolling carriage that immobilizes the front or back wheel utilizing flat steel swing arms and a tension spring that holds the wheel in place with a knockout retaining rod through the wheel. The entire unit can be rolled and/or lifted in place to work in conjunction with a motorcycle stand. There is a folding handle that expands or contracts to accommodate different size tire/wheel widths and can pull the unit. The rolling wheels can be raised or lowered for different motorcycles depending on the height of the bike in relation to the wheel stand. Additionally, four large eye hooks can be raised or lowered to secure the wheel. Two threaded rods are utilized that secure both angle ends in place to secure the unit so that it is perpendicular to the wheel and keeps the unit from flexing.

A working tool orienting device in a tire demounting machine includes a base which supports a rotary apparatus, rotating about an axis of rotation and designed to bear and lock wheel rims thereon; a column rising from the base and having an end secured to the base and an end opposite thereto facing upward; a moving arm, which is moved between positions close to and away from the rotary apparatus; a support arrangement for supporting working tools, which is coupled with the upward facing end, and joint means interposed between the support arrangement and the upward facing end, which are configured to make the support arrangement movable relative to the arm.

A tire bead seating apparatus for seating tire beads on a vehicle wheel, the apparatus comprising: (a) a repositionable arm operatively coupled to a rotatable drum, the repositionable arm directing the rotatable drum into selective engagement with an inflated tire mounted to a vehicle wheel, the rotatable drum operative to rotate when engaging the inflated tire to rotate the inflated tire and the vehicle wheel; (b) a first set of rollers selectively contacting a first peripheral surface of the inflated tire, the first peripheral surface bridging between a first sidewall and a treaded surface of the inflated tire; (c) a first set of rollers selectively contacting a second peripheral surface of the inflated tire, the second peripheral surface bridging between a second sidewall and the treaded surface of the inflated tire, the first sidewall being generally opposite the second sidewall; (d) a first bead roller selectively contacting the first sidewall proximate a first bead of the inflated tire; and, (e) a second bead roller selectively contacting the second sidewall proximate a second bead of the inflated tire.

A nozzle for seating a tubeless tire on a rim using pressurized gas includes an outlet, a jet configured to accept pressurized gas and emit a stream of gas through an orifice into a chamber. As the stream of gas enters the chamber, the Venturi effect causes air to enter the chamber through air intake ports and the stream of gas and air from the air intake ports is blown out of the outlet of the nozzle. A system for seating a tubeless tire on a rim includes the nozzle, a tank and a valve configured to control the flow of pressurized gas from the tank to the nozzle. The tire may be seated on the rim by positioning the system so that the air from the nozzle blows into the tire between the bead of the tire and the rim if the valve is opened.

A device for automatic demounting of a tire from a rim having: a support arm (4); a demounting tool (10) articulated to the support arm (4); an attachment member (12) having one end articulated to the demounting tool (10) by a first articulation pin (13) and the other end thereof pivoted to the support arm (4) around a second articulation pin (14) extending substantially parallel to the first articulation pin (13); at least one extension appendage of the support arm (4) or a section (17) of the support arm (4), which extends beyond the second articulation pin (14); and at least one tie rod member (18) that is articulated on one side to the tool, and on the other side to the extension appendage or section (17) of the support arm (4).

An apparatus and method to seat a tire on a rim are described. Protrusions and a handle on the apparatus allow a user to brace the protrusions against the rim to prevent blow back when air is vented into the gap between the tire and the rim to seat the tire bead. The air is vented through a plurality of holes in the apparatus and the flow of the air into the apparatus is controlled by positioning a bridge handle of a flow control valve situated between the apparatus and a tank of air.

An inflator apparatus for inflating more than one un-inflated tire-wheel assembly is disclosed. The inflator apparatus includes a support structure; an interface portion rotatably-attached to the support structure, wherein the interface portion includes a plurality of inflator heads, wherein each inflator head of the plurality of inflator heads includes a fluid inlet; a plunger portion movably-connected to the support structure, wherein the plunger portion is movably-connected to the support structure to permit selectively coupling of the plunger portion with one inflator head of the plurality of inflator heads; and a fluid conduit connected to the plunger portion, wherein the fluid conduit is fluidly connectable with the fluid inlet of the one inflator head of the plurality of inflator heads. A system for processing more than one un-inflated tire-wheel assembly is also disclosed. A method for utilizing an inflator apparatus for inflating more than one un-inflated tire-wheel assembly is also disclosed.

A tire changer machine includes a control system that monitors a rotational position of a sensitive feature associated with a wheel rim and tire during a tire change procedure. The system adjusts operation of the machine to avoid damaging the sensitive feature, which may be a valve stem or a wheel sensor such as a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor.