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United States Patent |
6,135,295
|
Mani
|
October 24, 2000
|
Supportive pin rack for green tire storage
Abstract
A supportive tire rack for green tire transfer and storage includes a base
assembly that carries at least four support pins that are horizontally
cantilevered from the base. A pair of upper support plates and a pair of
lower support plates are carried by the pins. The upper support plates
engage the bead rings of the tire while the lower support plates cradle
the lower surface of the tire. Each support plate is pivotally carried on
an arm that is pivotally carried on a pin. Each arm is also in the form of
a damper that dampens oscillatory forces in the tire. The arms and plates
are biased toward resting positions by springs.
Inventors:
|
Mani; Neel K. (Stow, OH)
|
Assignee:
|
Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. (Akron, OH)
|
Appl. No.:
|
110525 |
Filed:
|
July 6, 1998 |
Intern'l Class: |
A47F 007/04 |
Field of Search: |
211/23,24,19,20,21,22
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
1311463 | Jul., 1919 | Rothschild | 211/24.
|
1391857 | Sep., 1921 | Schmitt.
| |
1476581 | Dec., 1923 | Baxter et al. | 211/24.
|
1718828 | Jun., 1929 | Murphy | 211/24.
|
3335871 | Aug., 1967 | Crisman | 211/24.
|
3547258 | Dec., 1970 | Black.
| |
3700113 | Oct., 1972 | Hager | 211/23.
|
3759394 | Sep., 1973 | Hottle | 211/23.
|
3812974 | May., 1974 | Sylvester | 221/23.
|
3935948 | Feb., 1976 | Podojil | 211/23.
|
4153497 | May., 1979 | Budrioli | 156/394.
|
4573587 | Mar., 1986 | Matthews, Jr. | 211/24.
|
Primary Examiner: Chin-Shue; Alvin
Assistant Examiner: Purol; Sarah
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Vasuta; John M., Sand; Michael
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A tire rack for green tires, each green tire having a pair of spaced
beads and an outer surface, said tire rack comprising:
a base;
an upper support carried by said base, said upper support carrying a pair
of upper support plates adapted to engage the beads;
a lower support carried by said base, said lower support carrying a pair of
lower support plates adapted to support the tire from below by engaging
the outer surface.
2. A tire rack as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said upper and lower
supports includes a pair of pins.
3. A tire rack as set forth in claim 2 wherein said pins are substantially
parallel and spaced apart.
4. A tire rack as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said pins is
substantially horizontal.
5. A tire rack as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an arm connected
to each of said support plates, each of said arms connected to one of said
upper and lower supports.
6. A tire rack as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said arms is
pivotally connected to a support.
7. A tire rack as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said support plates
is pivotally connected to said arm.
8. A tire rack as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a first spring
extending between said support plate and said support.
9. A tire rack as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a spring
extending between said arm and said pin to bias each of said arms
inwardly.
10. A tire rack as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a damper
connected to each of said support plates.
11. A tire rack as set forth in claim 10 wherein said damper connects at
each of said upper support plates to said upper support and connects each
of said lower support plates to said lower support.
12. A tire rack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper support plates
are arcuate and are adapted to engage the beads.
13. A tire rack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lower support plates
are arcuate and are adapted to support the outer surface of the tire.
14. In combination, a tire rack for green tires and at least one green
tire, said green tire including a pair of bead rings defining a center
opening and an outer surface; said tire rack including a base, an upper
support carried by said base, and a lower support carried by said base;
said green tire being supported on said upper support which extends into
the center opening of the tire and engages said bead rings and supported
on said lower support which engages said outer tire surface.
15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said upper support includes a
damper and said lower support includes a damper.
16. The combination of claim 15 further comprising an arcuate support plate
carried by each damper between said tire and said damper.
17. A tire rack for green tires, each green tire having a pair of spaced
beads and an outer surface, said tire rack comprising:
a base;
an upper support carried by said base, said upper support adapted to engage
the beads;
a lower support carried by said base, said lower support adapted to support
the tire from below by engaging the outer surface; and
two additional upper supports and two additional lower supports with a pair
of upper support plates and a pair of lower support plates carried by said
additional upper and lower supports.
18. A tire rack for green tires, each green tire having a pair of spaced
beads and an outer surface, said tire rack comprising:
a base;
an upper support carried by said base, said upper support including an
upper support plate adapted to engage the beads to support the tire; and
a lower support carried by said base, said lower support adapted to support
the tire from below by engaging the outer surface.
19. A tire rack for green tires, each green tire having a pair of spaced
beads and an outer surface, said tire rack comprising:
a base;
an upper support carried by said base, said upper support adapted to engage
the beads;
a lower support carried by said base, said lower support including a lower
support plate carried by said lower support adapted to support the tire
from below by engaging the outer surface of the tire.
20. In combination, a tire rack for green tires and at least one green
tire, said green tire including a pair of bead rings and an outer surface;
said tire rack including a base, an upper support carried by said base,
and a lower support carried by said base; said green tire supported on
said upper support by said bead rings and supported on said lower support
by said outer surface of the tire; and a damper disposed between said
upper support and said bead rings and a damper disposed between said lower
support and said outer surface of the tire.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1.Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to tire racks and, more
particularly to tire racks that are used to store and transport
unvulcanized or "green" tires. Specifically, the present invention relates
to a green tire rack that supports the upper and lower portions of each
green tire with pairs of arcuate plates that are, in turn, supported on
dampers that dampen potentially damaging oscillation forces.
2. Background Information
There is a need during the tire manufacturing process to store and
transport green tires before they are cured. The racks that are currently
used in the art allow the green tires to be automatically transferred to
the storage rack from the tire assembly machines. One type of known green
tire rack simply employs a pair of horizontal, parallel, side-by-side pins
that are configured to fit within the interior of the tire and engage the
bead rings such that the green tire rests on the two pins. The pins are
long enough to allow up to three green tires to be received next to each
other on the pins. The pins are spaced apart so that an automated transfer
mechanism can pass between the pins to place the green tires on the rack.
One problem with this known rack is that the tires hanging on the pins are
only supported by the point contacts between the bead rings and the pins.
Further, the pin rack does not support the green tire from below. The
green tires thus tend to sag under their own weight causing the bead rings
and the tire to deform. Such deformity leads to nonuniform tires. It is
thus desired in the art to provide a green tire rack that supports the
green tires in a manner that prevents the green tires from sagging under
their own weight.
The green tires are typically transported from one location in the tire
assembly plant to another location where the green tires are cured. The
transfer frequently occurs with the tires on the pin racks. It is desired
to move the pin racks from one location in the plant to the other location
as fast as possible to increase the speed the tire manufacturing process.
The racks are thus transported through the plant at relatively high speeds
with the green tires experiencing various forces as the tire racks hit
bumps, speed up, and slow down along the way. These forces cause
oscillations to occur in the green tires that can lead to nonuniform cured
tires. It is thus desired in the art to provide a green tire rack that
prevents such oscillations by dampening the forces experienced by the
green tires.
One supporting device capable of supporting green tires that does not
employ the two spaced pins discussed above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
3,759,394. The supporting device disclosed in this patent includes a pair
of opposed end pieces and a cross bar with one of the end pieces being
fixed with respect to the cross bar and the other of the end pieces
slidably disposed on the cross bar. The end pieces are interconnected by a
plurality of deformable resilient support members that flex outwardly when
the one end piece is moved towards the other end piece along the cross
bar. The supporting device is used by pulling the end pieces away from
each other and inserting the device in the middle of a green tire. The
movable end piece is then pushed toward the other end piece causing the
resilient members to flex outwardly and fill the interior of the green
tire between the tire sidewalls and the tire tread. The movable end piece
is then locked in place to maintain the position and configuration of the
support device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,974 discloses another green tire support device. The
device disclosed in this patent includes a frame that supports a plurality
of flexible slings that each carries a green tire. One portion the support
frame that carries the sling is capable of pivoting downwardly so that the
green tire may be rolled from the rack onto the floor. Although this rack
provides a device that supports the tire over a substantial portion of its
lower surface area, the rack does not disclose any means for supporting
the tires from within and does not disclose a rack that dampens
oscillatory forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,948 discloses a portable storage rack for unvulcanized
pneumatic tires. The storage rack includes a plurality of prongs that
extend from a base. Each prong carries a curved cradle designed to fit
within a green tire between the tire sidewalls. The patent does not
disclose a device that supports the tires from below to prevent sagging or
one that dampens oscillatory forces.
In view of the foregoing, it is desired in the art to provide a portable
storage rack for green tires capable of supporting multiple tires in a
manner that prevents each tire from sagging while also providing dampeners
that minimize harmful oscillatory forces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a supportive pin
rack for green tire storage that cradles each tire from below and from the
interior of the tire.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive pin
rack for green tire storage that supports each tire along the length of
the bead and a length of the lower surface of the tire so as to minimize
tire distortion caused by sagging by spreading the supportive forces out
over a large area.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive
pin rack for green tire storage that includes dampers that prevent or
minimize tire oscillation when the tire rack is transported through the
plant at relatively high speeds.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive
pin rack for green tire storage that can be easily retrofit on existing
pin racks.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive pin
rack for green tire storage that is compatible with existing tire assembly
machines such that the existing machinery does not have to be modified in
any way in order to work with the improved supportive green tire rack.
Yet a further objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive
pin rack for green tire storage that substantially increases the contact
area between the green tire and the tire rack so that the tire experiences
less stress while being held by the rack.
Still a further objective of the present invention is to provide a
supportive pin rack for green tire storage that decreases contact stresses
between the rack and the tire.
An additional objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive
pin rack for green tire storage that requires little, if any, maintenance.
Yet an additional objective of the present invention is to provide a
supportive pin rack for green tire storage that can accommodate tires of
several sizes within a certain range.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive pin
rack for green tire storage that individually supports each tire.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a supportive pin
rack for green tire storage that is of simple construction, which achieves
the stated objectives in a simple, effective, and inexpensive manner, in
which solves the problems and which satisfies the needs existing in the
art.
These and other objectives and advantages are obtained by the tire rack for
green tires, each green tire having a pair of spaced beads and an outer
surface, the tire rack including a base; an upper support carried by a
base, the upper support adapted to engage the beads; and a lower support
carried by a base, the lower support adapted to support the tire from
below by engaging the outer surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in
which applicant contemplated applying the principles, is set forth in the
following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and
distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the supportive pin rack for green tire storage
according to present invention depicted without tires;
FIG. 2 is a top plain view of the pin rack of FIG. 1 with three tires
loaded on the rack;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the empty pin rack of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a front view similar to FIG. 3 with tires loaded on the rack;
FIG. 5 is a front view of a tire rack according to the present invention
with one rack of tires disposed above another; and
FIG. 6 is detailed front view of one of the arcuate support plates and the
mechanism that adjustably supports the support plate from the pin.
Similar numbers refer to similar elements throughout the specification.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The improved supportive pin rack for green tire storage is depicted in the
accompanying drawings and is indicated generally by the numeral 10. Pin
rack 10 generally includes a base assembly 12 that includes a floor member
14 that is disposed substantially horizontal to the floor and may be
supported on the floor by a plurality of wheels so that pin rack 10 may be
moved from place to place on the wheels. Base assembly 12 further includes
a plurality of pillars 16 that extend vertically upward from floor member
14. Each of the members of base assembly 12 may be fabricated from an
appropriate metal or an appropriate plastic and connected by known
connectors such as welds or nut and bolt assemblies. Floor member 14 is
only schematically depicted in the drawings. In practice, floor member 14
is configured to provide the appropriate support to tire rack 10 to
prevent tire rack 10 from overturning when it is fully loaded.
Supportive pin rack 10 includes at least one upper pin set 18 and at least
one lower pin set 20. Each pin set 18 and 20 is cantilevered from pillars
16. In the embodiment of the invention depicted in the drawings, three
pillars 16 extend upwardly from floor member 14 of base assembly 12. A
central pillar 16B carries upper pin set 18 while a pair of outer pillars
16A carry lower pin set 20. Each pin set 18 and 20 includes a pair of
spaced, substantially horizontal, and substantially parallel pins 22. Each
pin 22 extends far enough from each pillar 16 to hold up to three tires 24
as depicted in FIG. 2. Each pin 22 is fabricated from a material such as
metal or a synthetic that is capable of supporting the weight of up to
three tires 24 when cantilevered from pillars 16. In the embodiment of the
invention depicted in the drawings, each pin 22 is in the form of a solid
or hollow metal tube that is cantilevered from pillar 16 in a manner that
prevents pins 22 from bending or deflecting. Pins 22 may be welded to
pillar 16 or may be anchored into pillar 16 and then bolted in place. Pins
22 may also be in other forms in different embodiments of the present
invention and may be connected to pillar 16 in other manners. For
instance, each pin 22 may have a rectangular cross section or may be in
the form of an I-beam.
Upper pin set 18 is configured to fit within the center opening 26 of tire
24. Pins 22 of upper pin set 18 are also spaced apart a distance
sufficient to allow an automated transfer machine to place a tire on
supportive pin rack 10 without engaging or damaging supportive pin rack
10. It is desired that pins 22 of upper pin set 18 be spaced apart
substantially the same distance as the pins of the prior art racks such
that pin rack 10 may be created by retrofitting the prior art devices. The
automated transfer machines have been used in the past with prior art pin
racks that simply included a pair of spaced pins similar to upper pin set
18. Thus, upper pin set 18 of pin rack 10 allows pin rack 10 to function
with the existing transfer machines. Further, the pins 22 of lower pin set
20 are spaced far enough apart so as to not interfere with the transfer
machines.
Lower pin set 20 is positioned below tire 24 when tire 24 is carried by pin
rack 10. Pins 22 of lower pin set 20 are spaced apart farther than pins 22
of upper pin set 18. While pins 22 of upper pin set 18 are positioned
inside the inner diameter 28 of tire 24, pins 22 of lower pin set 20 are
positioned outside inner diameter 28 of tire 24 but inside the outer
diameter 30 of tire 24.
Each tire 24 includes a pair of bead rings 32 disposed about inner diameter
28. The tire sidewalls 34 extend radially outwardly from bead rings 32 and
terminate in the outer surface 36 that lies along outer diameter 30 of
tire 24. Outer surface 36 has a width indicated by the dimension line
labeled by the numeral 38.
Upper pin set 18 carries a pair of upper support plates 42 and lower pin
set 20 carries a pair of lower support plates 44. Each support plate 42
and 44 is arcuate and includes an upwardly facing support surface. As
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each upper support plate 42 has a width, indicated
generally by the dimension line labeled with the numeral 46, that is
greater than width 38 of tire outer surface 36. Further, each lower
support plate 44 has a width, indicated generally by the dimension line
labeled by the numeral 48, that is greater than width 38 of outer surface
36. As such, when tire 24 is supported by support plates 42 and 44,
support plates 42 and 44 extend entirely across the width of tire 24 as
depicted in FIG. 2. The extra width of plates 42 and 44 that extends out
from either side of tire 24 allows for some error when the automated
machinery is placing tire 24 on pin rack 10. The width also allows pin
rack 10 to accommodate tires 24 of varying sizes.
As may be seen in FIG. 3, the curve of the support surface of each upper
support plate 42 is convex while the curve of the support surface of each
lower support plate 44 is concave. Upper support plates 42 are curved
along inner diameter 28 such that substantially the entire length of each
upper plate 42 is in contact with both bead rings 32 when tire 24 is
supported on pin rack 10 as depicted in FIG. 4. Similarly, each lower
support plate 44 has a curvature that is substantially similar to outer
diameter 30 of tire 24. Such curvature ensures that there is contact
between outer surface 36 and lower support plate 44 along substantially
the entire length of each lower support plate 44. In accordance s with
another objective of the present invention, the supporting force between
plates 42 and 44 and tire 24 is spread over a large area of tire 24 to
prevent pinpoint stresses from occurring within tire 24 at the support
points. The location of plates 42 and 44 also prevents tire 24 from
sagging because tire 24 is supported from below by lower support plates 44
and at its upper portion by upper support plates 42. The arcuate nature of
support plates 42 and 44 also tend to maintain the desired shape of tire
24 during storage and transportation.
The curvature and length of each support plate 42 and 44 is varied when pin
rack 10 is used with significantly different sized tires. However, in
accordance with one of the objectives of the invention, pin rack 10 is
capable of supporting different sized tires because each support plate 42
and 44 is movably mounted with respect to pins 22.
Each support plate 42 and 44 is movably mounted on a pin 22 such that
support plate 42 or 44 may rotate about pin 22 on a pivot. Each support
plate 42 and 44 is connected to a pin 22 by an arm 50. One detailed view
of arm 50 is shown in FIG. 6 to provide an example. Each arm 50 is
pivotally connected to a pin 22 with arcuate plates 42 and 44 being
pivotally connected to arms 50. Each support plate 42 and 44 may thus
pivot with respect to its supporting arm 50 and pivot with respect to its
supporting pin 22 as well as being able to rotate about its supporting pin
22 on its supporting arm 50. Such freedom of movement allows each support
plate 42 and 44 to move into a desirable support position as tire 24 is
placed in pin rack 10 by a transfer machine. Plates 42 and 44
automatically adjust to the size of tire 24 as long as tire 24 is within a
certain range of sizes. The automatic adjustment eliminates the
time-consuming step of manually adjusting each pin rack 10 for slightly
different tire sizes and allows pin racks 10 to be used on a variety of
tire manufacturing lines without adjustment.
In accordance with another objective of the present invention, each arm 50
may be in the form of a damper that dampens damaging forces experienced by
pin rack 10 that tend to create oscillations in tire 24. In one embodiment
of the present invention, each arm 50 is in the form of a shock
absorber-type damper that has an outer sleeve 52 disposed over an inner
sleeve 54 with a spring and friction-creating member disposed between the
inner 54 and outer 52 members. This type of device functions to dampen
forces that may otherwise create damaging oscillations in tire 24. In
other embodiments of the invention, a different type of damper may be used
without departing from the concepts of the present invention. Although
each damper 50 is configured to somewhat give in order to allow support
plates 42 and 44 to automatically adjust to tire 24 as discussed above,
each damper 42 and 44 evenly supports the weight of tire 24. This
arrangement allows the weight of tire 24 to be evenly distributed over
upper support plates 42 and lower support plates 44.
Each arm 50 and support plate 42 and 44 is biased by first springs 60 and
second springs 62. Springs 60 and 62 urge arms 50 and support plates 42
and 44 to resting positions where tires 24 may be easily loaded onto tire
rack 10. Specifically, first springs 60 extend between arms 50 and pins
22. First springs 60 urge arms 50 that carry lower support plates 44
inwardly toward their resting positions while urging arms 50 that carry
upper support plates 42 outwardly toward their resting positions. Second
springs 62 extend between arms 50 and support plates 42 and 44. Second
springs 62 urge support plates 42 and 44 inwardly toward their resting
positions.
The word "inwardly" is intended to mean that arms 50 are being urged toward
each other in the arrangement depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. The word
"outwardly" is thus intended to mean that arms 50 are urged or biased away
from each other. The inward biasing by springs 60 of lower support plates
and the outward urging by springs 60 of upper support plates forces
support plates 42 and 44 against tire 24 to obtain a stable support
position. For instance, arm 50 depicted in FIG. 6 moves inwardly when it
rotates in the clockwise direction thus forcing plate 44 into tire 24.
In the embodiment of the invention depicted in the drawings, each spring 60
and 62 is in the form of a coil spring. In other embodiments of the
present invention, other devices may be employed to bias arms 50 and
support plates 42 and 44 in the desired directions. Pin rack 10 may also
include stops that limit the pivotal movement of support plates 42 and 44
and of arms 50 such that arms 50 and support plates 42 and 44 stop
rotating once they reach the resting position.
Dampers 50 and springs 60 and 62 achieve one of the objectives of the
present invention by allowing pin rack 10 to accommodate tires 24 having
different inner diameters 28 and different outer diameters 30. Such
accommodation occurs because the distance between pins 22 and support
plates 42 and 44 is adjustable by dampers 50 and the location and angle of
support plates 42 and 44 with respect to pins 22 is automatically adjusted
by springs 60 and 62.
Pin rack 10 may be configured to hold a single tire 24, three tires 24 as
depicted in FIG. 1, or six tires as depicted in FIG. 5. Other arrangements
of pins 22 and support plates 42 and 44 are also contemplated that may
support even more tires 24 on a single base assembly 12. In the embodiment
depicted in FIG. 5, six tires 24 are carried by pin rack 10. Three tires
24 are carried on first sets 18 and 20 of pins 22 while another three
tires 24 are carried on second sets 18 and 20 of pins 22. First and second
sets 18 and 20 are substantially vertically disposed with respect to each
other such that tires 24 of equal sizes are vertically dispose when
carried on pin rack 10. The present invention also contemplates that other
tire rack configurations may be created utilizing the concepts of the
present invention. For example, pin sets 18 and 20 may extend from both
sides of pillars 16. Furthermore, multiple sets of pillars 16 may be
carried by a single floor member 14.
Pin rack 10 is in a resting position when it does not carry any tires and
springs 60 and 62 have urged arms 50 and plates 42 and 44 to their
respective resting positions as depicted in FIG. 3. In this position,
upper support plates 42 are disposed to fit within central opening 26 of
tire 24 and lower support plates 44 are positioned to be engaged and
forced outwardly by the lower portion of outer surface 36 of tire 24. As
discussed above, pins 22 and support plates 42 and 44 are positioned to
not interfere with an automated transfer machine that transfers green
tires 24 from an assembly line to pin rack 10.
Green tires 24 are lifted onto pin rack 10 such that inner opening of tire
26 is moved over upper support plates 42 and the lower portion of outer
tire surface 36 is positioned above lower support plates 44. The transfer
machine then lowers tire 24 into engagement with support plates 42 and 44.
Dampers 50 initially give to allow support plates 42 and 44 to accommodate
tire 24. Dampers 50 also pivot about pins 22 to correctly position support
plates 42 and 44 to positions where the weight of tire 24 is evenly
distributed. Dampers 50 and support plates 42 and 44 have thus moved from
their resting positions to their support positions depicted in FIG. 4.
Tire 24 is thus securely supported by pin rack 10 without point stresses
and in a manner that dampens oscillatory forces. The transfer machine then
backs out of pin rack 10 to obtain another tire 24.
Accordingly, the improved supportive pin rack for green tire storage
apparatus is simplified, provides an effective, safe, inexpensive, and
efficient device which achieves all the enumerated objectives, provides
for eliminating difficulties encountered with prior devices, and solves
problems and obtains new results in the art.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,
clearness, and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be
implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art, because such
terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly
construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of
example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact
details shown or described.
Having now described the features, discoveries, and principles of the
invention, the manner in which the supportive pin rack for green tire
storage is constructed and used, the characteristics of the construction,
and the advantageous new and useful results obtained; the new and useful
structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts, and combinations are
set forth in the appended claims.
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