JP2023025869A - Tire conveying method, method of horizontally placing vertical-positioned tires and position changing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a tire T conveying method that can contribute to stable production of high-quality tires T.SOLUTION: In the conveying method, (1) rollers 22, which move back and forth between a standby position and a holding position and rotate about respective shafts 28, are placed at the standby position, (2) the rollers 22 are placed inside the inner peripheral surface of a tire T, (3) while changing the circumferential positions and the radial positions of the shafts 28, the rollers 22 are brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface and rolled, and the rollers 22 are made to reach the holding position, (4) the tire T held by the rollers 22 is rotated and the tire T is placed horizontally, and (5) at the moment when a moving rack 108 passes the loading position where the tire T is placed, the rollers 22 are moved from the holding position to the standby position, and the tire T is released.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for transporting tires, a method for horizontally placing vertically placed tires, and a posture changing device.

A tire is obtained by vulcanizing a raw tire (an unvulcanized tire, also referred to as a raw cover). The raw tire molded by the molding machine is conveyed to the vulcanizer. A conveying device is used for conveying the raw tire. Patent Literature 1 below discloses an example of a conveying device.

JP-A-3-182417

A green tire is obtained in a vertically placed state in a molding machine. In the vulcanization process, the raw tire is put into a mold in a horizontal position. In the manufacture of tires, the orientation of the raw tire is changed during the process of conveying the raw tire obtained by the molding machine to the vulcanizer.

When a green tire is conveyed by a trolley conveyor like the conveying device disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the raw tire is hung on a hanger. A green tire is soft. When a green tire is hung on a hanger, the shape of the green tire changes from a circle to an ellipse due to its own weight. If the shape of the green tire changes significantly, the uniformity of the tire is impaired. If the raw tire is transported in a horizontal position, it is expected that deformation of the raw tire due to its own weight can be prevented.

When a raw tire is transported using a rack on which the raw tire can be placed horizontally, the rack supports the raw tire on its surface. From the viewpoint of maintaining the balance of the rack during transport, it is required to place the raw tire on the rack such that the center of the raw tire is aligned with the center of the mounting surface of the raw tire formed on the rack.

In a tire production line where raw tires are conveyed by a trolley conveyor, the orientation of the raw tire can be changed from vertical to horizontal while grasping the center of the raw tire in order to stably produce high-quality tires. Establishment of technology is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for horizontally placing vertically placed tires, a method for transporting tires, and an attitude changing device that can contribute to stable production of high-quality tires. do.

A method for transporting a tire according to one aspect of the present invention is a method in which a vertically placed tire is placed horizontally, and the tire is transported using a rack suspended from a trolley line and guided to a destination by the trolley line. There is
(1) The shaft moves back and forth between a standby position, which is a position radially inwardly spaced from the inner peripheral surface of the tire by a predetermined distance, and a holding position, in which the tire is held in contact with the inner peripheral surface. A roller rotating around the center is arranged at the standby position,
(2) arranging the roller inside the inner peripheral surface of the tire;
(3) rolling the roller in contact with the inner peripheral surface while changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft to reach the holding position;
(4) turning the tire held by the rollers to lay the tire on its side; and
(5) At the timing when the moving rack passes the loading position where the tire is placed, the roller is moved from the holding position to the waiting position to release the tire.

Preferably, in this tire conveying method, the force with which the roller presses against the inner peripheral surface is weakened before the tire is released.

Preferably, in this tire conveying method, the roller includes a cylindrical body and the shaft positioned at the center of the body. The main body includes a platform on which the bead portion of the tire is placed. The pedestal includes a radially outwardly flared collar.

Preferably, in this tire transporting method, the material of the base portion is fluororesin.

Preferably, in this tire conveying method, the plurality of rollers are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

Preferably, in this tire transport method, the tire is an unvulcanized tire.

A method for horizontally placing a vertically placed tire according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for horizontally placing a vertically placed tire, comprising:
(1) The shaft moves back and forth between a standby position, which is a position radially inwardly spaced from the inner peripheral surface of the tire by a predetermined distance, and a holding position, in which the tire is held in contact with the inner peripheral surface. A roller rotating around the center is arranged at the standby position,
(2) arranging the roller inside the inner peripheral surface of the tire;
(3) Rolling the roller in contact with the inner peripheral surface while changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft to reach the holding position (4) The tire held by the roller to turn the tire on its side; and
(5) moving the roller from the holding position to the standby position to release the tire;

A posture changing device according to an aspect of the present invention is a tire posture changing device for horizontally placing a vertically placed tire, and includes a holding unit that holds the tire, and a turning unit that turns the holding unit. . The holding unit includes a holding portion having an expansion/contraction function and a drive portion that exerts the expansion/contraction function. The holding portion includes a roller and a link mechanism to which a shaft of the roller is rotatably attached. The drive unit includes a rotating shaft and a prime mover that rotates the rotating shaft. The link mechanism includes a pair of support frames that support the rollers. Each support frame comprises an arm, a rotating plate and a fixed plate. The arm supports, at one end thereof, the roller so that the roller can rotate about a shaft. The other end of the arm is attached to the rotating plate via a rotating pin and is supported by the rotating plate so as to be rotatable about the rotating pin. The rotating plate is fixed to the rotating shaft so as to be rotatable about the rotating shaft. The fixed plate is fixed to the pivot unit by a reference pin. The arm has a guide groove for guiding the reference pin. As the rotating plate rotates, the other end of the arm rotates around the rotating pin while moving in the circumferential direction, and the movement of the arm is restricted by the reference pin.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a method for horizontally placing vertically placed tires, a method for conveying tires, and an attitude changing device that can contribute to stable production of high-quality tires.

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing a conveying device in which a tire conveying method according to one embodiment of the present invention is executed. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a posture changing device that forms part of the conveying device. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the posture changing device. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the holding portion. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a holding part; FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the holding section. FIG. 7 is a side view of the rack. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the rack. FIG. 9 is a side view explaining the operation of the conveying device. FIG. 10 is a side view explaining the operation of the conveying device. FIG. 11 is a side view explaining the operation of the conveying device. FIG. 12 is a side view explaining the operation of the conveying device. FIG. 13 is a side view explaining the operation of the conveying device. FIG. 14 is a side view explaining the operation of the conveying device.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments with appropriate reference to the drawings.

[Conveyor]
FIG. 1 shows a conveying device 2 for carrying out a tire conveying method according to an embodiment of the present invention. This conveying device 2 is used for conveying a green tire T molded in a molding machine (not shown) to a vulcanizer (not shown). This conveying device 2 includes a posture changing device 4 and a trolley conveyor 6 .

[Posture changing device 4]
An overview of the posture changing device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2-6.
This posture changing device 4 is a device for horizontally placing a green tire T which is placed vertically. This posture changing device 4 includes a holding unit 8 , a turning unit 10 and an elevating unit 12 .
Although not described in detail, this posture changing device 4 has a main frame 14 as a skeleton formed by combining a plurality of frame pieces. The holding unit 8 , the turning unit 10 and the lifting unit 12 are assembled to the main frame 14 to constitute the posture changing device 4 .

The holding unit 8 holds the raw tire T. The holding unit 8 includes a holding portion 16 and a drive portion 18 . The holding part 16 and the driving part 18 are fixed to the turning unit 10 . The holding unit 8 further comprises a fixing part 20 for fixing the holding part 16 and the drive part 18 to the swivel unit 10 .

The holding portion 16 is disc-shaped. The holding portion 16 includes rollers 22 and a link mechanism 24 . In this conveying device 2 , the holding section 16 includes a plurality of rollers 22 . Specifically, this holding portion 16 includes five rollers 22 . These rollers 22 constitute the radially outer edge portion of the holding portion 16 . These rollers 22 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the holding portion 16 . These rollers 22 (specifically, the centers of the rollers 22) are positioned on the same circumference. The outer diameter of the holding portion 16 is represented by the diameter of a circle circumscribing these rollers 22 (more specifically, the bodies 26 of the rollers 22, which will be described later).
In this conveying device 2, the number of rollers 22 provided in the holding portion 16 is preferably three or more, and preferably seven or less.

In the holding portion 16 , each roller 22 has a shaft 28 in the center of a cylindrical body 26 , which shaft 28 is rotatably attached to a linkage 24 . The holding portion 16 comprises a plurality of rollers 22 on its radially outer portion. Each roller 22 is rotatable about shaft 28 .
The main body 26 of the roller 22 is provided at one end with a flange 30 that flares outward in the radial direction of the roller 22 . As will be described later, the bead portion B of the raw tire T is placed on the collar portion 30 .

The link mechanism 24 can change the positions of the rollers 22 at the same time while arranging the plurality of rollers 22 provided on the holding portion 16 on the same circumference.
The link mechanism 24 has a pair of support frames 32 that support the rollers 22 . In this conveying device 2 , the rollers 22 are sandwiched between one support frame 32 and the other support frame 32 and held by these support frames 32 .

In the conveying device 2 , one of the pair of support frames 32 is fixed to the turning unit 10 via the fixed frame 34 .
The fixed frame 34 forms part of the fixed part 20 described above. A fixed frame 34 of the conveying device 2 includes a pair of side plate pieces 36 and a top plate piece 38 . Each side plate piece 36 is fixed to the swivel unit 10 at one end and to the top plate piece 38 at the other end. The top plate piece 38 bridges the other ends of both side plate pieces 36 . A portion of the support frame 32 is fixed to the top plate piece 38 .

In this conveying device 2, one support frame 32 fixed to the fixed frame 34 is also called an inner support frame 32U, and the other support frame 32 is also called an outer support frame 32S. The inner support frame 32U and the outer support frame 32S have substantially the same configuration.
Support frame 32 comprises an arm 40 , a rotating plate 44 and a fixed plate 46 .

Arm 40 supports roller 22 at one end 40a so that roller 22 is rotatable about shaft 28. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the arm 40 on the inner support frame 32U supports one end of the shaft 28 at its one end 40a, and the arm 40 on the outer support frame 32S supports the other end of the shaft 28 at its one end 40a.
The arm 40 is attached to a rotating plate 44 via a rotating pin 48 at its other end 40b. Arm 40 is supported on rotating plate 44 so as to rotate about rotating pin 48 . The circumferential and radial positions of the rotation pins 48 on the arms 40 of the inner support frame 32U match the circumferential and radial positions of the rotation pins 48 on the arms 40 of the outer support frame 32S.
As described above, the holding portion 16 has five rollers 22 . Each support frame 32 has five arms 40 .

In this transport device 2, the arm 40 has an L-shaped planar shape. This arm 40 is constructed by combining an L-shaped plate piece 42 and a regulation plate 50 . The plate piece 42 includes an inner plate piece 42u including one end 40a and an outer plate piece 42s including the other end 40b. The plate piece 42 bends at the boundary between the inner plate piece 42u and the outer plate piece 42u. The inner plate piece 42u is cut with a groove 54 that penetrates the inner plate piece 42u in its thickness direction and extends in the longitudinal direction of the inner plate piece 42u.

The regulation plate 50 is laminated on the inner plate piece 42u of the plate piece 42 and attached to the inner plate piece 42u. A groove 56 is cut in the regulation plate 50 so as to penetrate the regulation plate 50 in its thickness direction and extend in the length direction of this regulation plate 50 .
In the conveying device 2, the groove 56 of the regulating plate 50 and the groove 54 of the inner plate piece 42u are combined to form a guide groove 60 for guiding a reference pin 58, which will be described later.
Arm 40 has a guide groove 60 for guiding reference pin 58 .

The rotating plate 44 is fixed to a rotating shaft 62 of the drive section 18, which will be described later. As the rotating shaft 62 rotates, the rotating plate 44 rotates around the rotating shaft 62 . In the conveying device 2, the rotary plate 44 on the inner support frame 32U and the rotary plate 44 on the outer support frame 32S rotate integrally about the rotary shaft 62. As shown in FIG.
The rotating plate 44 is disc-shaped. In consideration of interference with the roller 22, the portion other than the portion to which the rotating pin 48 is attached is configured with a recess 64 that is recessed radially inward from the outer edge. The rotary plate 44 has a star-shaped planar shape.

The fixed plate 46 is supported by the rotary shaft 62 via bearings 66 . The fixed plate 46 is fixed to the swivel unit 10 by reference pins 58 . Specifically, the fixed plate 46 is fixed to the turning unit 10 by the reference pin 58 via the fixed frame 34 of the fixed portion 20 .
In the conveying device 2, the fixed plate 46 of the inner support frame 32U is fixed to the fixed frame 34 (specifically, the top plate piece 38 forming a part of the fixed frame 34) by the reference pin 58. As shown in FIG. The fixed plate 46 of the outer support frame 32S is fixed via a spacer ring 68 to the fixed plate 46 of the inner support frame 32U. The fixed plate 46 of the inner support frame 32U and the fixed plate 46 of the outer support frame 32S are integrally fixed to the fixed frame 34 . Even if the rotating shaft 62 rotates, the stationary plate 46 does not rotate.
The fixed plate 46 is disc-shaped. In consideration of interference with the roller 22, the portion other than the portion where the reference pin 58 is attached is configured with a recess 70 that is recessed radially inward from the outer edge. The fixed plate 46 has a star-shaped planar shape.

A reference pin 58 is attached to the fixed plate 46 of the outer support frame 32S as well as the fixed plate 46 of the inner support frame 32U. The circumferential and radial positions of the reference pins 58 on the fixed plate 46 of the outer support frame 32S match the circumferential and radial positions of the reference pins 58 on the fixed plate 46 of the inner support frame 32U.

In the holding portion 16, the other end portion 40b of the arm 40 is attached to the rotating plate 44 via the rotating pin 48, and the rotating plate 44 rotates around the rotating shaft 62, as described above. Rotation of the rotary plate 44 causes the rotary pin 48 to move in the circumferential direction. The movement of the rotating pin 48 causes the other end 40b of the arm 40 to move in the circumferential direction.
As mentioned above, even though the rotating plate 44 rotates, the stationary plate 46 to which the reference pin 58 is attached does not rotate. Even if the rotating plate 44 rotates, the reference pin 58 does not move. In this conveying device 2 , the head 58 h of the reference pin 58 is fitted into the guide groove 60 provided on the arm 40 . The reference pin 58 of the inner support frame 32U is provided with a projection 58t corresponding to the head 58h at a portion corresponding to the position of the guide groove 60, and the projection 58t is fitted into the guide groove 60. As shown in FIG. The rotation of the rotary plate 44 causes the other end 40b of the arm 40 to move in the circumferential direction, but the movement of the arm 40 is restricted by the reference pin 58. As shown in FIG. In the conveying device 2, the rotation of the rotary plate 44 causes the other end 40b of the arm 40 to rotate around the rotary pin 48 while moving in the circumferential direction. As a result, the circumferential and radial positions of the shaft 28 supported by the one end 40a of the arm 40 change.
In this conveying device 2 , the circumferential position and radial position of the shaft 28 are changed by the link mechanism 24 .

In FIG. 4, a two-dot chain line TL is the locus of the center of the shaft 28 that moves as the rotary plate 44 rotates. Reference TS is one end of the trajectory TL, and reference TU is the other end of this trajectory TL. In the holding portion 16 shown in FIG. 4, the center of the shaft 28 is positioned at one end TS of the trajectory TL.
One end TS of the locus TL is located outside the other end TU in the radial direction. In the holding portion 16 shown in FIG. 4, the rollers 22 are positioned radially outward, and the holding portion 16 is in an expanded state. On the other hand, in the holding portion 16 shown in FIG. 6, the center of the shaft 28 is positioned at the other end TU of the locus TL. FIG. 6 shows the holding portion 16 in a diameter-reduced state in which the roller 22 is positioned inside.

When the rotary plate 44 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A in the holding portion 16 shown in FIG. 4, that is, the holding portion 16 in the expanded state, the center of the shaft 28 moves along the locus TL from one end TS to the other end. Move towards TU. The roller 22 moves in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotary plate 44 in the circumferential direction, and moves inward in the radial direction. As a result, the outer diameter of the holding portion 16 is reduced. In the conveying device 2 , the rollers 22 of the holding portion 16 can move radially inward while changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft 28 .

When the rotary plate 44 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow B in the holding portion 16 shown in FIG. 6, that is, in the holding portion 16 in the diameter-reduced state, the center of the shaft 28 moves along the trajectory TL from the other end TU to one end. Move towards TS. The roller 22 moves in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotary plate 44 in the circumferential direction, and moves outward in the radial direction. As a result, the outer diameter of the holding portion 16 increases. In the conveying device 2 , the rollers 22 of the holding portion 16 can move radially outward while changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft 28 .

The holding portion 16 has a function of expanding and contracting the diameter (hereinafter also referred to as an expansion/contraction function). The driving portion 18 exerts the expansion/contraction function of the holding portion 16 .
The drive unit 18 includes a prime mover 72 . As will be described later, the prime mover 72 of the transfer device 2 is fixed to the revolving unit 10 via a mounting plate 74 . This mounting plate 74 forms part of the fixed part 20 described above.

A prime mover 72 rotates the aforementioned rotating shaft 62 . By driving the prime mover, the rotating shaft 62 rotates. As a result, the rotating plate 44 forming a part of the holding portion 16 described above rotates.
An electric motor is used as the prime mover 72 in the transport device 2 . A servomotor is preferable as the electric motor from the viewpoint of being able to effectively control the expansion/contraction function of the holding portion 16 . In this case, the conveying device 2 can control the amount of rotation of the rotating plate 44 with high accuracy according to the size of the raw tire T to be held.

As described above, the holding portion 16 of the holding unit 8 holds the raw tire T. As shown in FIG. In this conveying device 2, the holding portion 16 is passed through the inner side of the raw tire T to hold the raw tire T. As shown in FIG. At this time, the diameter of the holding portion 16 is reduced as shown in FIG. The roller 22 of the holding portion 16 in the diameter-reduced state is arranged at a position radially inwardly spaced from the inner peripheral surface of the green tire T by a predetermined distance. In the present disclosure, the position of the roller 22 in the holding portion 16 in the diameter-reduced state is the standby position of the roller 22 .
In this conveying device 2, the roller 22 of the holding portion 16 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T when the holding portion 16 is expanded in diameter. Thereby, the holding part 16 holds the raw tire T. As shown in FIG. In the present disclosure, the holding position of the roller 22 is the position where the holding portion 16 is in the diameter-expanded state and the roller 22 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface to hold the green tire T. The holding position of the roller 22 is changed depending on the size of the raw tire T to be held.
In this conveying device 2, the rollers 22 of the holding portion 16 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T at the standby position, which is a position a predetermined distance away from the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T in the radial direction. It moves back and forth between the holding position where the raw tire T is held.

The turning unit 10 turns the holding unit 8 . This turning unit 10 is supported by a lifting unit 12 . The turning unit 10 includes a support frame piece 76 and a pair of turning parts 78 .

The support frame piece 76 is a member extending in the width direction. The support frame piece 76 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape. The four side surfaces 80 of the support frame piece 76 are composed of a pair of wide side surfaces 80w arranged to face each other and a pair of narrow side surfaces 80n arranged to face each other.
In the conveying device 2 , the holding portion 16 and the driving portion 18 of the holding unit 8 are fixed to the center portion of the support frame piece 76 in the width direction. The holding portion 16 is fixed to one wide side surface 80w of the pair of wide side surfaces 80w via the fixing frame 34, and the driving portion 18 is attached to the other wide side surface 80w via the mounting plate 74. As shown in FIG. Since the driving portion 18 has the rotating shaft 62, the support frame piece 76 is provided with a hole (not shown) penetrating between the two wide side surfaces 80w, and the rotating shaft 62 is passed through this through hole.

The pair of turning portions 78 are positioned outside the support frame piece 76 in the width direction.
Each pivot 78 includes a rotating frame 82 and a support member 84 . The aforementioned support frame piece 76 is fixed to the rotating frame 82 at both ends thereof. The rotating frame 82 has a rotating shaft 86 . The rotating shaft 86 extends outward in the width direction.
The support member 84 is a member that extends vertically. Although not shown, the support member 84 supports the rotation shaft 86 of the rotation frame 82 via bearings at its upper portion. This support member 84 supports this rotating shaft 86 so that the rotating shaft 86 can rotate. A lower portion of the support member 84 is used as a frame piece of the lifting unit 12, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3 , one of the pair of turning sections 78 further includes a prime mover 88 . A prime mover 88 rotates a rotating shaft 86 of a rotating frame 82 that forms a part of the revolving portion 78 . Prime mover 88 is an electric motor. In this conveying device 2, a servomotor is preferable as the electric motor.

In the conveying device 2 , the rotation of the rotating shaft 86 causes the support frame piece 76 to rotate around the rotating shaft 86 . The aforementioned holding unit 8 is fixed to the support frame piece 76 . By driving the prime mover 88 , the rotating shaft 86 of the rotating frame 82 rotates, and the holding unit 8 rotates around the rotating shaft 86 together with the support frame piece 76 .

The lifting unit 12 supports the turning unit 10 so that the turning unit 10 can move up and down. A holding unit 8 is fixed to the turning unit 10 . This elevating unit 12 elevates the holding unit 8 .

The lifting unit 12 includes a pair of lifting parts 90 . Each elevator 90 supports each pivot 78 . The lifting section 90 is positioned substantially below the turning section 78 .
The lifting section 90 includes a guide section 92 and a cylinder section 94 .
The guide portion 92 includes a vertically extending guide plate 96 and a slider 98 that guides the guide plate 96 . The guide plate 96 is fixed to the support member 84 of the swivel unit 10 . The slider 98 is fixed to a height frame piece 100 forming part of the main frame 14 . In this carrier device 2 , the guide plate 96 moves up and down with respect to the slider 98 .

The cylinder portion 94 extends vertically. The cylinder part 94 is fixed to the same height frame piece 100 as the slider 98 . The rod 102 of the cylinder portion 94 is fixed to the support member 84 of the swivel unit 10 via a connecting plate 104 at its distal end.
In this conveying device 2 , when the rod 102 is extended, the support member 84 is lifted while being guided by the guide portion 92 . When the rod 102 contracts, the support member 84 descends while being guided by the guide portion 92 . Since the holding unit 8 is fixed to the turning unit 10 including the support member 84, the holding unit 8 rises when the rod 102 extends, and the holding unit 8 descends when the rod 102 contracts.

[Trolley conveyor 6]
Next, the outline of the trolley conveyor 6 will be explained.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the trolley conveyor 6 includes a trolley line 106 and a rack 108 suspended from the trolley line 106 and guided to a destination by the trolley line 106 . The trolley line 106 of the conveying device 2 includes a guide rail 110 and a carriage 112 fitted in the guide rail 110 and guided by the guide rail 110 . A rack 108 is suspended from the carriage 112 .
In this trolley conveyor 6, a truck 112 is towed by a chain (not shown). As a result, the rack 108 moves while being guided by the guide rails 110 .

In this conveying device 2 , a raw tire T placed horizontally is placed on a rack 108 . The rack 108 is not particularly limited as long as it can carry the raw tires T placed horizontally. An example of rack 108 is shown in FIGS. 7-8. An outline of this rack 108 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7-8.

A rack 108 of the transport device 2 includes a body frame 114 and a pair of base plates 116 . The body frame 114 is composed of a frame structure in which a width frame piece, a depth frame piece and a height frame piece are combined. The body frame 114 has a pair of support frames 118 on its lower side which are spaced apart in the width direction of the rack 108 .
Each of the base plates 116 has an arcuate planar shape. The pedestal plate 116 is placed on and fixed to the support frame 118 so that the outer peripheral surface of the base plate 116 is located on the outside.
As shown in FIG. 1, the left and right pedestal plates 116 are loaded with the horizontally placed green tires T. As shown in FIG. In the conveying device 2, the left and right base plates 116 constitute a mounting surface 120 on which the raw tire T is mounted.

The mounting surface 120 of the base plate 116 is preferably non-adhesive. This prevents the raw tire T from adhering to the base plate 116 . Preferable non-adhesive treatment includes a coating process for forming irregularities on the surface, such as "Tosical Coating (TS-1080)" manufactured by Toshiko Co., Ltd., and the like.

[Conveyance method]
Next, a tire transport method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9-14. This method of conveying tires is a method of conveying tires by placing vertically placed tires horizontally and using a rack 108 that is suspended from a trolley line 106 and guided to a destination by this trolley line 106 . In this transport method, the posture changing device 4 and the trolley conveyor 6 described above are used. Although this conveying method will be described below with a raw tire T as the object to be conveyed, this conveying method can also be applied to a tire obtained by vulcanizing the raw tire T.

FIG. 9 shows a green tire T set on the inspection table 122. As shown in FIG. This raw tire T is set on the inspection table 122 in a vertical position. After a predetermined inspection is completed, the raw tire T is transported to a vulcanizer where the next vulcanizing process is performed. This green tire T is in a state before being transported.

In this transport method, the posture changing device 4 is arranged next to the examination table 122 . This posture changing device 4 may be placed next to the facility on which the raw tire T is set, and may be placed next to the facility other than the inspection table 122 if the raw tire T is set.

In this transport method, the holding part 16 is arranged so that its center coincides with the central axis of the raw tire T on the inspection table 122 . As shown in FIG. 9, the holding portion 16 of the holding unit 8 is contracted, and the posture changing device 4 stands by. In the standby state, the rollers 22 of the holding portion 16 are arranged at the standby position. This transport method includes the step of arranging the rollers 22 at the standby position.

In this conveying method, when the raw tire T becomes ready to be conveyed, the posture changing device 4 is moved toward the raw tire T by a front-rear moving means (not shown). Thereby, the roller 22 is arranged inside the inner peripheral surface of the green tire T. As shown in FIG. This conveying method includes a step of arranging rollers 22 inside the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T. As shown in FIG.

In this conveying method, as shown in FIG. 10, when the side surface of the roller 22 reaches the radially inner side of the bead portion B on the posture changing device 4 side, the motor 72 of the holding unit 8 is driven. The rotating plate 44 rotates as the motor 72 rotates the rotating shaft 62 . The roller 22 is brought closer to the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T while changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft 28 . The roller 22 eventually comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the trajectory TL of the roller 22 is inclined with respect to the radial direction of the holding portion 16 . The angle formed by the locus TL with respect to the radial direction (hereinafter referred to as the inclination angle of the locus TL) increases as the center of the shaft 28 moves on the locus TL from the other end TU toward the one end TS. The roller 22 rolls on the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T and reaches the holding position. In other words, after the roller 22 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T, it rolls on the inner peripheral surface and reaches the holding position. The roller 22 that has reached the holding position presses the inner peripheral surface of the green tire T. As shown in FIG. As a result, a constant tension is generated on the inner peripheral surface of the raw tire T, and the raw tire T is held by the holding portion 16 .

In this conveying method, the roller 22 is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface and rolled to reach the holding position. This conveying method includes a step of rolling the roller 22 in contact with the inner peripheral surface while changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft 28 to reach the holding position.

In this conveying method, since the roller 22 reaches the holding position while rotating, it is possible to align the central axis of the raw tire T with the center of the holding section 16 and hold the raw tire T by the holding section 16. done almost simultaneously. In this conveying method, the raw tire T By aligning the center axis of the holding portion 16 with the center of the holding portion 16, the time required to hold the green tire T in the holding unit 8 can be shortened.
Since the inclination angle of the trajectory TL is larger the closer it is to the one end TS on the radial outer side, by setting the holding position closer to the one end TS, the roller 22 contacts the inner peripheral surface and reaches the holding position. is set at the longer distance. In this case, the raw tire T is held by the holding unit 8 with the central axis of the raw tire T sufficiently aligned with the center of the holding portion 16 .

When the holding portion 16, that is, the holding unit 8 holds the raw tire T, the prime mover 88 of the turning unit 10 is driven. When the motor 88 rotates the rotating shaft 86 , the support frame piece 76 and the holding unit 8 rotate around the rotating shaft 86 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the green tire T held by the rollers 22 is turned and laid horizontally. This conveying method includes a step of rotating the green tire T held by the rollers 22 and placing the green tire T horizontally.

As described above, the raw tire T is held by the holding unit 8 with the central axis of the raw tire T aligned with the center of the holding portion 16 . This conveying method can change the orientation of the raw tire T from vertical to horizontal while grasping the center of the raw tire T.

In this conveying method, when the green tire T held by the rollers 22 is rotated and placed horizontally, the height of the green tire T is adjusted in consideration of the passing position of the rack 108 . Specifically, the rod 102 of the cylinder portion 94 of the elevating unit 12 is extended to raise the holding unit 8 holding the raw tire T as shown in FIG. This conveying method includes a step of adjusting the height of the raw tire T. As shown in FIG.
In this transport method, if the height of the raw tire T after turning is at the passing position of the rack 108, the height of the raw tire T is not adjusted. In this case, this transport method does not include the step of adjusting the height of the raw tire T.

The rack 108 of the trolley conveyor 6 moves back and forth between the loading position of the raw tires T and the destination. In this transport method, after adjusting the height of the raw tire T, the posture changing device 4 waits with the height adjusted until the rack 108 that continues to move arrives. As shown in FIG. 13, at the timing when the moving rack 108 passes the loading position, the motor 72 of the holding unit 8 is driven, and the diameter of the holding portion 16 is reduced. As a result, the roller 22 is moved from the holding position to the standby position, and the raw tire T is released. This conveying method includes a step of releasing the raw tire T by moving the roller 22 from the holding position to the standby position at the timing when the moving rack 108 passes the loading position where the raw tire T is loaded.
The raw tire T released from the holding unit 8 is placed on the rack 108 as shown in FIG. Simultaneously with the release of the raw tire T, the rod 102 of the cylinder portion 94 of the lifting unit 12 is contracted and the holding unit 8 is lowered. This completes the loading of the raw tire T onto the rack 108 . The raw tire T placed on the rack 108 is guided by the trolley line 106 and transported to the destination vulcanizer.

As described above, in this conveying method, the central axis of the raw tire T is aligned with the center of the holding portion 16, the raw tire T is held by the holding unit 8, the center of the raw tire T is grasped, and the raw tire T is transported. The tire T is placed horizontally. In this transport method, when the raw tire T is placed on the mounting surface 120 of the raw tire T configured on the rack 108, the center of the raw tire T is easily aligned with the center of the mounting surface 120. FIG. This transport method can place the raw tire T on the rack 108 with the center of the raw tire T aligned with the center of the mounting surface 120 . In this transport method, the rack 108 is easy to balance, so the raw tire T is stably transported.

In this conveying method, the raw tire T can be conveyed with the raw tire T placed horizontally. Since deformation of the raw tire T due to its own weight is prevented, a tire having good uniformity can be obtained. This transport method can contribute to stable production of high-quality tires.

In this transport method, the roller 22 comprises a body 26 and a shaft 28 . A portion of the main body 26 on which the bead portion B is placed is called a base portion 124 . The main body 26 has a base portion 124 on which the bead portion B is placed. This base portion 124 is provided with the aforementioned collar portion 30 .
In this conveying method, when the holding unit 8 holds the raw tire T, the bead portion B of the raw tire T comes into close contact with the base portion 124 . There is a concern that the bead portion B may adhere to the base portion 124 .

In this conveying method, before the raw tire T is released from the holding portion 16, the holding portion 16 is slightly reduced in diameter according to the inner diameter of the raw tire T to weaken the force with which the roller 22 presses the inner peripheral surface. As a result, the green tire T descends by its own weight and is placed on the collar portion 30 of the roller 22 . After that, by rapidly reducing the diameter of the holding portion 16 , the raw tire T can be placed on the rack 108 without sticking the raw tire T to the rollers 22 . This transport method can effectively contribute to the stable production of high-quality tires. From this point of view, in this conveying method, it is preferable to weaken the force with which the roller 22 presses the inner peripheral surface before releasing the green tire T. In other words, this conveying method preferably includes a step of weakening the force with which the rollers 22 press against the inner peripheral surface before releasing the raw tire T. In this case, from the viewpoint of holding the green tire T, it is more preferable that the base portion 124 of the roller 22 has the flange portion 30 .

In this transport method, the material of the base portion 124 is fluororesin. Even if the bead portion B is in close contact with the base portion 124 , the bead portion B is less likely to adhere to the base portion 124 . This transport method can effectively contribute to the stable production of high-quality tires. From this point of view, the material of the base portion 124 is preferably fluororesin.

Examples of the fluororesin that can be used as the material of the base portion 124 include polytetrafluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene/hexaolopropylene copolymer, and tetrafluoroethylene/ethylene. Copolymers, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polyvinyl fluoride are included. Among these, polytetrafluoroethylene is preferable as the fluororesin that can be used as the material of the base portion 124 .

The tire conveying method has been described with the raw tire T as an example, but this conveying method can also be applied to the case where the tire obtained by vulcanizing the raw tire T is conveyed by the trolley conveyor 6. can. In this case also, the tire is held by the holding unit 8 with the central axis of the tire and the center of the holding portion 16 aligned. Since the tire is placed horizontally with the center of the tire grasped, in this transport method, when the tire is placed on the mounting surface 120 of the rack 108, it is easy to align the center of the tire with the center of the mounting surface 120 . This transport method allows the tire to be placed on the rack 108 with the center of the tire aligned with the center of the placement surface 120 . In this transport method, the rack 108 is easy to balance, so the tires are stably transported. Even in this case, this transport method can contribute to stable production of high-quality tires.

[Method for horizontal installation of vertical tires]
The transport method described above places the rollers 22 in the standby position, which move between the standby position and the holding position and rotate about the shaft 28 . This conveying method arranges the rollers 22 inside the inner peripheral surface of the tire. In this conveying method, while changing the circumferential and radial positions of the shaft 28, the roller 22 is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface and rolled, and the roller 22 reaches the holding position. Further, in this conveying method, the tire held by the rollers 22 is rotated to lay the tire horizontally. This transport method then moves the rollers 22 from the holding position to the standby position to release the tire. As a result, the tires placed vertically are placed horizontally. This conveying method includes a method of horizontally placing a vertically placed tire and a method of horizontally placing a vertically placed tire.
In this method of horizontally placing a vertically placed tire, it is possible to grasp the center of the raw tire T or the tire and lay the raw tire T or the tire horizontally. This method of laterally placing a longitudinally placed tire can accurately laterally place the green tire T or the tire at a predetermined position. As a result, the position of the green tire T or the tire can be accurately and easily set in the next step. This horizontal placement method for longitudinally placed tires can contribute to stable production of high-quality tires.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a method for horizontally placing vertically placed tires, a method for conveying tires, and an attitude changing device that can contribute to stable production of high-quality tires.

The above-described technique for changing a longitudinally placed tire to a laterally placed tire can be applied to various tires.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2... Conveying device 4... Posture changing device 6... Trolley conveyor 8... Holding unit 10... Turning unit 12... Elevating unit 16... Holding part 18... Driving part 22 Roller 24 Link mechanism 28 Shaft 30 Flange 40 Arm 48 Rotation pin 58 Reference pin 60 Guide groove 76 Support frame Piece 78 Turning portion 90 Elevating portion 106 Trolley line 108 Rack 124 Base portion of roller 22

Claims (8)

A method of transporting vertically placed tires horizontally by using a rack suspended from a trolley line and guided to a destination by the trolley line,
Rotates about a shaft between a standby position, which is a position radially inwardly spaced from the inner peripheral surface of the tire by a predetermined distance, and a holding position, in which the tire is held in contact with the inner peripheral surface. The roller for
Disposing the roller inside the inner peripheral surface of the tire,
Rolling the roller in contact with the inner peripheral surface while changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft to reach the holding position;
turning the tire held by the roller to lay the tire horizontally;
At the timing when the moving rack passes the loading position where the tire is placed, the roller is moved from the holding position to the standby position to release the tire.
How tires are transported. weakening the force with which the roller presses the inner peripheral surface before releasing the tire;
The tire transport method according to claim 1 . the roller comprises a cylindrical body and the shaft positioned at the center of the body;
The main body comprises a platform on which the bead portion of the tire is placed,
wherein the pedestal comprises a collar extending radially outward;
The tire transport method according to claim 1 or 2. The material of the base is fluororesin,
The method for conveying a tire according to claim 3. A plurality of the rollers are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction,
The tire transport method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The tire is an unvulcanized tire,
The tire transport method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A method for horizontally placing a vertically placed tire,
Rotates about a shaft between a standby position, which is a position radially inwardly spaced from the inner peripheral surface of the tire by a predetermined distance, and a holding position, in which the tire is held in contact with the inner peripheral surface. The roller for
Disposing the roller inside the inner peripheral surface of the tire,
While changing the circumferential position and the radial position of the shaft, the roller is rolled in contact with the inner peripheral surface, the roller reaches the holding position, and the tire held by the roller is turned, and the tire is rotated. on its side,
moving the roller from the holding position to the standby position to release the tire;
How to put a vertical tire horizontally. A posture changing device for horizontally placing a vertically placed tire,
a holding unit for holding the tire;
a turning unit for turning the holding unit;
The holding unit comprises a holding portion having an expansion/contraction function and a driving portion for exerting the expansion/contraction function,
The holding unit comprises a roller and a link mechanism to which the shaft of the roller is rotatably attached,
the driving unit comprises a rotating shaft and a prime mover for rotating the rotating shaft;
The link mechanism comprises a pair of support frames that support the rollers,
each said support frame comprising an arm, a rotating plate and a fixed plate;
said arm supporting at one end thereof said roller so that said roller can rotate about a shaft;
the arm is attached at its other end to the rotating plate via a rotating pin and supported by the rotating plate so as to be rotatable about the rotating pin;
the rotating plate is fixed to the rotating shaft for rotation about the rotating shaft;
the fixed plate is fixed to the pivot unit by a reference pin;
the arm has a guide groove for guiding the reference pin,
By rotating the rotating plate, the other end of the arm rotates around the rotating pin while moving in the circumferential direction, and the movement of the arm is restricted by the reference pin.
Attitude change device.

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