RU81716U1 - CAR LOADER FOR TRANSPORTING TIRES - Google Patents

Abstract

ESSAY

A forklift truck is proposed for transporting a vertical stack of tires located in front of a forklift truck. The forklift contains: gripping means mounted on the frame of the forklift truck and containing a pair of upper vertical clamps and a pair of lower vertical clamps, the gripping means configured to grab all stack tires only by horizontally compressing the vertical clamps along the periphery of the treads of all stack tires, picking up and separating the stack vertically to the upper vertical section and the lower vertical section in order to form the space between the upper vertical section and the lower vertical Ali section, while in each of the upper vertical section and a lower vertical section is a plurality of tires. The space is formed at such a height from the floor that the field of view of the operator of the forklift truck has such an angle that the operator can see the floor in front of the forklift truck at a predetermined safe distance and further, and also has a long-range vision.

(Fig. 1)

Description

2420-155208RU / 042

CAR LOADER FOR TRANSPORTING TIRES

DESCRIPTION

This utility model relates to the field of transportation and storage of tires, and more specifically, to the field of forklifts designed to carry out the operation of transporting tire stacks over short distances, for example, between two storage areas in a store, or from the end of a production line to a storage area, and so on. Further.

Further in this text, the term "stack" of tires means a series of tires stacked on top of each other so that their axis of symmetry is approximately aligned and vertically aligned to form vertical stacks, as well as stacked one opposite the other so that their axis of symmetry is approximately aligned and horizontally oriented to form horizontal stacks.

Forklifts are known for transporting stacks of tires, which include a very long loader arm configured to horizontally pass through the center of a horizontal stack of tires and lift this stack with subsequent vertical rotation of the arm carrying this horizontal stack so that the stack assumes a vertical position for transportation.

It is clear that with this configuration, the tire stack completely blocks the driver's field of view along the line of movement of the forklift, forcing the driver to lean or turn around (ergonomic problems), or to expand his field of view, move in a zigzag fashion, which is quite dangerous. Often, if the overall width of the cargo is too large, the driver is forced to drive the vehicle in reverse, while turning back (the position is "back to front"). All these actions are dangerous and / or lead to serious ergonomic problems and fatigue.

DE 10127949 C2 describes a forklift truck for transporting goods on pallets, including two double-forked grippers, each of which is designed to transport a pallet with products so that during operation between the two pallets a field of view is provided for the driver. But such a forklift truck cannot be used to transport tire stacks.

For this reason, there is an urgent need for a forklift truck that could transport, load, unload and perform other similar operations with stacks of car tires when its driver is looking forward while working, and which would provide the driver with good visibility in the direction of movement of the forklift truck, as well as a certain desired viewing angle on each side of this longitudinal direction.

It is clear that such a forklift truck should not contain any mechanical devices that could damage the transported tires, for example, as a result of excessive deformation, or even just leave traces on their treads or sidewalls, which may make the buyer return them upon receipt.

In addition, it would be interesting to combine these advantages with an increase in productivity, that is, with an increase in the number of tires transported per unit of time along a given route. In this regard, the limits are currently reached very quickly due to driver fatigue due to the uncomfortable position of the workplace.

Based on the foregoing, it is clear that the problem of safety and fatigue, as well as increasing labor productivity are directly related to each other.

Further in this text, the term “vertical” stacks refers to vertical or substantially vertical stacks, wherein tire stacks need not be absolutely vertical. As a rule, they are essentially vertical, but a deviation of several degrees will not affect the present utility model. A larger tilt will also not impede the use of a real utility model, but in this case there will be a problem associated with a large overhang and unused useful space as a result of tilting the lower tire. Except in certain cases when, for example, the warehouse has a very low ceiling, such situations are undesirable. In the text below, only the term “vertical” will be used, and it should be emphasized that this term covers the options described above.

The term "safe distance" means in this case the distance in front of the forklift truck, that is, the distance in the direction of its movement, beyond which it seems quite reasonable to include in the driver’s field of vision the area of the floor along which he is traveling so that he can, for example , calmly stop if it detects an obstacle, and within which, when this forklift is in continuous motion - that is, not at the stage of the initial or restarting of the engine - at normal speed, There is no need to include in the driver’s field of view the floor on which he is traveling. It is clear that this simple term refers to the fact that during the initial start-up and with each restart, the driver must make sure that there are no obstacles inside the zone of this safe distance - this is very important; but it’s also important that in continuous forward movement the field of view will allow you to “view” the floor and space along the direction of the forklift in front of the specified “safe” distance.

In addition, the term “horizontal” refers to a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. It is understood that the terms “vertical” and “horizontal” include those directions that are not strictly vertical or horizontal, but approach them close enough so as not to disturb the center of gravity of the vehicle.

The term “top” refers to the top of the stack and various elements of the forklift, and the term “bottom” refers to the bottom.

The term "internal" refers to the space between the gripper means of the forklift, namely, between the fork grips, clamps and levers, or the surface of certain elements, turned or directed towards the "internal" space.

The term “front” means everything that is in front of or in front of the forklift, or the surface of an element that is rotated or directed toward the “front”.

The term "frame" means vertical fasteners or guides installed on any forklift of the type in question and made with the possibility of locating loading means attached to the guide rails in a known manner, which can be adjusted in height on said "frame". The frame in the accompanying drawings is indicated at 11.

The present utility model relates to a “forward looking” forklift truck for transporting a vertical stack of tires located in front of the forklift truck, which includes gripping means mounted on the frame of the forklift truck and configured to grab and split the stack vertically into two vertical or substantially vertical, so called "upper" and "lower" sections in order to form a space E between these two "upper" and "lower" sections of the stack, and this space is formed on so second height from the floor, that the field of view CV driver (or operator) truck has such an angle that the operator can see the floor in front truck on so-called "safe" distance D and beyond, and also has a distant view.

In a preferred embodiment, the capture means include:

at least two upper and lower pairs of corresponding lower and upper vertical clamps moving in a horizontal plane in order to provide tight compression from movement or release to move between them, and whose internal geometry G is capable of approximating repetition of the periphery of the tire tread, placed horizontally between them, and attached by two corresponding upper and lower levers to the frame using the corresponding upper and lower guide rails installed thus, to slide vertically on the frame and slide up and down the frame, and

independent means for controlling the sliding of the respective upper and lower guide rails and the horizontal gap between the pairs of the respective upper and lower clamps.

The term "approximately repeating" means the fact that the geometry of the element is designed in such a way that when these clamps are pressed against the tread of the tire placed between them, they can compress with sufficient force to give both the upper and lower sections of the tire stack vertical position without deforming or leaving any “marks” on the tire tread.

In one embodiment, each of the clamps is formed of two or more parts pivotally connected to each other in order to further press against the tire tread. This option, based on knowledge of the rules of geometry and kinematics, will be clear to a person skilled in the art, and in the future it will not be described in more detail.

In another embodiment, the clamps have an enhanced ability to move at an angle and / or sideways, that is, the guiding rails can also move laterally, horizontally relative to the frame of the forklift, so as to shift the pair of clamps to the right or left and / or at an angle, i.e. attached to the guide rails using additional means, including a pin located on the longitudinal axis of symmetry (or on the same axis "offset" when these pairs of clamps are shifted to the right or left) and mechanically some means that allow the installation of a pair of clamps at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the forklift.

In one particular embodiment, the upper and lower clamps are pivotally coupled to rotate about a vertical axis in one piece with the upper and lower arms to better fit to the periphery of the tire.

The purpose of these corner and / or side devices is to facilitate the grip of tires stored in hard-to-reach places. It is clear that the amplitude of the lateral and / or angular movements should not violate the stability of the vehicle.

According to the object of this utility model, a forklift truck has been created for transporting a vertical stack of tires located in front of the forklift truck, wherein the forklift truck comprises: gripping means mounted on the frame of the forklift truck and containing a pair of upper vertical clamps and a pair of lower vertical clamps, and the gripping means is configured to capture all tires the stack only by horizontal compression of the vertical clamps on the periphery of the treads of all tires of the stack, pickup and separation of the stack on vertically to the upper vertical section and the vertical lower section in order to form a space between the vertical upper section and the vertical lower section, while in each of the upper vertical section and the vertical lower section there are many tires, while the space is formed at such a height from the floor that the field of view of the forklift operator has such an angle that the operator can see the floor in front of the forklift at a predetermined safe distance and further, and also has a long-range vision.

Preferably, the upper or lower vertical clamps are arranged to move in the horizontal plane in order to provide tight compression from the movement or release to move between them, and the upper or lower vertical clamps have an internal geometry configured to approximately repeat the periphery of the tire tread placed horizontally between them, while the upper or lower vertical clamps are attached by the corresponding upper and lower levers to the frame using the appropriate the upper and lower guide rails mounted so as to slide vertically on the frame and slide up and down the frame, the gripping means further comprising independent means for controlling and regulating the sliding of the upper and lower guide rails and the horizontal gap between the pairs of the corresponding upper and bottom clamps.

Preferably, the upper or lower vertical clamps comprise two parts pivotally connected to each other in order to further press against the periphery of the tire tread.

Preferably, the upper or lower vertical clamps are pivotally connected when rotated around the vertical axis in one piece with the levers for a better fit to the periphery of the tire tread.

Preferably, the inner surfaces of the clamps and, possibly, the levers are made of elastic material, like rubber, capable of protecting the tire when it is tightly gripped, or covered with it.

Preferably, the movement for compression and decompression produced by the clamps, or the horizontal gap is achieved by horizontal sliding of the slide on the frame.

Preferably, the movement for compression and decompression is achieved by horizontal rotation of the lever elements around a vertical axis in one piece with the guide rails.

Preferably, the forklift includes means for synchronizing the movements of the gripping means and, in particular, pairs of upper and lower clamps or upper and lower forks, possibly controlled by a pre-programmed on-board electronic device.

Preferably, a vertical pin is used as a means for synchronizing the clamps or forks, which is located in the space formed in the guide rails.

Preferably, the forklift further comprises means for ensuring that the assembly formed by the frame and the gripping means rotates about a horizontal axis to allow the horizontal stack of tires to be picked up and raised to a vertical position.

Preferably, the gripping means is configured to transport tires of heavy vehicles. Tires for heavy vehicles usually have a sufficiently large diameter to stack a substantially stable stack of 7-11 tires.

Thus, when transporting a vertical stack of tires on a forklift truck, in front or behind the forklift truck, when the operator of the forklift truck is in the "forward looking" position: they capture all stack tires only by horizontal compression of a pair of upper vertical clamps and a pair of lower vertical clamps on the periphery of the treads of all stack tires ; dividing the tire stack on the forklift into the upper section and the lower section in order to open the space E between the upper section and the lower section, with a plurality of tires in each of the upper vertical section and the lower vertical section; and form a space at such a height from the floor that the field of view of the forklift operator has such an angle that the operator can see the floor in front of the forklift at a predetermined safe distance and further, and also has a long-range vision.

It should be noted that the said controls belong to a type known to a person skilled in the art, in which case they include jacks, electric motors, hydraulic or electric controls and, possibly, servomotors, the various movements being controlled separately by the operator; and said controls also in a preferred embodiment include well-known safety features such as position sensors, tire contact pressure sensors, anti-collapse systems (especially in space E), anti-sway system and anti-roll over system, and others similar systems capable of generating an alarm and, if necessary, stop when the limit value of a given parameter is overcome. The whole assembly structure is preferably controlled by an on-board electronic device of a known type, the limit parameters of which can be pre-programmed, but at the same time they can be modified using an embedded program that allows you to make some adjustments based, for example, on the number and type of tires and others similar parameters.

In one particular embodiment of the utility model, the entire assembly, formed by the frame and gripping means, can be mounted rotatably around the horizontal axis in one piece with the forklift and be located at the front of the loader so that it can grab the horizontal stack tires and then lift it to a vertical position (moreover, separation in accordance with this utility model is carried out subsequently).

Transporting tires of heavy vehicles with forklifts according to this utility model has the advantage that it requires much less space than transporting it on conventional pallets with forklift trucks (depending on size, the coefficient will be from 2 to 2.5). Therefore, it seems possible to reduce the width of the aisles in warehouses and increase the storage density of tires. This way you can save up to 30% of your storage space.

Other features and advantages of this utility model will be better understood when reading the description below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a forklift truck according to the present utility model;

FIG. 2A and 2B are a schematic plan view of the forklift gripper of FIG. one; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a forklift truck according to the present utility model when it is in motion.

In FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a forklift truck 1 according to the present utility model. Such a “forward looking” forklift 1 for transporting a vertical stack of 2 tires 3 located in front of the forklift truck includes gripping means 4 mounted on the forklift frame 11 and configured to grab and split the stack vertically into two vertical or substantially vertical so-called " the upper "2H and" lower "2B sections for the formation of an open space E between these two -" upper "and" lower "- sections of the stack, and this space is formed at such a height from the floor that the field of vision CV driver (or operator) has an angle of the truck, allowing the operator to see the floor in front truck on so-called "safe" distance D and beyond, and also has a distant visibility.

Capture 4 tools include:

two upper and lower pairs of corresponding lower 9B and upper 9H vertical (when the forklift is loaded) clamps moving in the horizontal plane in order to provide tight compression from movement or release to move between them, and whose internal geometry G is made with the possibility of approximate repetition of the periphery a tread of a tire placed horizontally between them and attached by two corresponding upper and lower levers 10H, 10B to the frame 11 by means of the corresponding (upper) 6 and (lower) 7 directions a slide mounted so as to slide vertically on the frame 11 and slide up and down the frame, and

independent means for controlling the sliding of the respective guide rails 6 and 7 and the horizontal gap between the pairs of respective clips 9H and 9B.

In FIG. 1 also shows a vertical pin 8, which is used for mechanical synchronization of the clamps, and which is placed in space in the guide rails 6 and 7.

In FIG. 2A and 2B schematically show top views of a pair of upper 9H (or lower 9B) clamps, as well as levers 10H (or 10B, respectively) for securing the clamps to the upper 6 (or lower 7) guide rails, and the frame 11. In this non-limiting In an embodiment, the guide rails 6, 7 slide horizontally across the frame 11 from the open position (FIG. 2A) to the compressed position (FIG. 2B), and vice versa. In one specific and non-limiting embodiment, the internal geometry of the arms 10H, 10B is also adapted to match the peripheral surface of the tire tread disposed between the mechanism formed by the respective clips 9H and 9B and the corresponding arms 10H and 10B.

In FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a forklift truck according to the present utility model when it is in motion. After loading the tire stack, the clamp / lever mechanisms are compressed to hold the tires in place and allow the upper stack 2H to be raised to such a height that the space E formed between stacks 2B and 2H determines the field of view of CV, whose upper border 12 allows long-range viewing . The height from the floor at which the stack 2 is divided is calculated so that the lower border 13 of the field of view covers the floor in front of the forklift at a distance that would not be greater than the safe distance D.

This safe distance can naturally vary based on various parameters, including speed of movement, but this utility model, for example, allows you to determine this distance in a completely non-limiting way, equal to 7 m if counted from the driver, or about 5 m if counted from front end of a stack with tires. This distance, of the order of 5 m, is such that it is very unlikely that during this time an obstacle may suddenly appear in front of the forklift truck. This indicator, of course, is non-limiting, and the safe distance will be a compromise between the driver’s ability to have an open front view and maintain vehicle stability.

The person skilled in the art will understand that if you place the tire stack behind the forklift truck, assuming that the forklift truck is adapted to the new loading method, then the above described is applicable with appropriate changes and will be convenient for maneuvering in reverse or reverse at an angle. Therefore, the scope of the present utility model also includes these embodiments.

This utility model also includes all embodiments and applications that will be immediately apparent to a person skilled in the art after reading this application, after conducting his own examination, and possibly after conducting routine tests.

Claims (11)

1. A forklift truck for transporting a vertical stack of tires located in front of the forklift truck, wherein the forklift truck comprises gripping means mounted on the frame of the forklift truck and containing a pair of upper vertical clamps and a pair of lower vertical clamps, and the gripping means are capable of gripping all stack tires only by horizontal compression vertical clamps on the periphery of the treads of all tires of the stack, pickup and separation of the stack vertically into the upper section and the lower a vertical section in order to form a space between the vertical upper section and the vertical lower section, while in each of the vertical vertical section and the vertical lower section there are many tires, while the space is formed at such a height from the floor that the field the view of the forklift operator has such an angle that the operator can see the floor in front of the forklift at a predetermined safe distance and further, and also has a long-range vision. 2. The forklift according to claim 1, in which the upper or lower vertical clamps are made to move in the horizontal plane in order to provide tight compression from the movement or release to move between them, and the upper or lower vertical clamps have an internal geometry made with the possibility of an approximate repetition of the periphery of the tire tread placed horizontally between them, while the upper or lower vertical clamps are attached by the corresponding upper and lower levers to the frame using the corresponding upper and lower guide rails mounted in such a way as to slide vertically on the frame and slide up and down the frame, and the gripping means further comprises independent means for controlling and regulating the sliding of the corresponding upper and lower guide rails and the horizontal gap between the pairs of corresponding upper and lower clamps. 3. The forklift according to claim 1, in which the upper or lower vertical clamps contain two parts, pivotally connected to each other in order to further press against the periphery of the tire tread. 4. The forklift according to claim 2, in which the upper or lower vertical clamps are pivotally connected while rotating around the vertical axis in one piece with the levers for a better fit to the periphery of the tire tread. 5. A forklift truck according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the inner surfaces of the clamps and, possibly, the levers are made of elastic material like rubber, capable of protecting the tire during its tight grip, or covered with it. 6. The forklift according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the movement for compression and decompression produced by the clamps, or the horizontal gap is achieved by horizontal sliding of the slide on the frame. 7. A forklift truck according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which movement for compression and expansion is achieved by horizontal rotation of the lever elements around a vertical axis in one piece with the guide rails. 8. A forklift truck according to any one of claims 1 to 4, including means for synchronizing the movements of the gripping means and, in particular, pairs of upper and lower clamps or upper and lower forks, possibly controlled by a pre-programmed on-board electronic device. 9. A forklift truck according to claim 8, in which a vertical pin is used as a means for synchronizing the clamps or forks, which is located in the space formed in the guide rails. 10. A forklift truck according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising means for ensuring that the assembly formed by the frame and gripping means rotates around a horizontal axis to ensure that the horizontal tire stack is picked up and raised to a vertical position. 11. A forklift truck according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the gripping means is configured to transport tires of heavy vehicles.