Unloading system and method for unloading a tire tread carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776367-B2
Application number	US-201515129777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an unloading system and a method for unloading a tire tread carrier, wherein the tire tread carrier includes a plurality of plates, wherein each plate is arranged for supporting at least one tread for a tire, wherein the unloading system includes an arm with a retaining device for picking up and retaining treads, wherein the arm is provided with a lifting device that is arranged to move together with the arm for lifting one of the plates, wherein a control system is arranged for controlling a drive system to position the arm in a starting position in which the lifting device extends at least partially underneath said one plate and to subsequently move the arm upwards such that the lifting device is moved towards a lifting position, thereby lifting said one plate; from the closed position towards the open position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An unloading system for unloading a tire tread carrier, wherein the tire tread carrier comprises a frame and a plurality of plates which are hingably connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about respective, mutually parallel rotation axes for subsequent opening by rotation about said rotation axes from a closed, substantially horizontal position to an open, lifted position, wherein each plate is arranged for supporting at least one tread for a tire, wherein the unloading system comprises an arm with a retaining device for picking up and retaining treads from the plates, a drive system for moving the arm and a control system, operationally coupled to the drive system, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the drive system to position the arm with respect to the tire tread carrier, wherein the arm is provided with a lifting device that is arranged to move together with the arm for lifting one of the plates, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the drive system to position the arm in a starting position in which the lifting device extends at least partially underneath said one plate and to subsequently move the arm upwards such that the lifting device is moved towards a lifting position, thereby lifting said one plate from the closed position towards the open position.

2. The unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the drive system such that during the movement of the lifting device from the starting position towards the lifting position, the lifting device follows a lifting path with a curvature that is concentric to the rotation axis of the one plate.

3. The unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive system comprises at least a first drive and a second drive for moving the arm in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the first drive and the second drive to move the arm in a lifting direction which is a sum of the movements in both the first direction and the second direction, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the first drive and the second drive so that the lifting direction of the arm follows the curvature that is concentric to the rotation axis of the one plate.

4. The unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting device comprises one or more hooks, wherein each hook is provided with an upwardly facing tip which is arranged to engage the one plate from below.

5. The unloading system according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more hooks protrude from the arm such that, when the one or more hooks are in engagement with the one plate, solely said one or more hooks engage with or contact the one plate.

6. The unloading system according to claim 4 , wherein the one plate is provided one or more engagement elements for receiving the tips of the one or more hooks.

7. The unloading system according to claim 4 , wherein the arm comprises a pick-up beam that is arranged to extend parallel to the rotation axis of the one plate, wherein the lifting device comprises a plurality of the hooks which are distributed along the pick-up beam, wherein the plurality of the hooks is arranged for engaging the one plate along various spaced apart engagement positions parallel to its rotation axis.

8. The unloading system according to claim 6 , wherein the retaining device is provided with one or more retaining elements, wherein the one or more hooks are provided on the one or more retaining elements.

9. The unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein the tire tread carrier is provided with a biasing element which is arranged for biasing the one plate into the open, lifted position, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the drive system to move the arm such that the one plate is only partially lifted towards the open, lifted position, wherein the biasing element is arranged to contribute to the lifting to fully lift the one plate into the open, lifted position.

10. The unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein the arm is provided with a first sensor for detecting the position of the one plate and for sending signals indicative of the position of the one plate to the control system, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the drive system to move the arm into the starting position based on the signals from the first sensor.

11. Unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein the arm is provided with a second sensor for detecting the position of at least one of the treads on the plate and for sending signals indicative of the position of the at least one tread to the control system, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the drive system to move the arm into a pick-up position based on the signals from the second sensor, wherein, in the pick-up position, the retaining device is located directly above the detected one tread to retain said detected one tread.

12. The unloading system according to claim 1 , wherein the treads are placed in an up-side-down orientation on the plates, wherein the unloading system further comprises a tire tread positioning device with a flipping assembly, wherein the flipping assembly is provided with a base and a flipping platform that is rotatable with respect to said base about a flipping axis between a substantially horizontal receiving position and a flipped position, wherein, when the flipping platform is in the receiving position, the arm is arranged for releasing a picked-up and retained tread onto the flipping platform in the up-side-down orientation with the longitudinal direction of the tread extending parallel to flipping axis, wherein the flipping actuator is arranged for rotating the flipping platform over an angle of at least ninety degrees or at least ninety-five degrees about the flipping axis from the receiving position to the flipped position, wherein during the rotation of the flipping platform, the tread is retained on the platform solely by gravity and wherein the tread is allowed to freely separate from the flipping platform under the influence of gravity.

13. The unloading system according to claim 12 , wherein the flipping platform is provided with an abutment element at the side of and extending parallel to the flipping axis for supporting the tread through abutting contact in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tread during the rotation from the receiving position towards the flipped position.

14. The unloading system according to claim 13 , wherein the flipping platform is provided with a conveyor or a roller conveyor for moving the tread transverse to its longitudinal direction into abutment with the abutment element.

15. The unloading system according to claim 12 , wherein the flipping platform is provided with a separation element which is arranged for at least partly supporting the tread on the flipping platform, wherein the separation element is arranged for rotation in a separation direction from a flush position in which the upper surface of the separation element is substantially flush with the remaining surface of the flipping platform and a separation position in which the separation element is raised with respect to the remaining surface of the flipping platform to separate the tread from said remaining surface.

16. The unloading system according to claim 12 , wherein the tire tread positioning device comprises a centering assembly adjacent to the flipping assembly, wherein the centering assembly is provided with a centering surface for receiving the tread from the

Assignees

• Vmi Holland Bv

Inventors

• Grolleman Henk-Jan
• Kramer Roel

Classifications

• B29D2030/0038

  Handling tyre parts or semi-finished parts, excluding beads, e.g., storing, transporting, transferring (B29D2030/0044 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29D30/0016 Primary

  Handling tyres or parts thereof, e.g. supplying, storing, conveying (B29D30/2607 takes precedence; loading and unloading vulcanizing presses B29D30/0603) · CPC title

• B65G61/00

  Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B29D30/00 Primary

  Producing pneumatic or solid tyres or parts thereof (producing inner tubes B29D23/24; constructional form of tyres or parts thereof B60C; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; testing of tyres G01M17/02) · CPC title

• B29D30/26 Primary

  Accessories or details, e.g. membranes, transfer rings · CPC title