VERTICAL MANIPULATOR FOR LARGE SIZE TYRES WHICH COMPRISES A PLATFORM AND MECHANISMS FOR HOLDING, RAISING AND ROTATING TYRES FOR THE SAFE WORKING OF MAINTENANCE WORKERS

Abstract

A vertical manipulator for large size tyres which includes a platform and mechanisms for holding, raising, and rotating tyres, for the safe working of maintenance workers. The vertical manipulator works on all types of terrain and its movements include those of conventional manipulators, in addition to others specific to the invention, rendering its features superior. The vertical manipulator includes a main transverse body from which are suspended two sets of parallel arms that open and close according to the size of the tyre. To each set of parallel arms is added a support arm, which holds a pivoting arm, equipped with a gripping plate, securing side rollers and a lower roller, the pivoting arm operating supported by a lifting jack, and a work platform being disposed on the parallel arms and supported by the main body.

Claims

1. A vertical tyre manipulator for changing tyres of earth-moving equipment also referred to as off-road equipment, the vertical tyre manipulator comprising: a main body coupled to a carrier machine by a support and a mast; the main body supports a work platform equipped with two access stairs providing a safe work platform and mechanism for maintenance workers, in turn the main body supports two sets of opposite parallel arms each one equipped with a hydraulic cylinder; to each set of parallel arms is coupled a support arm, wherein each support arm comprises a lifting jack, a lifting cylinder and two sets of securing rollers, wherein said support arm supports a pivoting arm, wherein the support arm operates supported by the lifting jack and the pivoting arm pivots due to the lifting cylinder.

2. The vertical tyre manipulator for changing tyres of earth-moving equipment according to claim 1, wherein the sets of securing roller are each equipped with a securing roller, an opening cylinder and a roller pivoting cylinder.

3. The vertical tyre manipulator for changing tyres of earth-moving equipment according to claim 2, wherein when the rollers are adjusted to the tyre as a result of the opening cylinder and to the roller pivoting cylinder, they can rotate freely due to contact with the tyre without friction, upon actuating the rollers.

4. The vertical tyre manipulator for changing tyres of earth-moving equipment according to claim 2, wherein several measurements of tyres can be covered by the action of the opening cylinder.

5. The vertical tyre manipulator for changing tyres of earth-moving equipment according to claim 1, wherein by each lifting cylinder and the support of the lifting jacks, the arms can pivot and remain horizontal.

6. The vertical tyre manipulator for changing tyres of earth-moving equipment according to claim 1, wherein the vertical tyre manipulator is controlled by a remote control.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Four figures are attached to explain the present disclosure, namely:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the disclosure, with the arms extended or in the horizontal position, grabbing the tyre.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the disclosure, with the arms pivoted 90° or in the vertical position, grabbing the tyre.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the disclosure for the purpose of disclosing its main parts.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a profile view of the disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the disclosure in the vertical work position.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows the vertical manipulator with the arms 9 in the horizontal work position.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows the remote control.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 3 shows the manipulator in the vertical position, where the main body 1, which rotates with respect to the support 2 by means of two hydraulic cylinders opposite 3, can be seen. The main body 1 supports two sets of opposite parallel arms 6 with respect to the axis of symmetry of the disclosure, equipped with hydraulic cylinders 4 for achieving the opening and closing of the support arms 8. The support arms 8 hold the pivoting arms 9 and are equipped with hydraulic pivoting cylinders 17, whereby the arms 9 can go from vertical to horizontal and vice versa; each support arm 8 is likewise equipped with a lifting jack 7. In turn, each pivoting arm 9 has a gripping plate 14, two sets of securing rollers 11 and a rotating roller 15 equipped with a pivoting cylinder 16. Each gripping plate 14 rotates about its axis as a result of an internal motorisation. The sets of securing rollers 11 are each equipped with a securing roller 13, an opening cylinder 10 and a roller rotating cylinder 12. In the lower part of each arm 9 there is a rotating roller 15, which rotates about its axis by means of an internal motorisation. Supported by the main body 1 and on the parallel arms 6, there is a work platform 18 equipped with access stairs 5 at each end.

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a profile view of the vertical manipulator in order to show the carrier machine 19, which is equipped with a mast 20 to which the support 2 is coupled.

[0034] The vertical manipulator with the arms 9 in the vertical work position can be seen in FIG. 5, where the rim 22 and the tyre 21 grabbed by the arms 9 can be seen.

[0035] The vertical manipulator with the arms 9 in the horizontal work position, grabbing the tyre 21 without a rim, available for internal inspection, can be seen in FIG. 6.

[0036] Observed in FIG. 7 is the remote control 23 of the equipment with which the operator performs all the movements, whereby the operator can move close enough to achieve seeing the fine movements required and move away enough to be in a safe work area.

[0037] The operation of the vertical manipulator will be described based on the tasks that can be performed by means of the use thereof.

Extraction of Tyre with Rim:

[0038] First, the operator of the vertical manipulator must ensure that the earth-moving equipment in which the tyre is going to be changed is stopped, the tyre 21 on which the intervention is to take place lifted and the brake thereof released. In turn, the arms 9 must be in the vertical position, otherwise the lifting cylinders 17 must be actuated and the arms 9 taken to the lifting stop. Then the parallel arms 6 must be opened/closed by actuating the opening/closing cylinders 4, according to the size of the tyre 21 to be grabbed (the opening must be slightly larger than the size of the tyre), and the vertical manipulator must also be lowered by activating the mast 20 to such a height that it allows the rotating rollers 15 to pass below the tyre 21 and at the same time the gripping plates to grab the tyre 21 at the centre thereof. Next the carrier machine 19 must be moved closer such that the rollers 15 are below the tyre 21 completely, and then the pivoting cylinders 16 of the rollers 15 must be actuated in order to contact the tyre 21. Once the vertical manipulator has been positioned, the opening cylinders 10 of each set of securing rollers 11 must be activated until the securing rollers 13 surpass the tread width of the tyre 21; then the roller rotating cylinder 12 of each set 11 is activated and the tyre 21 is clamped with the securing rollers 13. The support jacks 7 must be activated for proper stability of the vertical manipulator. Once the tyre 21 is secured, maintenance workers can enter the platform 18 to extract the nuts from the rim 22. Once the nuts have been taken out, maintenance workers must get off the platform 18, the operator of the vertical manipulator must collect the lifting jacks 7 and remove the tyre 21 with the rim 22 and transfer it to the salvage workshop. Then a new tyre 21 with the rim 22 must be grabbed and the inverse of what has been described above is performed to assemble said tyre on the earth-moving machine.

Extraction of Only the Tyre (Vertical Assembly/Disassembly):

[0039] The method is very similar except for the following methods: the tyre 21 must be debeaded or detached from the rim 22. Once the rollers 15 are completely below the tyre 21, the gripping plates 14 must tighten said tyre in order to grab it and remove it from the rim 22; the rotating rollers 15 are not required to be abutting against the tyre 21 since the tyre 21 will not be rotated. The nuts are not required to be extracted from the rim 22, and the lifting jacks 7 are not required to be applied either. Once the tyre has been removed, the operator must leave the tyre 21 on the ground in the horizontal position to be inspected by maintenance workers; to that end, the lifting jacks 7 must be applied and the lifting cylinders 17 activated; maintenance workers must get up on the platform 18 and access the tyre 21 from there; from the platform 18, maintenance workers can suspend lifelines, provided that the width of the tyre 21 generates sufficient height to require a lifeline for maintenance workers.