Tire testing machine with removable hanger hoist and method for loading a tire

A tire testing machine includes a spindle adapted to rotatably support a tire. The machine has a frame defining an opening that allows the tire to be loaded onto the spindle and unloaded from the spindle with the frame having an upper frame member that spans at least a portion of the opening. A hoist hanger is removably connected to the upper frame member. The hoist hanger is adapted to removably support a tire hoist that allows the tire to be supported while it is unloaded from the spindle and the machine. The hoist hanger includes a support bracket slidably disposed over the upper frame member and a support arm that extends inwardly toward the spindle of the machine. The hanger configuration provides a compact design that allows tires to be securely and safely moved with a hoist.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to tire testing machines and, more particularly, to tire testing machines that require the tire to be tested to be lifted and mounted on a rotatable spindle. Specifically, the present invention relates to a tire testing machine and a removable hoist hanger used to load and unload tires from the test machines.

2. Background Information

One group of tire testing machines has a rotatable spindle that supports the tire during the tire test. The spindle is typically disposed in a protective safety cage that also houses a movable test surface against which the tire is engaged. The protective cage includes a structural frame having an upper frame member disposed above a gate opening. The gate opening allows a tire to be loaded into the cage onto the spindle where the tire may be tested. The tire is also removed from the cage through the gate opening. An exemplary test machine is sold by Test Measurement Systems, Inc. of Akron, Ohio, as model no. TTM-1.0TP2 (viewable at www.tmsi-usa.com). This machine has a safety gate that slides back and forth over the gate opening. Some safety gates have a vertical and horizontal component with the horizontal component covering the top of the test area when the gate is closed.

The tire is typically mounted to a rim and the combination may weigh up to 85 pounds. Workers have a difficult time loading and unloading these tires because of the weight and the location of the spindle. The process of loading and unloading tires has caused injuries. Repetitive tire loading and unloading can also cause injuries to the workers. One solution to ease the loading and unloading process is to position a crane above each test machine. Although this solution allows a single worker to easily load and unload a tire, the cost and time to install the crane is a significant disadvantage. Some tire test facilities have many tire test machines and the cost of a crane for each machine outweighs its benefits. Further, some test facilities do not have sufficient room above the test machines for the installation of a crane. There is little room to install a crane or a hoist hanger on the machines that use the gate having the horizontal component that slides back and forth over the top of the test area. Workers thus desire a solution that assists them in loading and unloading the tires from the tire testing machines.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method and apparatus for loading a tire into and unloading a tire from a tire testing machine. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method used with a tire testing machine having a spindle adapted to rotatably support the tire to be tested, a frame that define a gate opening, and an upper frame member that spans at least a portion of the gate opening. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of removably connecting a hoist hanger to the upper frame member; the hoist hanger having a hoist support; connecting a hoist to the hoist support; lifting a tire with the help of the hoist; mounting the tire onto the spindle; removing the tire from the hoist after the tire is supported by the spindle; removing the hoist hanger from the frame; testing the tire; re-connecting the hoist hanger and hoist to the upper frame member; connecting the tire to the hoist; lifting the tire from the spindle with the help of the hoist; and removing the tire from the machine.

The invention also provides a hanger that is removably attachable to a tire testing machine in a manner that allows a tire hoist to be readily supported by the hanger in a position to assist in the loading and unloading of the tire.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a removable hoist hanger for use with an upper frame member on a tire testing machine. The hanger includes a support bracket adapted to removably engage the upper frame member with the support bracket having an outer leg, an upper bridge, and an inner leg. The outer leg is longer than the inner leg. A support arm extends from the inner leg of the support bracket. A frame clamp is supported by the outer leg. The clamp has a clamping member adapted to selectively engage the upper frame member to securely connect the hanger to the tire testing machine.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a removable hoist hanger for use with a frame member on a tire testing machine wherein the hanger includes a support bracket adapted to removably engage the frame member with the support bracket having an outer leg and an inner leg connected to an upper bridge. A support arm is connected to the inner leg. A frame clamp is supported by the outer leg with the clamp having a clamping member adapted to selectively engage the frame member to securely connect the hanger to the tire testing machine. The frame clamp is disposed at a first distance from the upper bridge and the support arm is disposed a second distance from the upper bridge with the first distance being longer than the second distance.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The removable hoist hanger of the invention is indicated generally by the numeral2in the accompanying drawings. Hoist hanger2is configured to be removably connected to a tire testing machine4. Hoist hanger2allows a hoist6to be selectively used with machine4during the loading of a tire8onto and the unloading of a tire8from a spindle10(or other structure) that supports tire8during the tire test. In the context of this application the term spindle is broadly used to refer to any structure that rotatably supports a tire in a tire test machine. Most spindles engage the center of a rim that supports the tire. Tire8is typically mounted to a rim12that significantly increases the weight that must be moved onto spindle10. Hoist6includes a hook or a loop14designed to securely engage tire8or rim12so that tire8may be lifted by hoist6.

In addition to spindle10, tire testing machine4generally includes a safety cage20that includes a gate opening24with a gate26selectively positionable across opening24. As discussed above, gate26may include a horizontal component that is disposed above spindle10when gate26is closed. Machine4also includes a frame28having at least one upper frame member30disposed across the top of opening24. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, upper frame member30is rectangular in cross section (a cross section taken normal to the longitudinal axis of member30) with a width that is less than its height as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. A movable test surface32is disposed inside safety cage such that tire8may be engaged with and run against test surface32. A drive motor34may be used to drive tire8against surface32or surface32may be rotated against tire8. Machine4may include any of a variety of spindles10and test surfaces32.

Removable hoist hanger2generally includes a support bracket50that removably engages upper frame member30. In the exemplary embodiment, bracket30slides over the top of frame member30. Bracket50includes an outer leg52and inner leg54connected to an upper bridge56. Inner leg54may be ⅗ the length of outer leg52. Upper bridge56has an inner end58and an outer end60. In the exemplary embodiment, upper bridge56has a length that is just longer than the width of frame member30in addition to the thicknesses of outer leg52and inner leg54so that support bracket50slidably engages frame member30without significant slop. The upper end62of outer leg52is connected to upper bridge56at a location adjacent to outer end60and the upper end64of inner leg54is connected to upper bridge56at a location adjacent to inner end58. In the exemplary embodiment, legs52and54may be welded essentially flush with ends58and60. Each leg and bridge may have a width of 3½ inches. Outer leg52may be 5 inches long with inner leg being 3 inches long. Bridge56may be 2¾ inches long. The thickness of each part may be ¼ inch when fabricated from steel.

A frame clamp70is connected to outer leg52at a location closer to the lower end72of outer leg52than upper end62. Frame clamp70allows bracket50to be tightened against frame member30. In the exemplary embodiment, frame clamp70includes a threaded clamping member74that threadedly engages a threaded support block76. Member74may be a ⅝ bolt that is 2 inches long. Block76is secured to outer leg52while threaded clamping member74may be rotated to tighten and loosen clamping member74directly against frame member30as shown inFIG. 3. A handle78may be connected to clamping member74to allow the worker to easily tighten and loosen clamping member74.

Clamp70is spaced a first distance80from upper bridge56while a support arm82is connected to inner leg54at a second distance86from upper bridge56. First distance80may be longer than second distance86to provide frame clamp70with leverage and to prevent support bracket50from twisting off upper frame member30.

Support arm82is securely attached to inner leg54and may be reinforced with a brace90hat extends between inner leg54and support arm82. Support arm may have the same 3½ inch width as legs52and54. Arm82may be 7 inches long. The outer end92of brace90is disposed farther from inner leg54than a hoist support94that is securely connected to support arm82. Hoist support94is spaced from inner leg54a third distance84that is longer than first distance80. Distance84may be 5¾ inches. Hoist support94may include a threaded member96that threadedly engages a threaded support block98. Member96also may be a ⅝ inch bolt. Hoist support94may include any of a variety of hook or ring shapes onto which hoist6may be selectively attached.

Arm82and distance84are configured to hoist support94in an offset position from the outer end of spindle10as shown inFIG. 4. The offset is represented by dimension line100inFIG. 4. Hanger2is used by removably connecting hanger2to frame member30in a position aligned with the rotational axis of spindle10as shown inFIG. 1. The user may then connect hoist6to hoist support94. Hoist6is then used to lift tire8into test machine4where tire8may be mounted to spindle10. Hoist6is then detached from tire8and removed from hanger2. The user then removes hanger2from machine4and runs the test on tire8. Hanger2is then re-connected to frame member30and hoist6is reattached to tire8. The user may then use hoist6to lift tire8while tire8is being removed from machine4. Hanger2thus eliminates some of the heavy lifting for the worker and makes the process safer. Hanger2may also be used on a plurality of similar test machines4to significantly reduce the costs of using the hoists6with tire8.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention solves many of the problems described above. Those of ordinary skill in the art will, of course, appreciate that various changes in the details, materials and arrangement of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by the skilled artisan within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.