Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a tire handler for the movement and manipulation of tires and wheels for large vehicles. The tire handler is lifted by a crane or similar hoisting equipment. The tire handler comprises improvements including an automatic leveling system, power adjustable tire control and support arms, and wireless remote operation of powered functions.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIMS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/126,717, filed Mar. 2, 2015 which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally directed devices to facilitate transportation, installation, removal, repair, and other handling of tires and wheels for large vehicles. 
     BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well know that tires are an important part of most land vehicles. As the point of contact between the vehicle and the driving surface—in many applications, literally where the rubber meets the road—properly maintained tires are important for traction, stability, efficiency, handling, and occupant comfort. Tire maintenance on most passenger vehicles is easily accomplished by lifting the vehicle with a jack and then manually removing and replacing the tire/wheel combination. 
     Large industrial vehicles, however, are often equipped with tires that have diameters larger than human height and with tire/wheel combinations that weigh several thousand pounds. Such tires cannot be manually manipulated. Further, even with mechanical lifting assistance, it can be difficult and dangerous to maneuver very heavy tires into proper alignment with hubs, lugs, and other connections necessary for mounting on or removal from a vehicle. These difficulties are often exacerbated by a lack of working room around the tire and the need to work on a vehicle in the field rather than at a shop. 
     Several devices have been used to help with handling of very large tires and wheels. For example, rolling dollies have been used to support the tire and maneuver the tire by moving the dolly. However, these devices typically ride on relatively small wheels, making maneuvering over rough terrain difficult or impossible. Additionally, dolly devices have no or limited vertical leveling ability, making proper alignment of the tire/wheel difficult or impossible. These devices also are typically able to handle a small range of tire sizes. 
     Other tire handling devices comprise specialized large robotic arms with varying degrees of maneuverability. Robotic arm devices are very heavy and complicated and typically must be mounted to a dedicated heavy truck. As a result, the devices are very expensive and cannot be practically made available at all locations. 
     What is needed is a tire handling device that is capable of safely moving and manipulating large and heavy tires and wheels for a variety of vehicles. The tire handling device should be able to work with commonly-available hoisting equipment and be easily adjustable to allow safe and convenient servicing of a range of tire sizes. 
     SUMMARY 
     The above objectives are met by providing a tire handler for movement and manipulation of tires and wheels for large vehicles comprising some or all of these elements: 
     a suspension arm with a front end and a rear end; 
     a hoist attachment hook connected to the suspension arm and selectively horizontally movable along at least a portion of the suspension arm; 
     a hoist attachment positioner configured to selectively position hoist attachment hook along the suspension arm; 
     a tire handler level sensor configured to detect an orientation of the tire handler; 
     a controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive orientation information from the level sensor and to activate the hoist attachment positioner to keep tire handler orientation within a prescribed range; 
     a neck member connected to the rear end of the suspension arm; 
     an upper arm articulation member; 
     a plurality of arm articulation member engagement holes defined in the neck; 
     a neck engagement pin connected to the arm articulation member, wherein the neck engagement pin is configured to selectively connect the arm articulation member to the neck by placement through a hub engagement hole or withdrawal from an arm articulation member engagement hole; 
     a remotely-controlled actuator connected to the neck engagement pin and configured to control the placement and withdrawal of the neck engagement pin and a neck engagement indicator configured to indicate to a user when the neck engagement pin is safely positioned through a hub engagement hole; 
     a left arm extending generally-downward from the left arm hinge of the arm articulation member, the left arm comprising an upper left arm, a left arm articulation member adjustably connected to the upper left arm, a lower left arm hingedly connected to the left arm articulation member, the lower left arm comprises forward lower left arm beam, rear lower left arm beam, and lower left arm positioner; the lower left arm positioner comprises a linear actuator and is connected between a location near an upper end of rear lower left arm beam and a location near a lower end of forward lower left arm beam; 
     a right arm extending generally-downward from the right arm hinge of the arm articulation member, the right arm comprising an upper right arm, a right arm articulation member adjustably connected to the upper right arm, a lower right arm hingedly connected to the right arm articulation member; the lower right arm comprises forward lower right arm beam, rear lower right arm beam, and lower right arm positioner; and the lower right arm positioner comprises a linear actuator and is connected between a location near an upper end of rear lower right arm beam and a location near a lower end of forward lower right arm beam; 
     a generally-planar platform connected at a left end to the lower left arm and connected at a right end to the lower right arm, wherein the platform is configured to have a selectively adjustable width; an equipment compartment defined beneath the platform and accessible by moving a part of the platform and wherein the platform comprises an upper surface with sufficient rigidity to securely support a human user standing on the upper surface and the upper surface comprises a non-slip surface; 
     a left tire support roller extending from a forward left side of the platform and a right tire support roller extending from a forward right side of the platform; 
     a left roller motor connected to the left tire support roller and a right roller motor connected to the right tire support roller, wherein the left roller motor and the right roller motor are rotary actuators configured to power rotational movement of a tire; 
     a left tire grab arm extending from a location on the tire handler near the connection of the left arm and the platform, the left tire positioning arm comprising an inside left tire grab arm configured to restrict rearward movement of a tire, an outside left tire gram arm configured to restrict lateral movement of a tire, and a front left tire grab arm configured to restrict forward movement of a tire; wherein the left tire grab arm is configured to be readily moved to a non-use location away from a supported tire to provide additional clearance when necessary; 
     a right tire positioning arm extending from a location on the tire handler near the connection of the right arm and the platform, the right tire positioning arm comprising an inside right tire grab arm configured to restrict rearward movement of a tire, an outside right tire grab arm configured to restrict lateral movement of a tire, and a front right tire grab arm configured to restrict forward movement of a tire, wherein the right tire grab arm are configured, independently, to be readily moved to a non-use location away from a supported tire to provide additional clearance when necessary 
     remotely-controllable powered means for repositioning each of the inside left tire grab arm, outside left tire grab arm, front left tire gram arm, inside right tire grab arm, outside right tire grab arm, front right tire grab arm with respect to a tire on the tire handler; 
     a battery; 
     a battery charger, configured to charge the battery when connected to an external power source; 
     a hydraulic power unit configured to be powered using energy from the battery, wherein the battery and the hydraulic power unit are configured to be capable of powering all powered components of the tire handler for a predetermined length of time; 
     a wireless receiver electronically connected to the controller; and 
     a wireless remote control configured to communicate with the wireless receiver and allow a user to control all powered components of the tire handler from a safe location. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosed inventions will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the tire handler of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the tire handler of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged side view of an upper portion of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 4B  is an enlarged cross-section side view of an upper portion of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 5A  is an enlarged front view of a middle portion of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 5B  is an enlarged view of an arm hub for a tire handler, with certain elements hidden for clarity. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged side view of a bottom portion of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged front view of a bottom portion of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 8  is an detailed front view of a grab arm of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed front view of a tire support arm for a tire handler. 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of a tire handler in a compact configuration. 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of a tire handler in a compact configuration. 
         FIG. 12  is a rear perspective view of a bottom portion of a tire handler with an open equipment compartment. 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of a tire engagement assembly of a tire handler. 
         FIG. 14  is a top view of a tire engagement assembly of a tire handler with extension planks. 
         FIG. 15  is a side view of a tire handler working on an outer wheel of a large vehicle. 
         FIG. 16  is a side view of a tire handler working on an inner wheel of a large vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a tire handler  10  embodying features of the inventions disclosed herein. Tire handler  10  generally comprises suspension arm  20 , neck  30 , upper arm articulation member  40 , upper arms  50 , lower arm articulation members  60 , lower arms  70 , and tire engagement assembly  80 . Suspension arm  20  is positioned at the top of tire handler  10 . Neck  30  extends downwardly from suspension arm  20 . Upper arm articulation member  40  is preferably adjustably connected to neck  30 . Upper arms  50  extend generally downwardly from upper arm articulation member  40  and lower arm articulation members  60  are connected to upper arms  50 . Lower arms  70  extend from lower arm articulation members  60 , and tire engagement assembly  80  is connected to lower arms  70 . Each of these general components are discussed in additional detail below in connection with  FIGS. 4-8 . 
     Suspension arm  20  is seen in more detail in  FIG. 4 . Suspension arm  20  preferably provides appropriate attachment point(s) to allow tire handler  10  to be lifted by hoisting equipment (not shown) such as a mobile crane, overhead crane, boom lift, or similar equipment (collectively herein “hoist”). Suspension arm  20  comprises arm body  22 , hook assembly  24 , forward pulley  26 , and rear pulley  28 . Arm body  22  is preferably generally-rectangular, comprising two parallel, spaced-apart side walls  222  surrounded by a wider rim  224 . An upper surface of rim  224  preferably comprises a planar lift track  226 , configured to be slidably engaged by hook assembly  24 . A forward suspension segment  225  is configured to be detachable from the rest of suspension arm  20  to reduce overall size of tire handler  10  for transport or storage. 
     Hook assembly  24  comprises hook  242  attached to lift trolley  244  with wheels  246  configured to engage lift track  226 . Hook  242  can comprise a hook, loop, hole, latch, or other device (collectively “hook”) that allows tire handler  10  to be securely lifted by a hoist. Hook assembly  24  also preferably comprises selectively closable hook latch  248 , which most preferably can be operated remotely. Hook assembly  24  is selectively movable along lift track  226  so that hook  242  can be moved in response to changes in the center of gravity. This movement is preferably automated and can be accomplished a leveling system  26 . 
     Leveling system  26  is shown in  FIG. 4B . Leveling system  26  preferably comprises hydraulic linear actuator  262  acting on a first cable  264  attached to hook assembly  24  via forward pulley  266  and rear pulley  268 . Forward pulley  268  is linked to a reverse-motion pulley  276 , and a second cable  272  is attached to hook assembly  24  through reverse-motion pulley  276  and a forward suspension segment pulley  274  to allow controlled movement of hook assembly  24  in either direction. Preferably, a controller  856  ( FIG. 12 ) for the hydraulic system receives input from a level sensor  857  and controller  856  initiates appropriate movement of linear actuator  262  to automatically maintain a level position. Most preferably, the controller  856  and level sensor  857  are located in the tire-engagement assembly  80 , although other locations can also be used. 
     Neck  30  preferably comprises an elongate rectangular beam connected at an upper end to suspension arm  20  by welding, bolting, or other high-strength method. Neck  30  also preferably comprises a plurality of height adjustment holes  32  configured to provide selectable positions for engagement of upper arm articulation member  40  with neck  30 . The height adjustment holes  32  shown in  FIG. 4  are spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Alternatively, many other means of adjustable connection are known and can be used.  FIGS. 1-3  show neck  30  in a fully extended position.  FIGS. 9 and 10  show neck  30  in a fully retracted position as can be used for storage. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , upper arm articulation member  40  is preferably generally symmetrical and comprises a centrally-defined neck engagement slot  42 . Neck engagement slot  42  also preferably comprises forward neck engagement roller  424  and rear neck engagement roller  426 . These rollers facilitate movement of upper arm articulation member  40  with respect to neck  30 . Upper arm articulation member  40  also preferably comprises a remotely-controlled neck position lock  43 . Neck position lock  43  preferably comprises a hydraulic linear actuator  432 , configured to locking bolt  434  in a height adjustment hole  32 . Neck position lock  43  also preferably comprises a lock indicator flag  436  configured to remain hidden inside upper arm articulation member  40  while locking bolt  434  is not engaged with a height adjustment hole  32  and to pivot into view when locking bolt  434  is safely engaged with a height adjustment hole  32 . 
     Upper arm articulation member  40  also comprises opposed shoulder beams  44  extending laterally to each side of neck engagement slot  42 . Each shoulder beam  44  comprises an upper arm hinge  442  configured to support an upper arm  50  while allowing upper arm  50  to pivot through a range of angles with respect to shoulder beam  44 . Upper arm articulation member  40  also preferably comprises two or more fork pockets  46  configured to facilitate lifting tire handler  10  by forklift (not shown), especially when in a collapsed position. 
     Upper arms  50  extend generally downward from upper arm hinge  442 . Upper arms  50  preferably comprise rectangular beams. Preferably, lower arm articulation members  60  are adjustably connected to upper arms  50  to allow further compactability when tire handler  10  is not in use, the ability to use tire handler  10  in tighter spaces, and/or additional tire size flexibility. Adjustability can be provided by defining a plurality of upper arm engagement holes  52  in upper arms  20 . 
     Lower arm articulation members  60  comprise an upper arm engagement slot  61 , forward lower arm hinge  62 , and rear lower arm hinge  64 , and upper arm engagement bolts  66 . Upper arm engagement bolts  66  are configured to selectively engage upper arm engagement hole  52 , preferably by remote hydraulic activation. 
     Lower arms  70  each comprise forward lower arm beam  72  and rear lower arm beam  74 . Forward lower arm beam  72  is connected to forward lower arm hinge  62 . Rear lower arm beam  74  is connected to rear lower arm hinge  64 . Lower arms  70  also comprise a lower arm positioner  76 , which preferably comprises a hydraulic piston connected between a first location near an upper end of rear lower arm beam  74  and a second location near a lower end of forward lower arm beam  72 . Lower arm positioner  76  allows controlled movement of lower arms  70  and the attached tire engagement assembly  80 . Use of forward lower arm beam  72  and rear lower arm beam  74  that are of substantially equal length and in parallel position is preferred as this arrangement maintains tire engagement assembly  80  at a constant angle with respect to suspension arm  20 . The use of lower arms  70  and lower arm positioner  76  to move tire engagement assembly  80  forwardly allows tire handler  10  to work in more locations, such as removal or installation of the inner tire in a dual tire setup (see  FIG. 15 ). 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 &amp; 7 , tire engagement assembly  80  is preferably connected to the lower ends of each lower arm  70  through lower arm attachment shoes  82 . Lower arm attachment shoes  82  are located near laterally-opposed ends of assembly platform  84 . Attachment shoes  82  comprise forward hinge  822 , connected to forward lower arm beam  72 , and rear hinge  824 , connected to rear lower arm beam  74 . Assembly platform  84  extends between lower arm attachment shoes  82 . Assembly platform  84  preferably comprises at least two sections that are slidably interconnected to allow adjustment of the width of assembly platform  84 . Assembly platform  84  also preferably comprises width adjustment means  842  such as a hydraulic cylinder. 
     Assembly platform  84  can also be used as a work surface for users working on a tire. Therefore, assembly platform  84  is preferably configured to safely support the weight of one or more workers and tools. Further, the upper surface of platform  84  comprises a slip-resistant surface to reduce the risk of accidents. Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 14 , platform  84  can be supplemented with one or more platform extension planks  844 . Platform extension planks  844  provide an extended work surface, allowing users to safely reach the tire and/or wheel when a narrower tire is being worked on. Platform extension planks  844  can be removed when necessary to accommodate a wider tire, as shown in  FIG. 13 . Assembly platform  84  also preferably includes one or more steps  846 , allowing easier access by a user. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , tire engagement assembly  80  comprises an equipment compartment  85  defined below assembly platform  84 . Equipment compartment  85  preferably houses batteries  852 , battery charger  854 , controller  856 , level sensor  857 , hydraulic power unit  858 , and can also house other components and accessories. Batteries  852  provide power for all electric motors and for hydraulic power unit  858 . Batteries  852  preferably comprise an array sufficient to deliver at least 880 Ah at 24 Vdc and are charged through battery charger  854  using external AC power. At least a portion of assembly platform  84  is removable or hingedly liftable to provide access to equipment compartment  85  for maintenance or repair of equipment housed therein. Although on-board electric power through a battery array is contemplated as a convenient power system, many other sources of on-board or external power are known and can be used, such as AC electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic power. 
     Tire engagement assembly  80  also comprises tire support arms  86 , which extend forwardly from lower arm attachment shoes  82 . Tire support arms  86  comprise tire rollers  862  extending along an inside surface of tire support arms  86 . Rollers  862  are powered by roller motors  864  beneath assembly platform  84 . Roller motors  864  are preferably electric motors. 
     Tire engagement assembly  80  also comprises grab arms  90 . Grab arms  90  comprise multiple independently-adjustable arm segments to provide for secure holding of a wide variety of tire sizes. Most of the adjustability is accomplished using powered and remotely-controlled mechanisms, since the arm segments can be heavy and/or difficult to reach. A hub support segment  92  extends generally upwardly from attachment shoe  82  to grab arm hub  94 . Hub support segment  92  comprises hub support post  922  and hub positioner  924 . Hub positioner  924  preferably comprises a hydraulic linear actuator and is configured to change the location and orientation of grab arm hub  94  to accommodate differing tire sizes and to aid in moving to a storage mode. 
     An outside intermediate arm segment  96  is connected at a lower end to grab arm hub  94  and at an upper end to outside arm segment  96 . Outside intermediate arm segment  96  preferably comprises outside intermediate arm support post  962  and outside intermediate arm positioner  964 . Outside intermediate arm positioner  964  preferably comprises a hydraulic linear actuator configured to adjust the position of outside intermediate arm segment  96  with respect to grab arm hub  94 . 
     An outside arm segment  97  extends forwardly from an upper end of outside intermediate arm segment  96 . Outside arm segment  97  comprises outside roller  972 , which can be moved by a user by changing the position of outside intermediate arm segment  96  to engage the tire when desired. When engaged with a tire, outside roller  972  restricts lateral movement while allowing rotational movement. A outside arm segment  97  also comprises telescoping extension  974 . Telescoping extension  974  is concentric with outside roller  972  and extends forwardly of outside roller  972 . The amount of extension of telescoping extension  974 , as well as the angle of orientation of telescoping extension  974 , are preferably controllable using hydraulic activators (not shown). 
     At a forward end of outside arm segment  97 , a forward arm segment  98  extends inwardly. Forward arm segment  98  comprises forward roller  982 , which can be positioned by a user to restrict the tire from falling forward while allowing rotational movement of the tire. Movement of forward arm segment  98  is accomplished by controlling the extension and angle of telescoping extension  974 . 
     An inside arm segment  99  extends inwardly from grab arm hub  94 . Inside arm segment comprises rear roller  992  at an inward end. Rear roller  992  can be positioned by a user to restrict the tire from falling backward while allowing rotational movement. 
     In a preferred embodiment, all movements of powered components of tire handler  10 , such as hook latch  248 , neck position lock  43 , upper arm engagement bolts  66 , lower arm positioner  76 , width adjustment means  842 , roller motors  864 , hub positioner  924 , outside intermediate arm positioner  964 , telescoping extension  974  are controlled using a wireless remote control unit  861  which communicates with a wireless receiver  859  connected to controller  856 . This allows a user to move and manipulate tire handler  10  and a tire while standing a safe distance away from tire handler  10 . Certain fine adjustments, such as final alignment of wheel lugs, may need to be made by a user standing on or near tire handler  10 . For these situations, a secondary remote with a dead man switch is preferably used. The dead man switch prevents any powered movement of tire handler  10  unless the dead man switch is activated. 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  shows tire handler  10  in a collapsed configuration for transportation or storage. In this configuration neck  30  is fully withdrawn through neck engagement slot  42  and upper arms  50  are withdrawn through lower arm articulation members  60 . Assembly platform  84  is moved to its narrowest position and grab arms  90  are moved to an inward position. Additionally, forward suspension segment  225  has been removed. 
       FIGS. 15 and 16  show a tire handler  10  in use for a large vehicle and provides a example scale reference.  FIG. 15  shows use of tire handler on an outer wheel of a dual wheeled vehicle while  FIG. 16  shows use on an inner wheel of the same vehicle. The illustrated embodiment is sized for use with large moving equipment such as a Caterpillar 797F, with tire diameters between 9 and 13 feet. In this embodiment, the overall height of the fully expanded tire handler is about 32 feet and the length of suspension arm  20  is about 15 feet. The materials, fasteners, welds, bearings and other features are sized to hold tire/wheel combinations weighing up to 20,000 lbs., resulting in a device weight of about 12,500 lbs. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that tire handler  10  can be made with different dimensions to accommodate other sizes and shapes of tires. Further, not all described components and features will be necessary or desired for all uses. By way of examples: where compact storage is not required, tire handler  10  can omit adjustable neck connection and adjustable lower arm articulation connections; where only easily accessible wheels will be serviced, movable lower arms may not be necessary; and for some tire sizes and weights, tire engagement assembly might be supportable using a single arm rather than right and left arms. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.