Abstract:
A tire handling system for removing, transporting and replacing a large tire on a vehicle, such as a farm tractor or other large machinery, is disclosed. The system includes a platform for attachment to a vehicle, such as a forklift, a grapple for engaging and securing a large tire, and a connector between the platform and the grapple for allowing pivoting and rotation of the grapple to facilitate handling of the tire. Hydraulic pistons are used to pivot the grapple and move adjustable arms to tightly and safely bind the tire within engagement brackets of the grapple. The combination of the lift movement, including the up and down of the fork, and the grapple pivoting and rotation, allows large tires to be removed from, transported and replaced on vehicles more effectively, efficiently and safely than any prior system and method.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the filing benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/160,062, titled “Tire Handling System” and filed on May 12, 2015. The &#39;062 Provisional Application is hereby incorporated by references. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present application relates to a handling system for large tires, such as those used on semi-trucks, agriculture equipment, road construction machinery, and the like. Particularly, the application relates to a handling system for safely lifting and moving large tires from and onto such machinery. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Large tires used on trucks, heavy machinery and agriculture equipment, such as farm tractors and the like, can weigh from several hundred pounds to well-over a thousand pounds. Like much smaller tires, these treaded giants occasionally require removal for repair or replacement. However, for even two men, the task of removing, moving and replacing a tire on this type of heavy equipment can be an extremely difficult and potentially dangerous task (e.g., see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnV1R7m1Oms). 
         [0004]    Further, due to the cost of such the heavy machinery there is often no backup, which makes it very critical to many day-to-day operations. Prolonged downtime of, for example, a farmer&#39;s tractor can set scheduled operations well-behind and must be minimized as much as possible. That said, manual tire removal and replacement can result in a significant amount of tractor downtime, especially where only a single person is involved. 
         [0005]    For these reasons, it is important to provide a device which can help reduce the physical strength required as well as practically eliminate the safety risk involved with changing a bad tire. These and other problems are addressed by the present device and methods to provide a system with numerous advantages in operation and effectiveness. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    There is disclosed herein a tire handling system, device and method which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices while affording additional structural and operating advantages. 
         [0007]    The tire handling system is preferably capable of being attached to a forklift (or similar vehicle) having controls for operation of a movable carriage having at least two forks. Generally speaking, the system comprises a platform which attaches to the forks of the lift carriage, a grapple comprised of a plurality of arms, and a connection between the platform and the grapple which allows pivoting and rotation of the grapple. 
         [0008]    In a more specific embodiment, each of the arms includes a stationary portion and an engagement bracket, and at least one arm includes an adjustable portion for extending and contracting a length of the at least one arm with the engagement bracket positioned on the adjustable portion. Further, the plurality of arms are arranged to define an area between the engagement brackets having a perimeter greater than the circumference of a tire to be handled. 
         [0009]    In a preferred embodiment, a first hydraulic cylinder is connected to the adjustable portion of the at least one arm of the grapple to move the adjustable portion inward and outward, as needed. Most preferably, each of the plurality of arms includes an adjustable portion for extending and contracting a length of the arm with the engagement bracket positioned on the adjustable portion of the arm and each of the plurality of arms includes a first hydraulic cylinder connected to the adjustable portion. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, a second hydraulic cylinder is positioned on the platform and is connected by one end to the platform and by another end to the grapple for moving the grapple via the connector. In embodiments using the hydraulic cylinders, it is preferred that each be operated by a controller positioned on the platform of the tire handling system. Alternatively, the tire handling system may be connected to the forklift (or other vehicle) controls for operation. 
         [0011]    These and other aspects of the invention may be understood more readily from the following description and the appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate an embodiment of the tire handling system attached to a forklift and used for the removal of a large tire from a farm tractor, the transport of the tire being held within the grapple, and the placement of the tire on a flatbed; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of a three-armed embodiment of a tire handling system as described herein; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the three-armed tire handling system of  FIG. 4 , with an inset showing the possible rotation of the connector; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a top view of an embodiment of a platform used to interface with a forklift; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the grapple having the stationary portion of the arms attached to a central hub; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side view of an embodiment of the tire handling system attached to a fork lift and holding a tire in a front-facing position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the embodiment of  FIG. 8  showing the tire being held in a downward facing position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a rear view of the tire handling system positioned as shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the tire handling system positioned as shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the tire handling system of  FIG. 9  after releasing the tire; 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the tire handling system being operated with a self-contained controller, including a push-button remote; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 14  is a close up of a wired push-button remote for controlling operation of the embodiment of  FIG. 13 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to embodiments illustrated. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-14 , there is illustrated an embodiment of a tire handling system generally referenced by the numeral  10 . The following is a listing of components as described below and as labeled in the twelve appended drawing figures:
         12 —Grapple;     20 —Arms for grapple (three arms (i.e., Ann A, Arm B and Arm C) used in illustrated embodiment);     22 —Adjustable portion of grapple arms;     24 —Stationary portion of the grapple arms;     26 —Engagement bracket;     28 —Flange;     30 —Central hub;     32 —Connector, allows arms to rotate approximately ±10 degrees to align tire holes and lug bolts;     34 —Pivot;     40 —Hydraulic cylinders to operate arms;     42 —Platform used to support grapple;     44 —Opening in platform for hydraulic cylinder;     46 —Channels for forks on forklift;     50 —Second hydraulic cylinder, moves the hinge and grapple within a 90 degree arc from horizontal to vertical;     52 —Controller;     54 —Remote; and     56 —Push-buttons (A-E).       
 
         [0044]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the system  10  is generally comprised of a grapple  12  attached to a forklift  80  (or similar vehicle) which has the ability to grasp and hold a large tire. The system  10 , in combination with the forklift, is used to remove, transport and replace these large tires on big machinery, such as farm and construction equipment. In fact, the inventive system  10  can be used, with possible modifications, for large road equipment, trucks, military vehicles, and most any other vehicle which has large heavy tires. 
         [0045]    Further, while the illustrated tire handling system  10  is for attachment to a forklift  80 , modifications can be made for direct attachment to the boom of a service truck, or the like (not shown). In fact, the grapple  12  may even be made part of stand-alone “vehicle” which can be manually wheeled about and positioned as desired by an individual. A key component to each of these embodiments, as will be described below, is the ability of the grapple  12  to pivot and rotate to be best positioned for engaging the tire properly. As a result, the multi-armed grapple  12  is capable of engaging and holding a large tire in an advantageous vertical and horizontal position. The present invention allows large tires to be removed, transported and replaced by a single person, safely and effectively. 
         [0046]    Referring now to the illustrated preferred embodiment of the system  10  in  FIGS. 3-10 , the grapple  12  comprises three arms  20 A- 20 C and a central hub  30  from which the arms extend. Each arm  20  is comprised of an adjustable portion  22 , a stationary portion  24 , and an engagement bracket  26 . A flange  28  is preferably positioned at the end of each bracket  26  to further secure a tire within the grapple  12 . 
         [0047]    A connector  32  links the central hub  30  to a pivot  34 , which is connected to a platform  42 . The connector  32  most importantly provides the ability to rotate the arms  20 A- 20 C about an axis through the central hub  30  to facilitate tire alignment. The rotation is preferably ±20 degrees, and most preferably ±10 degrees. The pivot  34  allows the grapple  12  to be pivoted in a vertical direction (i.e., up and down) from a forward facing position ( FIG. 8 ) through a downward facing position ( FIG. 9 ). The pivoting and rotation may be provided by a single connector or two different connectors working together. 
         [0048]    While it is possible that the adjustable portion  22  of each arm  20 A-C could be made to be manually moved, as would be understood by those of skill in the art, a hydraulic cylinder  40  is preferably attached for movement of at least one arm  20 . Having just one arm hydraulically driven would require the other arms  20  to be manually set to engage the tire first. Then, the final arm  20  would be hydraulically moved to tightly engage the tire. Of course, having all three arms  20 A-C separately controlled by hydraulic cylinders  40 A-C would provide the most preferred, safest and easiest tire handling system  10 . 
         [0049]    The platform  42  provides attachment to the fork of a lift (e.g., a forklift) with two open channels  46  for insertion of the forks, much like a standard pallet. This attachment allows the entire grapple  12  to be advantageously moved up and down on the carriage of the lift fork. An opening  44  on the platform  42  allows a second hydraulic cylinder  50  to couple to the pivot  34 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . As the hydraulic cylinder  50  pushes outward, the pivot  34  pivots the grapple  12  into the forward facing position. Conversely, as the hydraulic cylinder  50  retracts, the pivot  34  pivots the grapple  12  into a downward facing position. 
         [0050]    In the illustrated embodiment of  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the handling system  10  is attached to a working forklift  80  by inserting the fork tines of the forklift into channels  46  platform  42 . The handling system  10  may include a locking mechanism (e.g., a pin or clamp) to then secure the handling system  10  onto the fork tines. Hydraulic controls may be self-contained on the handling system  10  or, as an alternative, may be provided by the forklift itself. For the latter configuration, connection of hydraulic lines and the like would be required. Connection of the system  10  hydraulics to those of the forklift is not further described herein, as it would be understood by those of skill in the art. However, preferably the tire handling system is completely self-contained, as will be described in further detail below. 
         [0051]    In use, the grapple  12  is pivoted upward to a vertical position by extending the second hydraulic cylinder  50  which operates the pivot  34 . The handling system  10  can then be positioned vertically by moving the forks of the forklift up or down. The adjustable portions  22  of the three arms  20 A-C should be extended, either manually or hydraulically, such that the area between the respective engagement brackets  26  is greater than the tire to be engaged. The spread of the adjustable arms should be greater than the tire size to allow for the flange  28  on each engagement bracket  26  to clear the tire. 
         [0052]    As shown, all three of the adjustable portions  22  are operated by hydraulic cylinders  40 . However, one or all of the three adjustable portions  22  may be adjusted manually where the hydraulic cylinders are not provided. Manual adjustment can be a sliding portion which moves into and out of the stationary portion  24  or it may be provided through a mechanical means, such as a worm gear, wheel gear, or the like. 
         [0053]    Once the arms  20 A-C are positioned properly, the grapple  12  can be advanced into engagement with the tire as shown, by movement of the forklift. Once in position, the adjustable portion  22  of the arms (including manual and hydraulic arms)  20 A-C can be contracted to place the engagement bracket  26  in contact with the tire to secure the tire within the grapple  12 . The tire lugs can then be removed to free the tire from the vehicle. The tire can then be removed by reversing the direction of the forklift—being sure the vehicle is properly supported by a jack, jack stand or blocks. 
         [0054]    Once clear of the vehicle, the handling system  10  can then be raised, via the lift carriage, and the grapple  12  can be pivoted downward by retracting the second hydraulic cylinder  50 . The tire can then be transported in this position to a shop, trailer bed, or the like where the lowering of the fork places the tire upon a sufficient support surface. By opening the grapple arms  20 A-C to allow the flanges  28  to clear the tire, the grapple  12  can then be raised and the tire is suitable to be worked upon. The tire can also be placed in a vertical position, if needed, though this can be a danger in light of the possible tipping of the tire once released. 
         [0055]    Reversing the above process will return the repaired or replacement tire onto the vehicle. Further, the pivot  34  allows the grapple  12  to be rotated ±20 degrees (i.e., left or right), and most preferably at least ±10 degrees to align the tire holes and lug bolts. 
         [0056]    As noted above, the tire handling system  10  is preferably self-contained. Accordingly, as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the preferred embodiment includes a controller  52  which is comprised of a standard  12 V hydraulic pump and two solenoids switches (not shown). The controller  52  is encased for protection and mounts to the platform  42 . One of the solenoid switches is used to control operation of the grapple hydraulic cylinders  40 , while the other solenoid switch controls operation of hydraulic cylinder  50 . A remote push-button control  54  is wired to the controller  52  to operate the solenoid switches. The push-button control  54  has five buttons  56 A-E. Buttons  56 A and  56 B expand and contract the hydraulic cylinders  40  to open and close the grapple  12 , respectively. Buttons  56 C and  56 D expand and contract the hydraulic cylinder  50  to pivot the grapple  12 , respectively. Button  56 E is a “kill” button which immediately stops operation of all grapple functions. The “kill” button  56 E is preferably protected to prevent inadvertent activation. 
         [0057]    In an alternate embodiment, the grapple  12  may be configured to connect directly to the boom of an implement service truck (not shown). An interface can be created such that upon proper connection to the boom, the operation of the grapple can be controlled from the truck, much like any other connected implement. 
         [0058]    The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants&#39; contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.