AUTOMATED TIRE LOADING/UNLOADING AND COMPRESSION SYSTEM AND TIRE TRANSPORT FRAME

摘要

A system and method for automatically loading tires into a tire transport frame is disclosed. The system stacks a plurality of tires in a herringbone pattern within a tire transport frame. The tire transport frame provides a structure that maintains the stacked tires in a stable, compressed state. Further, the tire transport frame may be adapted to withstand external loads so that multiple tire transport frames may be stacked atop one another for long term storage of tires. Further, the loaded tire transport frames may be easily loaded by forklift into a vessel for storage and/or transportation without requiring significant expenditures of manual labor, time, space, or cost. The system of the instant invention comprises a conveyor to maintain a flow of tires; a tire transport frame for receiving and retaining a plurality of tires stacked in a herringbone pattern; and a plurality of pick-and-place loaders (110) for seizing a plurality of tires from the conveyor, rotating the plurality of tires into alignment with one another as well as in complementary herringbone pattern alignment with the tires in the tire transport frame, placing the plurality of tires together, and placing the plurality of tires into the tire transport frame to propagate the herringbone pattern of the stack (132) of tires.