The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 04, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 02, 2001
Wendell B. Leimbach, Baltimore, MD (US);
James Wheeler Marshall, Phoenix, MD (US);
American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., New York, NY (US);
Abstract
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. As a result, the instant invention enables significant improvements in reliability, cost, and capacity in the storage and/or transportation of tires. 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 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 of tires.