Tire suspension tool

Abstract

To provide a tire suspension tool capable of holding the outer circumference of a tire and hoisting the tire well by preventing positional shifting of the tire.SOLUTION: A tire suspension tool 10 comprises: a diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 that vertically extends and horizontally contracts during suspension; a pair of arms 50 held by the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20; a pair of roller support plates 60 respectively attached to the arms 50; and at least three clamp roller members 70 that are rotatably supported by the roller support plates 60 and that hold the tire. Along with the horizontal contraction motion of the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20, the clamp roller members 70 abut against the outer circumference of the tire and in a plan view of the tire, the clamp roller members 70 are arranged such that a tire rotation center is formed within a holding plane formed by connecting the centers of the clamp roller members 70 or contacts with the tire.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire hoist for hoisting a tire. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there are tire hoists for hoisting tires having configurations as shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, when multiple tires are stacked, a rod-shaped portion of a hoist is inserted into the inner periphery of the tires, the tires are chucked from the inner periphery, and the tires are hoisted with a hoist hook. Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration similar to that of Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-312838 (see FIG. 13) [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-78686 (see FIG. 6) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the tire is chucked from the inner circumference side. Therefore, once a wheel is attached to the inner circumference side of the tire, it becomes difficult to lift the tire.

[0005] Furthermore, even if a tire hoisting device is developed that has a configuration in which the outer circumference of the tire is clamped with a pair of clamp parts in order to lift the tire from the outer periphery, there is a risk that the tire will shift from the center when clamped with the pair of clamp parts, making it impossible to lift the tire properly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a tire hoist that can hold the outer circumferential side of a tire and can lift the tire well by preventing the tire from shifting out of position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] [1] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tire hoist for gripping and lifting the outer circumferential surface of a tire, the tire hoist comprising: a diamond-shaped link mechanism having an engaging portion for connecting to a lifting device, and which extends vertically and contracts horizontally when suspending the tire; a pair of arms held by the diamond-shaped link mechanism; a pair of support plates respectively attached to the pair of arms; and at least three or more holding members supported by the pair of support plates and holding the tire in a state in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tire, wherein the holding members supported on each support plate include at least one or more rotatable clamp roller members, and when the diamond-shaped link mechanism contracts horizontally, the holding members contact the outer circumferential surface of the tire, and the at least three or more holding members are arranged such that, in a direction in which the tire being gripped is viewed in a plane, the center of rotation of the tire is located within a holding plane formed by connecting the centers of the at least three or more holding members or their contact points with the tire.

[0008] [2] In another aspect of the present invention, in the invention described in [1] above, it is preferable that the retaining member supported by at least one of the one support plate and the other support plate includes a pressing member in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tire.

[0009] [3] Furthermore, in another aspect of the present invention, in the invention described in [1] above, it is preferable that, in a state in which the outer peripheral surface of the tire is gripped, the retaining members have an inclination angle toward the other retaining members as they move downward.

[0010] [4] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is that, in the invention described in [1] above, a pair of clamp roller members are rotatably supported on one of the pair of support plates with a predetermined gap between them, and a pair of clamp roller members are rotatably supported on the other of the pair of support plates with a predetermined gap between them.

[0011] [5] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is that, in the invention described in [3] above, each of the pair of arms is provided with a plurality of positioning holes, and the opening and closing movement of the holding members due to the extension and contraction of the diamond-shaped link mechanism is in accordance with the size of the tire, and the spacing of the slidingly moved holding members is selectively determined by inserting a pin member into a selected one of the positioning holes so that the inclination angle when gripping the outer peripheral surface of the tire is approximately constant to clamp and release the tire.

[0012] [6] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, in the invention described in [5] above, it is preferable that the invention further comprises a movable member capable of displacing the pin member from an inserted state in which the pin member is inserted into any of the positioning holes to a retracted state in which the pin member is pulled out of the positioning hole, and a biasing means for biasing the movable member to maintain the pin member in the inserted state.

[0013] [7] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is that, in the invention described in [6] above, it is preferable that the holding member is provided with a grip member located near the upper part of the movable member, which can be held with fingers to facilitate sliding movement of the support plate while holding the movable member with the fingers. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tire hoisting tool that is capable of holding the outer circumferential side of a tire and capable of hoisting the tire well by preventing the tire from shifting out of position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a tire hoist according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the tire suspender shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the arm support portion, arm, roller support plate, and clamp roller member provided in the tire hoist shown in FIG. 1, with the arm removed from the arm holding tube. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing a cross section in the width direction of an arm provided in the tire hoisting tool shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a clamp roller member provided in the tire hoist shown in FIG. 1 is cut along an XZ plane. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram showing the dimensional relationship of a clamp roller member provided in the tire hoisting tool shown in FIG. 1 at a clamp position where the clamp roller member clamps a tire. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the center line of the tire passes through a position shifted from the opposing space when a clamp roller member provided in the tire hoisting tool shown in FIG. 1 clamps the tire. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the center line of the tire passes through an opposing space when a clamp roller member provided in the tire hoisting tool shown in FIG. 1 clamps the tire. FIG. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing one configuration of a suspender according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view of a rail member included in the suspender shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 10 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a position adjustment mechanism provided in the suspender shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] 10 is a side view showing the configuration of the position adjustment mechanism when a clamp portion of the suspender shown in FIG. 9 is positioned. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a side view showing the configuration of the position adjustment mechanism when the positioning of the clamp part of the suspender shown in FIG. 9 is released. FIG. [Figure 14]10 is a diagram showing a state in which an insertion hole of a bracket included in the suspender shown in FIG. 9 is aligned with an insertion hole provided in a side surface of a rail member. [Figure 15] 7 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the clamp roller members in a modified example of the configuration shown in FIG. 6 of the present invention, in which three clamp roller members are provided. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing one configuration of a suspender according to a third embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an open state. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing one configuration of a hoisting tool according to a third embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a closed state (a state in which a tire is clamped). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] (First embodiment) A tire hoist 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the extension direction of a shrink stopper 30, which will be described later, is defined as the X direction, and in FIG. 2, the direction from the left side to the right side of the shrink stopper 30 is defined as the X1 side, and the opposite direction from the right side to the left side of the shrink stopper 30 is defined as the X2 side. The extension direction of the connecting shafts R1 to R4 is defined as the Y direction, and the lower right side in FIG. 1 is defined as the Y1 side, and the opposite direction from the right side to the left side in FIG. 1 is defined as the Y2 side. The Y direction may also be referred to as the width direction. In addition, in FIG. 2, the direction in which the tire hoist 10 is suspended (vertical direction) is the Z direction, the upper side in the suspension direction (vertical direction) is the Z1 side, and the lower side in the opposite suspension direction (vertical direction) is the Z2 side.

[0017] <About the tire lifting device configuration> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a tire hoist 10. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the tire hoist 10. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tire hoist 10 has as its main components a diamond-shaped link mechanism 20, a contraction stopper 30, arm support portions 40, 41, an arm 50, a roller support plate 60, and a clamp roller member 70.

[0018] The diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 is a parallel link mechanism that is similar to a lower frame cross-type pantograph and contracts in the horizontal direction (here, the X direction) when it is extended in the up-down direction (Z direction). The up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction. The diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 has a first pantograph portion 21A and a second pantograph portion 21B. The first pantograph portion 21A and the second pantograph portion 21B are arranged with a predetermined gap between them in the width direction (Y direction) of the tire hoist 10. Specifically, the first pantograph portion 21A is located on one side (Y1 side) of the contraction stopper 30 in the width direction (Y direction), and the second pantograph portion 21B is located on the other side (Y2 side) of the contraction stopper 30 in the width direction (Y direction).

[0019] In this embodiment, the first pantograph portion 21A and the second pantograph portion 21B are connected by a plurality of connecting shafts R1 to R4 (four in this embodiment). In the following description, in Figs. 1 and 2, the connecting shaft located on the uppermost side (Z1 side) is referred to as connecting shaft R1, the connecting shaft located on the leftmost side as connecting shaft R2, the connecting shaft located on the rightmost side as connecting shaft R3, and the connecting shaft located on the lowermost side as connecting shaft R4.

[0020] The first pantograph portion 21A and the second pantograph portion 21B each have an upper link 22, 23, which are rotatably connected via a pivot pin P1. The upper link 22 is located to the left (X2 side) of the pivot pin P1 in Fig. 2, and the upper link 23 is located to the right (X1 side) of the pivot pin P1 in Fig. 2.

[0021] The first pantograph portion 21A and the second pantograph portion 21B each have a lower link 24, 25, which are rotatably connected via a pivot pin P4. The lower link 24 is located to the left (X2 side) of the pivot pin P4 in Fig. 2, and the lower link 25 is located to the right (X1 side) of the pivot pin P4 in Fig. 2.

[0022] The upper link 22 and the lower link 24 are rotatably connected via a pivot pin P2 located on the left side (X2 side) in Fig. 2. The upper link 23 and the lower link 25 are rotatably connected via a pivot pin P3 located on the right side (X1 side) in Fig. 2.

[0023] In this embodiment, the connecting shafts R1 to R4 each have, for example, a metal shaft with female threads formed on both ends and a metal collar covering the outer periphery of the shaft. The shaft is inserted through shaft holes (reference numerals omitted) formed in the upper links 22, 23 and the lower links 24, 25. Washers are disposed on the front and back surfaces near the shaft holes, and screws (reference numerals omitted) are screwed in from the outside of the framework of the first pantograph portion 21A and the second pantograph portion 21B. This results in a state in which the first pantograph portion 21A and the second pantograph portion 21B are firmly connected to each other via the connecting shafts R1 to R4.

[0024] As described above, the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 is similar to a lower frame cross-type pantograph. Therefore, the lower link 24 has an extension portion below (Z2 side) and to the right (X1 side) of the pivot pin P4. Similarly, the lower link 25 has an extension portion below (Z2 side) and to the left (X2 side) of the pivot pin P4. In the following description, the extension portion of the lower link 24 is referred to as the lower link extension portion 26, and the extension portion of the lower link 25 is referred to as the lower link extension portion 27.

[0025] In addition, a hook locking portion 28 is attached to the connecting shaft R1. The hook locking portion 11 has a hook locking hole 28a, to which a hook of a lifting device (not shown) is directly or indirectly hung. As a result, when the lifting device is operated and a hanging member such as a chain or rope is wound up, the tire hoist 10 is suspended via the hook locking portion 28. Note that the hook locking portion 28 corresponds to the locking portion.

[0026] Incidentally, when clamping the outer periphery of a tire as a load, the range of expansion and contraction of the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 is sufficient as long as the tire can be clamped and released smoothly, and it is not necessary to make the range of expansion and contraction larger than necessary. For this reason, in this embodiment, a contraction stopper 30 having a restricting groove 32 (described later) is provided between the pivot pins P3 and P4.

[0027] 1 and 2, the contraction stopper 30 has a long plate portion 31, and the long plate portion 31 is provided with a restricting groove 32 into which the connecting shaft R2 fits. As described above, the connecting shaft R2 has a metal shaft and a metal collar that follows the outer periphery of the shaft, and the metal shaft of the connecting shaft R2 is inserted into the restricting groove 32.

[0028] The restricting groove 32 is provided with a long groove portion 32a and a lock portion 32b. The long groove portion 32a is a long and narrow groove portion that extends along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the long plate portion 31, and the length of the long groove portion 32a determines the range within which the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 can be contracted. The lock portion 32b is a groove portion that extends along a direction intersecting with the long groove portion 32a (the width direction of the long plate portion 31), and is the groove portion in which the connecting shaft R2 is positioned when the contraction of the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 is locked.

[0029] Incidentally, a device mounting portion 33 is provided on one end side (X1 side) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of long plate portion 31 of contraction stopper 30. A wireless device 90 is attached to device mounting portion 33 for transmitting an operation signal to a lifting device including a hoist such as an electric chain block that hoists and lowers a chain or the like to which tire hoist 10 is hung. However, a device other than wireless device 90 may be attached to device mounting portion 33.

[0030] A push button switch for raising and a push button switch for lowering the lifting device are attached to wireless device 90. Wireless device 90 is attached with elastic mounting brackets 33a and 33b so that it can be rotated 180 degrees and can be operated with either the right or left hand.

[0031] In addition, the tire hoist 10 is held by gripping the handle portion 34 with one hand (e.g., the left hand) and holding the wireless device 90 together with the device mounting portion 33 with the other hand (e.g., the right hand). The raising and lowering operation is performed by operating the push button of the wireless device 90, and the tire hoist is moved horizontally while being held with each hand.

[0032] In addition, a handle portion 34 is provided on the other end side (X2 side) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the long plate portion 31 of the contraction stopper 30. The handle portion 34 is a portion for an operator to grasp when switching the position of the connecting shaft R2 between the long groove portion 32a and the lock portion 32b.

[0033] With the connecting shaft R2 positioned at lock portion 32b, the worker holds the handle portion 34 of the tire hoist 10 with one hand and the wireless device 90 attached to the device mounting portion 33 with the other hand, and places the roller support plate 60 of the tire hoist 10 on the top surface of the tire T1 to be lifted from above the tire T1.

[0034] Next, the worker lifts the handle 34 to release the lock and presses the up push button switch of the wireless device 90, causing the lifting device (not shown) to raise the tire hoist 10, and the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 causes the clamp roller members 70 (described later) to grip and lift the side of the tire T1. When it is necessary to lift the tire T1 to a height that is beyond the reach of the worker, the wireless device 90 can be removed from the device mounting portion 33 and the lifting can be operated with the wireless device 90. When the tire T1 gripped at the desired position is lowered and the lifting device is further lowered, the connecting shaft R2 moves to a position communicating with the locking portion 32b of the long groove portion 32a, and the long plate portion 31 of the contraction stopper 30 operates so that the connecting shaft R2 is positioned at the locking portion 32b due to its own weight, locking the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 so that it does not contract.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration around the arm support parts 40, 41, the arm 50, the roller support plate 60 and the clamp roller member 70, and shows a state in which the arm 50 has been removed from the arm holding tubes 44, 45. Fig. 4 is a view showing a cross section in the width direction (Y direction) of the arm 50. The arm support parts 40, 41 are attached to the lower link extension parts 26, 27 described above. The arm support parts 40, 41 are parts for attaching the arm 50 to the lower link extension parts 26, 27.

[0036] The arm support parts 40, 41 are provided with bracket parts 42, 43 and arm holding tubes 44, 45. In this embodiment, the bracket parts 42, 43 and the arm holding tubes 44, 45 are formed, for example, by bending two long metal plates and fixing these two metal plates together. Of these, the bracket parts 42, 43 are fixed to the lower link extension parts 26, 27 and are portions that exist between the lower link extension parts 26, 27 and the arm holding tubes 44, 45.

[0037] The arm holding cylinders 44, 45 are portions that support an arm 50, which will be described later, in an insertable state. In this embodiment, the arm holding cylinders 44, 45 are formed by bending each long metal plate into a crank shape (or roughly the shape of the numeral "5" or the letter "S") and then placing the bent pieces closely facing each other in a symmetrical manner across the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0038] The arm holding cylinder 44 is provided with a pair of fixing holes 44a, 44b. The fixing holes 44a, 44b penetrate the arm holding cylinder 44 in the Y direction, and are holes into which lock pins 80, which will be described later, are inserted. The fixing holes 44a and 44b are provided so as to be positioned on the same straight line in the Y direction. The arm holding cylinder 45 is also provided with a pair of fixing holes 45a, 45b similar to the pair of fixing holes 44a, 44b.

[0039] Next, a description will be given of the arm 50. In the following description, as necessary, the arm 50 supported by the lower link extension 26 via the arm holding tube 44 will be referred to as arm 50A, and the arm 50 supported by the lower link extension 27 via the arm holding tube 45 will be referred to as arm 50B.

[0040] 1 and 2, arm 50A is an elongated member having opposing side surfaces 51A1 and 51A2 such that its cross section along the YZ plane is U-shaped. Arm 50B has the same shape as arm 50A and has opposing side surfaces 51B1 and 51B.

[0041] The side surfaces 51A1 and 51A2 are provided with a plurality of positioning holes 52A1 and 52A2. The positioning holes 52A1 and 52A2 are holes into which the lock pin 80 is inserted while being aligned with the fixing holes 44a and 44b. Therefore, the positioning holes 52A1 and 52A2 are provided so as to be positioned on the same straight line in the Y direction. The side surfaces 51B1 and 51B2 are also provided with positioning holes 52B1 and 52B2 similar to the positioning holes 52A1 and 52A2.

[0042] The lock pin 80 is a member that is inserted into the fixing holes 44a, 44b and the positioning holes 52A1, 52A2, 52B1, and 52B2, and corresponds to a pin member.

[0043] Here, the arms 50A and 50B are provided with end attachment parts 53A and 53B, respectively. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the end attachment parts 53A and 53B are parts that protrude downward (to the Z2 side) from the side surfaces 51A1, 51A2, 51B1, and 51B2 at the ends of the arms 50A and 50B that are away from the arm holding cylinders 44 and 45.

[0044] End brackets 55A and 55B are attached to the end mounting portions 53A and 53B, respectively, and roller support plates 60 are attached to the arms 50A and 50B via the end brackets 55A and 55B. The roller support plate 60 corresponds to the support plate. In the following description, the roller support plate 60 attached to the end bracket 55A will be referred to as roller support plate 60A, and the roller support plate 60 attached to the end bracket 55B will be referred to as roller support plate 60B, as necessary.

[0045] The roller support plates 60A, 60B are metal plate-like members that support the clamp roller members 70 and have a predetermined length along the Y direction. Two clamp roller members 70 are rotatably supported on each of the roller support plates 60A, 60B. The clamp roller members 70 correspond to an example of a holding member.

[0046] 5 is a perspective view showing the clamp roller member 70 cut in the XZ plane. In the following description, as necessary, of the clamp roller members 70 attached to the roller support plate 60A, the one located on the Y1 side will be referred to as clamp roller member 70A, and the one located on the Y2 side will be referred to as clamp roller member 70B. Also, of the clamp roller members 70 attached to the roller support plate 60B, the one located on the Y1 side will be referred to as clamp roller member 70C, and the one located on the Y2 side will be referred to as clamp roller member 70D.

[0047] The clamp roller member 70 is a member that rotates with the movement of the outer circumferential surface of the tire T1 (see FIG. 6) when it comes into contact with the tire T1 when clamping the tire T1. The clamp roller member 70 has a rotating shaft portion 71, bearings B1 and B2, and a roller 72. The rotating shaft portion 71 is a shaft-shaped member supported by the roller support plates 60A and 60B, and in this embodiment, has a long bolt 71a, a nut 71b screwed into the bolt 71a, and a collar 71c located on the outer periphery of the bolt 71a. The bolt 71a is inserted into an axial hole 61 formed in the roller support plates 60A and 60B, and protrudes from the axial hole 61 to the upper side (Z1 side). The bolt 71a (rotating shaft portion 71) is attached to the roller support plates 60A and 60B by screwing the nut 71b into the bolt 71a.

[0048] The bearings B1 and B2 are disposed on both ends of the roller 72 in the vertical direction (Z direction) and support the roller 72 relative to the rotation shaft portion 71 so as to be freely rotatable.

[0049] The roller 72 is a cylindrical portion that holds the tire. The roller 72 has an inner tube portion 72a and an outer circumferential rubber portion 72b. The inner tube portion 72a is a cylindrical member having sufficient strength and made of, for example, a metal. The outer circumferential rubber portion 72b is a portion attached to the outer circumferential side of the inner tube portion 72a, made of rubber or elastomer, and has sufficient frictional force when it comes into contact with the tire.

[0050] The dimensions between the clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D will be described later.

[0051] <About the function of tire hoists> The operation of the tire hoist 10 configured as above will be described below. First, the hook of the lifting device (not shown) is hooked into the hook locking hole 28a. In this state, the tire hoist 10 is brought close to the tire T1. Then, if necessary, the lock pin 80 is removed, and the position of the arm 50 is adjusted so that the clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D are positioned according to the size of the tire T1. After that, the lock pin 80 is inserted into the fixing holes 44a and 44b and the selected positioning holes 52A1, 52A2, 52B1, and 52B2.

[0052] After completing such position adjustment, the clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D are disposed on the outer periphery of the tire T1. When the lifting device is operated in this state, the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 performs an expansion / contraction operation in which it expands in the vertical direction (Z direction) while contracting in the X direction.

[0053] Then, the pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B and the pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D rotate downward (toward Z2) around the pivot pin P4. During this rotation, the pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B and the pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D move in directions approaching each other, and these rollers 72 come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tire T1.

[0054] At this time, the pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B and the pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D are inclined in the up-down direction (Z direction) so as to draw a V shape (so that the camber angle is positive) from the upper side (Z1 side) to the lower side (Z2 side). Therefore, if the positional deviation from the center of the tire T1 falls within a predetermined range, the clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D can hold the tire T1 well.

[0055] Below, a description will be given of a case where the tire T1 can be clamped well by the pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B and the pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D, and a case where clamping cannot be performed well.

[0056] 6 is a diagram showing the relationship in dimensions of the clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D at the clamp position CP1 where the tire T1 is clamped. When the tire T1 is clamped well using the tire hoist 10 of this embodiment, it is necessary that the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 is present within the holding plane H1 formed by connecting the centers of rotation 70A1, 70B1, 70C1, and 70D1 of the four clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D.

[0057] That is, as shown in Fig. 7, consider a case where the rotation center T11 of the tire T1 is deviated from the holding plane H1. In this case, first, only the clamp roller members 70A, 70C contact the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1. In this state, the pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B and the pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D apply forces in the directions of arrows F1, F2 to the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1 by clamping operations.

[0058] The forces in the directions of the arrows F1 and F2 are directed toward the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1. When such forces act, the force obtained by combining the components of these forces is a force in the direction of the arrow D1. Therefore, due to the rotation of the clamp roller members 70A and 70C, the tire T1 is pushed in the direction of the arrow D1 away from the clamp position CP1.

[0059] Furthermore, even if the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 is off the holding plane H1 and only the clamp roller members 70B, 70D are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1, the tire T1 will be pushed out of the clamp position CP1 by the rotation of the clamp roller members 70B, 70D during the clamping operation, as described above.

[0060] However, consider a state in which the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 is present within the holding plane H1 and only the clamp roller members 70A, 70C are in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tire T1 as shown in Fig. 8. Then, the pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B and the pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D move in directions approaching each other due to a clamping action, and this clamping action causes forces in the directions of arrows F1 and F2 to act on the outer circumferential surface of the tire T1.

[0061] At this time, as described above, the force obtained by combining the force components in the directions of the arrows F1 and F2 is a force in the direction of the arrow D2, which is opposite to the direction of the arrow D1. Therefore, the tire T1 moves in the direction of the arrow D2 due to the rotation of the clamp roller members 70A and 70C.

[0062] That is, when the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 is in the holding plane H1 and only the clamp roller members 70A and 70C are in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tire T1, even if the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 is slightly shifted from the center of the clamp position CP1, the centering action works due to the rotation of the clamp roller members 70A and 70C. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, the tire T1 comes into contact not only with the clamp roller members 70A and 70C but also with the clamp roller members 70B and 70D, and the tire T1 continues to be held at the clamp position CP1.

[0063] Although the above describes the case where the clamp roller members 70A, 70C come into contact with the tire T1, the clamp roller members 70B, 70D also function in the same way when they come into contact with the tire T1.

[0064] 6, the distance between the radial centers of the clamp roller members 70A, 70C and 70B, 70D is L1, and the distance between the radial centers of the clamp roller members 70A, 70B and 70C, 70D is L2. In this case, it is preferable that the ratio of L1 to L2 is about L2 / L1=1.3 to 4.6.

[0065] In this manner, the lifting device is operated while the tire T1 is clamped, thereby lifting or lowering the tire T1. Then, when the tire T1 is positioned at a desired height and placed in the placement position, the extension of the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 in the vertical direction (Z direction) is released, and the clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D move away from the outer periphery of the tire T1. In this manner, the tire hoist 10 finishes holding the tire T1.

[0066] <About the effects> The tire hoist 10 described above comprises a diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 which has a hook engaging portion 28 (engagement portion) for connecting to a lifting device and which extends vertically (up-down direction; Z direction) and contracts horizontally when suspended, a pair of arms 50 held by the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20, a pair of roller support plates 60 (support plates) respectively attached to the pair of arms 50, and four (at least three or more) clamp roller members 70 (holding members) which are rotatably supported by the pair of roller support plates 60 (support plates) and hold the tire T1 in a state of contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1.

[0067] The holding members supported by each roller support plate 60 (support plate) include at least one rotatable clamp roller member 70. As the diamond link mechanism 20 contracts in the horizontal direction (X direction), the clamp roller members 70 (holding members) come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tire T1, and the four (at least three or more) clamp roller members 70 (holding members) are arranged such that the center of rotation of the tire T1 is located within a holding plane formed by connecting the centers of rotation of the respective clamp roller members 70 (holding members) in a direction in which the gripped tire T1 is viewed in a plan view.

[0068] The tire hoist 10 configured in this manner is capable of holding the outer circumferential side of the tire T1. Also, by positioning the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 within the holding plane H1, an aligning action of the tire T1 is generated, and the tire T1 can be held at the clamp position CP1, which is an appropriate holding position, so that the tire T1 can be prevented from shifting position and the tire can be lifted well.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, when the clamp roller member 70 (holding member) is gripping the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1, the clamp roller member 70 (holding member) can be configured to have an inclination angle toward other clamp roller members 70 (holding members) as it moves toward the lower side (Z2 side).

[0070] Therefore, when the tire T1 is clamped and held, it is possible to effectively prevent the tire T1 from falling off. Also, it is possible to hold the tire T1 horizontally.

[0071] In addition, in this embodiment, each of the pair of arms 50A, 50B is provided with a plurality of positioning holes 52A1, 52A2, 52B1, 52B2, and the opening and closing operation of the clamp roller member 70 (holding member) due to the expansion and contraction of the diamond-shaped link mechanism 20 can be configured to selectively determine the spacing of the clamp roller member 70 (holding member) by inserting a lock pin 80 (pin member) into a selected positioning hole 52A1, 52A2, 52B1, 52B2 so that the clamp roller member 70 (holding member) can clamp and release the tire T1 at a substantially constant inclination angle when gripping the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1 according to the size of the tire T1.

[0072] Therefore, the intervals between at least three or more clamp roller members 70 can be easily adjusted according to the size of the tire T1. As a result, the inclination angle of the clamp roller members 70 (holding members) when gripping the tire T1 is approximately constant regardless of the size of the tire T1, and uniformity of the work is ensured, so that the tire T1 can be reliably clamped and released.

[0073] In addition, in this embodiment, a pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B are rotatably supported on one roller support plate 60A of the pair of roller support plates 60A, 60B, at a predetermined distance apart, and a pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D are rotatably supported on the other roller support plate 60B of the pair of roller support plates 60A, 60B, at a predetermined distance apart.

[0074] Therefore, the pair of clamp roller members 70A, 70B and the pair of clamp roller members 70C, 70D face each other with the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 sandwiched therebetween. This makes it possible to stably clamp and hold the tire T1. In addition, the balance of the load acting when clamping the tire T1 is improved, making it possible to prevent the outer circumferential rubber portion 72b of any of the clamp roller members 70 from wearing out quickly.

[0075] (Second embodiment) A hoist 100 for hoisting various objects including a tire T1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the hoist 100 in this embodiment can adjust the positions of clamps 116, 117 relative to lower links 114, 115, which will be described later, in accordance with the width of the object to be transported.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 9, the hoist 100 has a connecting fitting 111, a pair of upper links 112, 113, a pair of lower links 114, 115, and a pair of clamps 116, 117. Here, the pair of upper links 112, 113 and the pair of lower links 114, 115 constitute a diamond-shaped link mechanism A. The hoist 100 also has a connecting mechanism 130 and an operating lever 140 that opens and closes the diamond-shaped link mechanism A described above. The pair of clamps 116, 117 correspond to a pair of gripping means (holding members).

[0077] The connecting fitting 111 is a member that is connected to a transport device such as a hoist. An insertion hole 111a is provided at the upper end of the connecting fitting 111, through which a hook of a hoist or other hoisting machine is inserted. The upper links 112 and 113 are connected to the lower end of the connecting fitting 111 by a pivot pin 121, with the upper end of the upper link 112 positioned on the front side of the connecting fitting 111 and the upper end of the upper link 113 positioned on the rear side of the connecting fitting 111, for example.

[0078] The upper links 112, 113 are made of thick, substantially rectangular plate members having the same or approximately the same length in the extending direction. As described above, the upper ends of the upper links 112, 113 are connected to the connecting fitting 111 by the pivot pin 121. This allows the upper links 112, 113 to rotate individually around the pivot pin 121.

[0079] The lower links 114, 115 are thick plate members whose central portions are bent in a generally crank-like shape. The lower links 114, 115 are connected by a pivot pin 124 at the generally crank-like curved portions so as to be symmetrical with respect to a line (hereinafter, center line) L passing through the center of the pivot pin 121 described above in a plan view of the sling device 100. Therefore, the lower links 114, 115 can be individually rotated around the pivot pin 121 as the center of rotation. The upper end of the lower link 114 is connected to the lower end of the upper link 113 by a pivot pin 122. The upper end of the lower link 115 is connected to the lower end of the upper link 113 by a pivot pin 123.

[0080] The clamp portions 116 and 117 are, for example, substantially L-shaped members with one end of a flat plate bent downward by 90°. The configurations of the clamp portions 116 and 117 and the configurations for attaching the clamp portions 116 and 117 to the lower links 114 and 115 are the same. Therefore, the following description will focus on the clamp portion 116, and in the description common to the clamp portions 116 and 117, the configuration of the clamp portion 117 will be indicated in parentheses.

[0081] An anti-slip member 151 (161) for preventing slippage of the clamped transported object is provided at the tip (lower end in FIG. 9) of the bent portion 116a (117a) of the clamp portion 116 (117). Also, brackets 152, 153 (162, 163) are attached to the other end 116b (117b) of the clamp portion 116 (117). One end of a rail member 154 (164) is connected to the brackets 152, 153 (162, 163) by a pivot pin 155 (165).

[0082] As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the rail member 154 (164) is a member that is inserted into and held by a holding tube 181 (171) described later. A plurality of insertion holes 156, 157 (166, 167) are provided at predetermined intervals in the extending direction of the rail member 154 (164) on the opposing side surfaces 154a, 154b of the rail member 154 (164). The insertion holes 156, 157 (166, 167) are elongated holes (elongated holes) whose longitudinal direction is, for example, a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the side surface 154a (164a) of the rail member 154 (164). Positioning pins (pin members) 195, 196 of a position adjustment mechanism 190 described later are inserted into either of these insertion holes 156, 157 (166, 167). Although details will be described later, the knob members 193, 194 constituting the position adjustment mechanism 190 rotate with the extension direction of the rail member 154 (164) as the rotation axis direction. Therefore, by making the insertion holes 156, 157 (166, 167) elongated holes with the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail member 154 (164), it is possible to easily insert and remove the positioning pins 195, 196. The insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 correspond to the first insertion hole recited in the claims. Moreover, the insertion hole 156 (166) provided in the side surface 154a (164a) of the rail member 154 (164) and the insertion hole 157 (167) provided in the side surface 154b (164b) are provided at the same position in a plan view of the sling 100.

[0083] Further, tongue pieces 154c, 154d (164c, 164d) extending downward are provided on the side surfaces 154a, 154b (164a, 164b) of the rail member 154 (164). Insertion holes 158, 159 (168, 169) are provided in the tongue pieces 154c, 154d (164c, 164d), respectively. The pivot pin 155 (165) is inserted into the insertion holes 158, 159 (168, 169).

[0084] Returning to Fig. 9, the connecting mechanism 130 is configured, for example, by two tubular members 131, 132 nested together, each having a different cross-sectional area perpendicular to the extending direction. One end of the tubular member 131 is connected, for example, on the front side of the lower link 114, to a bracket 134 attached to the upper end of the lower link 114 via a pivot pin 135. One end of the tubular member 132 is connected, for example, on the front side of the lower link 115, to a bracket 136 attached to the upper end of the lower link 115 via a pivot pin 137. Although not shown, the connecting mechanism 130 includes a stopper mechanism built therein, which restricts the movement of the tubular member 131 to a predetermined length.

[0085] The operating lever 140 is operated when opening and closing the diamond-shaped link mechanism A. The operating lever 140 includes a guide portion 140a made of a thick plate member and a grip portion 140b. Although not shown in the drawings, one end of the guide portion 140a is connected to a pivot pin 123 that connects the upper link 113 and the lower link 115. Furthermore, the other end of the guide portion 140a is provided with an elongated hole 141 that extends in the extension direction of the guide portion 140a. The pivot pin 122 that connects the upper link 112 and the lower link 114 is inserted into the elongated hole 141.

[0086] The grip portion 140b is a member that is gripped by an operator when opening or closing the diamond-shaped link mechanism A. When the grip portion 140b is gripped and the operating lever 140 is moved to the left in FIG. 9, the diamond-shaped link mechanism A is operated to close the clamp portions 116 and 117. When the operating lever 140 is moved to the right in FIG. 9, the diamond-shaped link mechanism A is operated to open the clamp portions 116 and 117.

[0087] The lower ends of the above-mentioned lower links 114, 115 are provided with retaining tubes 171, 181 into which the rail members 164, 154 are inserted and held. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the retaining tube 171 provided at the lower end of the lower link 114. The configuration of the retaining tube 171 provided at the lower end of the lower link 114 and the configuration of the retaining tube 181 provided at the lower end of the lower link 115 are the same or substantially the same. Therefore, only the configuration of the retaining tube 171 provided at the lower end of the lower link 114 will be described.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 11, the retaining tube 171 is composed of, for example, brackets 172 and 173. The bracket 172 (173) is composed of an attachment portion 172a (173a) and a bent portion 172b (173b). The bent portion 172b (173b) is bent, for example, into a U-shape. The brackets 172 and 173 are fixed to the lower link 114 using a screw 101 and a nut (not shown) so that the recesses formed by the bent portion 172b of the bracket 172 and the bent portion 173b of the bracket 173 face each other. In this way, by fixing the brackets 172 and 173 to the lower link 114, a space is formed through which the rail member 164 is inserted. Although the retaining tube 171 is composed of the brackets 172 and 173, it may be composed of one cylindrical member.

[0089] An insertion hole 174 (175) is provided in the bent portion 172b (173b) of the bracket 172 (173). A positioning pin 195 of a position adjustment mechanism 190 (described later) is inserted into the insertion hole 174. A positioning pin 196 (see FIG. 12) of the position adjustment mechanism 190 (described later) is inserted into the insertion hole 175. The insertion hole 174 (175) provided in the bent portion 172b (173b) of the bracket 172 (173) is an elliptical hole (long hole) whose longitudinal direction is a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the side surface 154a (164a) of the rail member 154, similar to the insertion hole 166 (167) provided in the side surface of the rail member 164. The insertion holes 174 and 175 correspond to a second insertion hole in the claims. The knob members 193, 194 constituting the position adjustment mechanism 190 rotate about the extension direction of the rail member 154 (64) described above as the rotation axis direction. Therefore, by making the insertion hole 174 (175) an elongated hole, it is possible to easily insert and remove the positioning pins 195, 196. Although not shown in the figure, the position of the insertion hole 174 and the position of the insertion hole 175 are provided at the same position when the suspender 100 is viewed in a plan view.

[0090] As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the position adjustment mechanism 190 adjusts the relative position of the rail member 164 (154) with respect to the holding tube 171 (181) in accordance with the width of the transported object to be lifted. The position adjustment mechanism 190 has support members 191, 192, knob members 193, 194, positioning pins 195, 196, torsion springs 197, 198, and pivot pins 199, 200. The configuration of the position adjustment mechanism 190 provided on the lower link 114 will be described below. Here, the knob members 193, 194 correspond to the moving members recited in the claims. The torsion springs 197, 198 correspond to the biasing means recited in the claims.

[0091] The support member 191 is disposed outside the mounting portion 172a of the bracket 172 constituting the retaining tube 171. The support member 192 is disposed outside the mounting portion 173a of the bracket 173 constituting the retaining tube 171. The support members 191 and 192 are fixed to the upper part of the retaining tube 171 by a screw 201 and a nut (not shown). Since the support members 191 and 192 have the same configuration, only the support member 191 will be described below, and the description of the support member 192 will be omitted. The support member 191 has two bearings 191a and 191b spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The two bearings 191a and 191b are provided with insertion holes 191c and 191d. The insertion hole 191c provided in the bearing 191a and the insertion hole 191d provided in the bearing 191b are coaxial.

[0092] The knob member 193 is, for example, a flat plate-shaped member extending in the vertical direction in FIG. 11. The knob member 193 has a knob body 193a having a generally L-shape and two bearings 193b and 193c provided on the knob body 193a. One end of a torsion spring 197 abuts against the inside of the upper end of the knob body 193a. The bearings 193b and 193c are provided at a position near the center in the extension direction of the knob member 193 (vertical direction in FIG. 11). The bearings 193b and 193c are provided so as to bend in the same direction from both edges of the knob body 193a. When the knob member 193 is supported by the support member 191, the bearings 191a and 191b of the support member 191 are located between the bearings 193b and 193c. The bearing portion 193b is provided with an insertion hole 193d. Although not shown, the bearing portion 193c is also provided with an insertion hole. The insertion hole 193d in the bearing portion 193b and the insertion hole in the bearing portion 193c are coaxial. The pivot pin 199 is inserted through the insertion hole 193d in the bearing portion 193b and the insertion hole in the bearing portion 193c while being held coaxially with the insertion hole 191c in the bearing portion 191a of the support member 191 and the insertion hole 191d in the bearing portion 191b of the support member 191. Although not shown, the tip of the pivot pin 199 is provided with a male screw portion, and when the knob member 193 is pivotally supported by the support member 191, a nut 202 is tightened to the male screw portion at the tip of the pivot pin 199.

[0093] A tongue piece 193e extending to the left in Fig. 11 is provided at the lower end of knob body 193a in the extending direction (vertical direction in Fig. 11). A positioning pin 195 is fixed to the back side of tongue piece 193e by using a nut 203.

[0094] The torsion spring 197 is inserted between two bearings 191a and 191b of the support member 191. When the knob member 193 is pivotally supported by the support member 191, a pivot pin 199 is inserted through an insertion hole 191c of the bearing portion 191a and an insertion hole 191d of the bearing portion 191b and inserted into an internal space of the wound portion 197a of the torsion spring 197. In this state, one end 197b of the torsion spring 197 is in contact with the support member 191, and the other end 197c is in contact with the upper end side of the knob body 193a of the knob member 193. As a result, the knob member 193 is biased in the C direction shown in FIG. 12.

[0095] Next, a description will be given of the position adjustment of clamp unit 117, which is performed before the transported object is hoisted. Note that before the transported object is hoisted, not only the position adjustment of clamp unit 117 but also the position adjustment of clamp unit 116 is performed.

[0096] As shown in Fig. 12, before the position of the clamp portion 117 is adjusted, the knob member 193 is biased in the direction C in Fig. 12 by the torsion spring 197. Therefore, the positioning pin 195 fixed to the knob member 193 is held in a state in which it is inserted into the insertion hole 174 of the bracket 172 and one of the plurality of insertion holes 166 provided in the rail member 164. Similarly, the knob member 194 is biased in the direction D in Fig. 12 by the torsion spring 198. Therefore, the positioning pin 196 fixed to the knob member 194 is held in a state in which it is inserted into the insertion hole 175 of the bracket 173 and one of the plurality of insertion holes 167 provided in the rail member 164.

[0097] When adjusting the position of clamp portion 117, for example, an operator places his / her thumb on the upper end of gripping member 193 and his / her index finger on the upper end of gripping member 194 and moves the thumb and index finger in a direction approaching each other, that is, when gripping members 193, 194 are pinched with the thumb and index finger, gripping member 193 rotates in the E direction in Fig. 12 about pivot pin 199 (200) as the center of rotation against the bias of torsion spring 197. At the same time, gripping member 194 rotates in the F direction in Fig. 12 about pivot pin 200 as the center of rotation against the bias of torsion spring 198. As the knob member 193 (194) rotates, the positioning pin 195 (196) moves from a state in which it is inserted through the insertion hole 174 (175) of the bracket 172 (173) and the insertion hole 166 (167) of the rail member 164 to a state in which it is pulled out of these insertion holes (see Figure 13).

[0098] With the knob members 193, 194 pinched, the rail member 164 connected to the clamp unit 117 is moved in the extending direction of the rail member 164 (G direction or H direction in FIG. 14). Then, the movement of the rail member 164 is stopped at a position that matches the width of the transported object, and the position of the insertion hole 174 (175) of the bracket 172 is aligned with the position of the insertion hole 166 (167) provided in the side surface of the rail member 164. Note that in FIG. 14, the configuration of the position adjustment mechanism 190 is omitted in order to explain the alignment of the insertion hole 174 (175) of the bracket 172 with the insertion hole 166 (167) provided in the side surface of the rail member 164.

[0099] After aligning the position of the insertion hole 174 (175) of the bracket 172 with the position of the insertion hole 166 (167) provided in the side surface of the rail member 164, the thumb and index finger are released from the knob members 193, 194. When the thumb and index finger are released from the knob members 193, 194, the knob member 193 rotates in the direction C in FIG. 13 due to the bias of the torsion spring 197. Due to this rotation, the positioning pin 195 fixed to the knob member 193 is inserted through the insertion hole 174 of the bracket 172 and then through the insertion hole 166 provided in the rail member 164. At the same time, knob member 194 rotates in the direction D in Fig. 13 due to the bias of torsion spring 198, and positioning pin 196 fixed to knob member 194 is inserted through insertion hole 175 of bracket 173 and then through insertion hole 167 provided in rail member 164. This fixes the position of rail member 164 relative to retaining tube 171. With the position of rail member 164 fixed, the position adjustment of clamp portion 117 is completed. In a similar manner, position adjustment for clamp portion 116 is performed.

[0100] After completing the position adjustment of the clamping parts 116 and 117, the worker uses the lifting tool 100 to lift the transported object. In lifting the transported object, the operation lever 140 is moved rightward in FIG. 9 to extend the diamond-shaped link mechanism A. This extension of the diamond-shaped link mechanism A moves the clamping parts 116 and 117 closer to each other to clamp both sides of the transported object. After the transported object is lifted and transported to the destination, it is placed at the destination. Finally, the operation lever 140 is moved leftward in FIG. 9 to contract the diamond-shaped link mechanism A. Contraction of the diamond-shaped link mechanism A moves the clamping parts 116 and 117 away from each other to release the clamping of both sides of the transported object.

[0101] In this embodiment, the angle by which knob members 193 and 194 are rotated is not particularly limited, but for example, as long as positioning pin 195 fixed to knob member 193 is completely pulled out from insertion hole 174 of bracket 172 and insertion hole 166 provided in side surface 164a of rail member 164, the angle by which knob member 193 is rotated is not particularly limited. However, when the length of positioning pin 195 is slightly longer than the sum of the thickness of bracket 172 and the thickness of side surface 164a of rail member 164, it is preferable that knob member 194 is rotated by about 30°, for example.

[0102] In this embodiment, a suspension device 100 having a position adjustment mechanism 190 on each of the lower links 114, 115 is used as an example, but it is also possible to provide a position adjustment mechanism 190 on one of the lower links 114, 115 to create a suspension device that adjusts the position of the clamp portion relative to the lower link.

[0103] In this embodiment, the upper ends of the knob members 193, 194 are pressed in the direction approaching each other to rotate the knob members 193, 194, and the positioning pins 195, 196 fixed to the knob members 193, 194 are pulled out from the insertion holes of the holding tube 171 (181) and the rail member 164 (154). However, instead of rotating the knob members 193, 194, the positioning pins may be moved in the direction of the central axis to be pulled out from the insertion holes of the holding tube 171 (181) and the rail member 164 (154).

[0104] In this embodiment, the positions of insertion hole 174 provided in holding tube 171 and insertion hole 166 provided in side surface 164a of rail member 164, through which positioning pin 195 is inserted, and the positions of insertion hole 175 provided in holding tube 171 and insertion hole 167 provided in side surface 164b of rail member 164, through which positioning pin 196 is inserted, are the same positions in a plan view of suspender 100. However, the positions of insertion hole 174 provided in holding tube 171 and insertion hole 166 provided in side surface 164a of rail member 164, and the positions of insertion hole 175 provided in holding tube 171 and insertion hole 167 provided in side surface 164b of rail member 164, through which positioning pin 196 is inserted, do not need to be the same positions in a plan view of suspender 100.

[0105] In this embodiment, knob members 193, 194 held in the retracted state are moved by the bias of torsion spring 197 (198), and positioning pins 195, 196 provided on knob members 193, 194 are inserted into the insertion holes of retaining tube 171 (181) and the insertion holes of rail member 164 (154). In such a case, rail member 164 (154) needs to be held relative to retaining tube 171 (181) such that the insertion holes of rail member 164 (154) face the insertion holes of retaining tube 171 (181).

[0106] Therefore, a positioning pin (not shown) other than the positioning pin 195 (196) may be provided on the knob member 193 (194), and the positioning between the retaining tube 171 (181) and the rail member 164 (154) may be performed by the positioning pin other than the positioning pin 195 (196) during the process in which the knob member 193 (194) moves from the retracted state to the inserted state. For example, the length of the positioning pin other than the positioning pin 195 (196) in the central axis direction is made longer than that of the positioning pin 195 (196). Furthermore, the cross section of the positioning pin other than the positioning pin 195 (196) perpendicular to the central axis direction of the positioning pin has a circular shape. Furthermore, the cross section of the positioning pin 195 (196) perpendicular to the central axis direction of the positioning pin 195 (196) has a circular or elliptical shape, for example. At this time, the positioning pin other than positioning pin 195 (196) is formed so that its outer diameter is smaller than that of positioning pin 195 (196). The positioning pin other than positioning pin 195 (196) corresponds to the second positioning pin in the claims, and positioning pin 195 (196) corresponds to the first positioning pin in the claims.

[0107] For example, a positioning pin other than the positioning pin 195 (196) performs positioning between the retaining tube 171 (181) and the rail member 164 (154). This positioning is performed by inserting a positioning pin other than the positioning pin 195 (196) into, for example, an insertion hole (not shown) provided in the bracket 172 (173) and an insertion hole in the rail member 154 (164). After this positioning, the positioning pin 195 (196) is inserted into the insertion hole in the retaining tube 171 (181) and the insertion hole in the rail member 164 (154). According to this configuration, a positioning pin other than the positioning pin 195 (196) performs positioning between the retaining tube 171 (181) and the rail member 164 (154), so that the insertion hole in the retaining tube 171 (181) is held facing the insertion hole in the rail member 164 (154). In this case, by making the cross-sectional shape of the positioning pin 195 (196) perpendicular to the central axis direction of the positioning pin 195 (196) the same shape as the insertion hole 174 (175) formed in the bracket 172 (173) or the insertion hole formed in the rail member 154 (164), it is possible to prevent rattling when the positioning pin 195 (196) is inserted into the insertion hole 174 (175) formed in the bracket 172 (173) or the insertion hole formed in the rail member 154 (164).

[0108] <About the effects> The hoisting device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of upper links 112, 113 pivotally attached to a connecting fitting 111 that is connected to a conveying means, a pair of lower links 114, 115 that are connected to the pair of upper links 112, 113, respectively, and form a diamond-shaped link mechanism A together with the pair of upper links 112, 113, a pair of clamps 116, 117 that are provided on the pair of lower links 114, 115, respectively, and grip a conveyed object by the operation of the diamond-shaped link mechanism A, and a pair of clamps 116, 117 that grip a conveyed object by the operation of the diamond-shaped link mechanism A. and a rail member 154, 164 having a plurality of insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 formed along its extension direction, and a pair of lower links 114, 115, at least one of which is attached to the rail member 154, 164, and the rail member 154, 164 is held in a state where the rail member 154, 164 is attached to at least one of the lower links, and when the rail member 154, 164 is moved in the extension direction of the rail member 154, 164, the insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 are inserted into the rail member 154, 164. a retaining cylinder 171, 181 provided with insertion holes 174, 175 capable of facing any one of a plurality of insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 provided with the insertion holes 174, 175; positioning pins 195, 196 inserted into the insertion holes 174, 175 and any one of the plurality of insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 facing the insertion holes 174, 175; and a positioning pin 195, 196 inserted into the insertion holes 174, 175 and any one of the plurality of insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 facing the insertion holes 174, 175. The present invention is characterized by having knob members 193, 194 that can move the positioning pins 195, 196 from an inserted state in which the positioning pins 195, 196 are inserted through the insertion holes 174, 175 to a retracted state in which the positioning pins 195, 196 are pulled out from either the insertion holes 174, 175 or the multiple insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 facing the insertion holes 174, 175, and torsion springs 197, 198 that bias the knob members 193, 194 to hold the positioning pins 195, 196 in the inserted state.

[0109] According to this, since it is only necessary to pinch the knob members 193, 194 and then release that operation, the work of adjusting the position of the clamp part can be simplified compared to a method in which the position of the moving arm is adjusted by, for example, moving the moving arm in a direction approaching or moving away from the rotating arm while rotating the rotating rod.

[0110] In addition, the rail members 154, 164 are arranged in positions facing each other and have side surfaces 154a, 154b, 164a, 164b in which a plurality of insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 are respectively provided, the retaining tubes 171, 181 are of a cylindrical shape through which the rail members 154, 164 can be inserted, and each have insertion holes 174, 175 in positions that can face the plurality of insertion holes 156, 157, 166, 167 provided in the side surfaces 154a, 154b, 164a, 164b of the rail members 154, 164, and the positioning pins 195, 196, the knob members 193, 194 and the torsion springs 197, 198 are arranged corresponding to the insertion holes 174, 175 provided in the retaining tubes 171, 181, respectively.

[0111] As a result, for example, by operating the knob members 193, 194, the amount of movement of the positioning pins 195, 196 that move between the inserted state and the retracted state can be shortened, and by inserting the positioning pins 195, 196 from both sides of the retaining tubes 171, 181, the positioning of the rail members 154, 164 relative to the retaining tubes 171, 181 can be reliably performed.

[0112] In addition, knob members 193, 194 are flat plate-like members extended in one direction, knob members 193, 194 are axially supported by support members 191, 192 at a position toward the center in one direction, positioning pins 195, 196 are provided at one end of knob members 193, 194 in one direction, torsion springs 197, 198 urge knob members 193, 194 at the other end of knob members 193, 194 in one direction so that positioning pins 195, 196 are maintained in an inserted state, and knob members 193, 194 press the other end of knob members 193, 194 in one direction against the force of torsion springs 197, 198, thereby moving positioning pins 195, 196 from the inserted state to the retracted state.

[0113] According to this, the amount of movement of the positioning pins 195, 196 which rotate together with the knob members 193, 194 can be made shorter than when the positioning pins 195, 196 are moved in the direction of the central axes of the positioning pins 195, 196. Therefore, the position adjustment mechanism 190 can be made compact.

[0114] In addition, by pressing the other end portions of knob members 193, 194 in one direction, which are journalled on support members 191, 192 provided at positions corresponding to insertion holes 174, 175, in a direction in which they approach each other, positioning pins 195, 196 fixed to knob members 193, 194 are each moved from the inserted state to the retracted state.

[0115] According to this, by pinching the upper ends of the knob members 193, 194 with the thumb and index finger and pressing the upper ends of the knob members 193, 194 so that they approach each other, the positioning pins 195, 196 can be easily moved from the inserted state to the retracted state. Moreover, when moving the positioning pins 195, 196 from the inserted state to the retracted state, the action of pinching the upper ends of the knob members 193, 194 with the thumb and index finger can be released. This simplifies the position adjustment of the clamps 116, 117 when suspending a transported object.

[0116] <Modification> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways, which will be described below.

[0117] In the above-described first embodiment, a case has been described in which there are four clamp roller members 70 serving as holding members. However, the number of clamp roller members 70 is not limited to four, and may be three or more. FIG. 15 shows a case in which there are three clamp roller members 70. As shown in FIG. 15, even in a configuration having three clamp roller members 70, as long as the center of rotation T11 of the tire T1 is present within the holding plane H1, the tire hoist 10 can satisfactorily clamp and hold the tire T1 while providing an aligning effect for the tire T1.

[0118] It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which two clamp roller members 70 are provided. In this case, for example, by arranging at least one non-rotating cylindrical member, it is possible to form the above-mentioned holding plane H1. In this case, the pressing member (a non-rotating cylindrical member, a non-rotating pressing plate, etc.) corresponds to an example of the holding member.

[0119] In the above-described first embodiment, the roller support plate 60 that rotatably supports the two clamp roller members 70 may be configured to rotate (rattle) slightly. In this case, the followability of each clamp roller member 70 to the outer circumferential surface of the tire T1 can be improved.

[0120] In the above-described first embodiment, a configuration has been described in which, in a state where the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1 is gripped, the clamp roller member 70 (holding member) has an inclination angle toward another clamp roller member 70 (holding member) as it moves toward the lower side (Z2 side). However, the following configuration may be adopted. That is, in a state where the outer peripheral surface of the tire T1 is gripped, the clamp roller member 70 (holding member) may have an inclination angle toward another clamp roller member 70 (holding member) as it moves toward the upper side (Z1 side).

[0121] When the frictional force between the tire T1 and the holding member (clamp roller member 70 or pressing member) is large and sufficient gripping force is exerted, such an inclination angle can make the gripping and release operations easier.

[0122] In the first embodiment described above, the holding plane H1 is a plane formed by connecting the rotation centers 70A1, 70B1, 70C1, and 70D1 of the four clamp roller members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D. However, the holding plane H1 may be a plane formed by connecting the centers of the holding members. Moreover, instead of the plane formed by connecting the centers of the holding members, the holding plane H1 may be a plane formed by connecting the contact points between the holding members and the tire T1.

[0123] (Third embodiment) Hereinafter, a lifting tool 300 for lifting various cylindrical objects including a tire T1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that a duplicated description of configurations common to or similar to those of the first or second embodiment will be omitted.

[0124] The tire hoist 300 in this embodiment, shown in the perspective views of Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, is a modified version of the diamond-shaped link mechanism A described above. A grip member 310 is attached to the retaining tubes 171, 181, which correspond to the bracket 173 on which the position adjustment mechanism 190 is provided and through which the rail members 154, 164 are inserted. The grip member 310 is attached in the upper vicinity of the knob members 193, 194 in the same extension direction as the rail members 154, 164. The operator grips the grip member 310 with the palm of his / her hand and his / her middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, and in this state, pinches the knob members (moving members) 193, 194 constituting the position adjustment mechanism 190 with his / her thumb and index finger to pull out the pin members from the positioning holes, and then applies a force in the extension direction of the rail members 154, 164, so that the clamp roller member 70, which is a part of the retaining member, can be easily slid along the rail members 154, 164. Of course, the worker can also carry the product by holding the grip member 310 instead of the handle portion 34 or the like.

[0125] As is clear from Figures 16 and 17, by adding a substantially parallel link mechanism B, which includes lower links 114, 115, to diamond-shaped link mechanism A, it is possible to keep the angle of rail members 154, 164 substantially constant (preferably horizontal) even when diamond-shaped link mechanism A expands and contracts vertically.

[0126] As described above, in the tire hoist of this embodiment, the angle of rail members 154, 164 can be kept constant even when a tire is clamped by the approximately parallel link mechanism B, so that the tire can be gripped and transported more safely and reliably. Also, by providing position adjustment mechanism 190 and grip member 310, the width of clamp roller members 70 can be quickly and easily changed to match the size of the tire, and transport work by the worker is also made easier, improving work efficiency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 10...Tire hoist, 20,A...Rhombus-shaped link mechanism, B...Approximately parallel link mechanism, 21A...First pantograph section, 21B...21B...Second pantograph section, 22,23...Upper link, 24,25...Lower link, 22,27...Lower link extension, 28...Hook locking section (corresponding to locking section), 28a...Hook locking hole, 30...Contraction stopper, 31...Long plate section, 32...Regulation groove, 32a...Long groove section, 32b...Lock section, 33...Device mounting section, 34...Handle section, 40,41...Arm support section, 42,43...Bracket section, 44,45...Arm holding tube, 44a,45a,44b,45b...Fixing holes , 50, 50A... arm, 51A1, 51A2, 51B1, 51B2... side surface, 52A1, 52A2, 52B1, 52B2... positioning hole, 55A, 55B... end bracket, 60, 60A, 60B... roller support plate (corresponding to support plate), 61... shaft hole, 70, 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D... clamp roller member (corresponding to an example of a holding member), 70A1 to 70D1... rotation center, 71... rotation shaft portion, 71a... bolt, 71b... nut, 71c... collar, 72... roller, 72a... inner cylinder portion, 72b... outer periphery rubber portion, 80... lock pin (corresponding to pin member), 90... wireless device, 1 00...hanging tool, 111...connecting fitting, 111a...insertion hole, 112, 113...upper link, 114, 115...lower link, 116, 117...clamp part, 116a, 117a...part, 116b, 117b...other end, 121-124...rotating pin, 130...connecting mechanism, 131, 132...tubular member, 134, 136...bracket, 135, 137...rotating pin, 140...operating lever, 140a...guide part, 140b...grip part, 141...long hole, 151, 161...anti-slip member, 152, 153, 162, 163...bracket, 154, 164...rail member, 154a, 154 b, 164a, 164b... side surface, 154c, 154d, 164c, 164d... tongue piece, 155, 165... pivot pin, 156, 157, 158, 159, 166, 167, 168, 169... insertion hole (positioning hole), 171, 181... retaining tube, 172, 173... bracket, 172a, 173a... mounting portion, 172b, 172b... bending portion, 173... bracket, 174, 175... insertion hole, 190... position adjustment mechanism, 191, 192... support member, 191a, 191b... bearing portion, 191c, 191d... insertion hole, 193, 194... knob member, 193a... main body, 193b,193c...bearing portion, 193d...through hole, 193e...tongue, 195, 196...positioning pin (pin member), 197, 198...torsion spring, 197a...wound portion, 197b...one end, 197c...other end, 199, 200...rotating pin, 201...screw, 202, 203...nut, B1, B2...bearing, CP1...clamp position, H1...holding plane, P1~P4...rotating pin, R1~R4...connecting shaft, T1...tire, T11...rotation center,

Claims

1. A tire hoist for gripping the outer circumferential surface of a tire and lifting and lowering the tire, a diamond-shaped link mechanism having a locking portion for connecting to a lifting device and extending vertically and contracting horizontally when suspended; A pair of arms held by the diamond-shaped link mechanism; A pair of support plates respectively attached to the pair of arms; At least three or more holding members that are supported by the pair of support plates and that hold the tire in a state of contact with an outer circumferential surface of the tire; Equipped with The holding member supported by each of the support plates includes at least one rotatable clamp roller member, As the diamond link mechanism contracts in the horizontal direction, the retaining member comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tire, In a direction in which the tire being gripped is viewed in a plan view, at least three or more of the holding members are arranged so that a rotation center of the tire is located within a holding plane formed by connecting centers of the at least three or more of the holding members or contact points with the tire. A tire hoisting device characterized by the above.

2. The tire sling according to claim 1, The holding member supported by at least one of the one support plate and the other support plate includes a pressing member that is in surface contact with an outer circumferential surface of the tire. A tire hoisting device characterized by the above.

3. The tire sling according to claim 1, When the holding member is gripping the outer circumferential surface of the tire, the holding member has an inclination angle toward the other holding members as it goes downward. A tire hoisting device characterized by the above.

4. The tire sling according to claim 1, A pair of the clamp roller members are rotatably supported on one of the pair of support plates at a predetermined distance from each other, A pair of the clamp roller members are rotatably supported on the other of the pair of support plates at a predetermined interval. A tire hoisting device characterized by the above.

5. The tire sling according to claim 3, Each of the pair of arms is provided with a plurality of positioning holes, the interval between the slidably moved holding members is selectively determined by inserting a pin member into a selected one of the positioning holes so that the opening and closing operation of the holding members due to the expansion and contraction of the diamond-shaped link mechanism corresponds to the size of the tire, and the tire can be clamped and released at a substantially constant inclination angle when gripping the outer circumferential surface of the tire; A tire hoisting device characterized by the above.

6. The tire sling according to claim 5, a movable member capable of displacing the pin member from an inserted state in which the pin member is inserted into any one of the positioning holes to a retracted state in which the pin member is pulled out of the positioning hole; and a biasing means for biasing the moving member to hold the pin member in the inserted state. A tire hoisting device characterized by the above.

7. The tire sling according to claim 6, The holding member is provided with a grip member in the vicinity of the upper portion of the moving member, which serves as a grip for facilitating the sliding movement of the support plate while holding the moving member with fingers. A tire hoisting device characterized by the above.

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