Apparatus and method for handling tires, and tire curing press

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and method for handling tires, as well as to a tire curing press including such a device. The device for handling tires according to the invention comprises forks that can be moved under a cured tire in a tire curing press, so that the tire can be picked up by the forks and removed from the curing chamber of the tire curing press. The invention also relates to advantageous embodiments of a device for handling tires and of a tire vulcanizing press including such a device for handling tires.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for handling tires, especially designed for removing them from a tire curing press.

[0002] The invention also relates to a tire curing press having a device for handling tires.

[0003] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for handling a tire for removal from a tire curing press. [Background technology]

[0004] A tire curing press is used to vulcanize green tires to produce tires and has at least one curing chamber, in which the green tires are loaded and from which they must be removed after vulcanization. For this purpose, a tire handling device is used, which, depending on the embodiment, can be used as a loader, an unloader or in each case as a loader and an unloader of at least one curing chamber.

[0005] Currently, complex tire handling equipment that can be expensive to manufacture and difficult to maintain is used to both load and unload the curing chamber.

[0006] These complex tyre handling devices, known for example from DE 10 200 03 133 A1, are equipped with grippers which enable the tyre or green tyre to be clamped from the inside by clamping the tyre in the region of the beads and thereby lifted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] WO 2016 206 670 A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] This function requires a relatively complex mechanical construction of the gripper and, as a consequence, also of the corresponding tire handling device, which entails a large weight.

[0009] Since these large weights have to be moved during loading and unloading operations, the energy consumption of the corresponding equipment is also higher.

[0010] However, there are often no high demands on the accuracy of handling and on the careful handling of the tire, especially when removing the vulcanized tire from the vulcanization chamber of a tire vulcanization press, especially when the vulcanized tire is not intended to be passed to a post-treatment device (e.g. a post-cure inflator) but simply placed on a conveying device or in an intermediate storage location.

[0011] It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for handling tyres which has improved properties in terms of weight, maintenance and / or production. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] This object is achieved according to the invention by a device for handling tires as claimed in claim 1.

[0013] A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved tire curing press with regard to the tire handling equipment.

[0014] This issue is Claim 4 This is achieved according to the invention by means of a tire vulcanizing press as described in

[0015] A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for handling tires, which allows the tire handling device of the present invention to be used in the unloading of the vulcanization chamber of a tire vulcanization press.

[0016] This issue is Claim 11 This is achieved by the method of treating a tire described in .

[0017] The features of the device for handling tires disclosed in the text that follows form part of the invention both individually and in all possible combinations.

[0018] The device for handling tires according to the invention comprises at least one fork movable along a vertical axis and pivotable horizontally.

[0019] The forks are designed to receive a tire in supports formed on the upper side of the forks.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fork is split in two and has a free central area and a cantilever.

[0021] In a particularly preferred embodiment, for this purpose the fork has a portion which is U-shaped, C-shaped or V-shaped in the horizontal direction or which is designed correspondingly.

[0022] A tire curing press generally comprises a central mechanism in its curing chamber, on which a green tire or a tire can be fixed and pressure can be applied from the inside. For this purpose, such a central mechanism has, for example, tubes arranged relative to one another, emerging from a base plate that delimits the curing chamber downwards, to which clamping plates are fixed.

[0023] Such a central mechanism allows the vulcanized tire to be lifted from the base plate of the vulcanization chamber, but the extension of the central mechanism is then located below the center of the lifted tire.

[0024] The cantilever and free central area of ​​the forks in the tire handling device of the present invention allows the forks to reach around the central mechanism to provide sufficient support for the tire so that it can be securely placed on the lifting portion of the forks.

[0025] The opening of the cantilever fork and the free central area are in this case of large dimensions, so that even the largest element of the central mechanism, which is usually the clamping plate, fits into the opening with some play.

[0026] The overall dimensions of the fork and the shape of the fork arms are made so that, taking into account the free central area and the required dimensions of the cantilevers, the arms are positioned as close as possible to the tire beads when the tire is resting on the fork support.

[0027] In one embodiment of the invention, the fork is manufactured as a welded piece from steel tubing.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fork has no moving parts.

[0029] The vertical movement of the forks of the device for handling tires according to the invention is achieved by means of a vertical drive, by means of which the forks can be moved along vertical guides.

[0030] The device for handling tyres according to the invention advantageously comprises a vertical column to which the vertical guide is fixed and which carries the device for handling tyres.

[0031] The pivoting of the forks of the device for handling tires according to the invention is achieved by means of a pivoting drive, by means of which the forks can be pivoted horizontally about a vertical axis.

[0032] In one embodiment of the invention, the pivoting of the forks is accomplished pneumatically using absorbers.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pivot-in angle can be set by limiting the maximum stroke of the swivel cylinder through the setting of the shock absorber.

[0034] In one embodiment of the invention, the adaptation of the tire handling device to different tire sizes is made possible by setting the pivot-in angle: for this purpose, the mutual distance between the fork arms increases in the cantilever direction and the distance between the fork arms in the area of ​​the tire bead of each tire can be set by the pivot-in angle.

[0035] As a result, in one embodiment of the present invention, tires ranging in size from approximately 15 inches to 25 inches can be reliably handled by the tire handling equipment.

[0036] In an embodiment of the invention, the vertical guide of the tire handling device is designed as a circular guide consisting of a rod on which the forks are mounted vertically displaceable by means of a holder.

[0037] In another embodiment of the invention, the guide is designed as a profile, e.g. a hollow profile, or a rail, e.g. a hat-shaped rail, and a guide carriage or slide, to which the forks are fixed, is mounted so as to be vertically displaceable.

[0038] In order that the swivel drive together with the forks is vertically displaceable, this drive is also displaceably mounted on the guide.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the swivel drive has a bearing and is mounted on a guide. In order to fix the swivel drive and prevent it from rotating horizontally, so that only the fork can swivel, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the swivel drive is blocked horizontally by a blocking device.

[0040] In an embodiment of the invention, such a blocking device is designed as a roller or as a sliding shoe and is supported, for example, on a vertical column of the tire handling device.

[0041] In one embodiment of the invention, the vertical drive is realized as a hydraulic drive having multiple cylinders.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present invention, the "pivot-in position", the "pivot-out position" and the "placement position" are fixedly set by mechanical stops of the vertical drive and / or the vertical guide.

[0043] One advantage over tire handling devices having grippers is that the bladder is extended before the forks lift the tire onto the central mechanism, so the lifting action of the forks does not need to be synchronized with the upper clamp plate of the central mechanism of the vulcanizing chamber.

[0044] As a result, an initiator may be used instead of a displacement measurement system (DMS), which is implemented in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pivot-in angle is universal and independent of the position of the pressure plate, because the gap between the lower mold shell and the lower clamp ring caused by the crushing stroke is selected to be large enough so that the forks fit into this gap at all positions of the closing force cylinder of the tire curing press.

[0046] In one embodiment of the invention, the tire handling device is designed for removing tires from two vulcanization chambers, for example from the two vulcanization chambers of a double vulcanization press.

[0047] In one embodiment of the invention, for this purpose the device for handling tires has a double fork with cantilevers in both directions of rotation in a horizontal plane and with a free central area.

[0048] In another embodiment of the invention, for this purpose the fork is swivellable by 180° about a horizontally arranged axis.

[0049] The tire handling device according to the invention has a simple and robust construction which does not require high precision in nature.

[0050] A tire vulcanizing press according to the invention comprises at least one device for handling tires according to the invention, as defined for the preceding description.

[0051] In the embodiment of the tire curing press according to the invention, in contrast to the prior art, the central mechanism together with the bladder is supported on the base plate (heating plate), so that the base plate does not have to be "held tight" by its own weight when moving the tire on the forks to the pivot-out position, so that the lower clamp ring does not lift the base plate off the cylinder if the tire sticks during the upward movement of the forks and exerts an upward force on the central mechanism in the same direction, as can happen in tire curing presses where the central mechanism is supported against the lower part of the press.

[0052] An advantageous configuration of the tire curing press according to the invention has at least one roller table for transporting the tire removed from the curing chamber.

[0053] In order for the tire to be placed on the roller table by the forks, if the tire cannot be removed from the forks by rotating or tilting, the forks must pass through the roller table, for this purpose in a preferred embodiment of the invention, some of the rollers of the roller table are divided into a number of roller segments in the offloading area, so that a gap is created in the roller table that corresponds to the contour of the forks.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gap in the unloading area of ​​the roller table is designed to be somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the forks so that a constant distance is maintained between the rollers or roller segments and the forks as they pass through the roller table.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the roller table extends downwardly from the tire curing press.

[0056] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the inclination of the roller table is then selected such that the tire unloaded on the roller table in the unloading area is moved along the roller table by gravity acting on the tire, in an embodiment of the invention, for this purpose the inclination is between approximately 10° and 15°.

[0057] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one waiting position is provided in the area of ​​the roller table by at least one blocking device, which can be in a blocked state and an open state, and in the blocked state of the at least one blocking device, the tire unloaded on the roller table is held in the assigned waiting position, or in the open state of the at least one blocking device, the tire unloaded on the roller table can leave or pass through the assigned waiting position.

[0058] In one embodiment of the invention, the blocking device has at least one blocking element which can be extended upward from the rolling surface of the roller table, against which the tire on the roller table is in an assigned waiting position during the blocked state of the blocking device. To bring the blocking device into the open state, the at least one blocking element can be moved below the rolling surface of the roller table, so that the tire rolling on the roller table can pass the blocking device unhindered.

[0059] The method for handling tires according to the invention serves for the removal of tire curing presses, the curing chamber of each tire curing press being initially in an open state, and at least - moving the forks of the tire handling device vertically to a pivot-in position; - pivoting the forks under the tire located in an open curing chamber of a tire curing press; - moving the forks upwardly into a pivot-out position, thereby lifting the tire onto the supports of the forks; - pivoting the forks out of the vulcanization chamber with the tire on the forks; - moving the forks downwardly to a loading position and loading the tire; has.

[0060] An advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention is designed as a method for removing a tire vulcanizing press by means of a tire handling device with forks, which in addition to the method steps directed at the tire handling device also comprises the method steps required for the removal in the area of ​​the vulcanization chamber of the tire vulcanizing press.

[0061] The vulcanization chamber of the respective tire vulcanization press is first opened and the vulcanized tire is demolded from the mold or mold parts, the method steps required for this can be carried out after or preferably also during the movement of the forks to the pivot-in position, but must be carried out before the forks are pivoted in.

[0062] This step includes opening the curing chambers, releasing the tire from the mold, storing the mold segments, and lifting the tire by the central mechanism of each curing chamber, which can be accessed from the sides and from below, except in the area occupied by the central mechanism, and at a sufficient distance above the base plate of the curing chamber. This distance needs to be at least equal to the height of the forks of the tire handling device, plus the thickness of the lower half of the mold divided in the middle, plus some reserve. The additional reserve required depends on the accuracy of the tire handling device when approaching the pivot-in position. In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance of the tire above the base plate of the curing chamber caused by the stroke of the central mechanism is about 400 mm, and the thickness of the lower half of the mold is about 200 mm.

[0063] The tire curing press to be removed has a central mechanism, which allows the tire to be fixed inside and raised.

[0064] In one embodiment, the central mechanism has a lower clamping plate and an upper clamping plate, with which the tire can be clamped. In another embodiment of a method for removing a tire curing press, the method for handling the tire comprises the following method steps: - moving the forks of the tire handling device vertically to a pivot-in position; - lifting the tire in the open vulcanization chamber by a central mechanism; - pivoting the forks in under the tire located in the open vulcanization chamber, in particular under the lower clamping plate of the central mechanism; - releasing the tire by releasing the fixation of the tire by the central mechanism; - moving the forks upwardly into a pivot-out position, thereby lifting the tire onto the supports of the forks; - pivoting the forks out of the vulcanization chamber with the tire on the forks; - moving the forks downwardly to a loading position and loading the tire; has.

[0065] If the central mechanism comprises a clamping plate for clamping the tire, the release of the tire is performed by moving the clamping plate. To this end, in one embodiment, the method for handling tires according to the invention comprises the steps of moving the lower clamping plate to a lower position and extending the upper clamping plate. In a preferred embodiment, the extension of the upper clamping plate is performed simultaneously with the movement of the forks upwards into the pivot-out position.

[0066] If the central mechanism of the vulcanization chamber is equipped with a bladder for pressurizing the tire from the inside, the tire can be moved vertically on the bladder without friction (releasing the tire) by stretching the bladder before the forks move from the pivot-in height to the pivot-out height to place the tire on the support of the forks. In an advantageous embodiment of the method, the stretching of the bladder is performed simultaneously with the movement of the lower clamping plate to the lower position.

[0067] In principle, the stretching of the bladder is achieved by the downward movement of the lower clamping plate and the upward movement of the upper clamping plate with the stretching stroke. The movement of the clamping plates to stretch the bladder can be performed simultaneously or one by one. During removal, a partial stretching of the bladder by the movement of the lower clamping plate is generally sufficient. However, the efficiency of the tire curing press can be improved if the bladder is already fully stretched immediately after pivot-out, since it is required to load the curing chamber immediately and quickly after removal.

[0068] In an embodiment of the invention, the extension stroke (stroke of the upper clamp plate to extend the bladder) is about 750mm to 1000mm.

[0069] After pivoting out the forks from the vulcanization chamber, the operation of loading the green tire into the vulcanization press can already be carried out. If the central mechanism of the vulcanization chamber is equipped with a bladder, this can be done with the bladder stretched.

[0070] In the case of tire curing presses having a roller table for carrying the tire, the tire is placed in a placement area on the roller table: for this purpose, the forks pass through the roller table and move into a position below the roller table, where the tire remains.

[0071] Once the tire has rolled over the roller table and out of the area above the forks, the forks can be moved upwardly again onto the roller table, for example to a pivot-in position.

[0072] In an advantageous configuration of the method for handling tires according to the invention, the cycle time of a tire curing press can be reduced by approximately 5 to 20 seconds compared to the use of a handling device with grippers, in particular because the curing chamber can be quickly loaded again after pivoting out and removing the forks with the tire picked up on the stretched bladder.

[0073] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are depicted in the figures described in the following text. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0074] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a tire handling device according to the invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing details of a tire curing press according to the invention, comprising a tire handling device and a roller table according to the invention; [Diagram 3] 3A to 3C are perspective views (part 1) showing further details of the tire curing press shown in FIG. 2 in various operating states during the implementation of the method for treating tires according to the invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a perspective view (part 3) showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view (part 4) showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a perspective view (part 5) showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Figure 10] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Figure 11] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing further details of the tire vulcanizing press. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the tire vulcanizing press shown in FIGS. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows a detail of the plan view shown in FIG. 12 with the fork pivoted into the vulcanization chamber. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a cross-sectional embodiment of a tire vulcanizing press according to the present invention with the vulcanizing chamber open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0075] In Fig. 1 an embodiment according to the invention of a device 1 for handling tires is represented in a perspective view. The device 1 for handling tires has a fork 2, the upper side of which in at least some area forms a support 3, on which a tire 40 can be placed. The fork 2 is formed by a first arm 4a and a second arm 4b, which has a cantilever (open side) 5 between its arms 4 and a free central area 6. The fork 2 is movably mounted on a vertical guide 9 by means of a holder 7, which is connected to the arm 4 by a connection device 8, which in the embodiment shown is realized by two columns. The vertical guide 9 is fixedly connected to a vertical column 10, which supports the device 1 for handling tires and absorbs and distributes the forces occurring during operation.

[0076] The fork 2 is movable vertically along a vertical guide 9 by means of a vertical drive 11 .

[0077] In the represented embodiment of the invention, the connection devices 8 of the arm 4 and of the fork 2 are designed as steel tubes with a rectangular cross section and are welded to one another.

[0078] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing details of a tire curing press 20 according to the invention, comprising a tire handling device 1 according to the invention and a roller table 30 on which a tire 40 rests.

[0079] Of the various components of the tire curing press 20, those which are not of direct importance to the present invention have been omitted for the sake of simplicity of presentation, even though they are absolutely necessary for the actual operation of the tire curing press 20.

[0080] It can also be seen from this figure that the tire handling device 1 has a swivel drive 12, by means of which the forks 2 can be swiveled horizontally about a vertical axis passing through the vertical guide 9. For this purpose, the holders 7 of the forks 2 are rotatably mounted in the vertical guide 9, while the swivel drive 12 is rigidly connected to the vertical guide 9 in the horizontal direction of the bearing device. This bearing device is designed in the manner of a yoke and reaches around the holders 7 of the forks 2, on which the drive can move together with the forks 2 only in the vertical direction of the vertical guide 9. This is realised, for example, by a blocking device which supports the yoke-like bearing device against the vertical column 10.

[0081] In Figure 2, the fork 2 has been pivoted into the vulcanization chamber 22 of the tire vulcanization press 20. As it is a double vulcanization press, the further vulcanization chamber 22 of the tire vulcanization press 20 can be seen in the distance.

[0082] Through the free central area 6 of the fork 2 , an extended central mechanism 24 of the vulcanization chamber 22 extends vertically from a base plate 23 of the vulcanization chamber 22 .

[0083] Furthermore, the tire curing press 20 has a roller table 30 on which a cured tire 40 can be placed.

[0084] 3 to 11, more detailed perspective views of the tire curing press 20 depicted in FIG. 2 are shown in various operating states during the implementation of the method for treating a tire 40 according to the invention.

[0085] In Fig. 3, the vulcanization chamber 22 of the tire curing press 20 has already been opened. The forks 2 of the tire handling device 1 have been moved vertically into a pivot-in position. The vulcanized tire 40 rests on the base plate 23 of the vulcanization chamber 22. Below the base plate 23, the undercarriage 21 of the tire curing press 20 is visible. Inside the tire 40, a bladder (not shown) expands and clamps the tire 40 from the inside.

[0086] The forks 2 are arranged above the rest area 33 of the roller table 30. On the roller table a vulcanized tire 40, which has already been removed from the vulcanization chamber 22, is in a waiting position 38, in which it is held by a blocking device 35. Overall, the shown roller table 30 has two waiting positions 38, each equipped with a blocking device 35.

[0087] 4, a tire 40 in the vulcanization chamber 22 is released from a mold (not shown) and moved upward by the central mechanism 24. The mold segments (not shown) are stored.

[0088] Each blocking device 35 has two blocking elements 36, which are realized as rods protruding from the rolling plane of the roller table 30. The blocking elements 36 can be extended outside the rolling plane of the roller table 30 (blocking state) by means of a blocking drive 37 for each blocking device 35 and can also be retracted below the rolling plane (open state).

[0089] 5, the fork 2 is pivoted into the vulcanizing chamber 22 of the tire vulcanizing press 20 by the swivel drive unit 12. In this case, the pivot-in is performed below the lower clamp plate (not shown) of the central mechanism 24 of the vulcanizing chamber 22, and the fork 2 is positioned between the base plate 23 and the tire 40.

[0090] In Figure 6, the bladder (not shown) is stretched by the movement of the lower clamping plate (not shown) to a downward position in the area of ​​the base plate 23 and the upward movement of the upper clamping plate (not shown) located at the upper end 26 of the central mechanism 24, which now projects outside the tire 40. As a result, the tire 40 is no longer clamped from the inside by the bladder and can move vertically.

[0091] In Figure 7 the forks 2 have been moved upwards by the vertical drive 11 and are in a pivoted out position in which the highest point of the extended central mechanism 24 is below the forks 2. During the upward movement of the forks 2 the tire 40 has been lifted above the supports 3 of the forks 2 and now rests thereon.

[0092] In Figure 8, the forks 2 with the stationary tire 40 are pivoted out of the vulcanization chamber 22 of the tire vulcanization press 20 by the swivel drive 12. The vulcanization chamber 22 is then open so that a green tire can be loaded again.

[0093] In Fig. 9, the forks 2 of the device 1 for handling tires have already been moved downwards by the vertical drive 11 but have not yet reached the resting position. The forks 2 go straight into the gap 34 realised in the resting area 33 of the roller table 30 and the tire 40 is still resting on the supports 3 of the forks 2.

[0094] 10, the forks 2 are moved by the vertical drive 11 into a loading position below the roller table 30. Since the tire 40 is larger than the forks 2 or has a different profile, it does not pass the roller table 30 together with the forks 2 but is loaded onto it in the loading area 33.

[0095] In FIG. 11, the tire 40 previously placed in the placement area 33 descends and leaves the vulcanization chamber 22 of the tire vulcanization press 20 and rolls into a waiting position 38 on the roller table 30 .

[0096] FIG. 12 shows the tire vulcanizing press 20 shown in FIGS. 2 to 11 in a plan view in the operating state shown in FIG.

[0097] On a roller table 30 formed by a number of rollers 31 arranged adjacent to one another, two tires 40 are respectively positioned in a waiting position 38, where the tires 40 are held by blocking elements 36 of the respectively assigned blocking device 35.

[0098] In the rest area 33 of the roller table 30 a gap 34 is visible which corresponds to the shape of the fork 2 and is achieved by the arrangement of the roller segments 32 and the corresponding distance in the direction of their rotation axes.

[0099] FIG. 13 shows a detailed view of the plan view represented in FIG. 12 with the forks 2 of the tire handling device 1 pivoted into the vulcanization chamber 22 of the tire vulcanization press 20.

[0100] It can be seen that the cantilevers 5 and the free central area 6 of the forks 2 are necessary to ensure reliable lifting of the tire 40 (not shown here) on the support 3 formed by the forks 2 while at the same time reaching around the central mechanism 24 in the pivot-in position.

[0101] 14 shows a detail of a section through an embodiment of a tire curing press 20 according to the invention, with an open curing chamber 22. A tire 40 rests on the forks 2 of the tire handling device 1, which have already been moved into a pivot-out position. In this case, the lower side of the forks 2, in the region of the upper clamping plate 26, is located above the upper end of the central mechanism 24, so that the central mechanism 24 is not in the swivel path of the forks 2 during pivot-out.

[0102] Also visible in this view is bladder 27 being stretched by the upward movement of upper clamping plate 26 and downward movement of lower clamping plate 25.

[0103] Disposed on the base plate 23 of the tire curing press 20 is a lower mold section 28 from which the tire 40 is removed after curing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1. Tire handling equipment 2. Fork 3 Support 4 Arm 4a First Arm 4b Second Arm 5 Cantilever 6 Free central area 7 Holder 8 Connected Devices 9 Vertical Guide 10 Vertical Column 11 Vertical drive unit 12 Swivel drive unit 20 Tire curing press 21 Substructure 22 Vulcanization Room 23 Base plate 24 Central mechanism 25 Lower clamp plate 26 Upper clamp plate 27 Vlada 28 Lower mold part 30 Roller Table 32 Roller Segment 33 Loading area 34 Gap 35 Blocker 36 Blocking Elements 37 Blocking drive unit 38 Standby position 40 Vulcanized tires

Claims

1. A tire handling device (1) having a vertical column (10), a vertical guide (9), a vertical drive (11) and a swivel drive (12), and a fork (2) which is vertically displaceable on the vertical guide (9) by the vertical drive (11) and horizontally swivelable by the swivel drive (12), The fork (2) has a holder (7) mounted on the vertical guide (9) so as to be vertically displaceable, The holder (7) of the fork (2) is further mounted on the vertical guide (9) so as to be pivotable in the horizontal direction; Device for handling tyres, characterized in that said forks (2) have, on their upper side, supports (3) for said tyres (40) enabling said tyres (40) to be lifted.

2. 2. A device for handling tyres according to claim 1, characterized in that the support (3) is designed as a two-part piece, having a free central area (6) and a cantilever (5).

3. 3. A device for handling tyres according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fork (2) has two arms (4) laterally surrounding a free central area (6) except for the cantilevers (5).

4. A tire vulcanization press (20) having at least one vulcanization chamber (22) whose bottom is delimited by a base plate (23) and a central mechanism (24) assigned to said vulcanization chamber (22) and capable of lifting a vulcanized tire (40) from said base plate (23), A tire vulcanizing press, characterized in that it comprises at least one device (1) for handling tires according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. 5. Tire vulcanizing press according to claim 4, characterized in that the tire handling device (1) is designed for removing a tire (40) from the vulcanizing chamber (22) of the tire vulcanizing press (20).

6. 6. The tire vulcanizing press according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a roller table (30) for transporting the tire (40) taken out of the vulcanizing chamber (22).

7. 7. The tire vulcanizing press according to claim 6, wherein the roller table (30) is inclined downward from the tire vulcanizing press (20) in a conveying direction of the tire (40).

8. 8. The tire vulcanizing press according to claim 7, characterized in that the inclination of the roller table (30) is configured so that the tire (40) placed on the roller table (30) rolls on the roller table (30) due to gravity acting on the tire (40).

9. 9. The tire vulcanizing press according to claim 6, wherein the roller table (30) has a placement area (33) for placing the tire (40), the placement area (33) having a gap (34) in the roller table (30) such that the forks (2) of the tire handling device (1) according to claim 1 can move vertically through the roller table (30).

10. 10. The tire vulcanizing press according to claim 6, characterized in that in the area of ​​the roller table (30) it has at least one waiting position (38) for a tire (40) placed on the roller table (30), and that holding of the tire (40) in the waiting position (38) is realized by at least one blocking device (35).

11. A method for handling a tire (40) using a tire handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of: moving the forks (2) of the tire handling device (1) vertically to a pivot-in position; pivoting the forks (2) under a tire (40) located in an open vulcanization chamber (22) of a tire vulcanization press (20); moving the forks (2) upwards to a pivot-out position and lifting the tire (40) onto the supports (3) of the forks (2); With the tire (40) placed on the forks (2), pivoting the forks (2) out of the vulcanization chamber (22) of the tire vulcanization press (20); and moving the forks (2) downwardly to a loading position and loading the tire (40).

12. A method for handling a tire (40) according to claim 11, comprising the steps of: Method, characterized in that it uses a device (1) for handling tyres according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images