# US 10,246,278 B1 · Automatic tire loader/unloader for stacking/unstacking tires in a trailer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,278 B1 - Document ID: US10246278B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/115,327 - Filed: 2018-08-28 - Published: 2019-04-04 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Assignees: Wynright Corporation; Daifuku Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Wynright Corporation; Daifuku Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tim Criswell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246278B1 ## CPC - B65G 67/02: Loading or unloading land vehicles - B25J 5/005: {mounted on endless tracks or belts} - B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels} - B25J 15/00: Gripping heads {and other end effectors (grippers used in machine tools B23Q7/04; gripping members fitted on cranes B66C1/42, B66C1/44; gripping means used for mounting electrical components H05K13/04; gripping means used in the manufacture of semiconductors H10P72/7602)} - B65G 21/14: to allow adjustment of length or configuration of load-carrier or traction element (varying speed of conveyance by adjusting configuration of load-carrier B65G23/00; {tensioning arrangements for belt or chain B65G23/44}) - B65G 57/20: three-dimensional [3D], e.g. cubiform or cylindrical - B65G 61/00: Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for - B65G 67/08: using endless conveyors - B65G 2201/0273: Tires - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract An automatic tire loader/unloader for stacking/unstacking tires in a trailer is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile base structure provides a support framework for a drive subassembly, conveyance subassembly, an industrial robot, a distance measurement subassembly, and a control subassembly. Under the operation of the control subassembly, tires advance through a powered transportation path to an industrial robot which places the tires within the trailer in a vertical stacking pattern or a rick-stacking pattern, for example. The control subassembly coordinates the selective articulated movement of the industrial robot and the activation of the drive subassembly based upon the distance measurement subassembly detecting objects, including tires, within a detection space, dimensions of the trailer provided to the control subassembly, and dimensions of the tires provided to the control subassembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for stacking tires within a trailer parked at a loading bay, the method comprising: providing an automatic tire loader/unloader including a base structure having an industrial robot mounted thereto, the industrial robot is operable to handle tires; and executing at the automatic tire loader/unloader a rick-rack stacking routine including processor-executable instructions to: specify a search operation to identify a tire skyline including an active quadrant, specify a search operation to identify a hole and hump of an adjacent tire pair within the active quadrant, specify a search operation to identify the sequential tire placement direction, and calculate instructions for executing a rick-rack stacking pattern of tires. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising connecting a conveyance subassembly disposed on the mobile base to a telescoping conveyor unit having a supply of tires associated therewith. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising driving the automatic tire loader/unloader into the trailer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising detecting the location of the automatic tire loader/unloader within the trailer with a distance measurement subassembly disposed on the mobile base structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising stopping, in response to distance measurement data from the distance measurement subassembly, the automatic tire loader/unloader proximate to the front wall of the trailer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising presenting a stream of tires to an industrial robot disposed on the base structure, the industrial robot providing selective articulated movement through a reachable space such that the industrial robot is operable to place the tires within the trailer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sequentially loading the tires within the trailer with the industrial robot according to the rick-rack stacking routine designed to optimize the use of available space within the trailer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising interrupting the loading of tires in response to detection by the distance measurement subassembly of presence of tires within the reachable space. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising reversing and repositioning the automatic tire loader/unloader to refresh the reachable space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising resuming the sequential loading of the tires. ### Claim 11 A method for stacking tires within a trailer parked at a loading bay, the method comprising: providing an automatic tire loader/unloader including a base structure having an industrial robot mounted thereto, the industrial robot is operable to handle tires; and executing at the automatic tire loader/unloader a rick-rack unstacking routine including processor-executable instructions to: specify a search operation to identify a tire skyline including an active quadrant, specify a search operation to identify a hole and hump of an adjacent tire pair within the active quadrant, specify a search operation to identify the sequential tire placement direction, and calculate instructions for executing a rick-rack unstacking pattern of tires. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising connecting a conveyance subassembly disposed on the mobile base to a telescoping conveyor unit to receive a supply of tires. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising driving the automatic tire loader/unloader into the trailer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising detecting the location of the automatic tire loader/unloader within the trailer with a distance measurement subassembly disposed on the mobile base structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising stopping, in response to distance measurement data from the distance measurement subassembly, the automatic tire loader/unloader proximate to the front wall of the trailer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising presenting a stream of tires to a conveyance subassembly disposed on the base structure, the industrial robot providing selective articulated movement through a reachable space such that the industrial robot is operable to remove the tires from the trailer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising sequentially unloading the tires within the trailer with the industrial robot according to the rick-rack unstacking routine. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising interrupting the unloading of tires in response to detection by the distance measurement subassembly of absence of tires within the reachable space. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising forwarding and repositioning the automatic tire loader/unloader to refresh the reachable space. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising resuming the sequential unloading of the tires.