Transportation vehicle

A method for removing tires of a transportation vehicle, the vehicle comprising a vehicle body on which a loading platform for carrying a load of transportation thereon is provided;

• a tubular axle housing provided on a lower side of said vehicle body in such a manner as to extend in an axial direction;
• a pair of tubular wheel mounting cylinders respectively provided on both axial ends of said axle housing;
• and left and right wheels which are respectively provided on said wheel mounting cylinders and rotate integrally with said wheel mounting cylinders,
• each of said wheels including:
• an inner rim and an outer rim provided on an outer peripheral surface side of said wheel mounting cylinder and arranged at an interval in the axial direction;
• inner and outer tires respectively mounted by being detachably fitted to an outer peripheral surface side of each one of said inner and outer rims and rotate integrally with said wheel mounting cylinder;
• a rim spacer disposed between said inner and outer rims and provided on the outer peripheral surface side of said wheel mounting cylinder to secure a clearance in the axial direction between said inner and outer tires, said rim spacer extending from said inner rim to said outer rim;
• a first fitting ring located at a position on an axially outer side of said inner rim and slidably fitted on the outer peripheral surface side of said inner rim provided on an inside diameter side of said inner tire;
• a pair of second fitting rings respectively located on both axial sides of said outer rim and slidably fitted on the outer peripheral surface side of said outer rim provided on an inside diameter side of said outer tire;
• a first lock ring which abuts against said first fitting ring to retain said inner tire to said inner rim detachably mounted on the outer peripheral surface side of said inner rim,
• a pair of second lock rings which respectively abut against said pair of second fitting rings to retain said outer tire to said outer rim detachably provided on the outer peripheral surface side of said outer rim
• an annular tapered surface portion and a plurality of clamps provided on the outer peripheral surface of said wheel mounting cylinder, said tapered surface portion holding said inner rim in an axially retained state, said plurality of clamps fixing said inner rim, said rim spacer, and said outer rim in a retained and non-rotatable state by clamping said inner rim, said rim spacer, and said outer rim from both axial sides in cooperation with said tapered surface portion in a state in which said inner rim and said outer rim together with said rim spacer are fitted on the outer peripheral side of said wheel mounting cylinder;
• and wherein
• said rim spacer is formed with an outside diameter equal to an outside diameter of each of said inner and outer rims, to form a guide surface between said inner and outer rims and at an even height therewith which prevents a step from being produced between said inner and outer rims;
• the method comprising the steps of;
• at the time of removing said outer tire and said inner tire from said wheel mounting cylinder, in a state in which said inner rim, said rim spacer and said outer rim are fixed on said wheel mounting cylinder by said clamps,
• removing one lock ring of said pair of second lock rings from the outer peripheral surface side of said outer rim;
• drawing, said outer tire together with said pair of second fitting rings out along the outer peripheral surface of said outer rim,
• removing, another lock ring of said pair of second lock rings from the outer peripheral surface side of said outer rim,
• removing, said first lock ring from the outer peripheral surface side of said inner rim, and
• drawing out said inner tire together with said first fitting ring along said guide surface formed by said rim spacer and along the outer peripheral surface of said inner rim, the guide surface guiding said inner tire together with said first fitting ring in such a manner as to slide said inner tire and said first fitting ring along the outer peripheral surface of said rim spacer from the outer peripheral surface of said inner rim toward the outer peripheral surface of said outer rim and preventing said inner tire from being inclined diagonally between said inner rim and said outer rim.