Automatic tire loader/unloader for stacking/unstacking tires in a trailer

A system for stacking/unstacking tires in a trailer, the system comprising:

• a base structure;
• a reachable space in which an industrial robot is operable to place the tires;
• a distance measurement subassembly disposed on the base structure, the distance measurement subassembly configured to determine presence of objects within a detection space, wherein the detection space and the reachable space at least partially overlap;
• a control subassembly mounted to the base structure, the control subassembly being in communication with the distance measurement subassembly, the control subassembly providing instructions for the selective articulated movement of the industrial robot based upon the distance measurement subassembly detecting objects within the detection space;
• and
• the control assembly including a memory accessible to a processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor 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 removal direction, and
• calculate instructions for executing a rick-rack unstacking pattern of tires.

A system for stacking/unstacking tires in a trailer, the system comprising:

• a base structure;
• a reachable space in which an industrial robot is operable to place the tires;
• a distance measurement subassembly disposed on the base structure, the distance measurement subassembly configured to determine presence of objects within a detection space, wherein the detection space and the reachable space at least partially overlap;
• a control subassembly mounted to the base structure, the control subassembly being in communication with the distance measurement subassembly, the control subassembly providing instructions for the selective articulated movement of the industrial robot based upon the distance measurement subassembly detecting objects within the detection space;
• the control assembly including a memory accessible to a processor, the memory including first processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor 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;
• and
• the memory including second processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor 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 removal direction, and
• calculate instructions for executing a rick-rack unstacking pattern of tires.