TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an arrangement for automatic separation of the tyre and the rim in a vehicle wheel according to the precharacterizing clause of Patent Claim 1 below.

STATE OF THE ART It is previously known, from German Patent Specification DE 19640716, to saparate the tyre and the rim in a vehicle wheel by pressing in one rim edge in the radial direction by means of three pressing jaws. These are adapted so as to deform one rim edge so that the tyre can be removed in essentially the axial direction. This known arrangement is intended to be a mobile arrangement which is used-for removing tyres in a vehicle wheel mounted on a vehicle which is to be scrapped. This arrangement is not automatic but requires a number of manual operations. The arrangement is thus intended to be oriented and mounted in the correct position on the vehicle wheel. Furthermore, the tyre must be removed by hand or by means of other tools which have to be placed in the correct position and actuated. This does not therefore constitute a rational handling system but is intended for removing individual tyres from one vehicle at a time.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to produce an arrangement for automatic separation of the tyre and the rim in a rational manner which makes it possible to handle large volumes, as a result of which the operating cost per wheel can be kept at a low level.

Said object is achieved by means of an arrangement for automatic separation of the tyre and the rim according to the characterizing part of Patent Claim 1 below.

LIST OF FIGURES The invention will be described in greater detail below by means of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically an arrangement for separation of the tyre and the rim according to the invention, seen from the side, Fig. 2 shows a view from above, seen essentially along the section line 11- 11 in Fig. 1, of a pressing-in arrangement which forms part of the separation arrangement, Fig. 3 shows on enlarged scale a detailed view of a part of the pressing-in arrangement according to the invention, Fig. 4 shows an example of the appearance of a separated rim, and Fig. 5 shows a centring arrangement, which forms part of the separation arrangement, for centring each vehicle wheel.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The most important parts of the separation arrangement can be seen from Figs 1 and 2. The arrangement consists of a feed-in arrangement 1 for vehicle wheels 2 which are to be recycled by separation of the tyre 3 and the rim 4. In the example shown, the feed-in arrangement 1 consists of a conveyor, for example in the form of a first transport track 5 for conveying vehicle wheels forwards, the wheels being loaded onto the belt for stepwise transport to a defined position for separation of the tyre and the rim. The first transport track 5 may consist of a belt which carries the wheels forwards to a pressing-in arrangement 6. More specifically, the belt ends before the pressing-in arrangement and is replaced there by a second transport track 7 for transporting the wheels the last distance forwards to the correct position in the pressing-in arrangement 6. The second transport track 7 consists of two parallel conveyor belts which are required in order that the transport track does not constitute any kind of hindrance to the passage of the rims through an opening 8 after separation has been performed, which is described in greater detail below.

The tyre/rim separation arrangement is supported on a stand 9 which is very sturdy so as to be capable of absorbing the great forces which are necessary in order to deform the rims so that they can be separated from the associated tyres 3. In the example shown, the stand consists of four

pillars 10,11,12,13 which are each positioned at each corner of the stand and are interconnected both at the top and at the bottom by transverse beams 14,15. Additional transverse beams can be provided for supporting power units. For example, the transverse beams may consist of cross- beams or intermediate beams which extend between the transverse beams. The pillars and other beams are suitably made from high-strength steel with a suitable section which may be a box section, a U section, an I section, a T section or the like. The stand 9 may support parts of the feed- in arrangement 1. Alternatively, the parts which support the first transport track 5 may be supported by a completely free-standing stand so as to facilitate transport of the arrangement. The stand may also support a feed- out arrangement 16 for separated rims and also a feed-out arrangement 17 for separated tyres.

The stand 9 includes a platform 18 which supports the second transport track 7 and thus indirectly each transported wheel 2, positioned in a first position on a first level in the arrangement and centred around the opening 8 arranged in the platform 18. The opening 8 is advantageously circular and has a diameter which exceeds the diameter of the largest rim 4 which will be separated in the arrangement according to the invention. Arranged above the platform 18 is a stay member, for example in the form of a stay plate 19, which is likewise supported by the stand 9 and, with regard to its mechanical construction, can correspond to the platform 18 and have an upper opening 20 which has essentially the same diameter as the opening 8 in the platform 18, is suitably likewise circular and has a diameter which exceeds the largest diameter of the rims in the wheels 2 which are to be recycled in the arrangement according to the invention. The stay member 19 or the stay plate is positioned in such a manner that a space 21 is created between the platform 18 and the stay member, which space is dimensioned in such a manner that it can receive a lying wheel, that is to say to have such a height that it exceeds the width of the largest wheel which is intended to be recycled in the arrangement according to the invention.

The arrangement according to the invention also includes a lifting arrangement 22 which is anchored in the stand 9, suitably at the bottom thereof, and has a power unit 23, in the example shown in the form of a hydraulic piston cylinder, the cylinder part 24 of which is anchored in the stand and the piston rod 25 of which supports a lifting member 26, in the

example shown in the form of a plate, the transverse dimension or diameter of which exceeds the diameter of the smallest central hole 27 found in the rims 4 which are to be recycled. The lifting arrangement 22 is adjustable between a moved-away position (see solid lines in Fig. 1) and a raised position (see dot/dash lines in Fig. 1). The lifting arrangement is adapted so as, when the wheel with the tyre and the rim has been advanced to its first position, that is to say on the first level, supported by the platform 18, to lift the rim 4 in its axial direction to a raised position on a second level, that is to say a pressing-in position on a level with the pressing-in arrangement according to the invention for pressing-in, which is described in greater detail below. On lifting, the tyre 3 is pressed against a stay surface 27 of the stay plate 19, as a result of which the annular tyre edge 28 on one side of the tyre releases the rim edge 29 on one side of the rim, as a result of which the rim, in the region around the rim edge 29 and a section below this, is exposed and becomes accessible to the pressing-in arrangement 6 without the tyre being damaged. More specifically, lifting by means of the lifting arrangement 2 takes place by virtue of the lifting device 26 having a bearing surface 30 which is applied against one side 31 of the rim 4 in the region around the central hole 27 and moving in the upward direction to its upper end position. During the lifting operation and as far as an upper end position, however, the opposite annular edge 32 of the tyre is taken along and is the whole time located above the associated annular edge 33 of the rim owing to the diameter of the rim edge 33 being greater than that of the tyre edge 32.

The pressing-in arrangement 6 constitutes the most important part of the present invention and will now be explained in greater detail with reference to Figs 1,2 and 3. The pressing-in arrangement 6 consists of a number of pressing-in devices 34,35,36, in the example shown three, which can be moved towards and away from the rim 4 in its raised position. Each of these consists of a power unit 37, in the example shown in the form of a hydraulic piston cylinder, the cylinder part 38 of which is anchored at a load-absorbing anchoring point in the stand, for example one of the beams of the stand. Each piston cylinder has a piston rod part 39 which can be moved linearly relative to the cylinder part and depending on hydraulic pressure applied. Mounted on the end of the piston rod part is a pressing- in jaw 40 which supports a number of deformation members 41,42,43, in the example shown three on each pressing-in jaw. The deformation members 41,42,43 consist of pointed spikes or claws made from high-

strength steel, suitably in combination with a hard metal alloy. The pressing-in devices are positioned symmetrically and are adapted so as to move symmetrically relative to the rim positioned in the raised position, that is to say the second level or pressing-in position. This is ensured by the separation arrangement as a whole being constructed relative to an axis of symmetry 44 which in the example shown is usually a vertical axis.

The lifting arrangement 22 is symmetrically positioned and movable relative to this axis. Furthermore, the two openings 8,20 are positioned symmetrically relative to the axis of symmetry 44, preferably with their centre of curvature coincident with this axis. It is also ensured that the wheel fed in is positioned essentially symmetrically relative to the axis of symmetry 44, that is to say lying with its axis of rotation essentially coincident with the axis 44. More specifically, the pressing-in devices 34, 35,36 can each be moved along their own longitudinal axis 45,46,47 which extends essentially in a transverse plane or radial plane relative to the axis of symmetry 44, preferably at right angles to this axis of symmetry 44 and, with three pressing-in devices, their axes 45,46,47 are offset in relation to one another by an angle of suitably 60°. In the example shown, the deformation members 41,42,43 are advantageously positioned at the same height as one another but advantageously with the two outer deformation members 41,43 in a slightly advanced position relative to the intermediate deformation member 42 so that, during forward movement, the two outer members make contact first with the rim.

From the section according to Fig. 3, which shows the construction of the pressing-in jaw in greater detail by means of an advantageous example, it can be seen that the pressing-in jaw 40 has, in addition to the pointed deformation members 41,42,43, a pressing-in surface 40'. This is located above the pointed deformation members and, seen in the upward direction along the vertical axis of symmetry 44, is incline away from the axis of symmetry. This surface may be an edge surface or alternatively extend over the entire width of the pressing-in jaw 40. The pressing-in surface 47 may be bowl-shaped or conical and concave so that the surface extends at a uniform distance from the upper rim edge 29. As can be seen from Fig.

3, the rim 4 is, in its raised position, positioned in such a manner relative to the pressing-in jaws that the pointed deformation members 41,42,43 are, during a pressing-in movement of the pressing-in devices, applied against the rim on a surface below the rim edge 29, while the pressing-in surface 47 extends in such a manner that it is applied against the rim edge 29

slightly later during the pressing-in movement and presses the rim plate inwards so as to ensure that the rim edge is crimped. By virtue of the fact that the two outer pointed deformation members 41,43 are slightly advanced relative to the intermediate deformation member 42, the two outer ones are applied first and deform the rim plate, after which the intermediate deformation member is applied and presses in the rim plate slightly later, followed by the pressing-in performed by the pressing-in surface 47 above the engagement points of the deformation members. In Fig. 3, dot/dash lines are used to indicate the shape of the deformed rim edge in a section, while Fig. 4 indicates very approximately the appearance of a rim with a crimped edge which is puckered or wavy.

Dot/dash lines are also used to show the contour of the circumferential edge 28 of the tyre, and it can be seen that the rim edge 29 now has such a transverse dimension or diameter over essentially its entire periphery that the rim edge is located inside the rim edge. In practice, the rim edge may at individual points extend beyond the rim edge because of the flexibility of the tyre edge. The practical limit is that an imaginary peripheral line 48 which is tangent to the wave crests 49 of the rim edge which are formed may not extend beyond the edge 28 of the tyre. In practice, therefore, it is a matter of the rim edge 29 being deformed in such a manner that the rim edge can pass the tyre edge. This also applies for the opposite tyre edge 32 which is still in position on the rim at the lower rim edge 33. In the example shown, the arrangement is for this purpose also provided with a pressing-down arrangement 50 which is symmetrically positioned and movable along the axis of symmetry 44 of the separation arrangement by a pressing-down device 51. In the example shown, the pressing-down device 51 is arranged on a piston rod part 52 which can, by means of hydraulics, be moved in a cylinder part 53 of a piston cylinder unit which forms a power unit 54 in the pressing-down arrangement. The cylinder part 53 is anchored in a suitable manner in the stand 9, for example in one of the upper transverse beams. The pressing-down arrangement 54 consequently has the function of finally separating the rim from the associated tyre by applying a force to the rim in the direction of the axis of symmetry 44 and in an essentially centred manner relative to this axis and thus relative to the rim. As shown in Fig. 1, the pressing-down device 51 can expediently be provided with a conical application surface 55 which is adapted so as to be applied against the edge of the central hole 27 irrespective of whether the hole displays certain variations from one rim to the next. The movement of the rim in the downward direction is

started by means of the pressing-down arrangement 50, the rim being made to pass through first the upper opening 29 and then the lower opening 8. Onward transport out of the stand 9 is ensured by means of the feed-out arrangement 16 which consists of some form of transport track, in the example shown an incline sheet metal chute, along which the rim can slide out to a collection point, for example a receiving container (not shown).

When the rim has been removed, the feed-out arrangement 17 for the tyre is actuated. This may also most simply consist of some form of incline chute which is directed towards a collection point for tyres, for example another container or quite simply a plane surface, such as a floor, the ground or the like. However, because the tyre is resting on a horizontal surface, some form of feed-out mechanism is required, which guides the tyre away from the platform 18. This may be done by, for example, the second transport track 7 with its two conveyor belts, which is actuated after the rim has been removed in order to guide the tyre out onto the chute.

Alternatively, feed-out can be effected by means of some form of power unit which pushes the tyre out by means of a mechanism (not shown).

Fig. 5 shows an example of a centring arrangement 56 for the wheels, which is required because it is desirable that the separation arrangement according to the invention can be used for tyres of varying dimensions without interim adjustment of component parts. The centring arrangement consists of, for example, a number of centring members 57,58,59,60, in the example shown four rollers arranged on pivot arms 61 which are each pivotably mounted in their own pivoting articulation 62 and driven by actuating devices 63 which are, for example, a piston cylinder of pneumatic or hydraulic type. The actuating devices 63 are driven in such a manner that the centring devices 57-60 centre each transported wheel 2 relative to a reference point, for example the vertical axis of symmetry 44.

The centring arrangement may be arranged in the space 21, that is to say around the opening 8 in the platform 18, in which case centring takes place after the tyre has been transported into position above the hole 8 of the first level. Alternatively, it is possible for centring to take place before the wheel has been finally transported into position above the opening 8, for example outside the stand. In this case, the wheel can be stopped on top of a mobile plate or tray provided with an opening of at least the same

diameter as the opening 8. The tray stands in a waiting position at a centring station provided with a centring arrangement 56 corresponding, for example, to that shown in Fig. 5. By virtue of the fact that the tyre is in this way centred relative to a reference point on the tray and is then fed onwards on the tray to its position on the platform 18, centring is thus brought about relative to the axis of symmetry 44 by virtue of the tray being positioned relative to at least two reference points, for example stop edges. A mechanism (not shown) is required in this case in order to ensure that a number of trays are positioned on the feed-in arrangement and then collecte from the feed-out arrangement. Alternatively, this can be carried out manually.

The individual arrangements forming part of the arrangement according to the invention for separating the tyre and the rim in a vehicle wheel and also the basic functioning of the individual arrangements have been described above. To sum up, the procedure or method for separating the tyre and the rim in a vehicle wheel using the arrangement according to the invention is described below. By means of the arrangement according to the invention, a number of vehicle wheels can be fed in in succession by means of the feed-in arrangement according to Fig. 1, in which connection it is ensured that the vehicle wheels 2 are transported stepwise, either by the first and the second transport track 5,7 being driven stepwise or by a stop mechanism placing the vehicle wheels in a queue and releasing these forwards one at a time in onto the platform 18 to its starting position which is shown by solid lines in Fig. 1 in a position in which it has been centred by means of the centring arrangement so that the axis of rotation of the wheel essentially coincides with the axis of symmetry 44 of the separation arrangement. With this, the vehicle wheel is located on its first level which is a lower starting level with the wheel supported by means of the platform 18. Then, the lifting arrangement 22 is actuated, which is made to perform a lifting movement along the axis of symmetry 44 by virtue of an integral hydraulic system applying a lifting force to the rim 4.

The associated tyre 3 is then applied with one of its sides, in the position shown the top side, against the stay member 19 at the same time as the rim is pressed up through the opening 20. In this connection, one tyre edge 28 is made to leave the associated rim edge 29, which is exposed, as is the region inside the rim edge. The rim is lifted to its second, that is to say its upper, raised level, the pressing-in level, the deformation level or the crimping level, on which the pressing-in arrangement 6 is located. The

lifting arrangement 22 is kept with its lifting member in its upper position, which is indicated by dot/dash lines, as a result of which the rim, in interaction with the tyre which is in this connection greatly compressed, is held in a very stable position.

With the rim on the second, raised level, the pressing-in arrangement is actuated, and, at points along the periphery of the rim below its upper edge 29, the radially movable pressing-in jaws apply an essentially equal, very great force for each pressing-in device 34,35,36 in the direction towards the axis of symmetry 44, that is to say towards the axis of rotation of the rim. shortly after the pressing-in at said points, the pressing-in surface 40'of the pressing-in jaws is applied against the rim edge 29, as a result of which the rim edge 29 is bent slightly upwards and inwards.

After pressing-in of the rim edge has been performed, the pressing-in devices are adjusted and the pressing-in jaws are withdrawn radially outwards by means of the hydraulic system to a position so that the rim is disengaged from the pressing-in devices. The lifting arrangement 22 is then adjusted so that it is lowered to its moved-away position below the feed-out arrangement 16, after which the pressing-down arrangement 50 is actuated so that a downwardly directed force along the line of symmetry 44 is applied against the rim 4. This downwardly pressing force frees the lower edge 32 of the tyre from the lower rim edge 33 by virtue of the fact that the tyre is in this connection stayed against the platform 18 around the opening 8. On account of the fact that the upper edge 29 of the rim is pressed in, this can pass both edges 28,32 of the tyre, and the rim can be pressed down through both openings 20,8 without the tyre being taken along or damaged. The rim is allowed to fall down onto the feed-out arrangement 16 and slide onwards in the direction of the arrow 66 to the collection point. The pressing-down arrangement 50 is returned to its upper starting position, after which the feed-out mechanism for the tyre 3 is actuated and guides the tyre out from the space 21 to the separate collection point for separated tyres.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above and shown in the drawings but can be varied within the scope of the patent claims below. The pressing-in arrangement 6 can be made in another manner. For example, two or more than three, for example four, five or six, pressing-in devices can be provided, in which connection the

pressing-in jaws can also be designed in a different manner. The arrangement according to the embodiment shown is especially suitable for steel rims. Pressing-in of aluminium rims may require the pressing-in jaws to have a different design. The centring arrangement may be designed in an entirely different manner and, if appropriate, be replaced by centring which is integrated with the pressing-in arrangement.