Taylor, Stephen Thomas (3/43 Tawhiri Road, One Tree Hill, AUCKLAND, NZ)
| 1. | A wheel rim stacking device to stack at least two wheel rims in a co axial and vertical relationship, said device including: an annular flange including an inwardly directed substantially cylindrical shaped wall of a diameter substantially commensurate with the outside diameter of a rim flange of a said wheel rim to allow a said wheel rim to be located with said cylindrical wall which is to be located on the outside of said rim flange, said cylindrical wall having an upper edge and a lower edge, said annular flange having extending therefrom a radially inwardly extending landing web positioned intermediate of said upper and lower edge of said cylindrical wall, said landing web presenting (a) an upwardly facing surface by which a lower more positioned rim flange of a said wheel rim can engage to provide a vertical support to an upper more of said wheel rims and (b) lower surface to locate on top of the upper more positioned rim flange of an adjacent lower of said wheel rims said annular flange having disposed at its periphery at least one means to lock said apparatus with a like means to lock of a like stacking device positioned adjacent thereto in order to allow two or more adjacent stacks of such device supported wheel rims to depend from each other. |
| 2. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said two adjacent devices engaged with each other are coplanar. |
| 3. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said means to lock are provided, positioned at the outer periphery of said annular flange and in diametrically opposed locations. |
| 4. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein four pairs of said means to lock are provided, each pair positioned equispaced at the periphery of said annular flange. |
| 5. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said means to lock permits releasable lockability to a like means to lock of a like and adjacent device. |
| 6. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said means to lock is a catch and is integrally formed with the annular member. |
| 7. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said landing web includes on its upwardly directed surface an upstand located radially inward of said annular flange and projecting in said upwardly direction preferably no higher that said upper edge. |
| 8. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said upstand is an endless annular rib concentric with said annular flange. |
| 9. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in claim 7 wherein a plurality of discrete upstands are positioned along a line concentric with said annular flange. |
| 10. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein each said means to lock includes a slot extending in the upward/downward direction into which a leg of a bifurcated locking element can locate, the other leg of said bifurcated locking element likewise engagable with an adjacent device such that the locking element can selectively engage adjacent devices together. |
| 11. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein two pairs of said means to lock are provided for the engagement to a like and adjacent device. |
| 12. | A wheel rim stacking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein said array includes at least two rows and two columns (when viewed in plan) of apparatus. |
| 13. | In a second aspect the present invention consists in a stack of wheel rims comprising at least one lower most wheel rim positioned with its axis vertically and at least one other wheel rim located adjacent and above said lower most wheel rim and with its axis coaxial with said lower most wheel rim, wherein a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 is interposed between said adjacent wheel rims of said stack. |
| 14. | A stack of wheel rims as claimed in claim 13 wherein said stack is interconnected with an adjacent stack by the coupling together of the co planar located device of adjacent an stack. |
| 15. | A stack of wheel rims as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 14 wherein capping means are provided are each end of said stack, said capping means capable of locating strapping to extend about said stack (end to end) to hold said wheel rims in the axial direction together. |
| 16. | A stack of wheel rims as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein each said capping member is located over the upper and lower most beads of said upper and lower most wheel rims. |
| 17. | Two adjacent stacks of wheel rims wherein each stack consists of at least two adjacent wheel rims positioned coaxially with each other wherein the axis extends substantially vertically, and wherein a rim stacking apparatus is interposed between adjacent wheel rims of a said stack, wherein adjacent stacks are engaged to each other via the interconnection of the rim stacking apparatus. |
| 18. | Two adjacent stacks of wheel rims as claimed in claim 17 wherein said rim stacking apparatus is provided coplanar to each other within each stack. |
| 19. | Two adjacent stacks of wheel rims as claimed in claim 17 or 18 wherein each stack of wheel rims is engaged with a stack adjacent thereto by means to lock disposed at the perimeter at each rim stacking apparatus. |
| 20. | Two adjacent stacks of wheel rims as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein a catch mechanism is provided by one rim stacking apparatus that permits releasable lockability to a like catch of an adjacent rim stacking apparatus of an adjacent stack. |
| 21. | Two adjacent stacks of wheel rims as claimed in claim 20 wherein the catch may be integrally formed with the rim stacking apparatus. |
| 22. | A method of providing at least two adjacent wheel rims in a stack formation, characterised by the steps of : (i) placing onto a first wheel rim, a wheel rim stacking device of a kind which includes at least one annular flange having an inwardly facing cylindrical surface of a diameter commensurate with the external diameter of a rim flange of said lower most wheel and including a landing web extending radially inwardly from said annular flange, such that a lower directed surface of said web engages at said rim flange with said lower most wheel, said stacking device also presenting an upwardly facing surface of said landing web (ii) placing onto said upwardly facing surface of said landing web a second wheel rim, said second wheel rim captured by said annular flange in a manner coaxial with said first wheel rim (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) with a subsequent wheel rim to generate a stack of wheel rims wherein the stacking devices of a first of said stacks are engaged with like stacking devices of an adjacent stack by means of a locking mechanism. |
| 23. | A container which has located therein a plurality of stacks of wheel rims wherein each stack consists of at least two wheel rims wherein interposed between each adjacent wheel rim of each stack there is a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12. |
More particularly the present invention relates to improvements in apparatus and methods for stacking a plurality of vehicle wheel rims, for storage and/or transportation purposes.
BACKGROUND Once manufactured, a wheel rim, needs to be transported to the particular sales destinations.
Present methods for transporting wheel rims in large quantities involve stacking the rims on top of each other in columns on pallets.
To ensure that movement and friction between adjacent rims does not cause damage, (which may detract from the aesthetic or functional qualities of the wheel rims), a formed corrugated cardboard tray is typically placed on a wooden pallet. Wheels are then placed inside the tray. Corrugated cardboard dividers are then placed between the wheels. Another corrugated cardboard tray is then placed upon top of a singe layer of wheels and the process is repeated until the desired palletised height has been reached. Another corrugated cardboard tray is placed on top of the last layer and the palletised load is strapped down using appropriate strapping such as plastic webbing.
However, inevitably, whether by movement in transporting the pallets to the shipping containers, or movement within the shipping containers themselves, the columns move relative to each other and make the load unstable.
Further, the cardboard compresses, causing the strapping to slacken, and the stack to become unstable. Moisture may also affect the integrity of the cardboard.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved wheel rim stacking device to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect the present invention consists in a wheel rim stacking device to stack at least two wheel rims in a co axial and vertical relationship, said device including: an annular flange including an inwardly directed substantially cylindrical shaped wall of a diameter substantially commensurate with the outside diameter of a rim flange of a said wheel rim to allow a said wheel rim to be located with said cylindrical wall which is to be located on the outside of said rim flange, said cylindrical wall having an upper edge and a lower edge, said annular flange having extending therefrom a radially inwardly extending landing web positioned intermediate of said upper and lower edge of said cylindrical wall, said landing web presenting (a) an upwardly facing surface by which a lower more positioned rim flange of a said wheel rim can engage to provide a vertical support to an upper more of said wheel rims and (b) lower surface to locate on top of the upper more positioned rim flange of an adjacent lower of said wheel rims said annular flange having disposed at its periphery at least one means to lock said apparatus with a like means to lock of a like stacking device positioned adjacent thereto in order to allow two or more adjacent stacks of such device supported wheel rims to depend from each other.
Preferably said two adjacent devices engaged with each other are co- planar.
Preferably said means to lock are provided, positioned at the outer periphery of said annular flange and in diametrically opposed locations.
Preferably four pairs of said means to lock are provided, each pair positioned equispaced at the periphery of said annular flange.
Preferably said means to lock permits releasable lockability to a like means to lock of a like and adjacent device.
Preferably said means to lock is a catch and is integrally formed with the annular member.
Preferably said landing web includes on its upwardly directed surface an upstand located radially inward of said annular flange and projecting in said upwardly direction preferably no higher that said upper edge.
Preferably said upstand is an endless annular rib concentric with said annular flange.
Preferably a plurality of discrete upstands are positioned along a line concentric with said annular flange.
Preferably each said means to lock includes a slot extending in the upward/downward direction into which a leg of a bifurcated locking element can locate, the other leg of said bifurcated locking element likewise engagable with an adjacent device such that the locking element can selectively engage adjacent devices together.
Preferably two pairs of said means to lock are provided for the engagement to a like and adjacent device.
Preferably said array includes at least two rows and two columns (when viewed in plan) of apparatus.
In a second aspect the present invention consists in a stack of wheel rims comprising at least one lower most wheel rim positioned with its axis vertically and at least one other wheel rim located adjacent and above said lower most wheel rim and with its axis coaxial with said lower most wheel rim, wherein a device as hereinbefore described is interposed between said adjacent wheel rims of said stack.
Preferably said stack is interconnected with an adjacent stack by the coupling together of the co planar located device of adjacent an stack.
Preferably capping means are provided are each end of said stack, said capping means capable of locating strapping to extend about said stack (end to end) to hold said wheel rims in the axial direction together.
Preferably each said capping member is located over the upper and lower most beads of said upper and lower most wheel rims.
In a further aspect the present invention consists in two adjacent stacks of wheel rims wherein each stack consists of at least two adjacent wheel rims positioned coaxially with each other wherein the axis extends substantially vertically, and wherein a rim stacking apparatus is interposed between adjacent wheel rims of a said stack, wherein adjacent stacks are engaged to each other via the interconnection of the rim stacking apparatus.
Preferably said rim stacking apparatus is provided coplanar to each other within each stack.
Preferably each stack of wheel rims is engaged with a stack adjacent thereto by means to lock disposed at the perimeter at each rim stacking apparatus.
Preferably a catch mechanism is provided by one rim stacking apparatus that permits releasable lockability to a like catch of an adjacent rim stacking apparatus of an adjacent stack.
Preferably the catch may be integrally formed with the rim stacking apparatus.
In a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of providing at least two adjacent wheel rims in a stack formation, characterised by the steps of : (i) placing onto a first wheel rim, a wheel rim stacking device of a kind which includes at least one annular flange having an inwardly facing cylindrical surface of a diameter commensurate with the external diameter of a rim flange of said lower most wheel and including a landing web extending radially inwardly from said annular flange, such that a lower directed surface of
said web engages at said rim flange with said lower most wheel, said stacking device also presenting an upwardly facing surface of said landing web (ii) placing onto said upwardly facing surface of said landing web a second wheel rim, said second wheel rim captured by said annular flange in a manner coaxial with said first wheel rim (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) with a subsequent wheel rim to generate a stack of wheel rims wherein the stacking devices of a first of said stacks are engaged with like stacking devices of an adjacent stack by means of a locking mechanism.
In a further aspect the present invention consists in a container which has located therein a plurality of stacks of wheel rims wherein each stack consists of at least two wheel rims wherein interposed between each adjacent wheel rim of each stack there is a device as hereinbefore described.
This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth. For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred. It is being understood however that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of the layout according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a preferred embodiment of a catch mechanism; Figure 4 shows a joining element to fit in with the catch mechanism shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of a connecting disk of the present invention; Figure 6 is a plan view of a plurality of connecting disks engaged to each other to define a six array member to interpose between 12 rims; Figure 7A & 7B show a traditional container layout method; Figure 8 is a front view of an alternative form of a joining element; Figure 9 is a side view of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a plan view of Figure 8; Figure 11 is a perspective view of Figure 8; Figure 12 is a close up view of part of two connecting disks and showing the use of the joining elements to join the two disks together; Figure 13 is a sectional view through section XX of Figure 12; Figure 14 is a sectional view through section YY of Figure 5; Figure 15 is a sectional view through section ZZ of Figure 5; Figure 16 is a close up plan view showing the catch region of the connecting disk; Figure 17 is a side view of a connecting disk of the present invention; and Figure 18 is an exploded view of a stack of rims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a plan view of a number of stacks of wheel rims using the device according to the present invention shown by general arrow 1.
With reference to Figures 2 and 5, there is shown a cross section of the connecting disk according to the present invention shown by general arrow 20.
The disk 20 comprises a central substantially annular ring or flange 23. In some embodiments the disk may be a whole disk portion.
Depending perpendicularly from the annular flange 23 is a landing web.
The landing web is dependent from the annular flange 23 to extend radially inwardly therefrom. The annular flange 23 includes an interior cylindrical surface 24 which is substantially of the same diameter as the exterior diameter of a wheel rim at its rim flange. With reference to Figure 14, part of a wheel rim is shown engaged with the apparatus of the present invention wherein the wheel rim flange 63 is located on top of the upwardly directed surface 64 of the landing web 21 and against the inwardly facing cylindrical surface 24 of the annular flange 23. The wheel rim 65 thereby has extended about the flange 63 the apparatus of the present invention. The wheel is thereby captured in a direction lateral to the axial direction of the wheel within the device of the present invention. Likewise the lower directed surface 68 of the radially extending web 21 can engage onto the upper rim flange region of a lower wheel rim shown in phantom. The cylindrical surface 25 of the annular flange 23 is preferably of the same diameter as the diameter of the upper flange of the lower wheel rim to thereby allow it to be captured snugly within the perimeter of the cylindrical surface 25 of the flange 23.
Figure 3 shows the exterior periphery of a joining disk 30 according to the present invention.
The apparatus for locking wheels of a stack or connecting disks 2 and 3 (shown in a 3 x 3 configuration) include fastening means or catches 4 and 5.
The number of wheel rims stacked in the column, and the number of columns will depend on the transport and container requirements.
The present invention will allow a plurality of columns to be connected together at many points along the height of the column to an adjacent column, providing a stable matrix.
The susceptibility to sway movement is thereby greatly reduced.
It is envisaged that the present invention may be used in conjunction with traditional methods of strapping and palletising.
Adjacent catch pairs 6 and 7 are joined via a joining element 60. A matrix of stacks in a joined configuration shown in the Figure 1 provides for laterally and vertically stable stacks of wheel rims.
The joining elements or locking elements 60 as for example shown in Figures 8-11 includes two bifurcated leg sections 61 which can slot into a groove 34 of the locking means of two adjacent stacking devices.
On the exterior of the flange 23 there is a catch or fastening means 31.
The catch 31 includes two oppositely facing portions 32 and 33 which collectively form a"T"section 34. It can be seen that portion 33 is distanced further from the outside of the disk 30 than portion 32. This is so that when adjacent disks in the same place of an adjacent stack are placed against each other, both of the catches 31 that are preferably positioned in pairs equally distanced apart on four regions on the exterior of the disk, will be substantially aligned near one another for easy joining using the joining element shown in Figure 4.
The number of catches provided, and their relative position on the disk will be chosen according to the stacking requirements.
For example, if four columns of rims are stacked to form a substantially square configuration the catches may be located at positions where the tangents of those positions on the periphery are substantially perpendicular.
However other catches such as clips, bolts and so forth may be used.
Reference to a stacking device may be made with reference to either a flat circular section, with perpendicularly depending annular flanges, or situations where the interior of the flat circular section has been removed so that the flat part of the disk upon which the wheel rim resides is. in fact an annular ring, with the perpendicularly depending annular flanges.
The present invention allows wheel to wheel movement of wheels in a stack to be reduced during the shipping procedure. Thus, the palletised stack remains stable and. secure. This has obvious safety advantages, but also reduces
the amount of the labour required at either end of the shipping process. This has a corresponding beneficial commercial effect.
A precise loading pattern can be formed and therefore pallet and container loading can be optimised.
By joining each layer together a very stable load for transporting the wheel rims is the result. Further, by containing a single wheel rim in a protected area reduces the risk of en route damage to the individual wheel rims.
Figure 4 shows a joining element 40 that is adapted to be slotted into the T section 34 of Figure 3. The joining element 40 has a top section 41, with bifurcated end side sections 42 and 43. There is a centrally located wall 44.
Together, the centrally located wall 44 and the ends 42 and 43 form a"T"shape, that is configured as a slot inside the T space 34 shown in Figure 3. There is also provided lugs 45 that may be used to secure the joining element in place by providing a snap lock fit.
Figure 7A shows a top layer of an existing container layout whereas Figure 7B shows the bottom layer of an existing container layout. The plan view shows 36 pallets per container with the pallets stacked two high in the container.
Each section consists of a nine wheel per layer stack and a six wheel per layer stack.
Whilst it is envisaged that the present invention will allow for wheels of a same diameter to be stacked on top of each other, it may be that in a stack a plurality of different diameter wheel rims are provided. It is a possibility for the cylindrical surface of the annular flange 23 to be presented at different diameters.
For example the cylindrical surface 24 above the upwardly directed surface 64 of the web 21 may be of a greater or smaller diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical surface 25 below the web.
The web 21 is preferably located between the upper edge 70 and the lower edge 80 of the cylindrical surface 24,25 of the annular flange 23. However where a capping means is to be provided to the stack either at the top or bottom of the stack, a capping member similar to the locking apparatus of the present
invention may be provided but wherein the web 21 is positioned proximate more or at the upper or lower edges 70,80. Furthermore for the capping member, a fill region is preferably provided inwardly of the annular flange 23 which provides protection to the exposed upper or lower surfaces of the end wheel rims of the stack.
With reference to Figure 15, a wheel rim of a kind which may have a rim flange with an external and internal diameter, a further upstand may be provided from the radial web 21. Such an upstand 29 is preferably provided from one or both sides of the upwardly or downwardly directed surfaces 64, 68 of the radial web 21. The upstands 29 are radially more inwardly than the cylindrical surfaces of the annular flange and can be located against an inward radius 66 of the rim flange 80 of a wheel rim. This may provide additional stability to the arrangement. The upstand 29 may come in the form of a series of upstands placed along a concentric line concentric to the substantially circular (in plan shape) annular flange 23 or may be a continuous concentric upstand.