Apparatus for handing and moving a stack of tires

Abstract

A rotary apparatus or machine that takes or receives a barrel stack of mounted tires in the vertical position (i.e., barrel stacked), and rotates the stack as a whole to a horizontal position, where each unit or tire is an upright position. The tires can then be rolled off individually or in multiple units to be installed on the equipment being built, or transported from the tire holding area to the assembly floor or installation area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A machine, comprising:
 a tire support beam with a first end and a second end and a medial slot extending longitudinally;   wherein the tire support beam and tire receiving floor are adapted to move a stack of two or more tires between a substantially vertical alignment position and a substantially horizontal alignment position, or the reverse, by pivotably rotating around said first end or second end;   further wherein said second end is free to swing between positions.   
     
     
         2 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a receiving floor extending substantially orthogonally from the tire support beam. 
     
     
         3 . The machine of  claim 2 , further wherein the tire receiving floor is located in a tire loading area. 
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 3 , further comprising a security gate controlling access to the tire loading area. 
     
     
         5 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more pistons for moving the tire support beam between positions. 
     
     
         6 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein the tire receiving floor comprises a plurality of rollers. 
     
     
         7 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the tire support beam comprises a pair of parallel beams with a gap therebetween forming said slot. 
     
     
         8 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a ramp with a top and bottom. 
     
     
         9 . The machine of  claim 8 , wherein the tire support beam is substantially flush with the top of the ramp when the tire support beam is in the substantially horizontal alignment position. 
     
     
         10 . The machine of  claim 8 , further comprising one or more movable security arms extending across ramp. 
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a tire cage for holding a plurality of tires. 
     
     
         12 . The machine of  claim 11 , wherein the tire cage is movable.