Method and apparatus for storing and transferring tires to a hook conveyor

Claim 1

Apparatus for storing, transferring and aligning tires to continuously movable hooks along the path of a hook conveyor from a position spaced from and below said conveyor comprising a tire carrier having a basket member, a chute having an inclined supporting surface extending from an entrance end to an exit end, gate means for retaining and releasing the tires located at said exit end, said gate means being rotatable about a generally horizontal axis for lowering at least one of said tires into said basket member, said tire carrier being movable vertically along a vertical mast member between a lower position adjacent and below said exit end of said chute for receiving said tires in said basket member and an upper position with said basket member in the path of said hook conveyor for transferring said tires to said hook conveyor, power means for raising and lowering said carrier between said lower position and said upper position, means for rotating said basket member about a vertical axis a predetermined amount to move said tires in said upper position into alignment with the path of said hook conveyor for movement of one of said movable hooks of said conveyor into the central aperture of one of said tires for engagement with one side of the sidewall to move said tire out of said basket member, said carrier comprising a slide member slidably mounted on said mast member for vertical movement and said basket member being pivotally connected to said slide member for rotational movement of said basket member about a vertical axis, cam means for rotating said basket member in one direction and resilient means for rotating said basket member in the opposite direction.