SPARE TIRE REPLACEMENT METHOD AND CENTERING DEVICE

PURPOSE:To make a facility small and simple through the reduction of the burden of a robot and a robot computer by making a constitution in which one of different kind spare tires is retained horizontally and held at the arm of transfer robot after the centering of horizontal and vertical directions. CONSTITUTION:A space tire T is horizontally transported by means of a horizontal conveyor 6, and regulated approximately widthwise by means of guide plates 6a, 6a, on its way, and stopped, and then, positioning approximately at the lower surface and front surface references is done. Next, a centering device 10 is descended, and a holding arm is contracted at the lower limit position. The horizontal and vertical directions of the space tire T is decided by this centering device operation. Then, the holding arm is ascended, and the spare tire T is turned over at the upper limit position, and a spare tire transfer robot 30 arm tip portion is descended, and inserted into a tire T wheel hole, and the tire T is mounted on a standby vehicle. At this time, the wheel of the tire T is made of metal, so its size precision is good, resulting in no special sensor required at the time of the robot 30 arm tip portion traveling to receive the wheel.