Jervis B. Webb Company

Daifuku Co., Ltd.

Jervis B. Webb International Company

Christopher John Murphy

Michael S Fleming

Robertus A Schmit

Noel F Dehne

Donald L Anderson

Donald L LeCroy

Todd Alderman

Ronald E Bliss

A system and method for storing and sequencing a plurality of luggage items. The method includes receiving at least one of the luggage items into a loading area from an entrance conveyor disposed in the loading area. Once received, the luggage items are moved from the entrance conveyor onto a shelf of a container with a loading assembly. The method continues with transporting the container from the loading area to the storage area with an automatic guided vehicle with the luggage item disposed on the shelf of the container. When the luggage items are ready to be processed, the method continues with transporting the first container from the storage area to the unloading area with the automatic guided vehicle with the received luggage item disposed on the shelf of the container. Different embodiments of the loading and unloading assemblies are provided.

System and method for storing and sequencing luggage items

A system and method for storing and sequencing a plurality of luggage items. The system includes containers with vertically stacked shelves and an automatic guided vehicle releasably attachable to the containers for transporting a container between a first predetermined area and a loading area with a loading assembly to move a luggage item from an entrance conveyor onto one of the shelves of the container. The containers may include wheels for being manually moved. A transport vehicle is provided for moving a plurality of containers together. The method includes determining a grouping criterion of the luggage item and sorting and sequencing luggage items onto containers according to the grouping criterion. Different embodiments of the loading assembly are provided with one using a packing automated vehicle and another using stacked platform conveyors. Several grouping criteria are provided which may depend on processing requirements of the luggage items.

A system and method of operating a checked bag reconciliation area of an airport. The method includes transporting a luggage item from an entrance mechanism to one of a plurality of inspection stations. Once the luggage item is at the inspection station, the method proceeds by conducting an inspection of the luggage item by the agent at the inspection station. The step of transporting the luggage item includes transporting the luggage item to the inspection station with the luggage item disposed on an automatic material handling device, and the step of conducting an inspection of the luggage item by the agent includes conducting the inspection of the luggage item while the luggage item is disposed on the automatic material handling device.

Method and system for automated luggage security inspection

A system and method for operating a luggage inspection area. The method includes providing an entrance mechanism wherein luggage items are received into the luggage inspection area. A primary inspection mechanism and a primary checked bag reconciliation area are provided that are configured to inspect a predetermined throughput of luggage items. A primary material handling device is provided that extends between the entrance mechanism, the primary inspection mechanism and the primary checked bag reconciliation area. The occurrence of an upcoming peak event is determined, and in response, a supplemental inspection mechanism, a supplemental checked bag reconciliation area and a first supplemental material handling device are provided. The supplemental components provide increased throughput of luggage items inspected during the occurrence of the peak event and are configured to be portable such that they may be quickly and easily be added and removed.

System and method for expanding a luggage inspection area

A system and method of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) that is capable of providing synchronized travel along a line or path while maintaining a desired takt time such that regular manufacturing operations may be performed to material or workpieces on the vehicle without the need for a traditional conveyor systems.

Method of material handling with automatic guided vehicles

A system and method of automatic guided vehicles that are capable of providing synchronized travel along a line or path such that regular manufacturing operations may be performed to material or workpieces on the vehicle without the need for a traditional conveyor systems.

An apparatus and method for guiding an automatic guided vehicle along a magnetic pathway and more specifically to an apparatus and a method capable of accurately and precisely following a weak magnetic field emitted by a substantially continuous passive magnetic marker having route junctions.

Automatic guided vehicle system and method

A conveyor system having a conveyor path and friction drive spaced along the path to drive carriers along the path. Each friction drive is controlled by a drive controller, which communicates tracking, routing, and other information directly to other drive controllers within range via a wireless signal. The drive controllers may also directly communicate wirelessly with a central controller. If the central controller or a desired destination drive controller is out of range of a particular drive controller, that drive controller may communicate through other drive controllers until the desired destination drive controller is reached, or a drive controller that is within range of the central controller is reached.

Method and apparatus for radio-controlled friction drive conveyor system

A vertical conveyor including first and second conveyors having first and second ends. The first conveyor is vertically aligned with and above the second conveyor. The vertical conveyor also includes a third conveyor having a free end and a coupled end. The third conveyor is pivotable about its coupled end to permit movement of its free end between a raised position and a lowered position and includes a reversible drive operable in a first direction to move an article toward the coupled end and in a second direction to move an article toward the free end. The free end is operably aligned with the first end of the first conveyor when the free end is in its raised position and operably aligned with the first end of the second conveyor when the free end is in its lowered position. The invention is also directed to a method of moving articles through a vertical conveyor that includes first, second, and third conveyors. The first conveyor is vertically aligned with the third conveyor and the second conveyor includes a free end and a coupled end. The method includes the steps of conveying the article from the first conveyor onto the second conveyor, pivoting the second conveyor into alignment with the third conveyor, and conveying the article from the second conveyor onto the third conveyor.

Vertical conveyor

A method of and apparatus for tracking data associated with a load being conveyed on a belt conveyor between a source station including a source station load sensor and a destination station including a destination station load sensor includes the steps of: generating a data record for the load at the source station, loading the data record into a programmable controller for controlling the conveyor, generating a pulse signal having a number of pulses directly proportional to the travel of the belt conveyor, establishing an expectation window indicating expected arrival of the load at the destination station, establishing a distance field for the load using the smaller of the distance between the load and any preceding load on the belt conveyor or the distance between the load and the destination load sensor, sensing the leading edge of the load by the destination station load sensor, comparing the distance between the source and destination load sensors and detecting any slippage of the load on the belt and updating the data record in the controller based on the detected load slippage to coincide with the actual position of the load on the conveyor at the destination station.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Christopher John Murphy