United States Postal Service

Leung Man Shiu

Edward F Houston

John W Brown

Juan A Roman

Matthew Gene Good

Riley H Mayhall

William P McConnell

Thomas Anthony Hillerich, Jr

Jacob L Timm

Robert E Hume

Scott R Bombaugh

Anthony B Taylor

Robert L Schlender

Christopher D Austin

Reza Badri

Dongliang Yang

James E Goodbar, Iii

Darin Dickey

Long Ha

George R Laws

Timothy B Barnum

Tuyen Thanh Nguyen

Erich Joseph Petre

Riley Houston Mayhall, Iii

Thomas A Hillerich

Mark David Bittenbender

Michael Joseph Goldberg

Long K Ha

This disclosure relates to systems and methods of towing, hitching, and connecting devices. In particular, this disclosure relates to tow devices, hitches, and connections for towing item containers behind vehicles, both autonomous and manually guided.

Hitches and connections for automated guided vehicle

Systems and methods for commanding, controlling, and guiding automated guided vehicles ('AGVs'). Automated systems translate AGV commands according to AGV manufacturers. AGVs can be summoned and destinations be determined automatically.

Systems and methods for automated guided vehicle control

Systems and methods for towing, hitching, and connecting devices are described. An autonomous guided vehicle includes an automated hitch capable of connecting to a variety of types of containers.

Automated hitch for automated vehicle

Tow device for automated guided vehicle

Embodiments of a system and method for shingulating, singulating, and synchronizing articles in an article feeder system are disclosed. The article feeder system may include a shingulating device configured to receive a stack of articles and to produce a positively lapped stack of articles, a plurality of picking devices configured to pick one or more articles from the positively lapped stack of articles and to produce one or more singulated articles, and one or more synchronization devices configured to deliver the one or more singulated articles to one or more sorter windows.

System and method of article feeder operation

A system of mitigating force in a mechanical system, the system comprising a frame member, a first rail connected to the frame member, a second rail connected to the frame member and extending along the frame member in parallel to the first rail, an assembly movably engaging the first and second rails, and a first bracket located between the first and second rails, with at least one first bracket attachment secured to the frame member, the first bracket sharing an upper edge with a lower edge of the first rail, such that a downward force applied on the first rail is distributed to the first bracket and the frame member via the at least one first bracket attachment.

System and method for improved fixation of flats sequencing system linear actuator

A device for reducing rotation of an article during singulation of a stack of articles is disclosed. The device may include a torsion element, a rotatable member configured to rotate about an elongated axis of the torsion element between a first position and a second position, and a revolving member coupled to the rotatable member. An outer surface of the revolving member contacts a drive belt in the first position and an article in the second position. The torsion element exerts torque on the rotatable member when it moves from the first position towards the second position. The torque causes the outer surface of the revolving member to apply a frictional force to the article, thereby minimizing rotation of the article. Systems and methods of singulating articles are also disclosed.

Anti-rotation device and method of use

Embodiments of a system and method for unloading articles from a container of items for use in an automatic stack feeder are disclosed. The automatic stack feeder may comprise a belt, a moveable lower paddle, and a moveable upper paddle, wherein the lower paddle is configured to partially extend through a belt of the automatic stack feeder. The movement of the belt, the lower paddle, and the upper paddle are coordinated such that there is no need to interrupt the operation of the automatic stack feeder to unload the container.

System and method of unloading a container of items

Embodiments of a system and method for singulating articles in an automatic stack feeder are disclosed. The automatic stack feeder may comprise a pressure sensor on a perforated drive belt assembly configured to sense the pressure exerted by a stack of articles. The sensed pressure may be used to control various portions of the automatic stack feeder, such as a belt or a paddle.

System and method of automatic feeder stack management

Growing community of inventors

Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America

Leung Man Shiu