Intelligrated Headquarters, LLC

Other

Carnegie Mellon University

Bw Integrated Systems, LLC

Michael L Girtman

Matthew R Wicks

John E Simons

Joshua McCollum

Thomas S Simone

Thomas Michael Ferner

Steven W Griggs

Brian E Neville

Nathan Blough

Dean Roper

Herman Herman

Kenneth S Wales

Gabriel Goldman

Grant Repke Jeremiah

Dominic George Clucas

Michael J Roth

Jose Gonzalez-Mora

Katharina Muelling

Matt Wicks

Michael Donovan McCarthy

Ted Clucas

Tim Beilsmith

Randall K Hemingway

Moaz Nabeel

Dominic G Clucas

Brent S Ytterberg

Christopher J Williams

Jose Gonzales-Mora

A depalletizing machine () is operative to separate layers of containers () that are positioned in supported connection with a pallet (). The layers are separated on the pallet by dunnage sheets (). A top frame () is positioned on top of the layers of containers. The machine operates to remove the top frame and dunnage sheets and sequentially sweep each layer of containers onto a take away and holding conveyor (). A pick head () is operative to engage the top frame and dunnage sheets. Dunnage sheet grippers () and a dunnage sheet leveler () operate to assure that the containers are reliably removed while maintaining the proper orientation. The exemplary machine further operates to collect the top frame and dunnage sheets and place them on the empty pallet from which the containers have been removed. Mixed dunnage stacks including returned pallets are separated through operation of a dunnage separating cell () to facilitate the reuse of the dunnage material.

Depalletizing machine

The present disclosure relates to a material handling system for manipulating items. The material handling system includes a repositioning system comprising a robotic tool which includes a robotic arm portion and an end effector. The robotic tool is configured to manipulate an item in a first orientation and reorient the item to a second orientation. The material handling system further includes a vision system having one or more sensors positioned within the material handling system. The vision system is configured to generate inputs corresponding to the characteristics of the items. The material handling system may further include a controller executing instructions to cause the material handling system to identify the item in the first orientation, based on the one or more characteristics of the item, initiate, by the repositioning system, picking of the item in the first orientation, and re-orient the item in the second orientation.

Method and system for manipulating items

A robotic carton unloader for automatic unloading of cartons from a carton pile stacked within a trailer. In various embodiments, a robotic carton unloader may comprise a conveyor system, a manipulator movably attached to an end of a robotic positioner and configured to dislodge one or more cartons from a carton pile; and a frame comprising a bumper configured to be pressed against the carton pile below one or more cartons being dislodged from the carton pile by the manipulator to stabilize the carton pile below the one or more cartons being dislodged; and a shelf configured to catch the one or more cartons dislodged from the carton pile and guide the one or more cartons dislodged from the carton pile onto the conveyor system.

Robotic carton unloader

Various embodiments described herein generally relate to techniques for conveying articles on a conveyor system of a robotic carton unloader in a material handling environment. In accordance with an embodiment, the robotic carton unloader includes angled center guides for conveying and guiding one or more articles on one or more individually actuatable zones of the center conveyor. In this aspect, one or more zones may be actuated selectively to move rollers-driven belts of respective zones, in either of an upstream direction or a downstream direction, to separate and convey cartons on the center conveyor.

An autonomous device for loading and unloading trucks comprises a mobile body, a robot arm and a body conveyor system to convey cartons during loading and unloading. A manipulator attaches to a moveable end of the robot arm and is maneuverable within the tight confines of the truck. The manipulator picks up a row of articles at a first location and places the row of articles down at a second location. The manipulator is reconfigurable to match to both locations.

Autonomous truck loader and unloader

A vacuum coupling applies vacuum from a vacuum source to a rotating tool attached to a rotating end of a robotic arm. The vacuum coupling includes a rotating portion attaching the rotating tool to the rotating end of the robotic arm. The rotating portion communicates vacuum with the rotating tool. A fixed portion is positioned around the rotating portion such that the rotating portion is rotatable relative to the fixed portion. The fixed portion communicates vacuum to the rotating portion. At least one rotating vacuum seal is positioned between the fixed portion and the rotating portion.

Vacuum coupling for robot arm

A robotic carton unloader is configured for automatic unloading of cartons from a carton pile. In various embodiments, the robotic carton unloader may include a mobile body, a movable robotic arm attached to the mobile body and comprising an end effector, a conveyor system having a front portion, and a lift attached to the mobile body and the front portion of the conveyor system to move the front portion. In some embodiments, the conveyor system may comprise a front-end shelf conveyor configured to be moved (e.g., raised, lowered, laterally moved, tilted, etc.) relative to the body of the unloader. The front-end shelf conveyor may be moved separately for positioning below the robotic arm in order to receive cartons from a small distance. The front-end shelf conveyor may be moved via various mechanisms (e.g., scissor lifts, pedestal lifts, etc.).

PLC controlled robotic carton unloader

A robotic carton unloader for unloading cartons in a carton pile has a mobile body and a movable robotic arm attached to the mobile body that has an end effector at a movable end thereof to unload cartons from the carton pile. A conveyor system is attached to the mobile body and extends from front to rear of the carton unloader to convey cartons received thereon by the moveable robotic arm. The conveyor system comprises a central portion carried on the mobile body and a front portion extending therefrom towards the carton pile. The front portion is configured to change width from narrow to wider to act as a shield to catch and then move falling cartons received thereon.

A self-aligning interface () is attached to a robotic carton unloader () and provides an interface between an extendable conveyor () and the robotic carton unloader (). The self-aligning interface () can include a positional measurement device () mounted on the robotic carton unloader () and operatively engaged with the extendable conveyor () to provide positional information about the location of the extendable nose conveyor () relative to the positional measurement device (). A control unit () is attached to the robotic carton unloader () for full robotic control of robotic carton unloader () and the unloading process. The control unit () is connected to the positional measurement device () and the extendable conveyor (). The control unit () uses positional information to calculate and control extension and retraction movements of the extendable conveyor () in unison with the forward and reverse movements of the robotic carton unloaderto ensure unloaded cartons () exiting the moving truck unloader are received on the extendable conveyor ().

Carton unloader with self-aligning interface

A robotic carton unloader for automatic unloading of canons from a carton pile. In various embodiments, a robotic carton unloader may comprise a mobile body, a movable robotic arm attached to the mobile body and comprising an end effector configured to unload a row of cartons in a side-by-side orientation from the carton pile, and a conveyor system mounted on the mobile body and configured to receive the row of cartons from the end effector in the side-by-side orientation. In various embodiments the conveyor system may comprise a front-end descrambler and a central descrambler coupled to the front-end descrambler. In various embodiments, the robotic arm may be configured to straddle at least a portion of the mobile body and at least a portion of the conveyor system such that the conveyor system conveys cartons from the carton pile through the robotic arm.

A robotic carton unloader for unloading a carton pile resting on a floor includes a mobile body movable across the floor on more than one wheel. A conveyor system mounted on the mobile body conveys unloaded cartons thereon. A robotic arm assembly has a manipulator head attached to a front end of the upper arm assembly. The manipulator head engages at least one carton at a time from a carton pile resting on a floor for movement to the conveyor system. A built-in jacking apparatus is extendable from the mobile body to a floor to raise the mobile body a distance sufficient to raise at least one of the more than one wheel away from contacting the floor.

Robotic carton unloader with integral extraction mechanism

An apparatus and a method of using a plurality of dual acting cylinders to acquire articles with vacuum cups is disclosed. A robot arm comprises a manipulator movable with the robot arm with the plurality of dual acting cylinders attached to the manipulator. The robot arm is configured to passively conform to a plurality of irregular articles by extending dual acting cylinders from manipulator and moving the manipulator distally with the robot arm to conform to the plurality of irregular articles. The movement causes each dual acting cylinder to passively and proximally retract from the contact of the vacuum cup with a respective irregular article and passively conform the vacuum cups and dual acting cylinders to the plurality of irregular articles. Each vacuum cup can adhere to and can manipulate acquired articles with vacuum.

Growing community of inventors

O'Fallon, MO, United States of America

Michael L Girtman