Caterpillar Industrial Inc.

Caterpillar Inc.

Paul D Grohsmeyer

Joseph J Harding

John E Wible

Andrew P Blau

Darren L Krahn

An apparatus controllably moves the forks of a material handling vehicle in traverse directions relative to a carriage assembly. The carriage assembly includes fork position sensors which detect the transverse location of each fork. A controller receives signals from the position sensors and moves the forks to locations a preselected or calculated distance apart. Forktip sensors detect the opening in a load during movement of the forks. The controller receives signals from the forktip sensors and positions the forks such that they are disposable within the load opening. The apparatus is especially suitable for use on an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV).

Apparatus and method for controllably positioning forks of a material

A contactor assembly having contacting head portion is mounted on a vehicle and a receiving device is mounted on a load transfer station. The contactor assembly and receiving device is provided for transferring electrical energy from a source of electrical energy between the load transfer station and the vehicle and improves the flexibility of load transfer station location and relocation. The contacting head portion is transversely movable between first and second spaced apart locations relative to the vehicle and into engagement with the receiving device. A sensing device is provided for sensing the position of the vehicle relative to the load transfer station and delivering an actuator control signal to an actuating device in response to the contacting head portion and the receiving device being aligned for mating engagement. The actuating device moves the contacting head portion from the first position to the second position in response to the receiving the actuating control signal. The contactor assembly is particularly suited for use on an automatic guided vehicle.

Power transferring arrangement

Automatic guided vehicle (AGV) road system generation and modification are fully integrated and incorporated as part of facility planning. The plant facility planning computer system and the AGV computer system mutually share navigation and plant layout information, as well as AGV road system and floor layout modifications. The facility planning computer is also capable of receiving AGV position information and displaying the vehicles graphically superimposed over the plant layout display, with near real time accuracy.

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Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Paul D Grohsmeyer