Caterpillar Industrial Inc.

Robert L McNutt

John E Wible

Ian J Dawson

Robert D Higgins

Bernard E Erlacher

Automatic guided vehicle

An arrangement for sensing an object relative to the side of a vehicle requires physical contact between the arrangement and the object. Therefore, mechanically operated object sensing arrangements are prone to damage, frequent malfunctions, and premature failure. An object sensing arrangement for identifying an object within a preselected minimum distance spaced from a first side of a vehicle has first reflective target movably connected to the first side at a location on the first side adjacent a first end portion, and a first connecting apparatus movably connects a first signaling apparatus to the first side at a first location on the first side adjacent a frame second end portion. The first signaling apparatus delivers a first signal to the first reflective target and receives a reflection of the first delivered signal from the first reflective target. The first connecting apparatus is movable in a direction toward the first side and in a passing relationship with the first side in response to an external force being applied to the first connecting apparatus. Therefore, the aforementioned problems related to damage caused by physical contact and the like are alleviated. The object sensing arrangement is particularly suited for use on a material handling vehicle.

Object sensing arrangement

Detection systems for identifying an object in the path of a vehicle are affected by external interferences which render them unreliable. An oscillating scanner arrangement having first and second spaced apart transceiver assemblies is mounted on a frame of the work vehicle at spaced apart locations and are each pivotally movable between spaced apart angular positions. First and second devices pivotally connect the first and second transceiver assemblies respectively to the frame, and a power device reciprocally moves the first transceiver assembly between the first and second positions. A tie arrangement connects the first transceiver assembly to the second transceiver assembly and reciprocally moves the second transceiver assembly between the third and fourth positions. Thus, the problems related to external interference are solved in an efficient and economical manner. The oscillating scanner arrangement is particularly suited for use on a material handling vehicle.

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Painesville, OH, United States of America

Robert L McNutt