The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 11, 1994
Filed:
Oct. 28, 1992
Gene DiFonso, Arlington, TX (US);
Joel L Staehs, DeSoto, TX (US);
Charles A Kemp, Richardson, TX (US);
William C Bortzfield, deceased, late of Grand Prarie, TX (US);
BAE Automated Systems, Inc., Carrollton, TX (US);
Abstract
Direction control assembly for a material handling car having travel wheels mounted thereon and adapted to operate on parallel rails, the control assembly comprising a ramp assembly adapted to receive and respond to a signal from a computer to direct a next approaching car onto one of a main track and a side track, a sensor upstream of the ramp assembly operative to detect the approach of the car and initiate the signal from the computer to the ramp assembly, a first guide wheel mounted on a first arm extending outwardly from the car on a first side of the car, a second guide wheel mounted on a second arm extending outwardly from the car on a second side of the car, each of the guide wheels being connected to a divert arm pivotally mounted on the car and having mounted thereon a divert wheel, the ramp assembly being adapted in response to the signal to assume a position in which part of the ramp assembly is engageable by one of the guide wheels, causing one of the divert arms to pivot and one of the divert wheels to engage a selected one of the first and second rails, whereby to lock the car to the selected rail, such that the car follows the selected rail into the selected one of the main track and the side track.