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:
Oct. 14, 1997
Filed:
Sep. 06, 1995
Gordon L Higman, Dexter, MI (US);
John Strand, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
James J Gould, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Chris D Erickson, Saline, MI (US);
Symorex, Ltd., Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An automated material handling system utilizing one or more train-type guided vehicles moving along a rail with each train including a locomotive pulling a plurality of trolleys. Each trolley includes a tiltable tray, an onboard CPU, and onboard sensors for sensing information with respect to the product being carried by the tray. The sensed information is transmitted to the CPU of the trolley where it is stored and also transmitted to a CPU in the locomotive. The locomotive CPU is in radio frequency contact with an off-track dispatch computer controlling the overall operation of the material handling system. The CPU of each trolley is also in infrared communication with local CPU's positioned at unloading stations so that the CPU on each car may receive information by infrared transmission from local CPU's, information generated onboard by the onboard sensors, and command information from the locomotive CPU. The information sensed onboard may include the disposition of the tray, the presence or absence of a product load on the tray, and the size, position, orientation, weight, identification, and temperature of the product load. The system includes a shift mechanism for moving the tray between a left tilt position and a right tilt position to facilitate loading, transport and unloading of a product from the trolleys.