Computer controlled conveyor system
First Claim
1. A computer-controlled overhead conveyor system comprising:
- a plurality of conveyor track segments joined together to form a track system including identification means associated with each track segment for identifying each track segment;
a plurality of self-propelled vehicles confined to travel along said track system, each vehicle including reader means for reading said track segment identification means and storage means for storing the identification information;
computer control means for controlling the movement of said vehicles along said track system, said control means including memory means for storing information corresponding to each vehicle including the track segment on which each vehicle is located; and
a substantially continuous communication means extending along said track system and coupled to said control means, each of said vehicles being coupled to said communication means, said communication means enabling said control means to poll each vehicle individually at substantially any location in the track system and further enabling each of said vehicles to transmit its current track location in response to the polling for storage in said memory means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-controlled overhead conveyor system is provided wherein all conveyor vehicles substantially continually communicate with a control system to be routed through the track network. The track is conceptually divided into zones each identified by an optically read marker; and the vehicles include scanners for reading the markers as the vehicles traverse the track. The marker information is communicated to the control system which controls track switches and vehicle velocities to prevent collisions and to direct the vehicles to desired destinations. Preferably, each vehicle includes a circuit for indicating the weight of the load transported thereby; and the control system calculates running totals of material weight moved--for example by material type or by track station. Further preferably, the control system controls the acceleration/deceleration of each vehicle in a manner dependent on the material type and weight to effect the maximum vehicle speeds while preventing damage to vehicle loads.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A computer-controlled overhead conveyor system comprising:
-
a plurality of conveyor track segments joined together to form a track system including identification means associated with each track segment for identifying each track segment; a plurality of self-propelled vehicles confined to travel along said track system, each vehicle including reader means for reading said track segment identification means and storage means for storing the identification information; computer control means for controlling the movement of said vehicles along said track system, said control means including memory means for storing information corresponding to each vehicle including the track segment on which each vehicle is located; and a substantially continuous communication means extending along said track system and coupled to said control means, each of said vehicles being coupled to said communication means, said communication means enabling said control means to poll each vehicle individually at substantially any location in the track system and further enabling each of said vehicles to transmit its current track location in response to the polling for storage in said memory means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A computer-controlled conveyor system comprising:
-
a conveyor path including a plurality of subpaths; a plurality of self-propelled vehicles confined to said conveyor path, each vehicle including means for determining the location of the vehicle with respect to said conveyor path; switching means coupled to said conveyor path for routing each vehicle between and along selected subpaths of said conveyor path; control means coupled to said switching means for controlling said switching means; and communication means extending substantially continuously along said conveyor path for permitting said control means to poll said vehicles as substantially any time to ascertain the locations of said vehicles enabling said control means to make switching decisions in controlling said switching means to route each vehicle along selected subpaths. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A conveyor system comprising:
-
path means for defining a conveyor path having a plurality of subpaths; a plurality of vehicles for transporting material, said vehicles being confined to travel along said path means, each of said vehicles including sensor means for producing a signal at any point along the conveyor path representative of a characteristic of the material; communication means for communicating the signals to a computer means; and computer means for receiving the signals from the individual vehicles via the communication means, said computer means including routing means for making routing decisions for each vehicle between selected subpaths based on the signals. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25)
-
-
23. An overhead conveyor system capable of monitoring the weight of materials moved thereby, said system comprising:
-
an overhead conveyor track system; a plurality of self-propelled vehicles confined to said track system, each of said vehicles including vehicle means for driving the vehicle along the track system, coupling means for coupling a load to the vehicle, weight-sensing means for providing a signal indicative of the weight of the load, and storage means for storing information including a vehicle number and a load weight number; communication means for enabling a computer to read the information stored in each vehicle; and computer means coupled to said communication means for polling said vehicles via said communication means to read the information stored in each vehicle.
-
-
26. A computer-controlled conveyor system comprising:
-
a conveyor path; a plurality of vehicles confined to said path and capable of traveling at independent speeds therealong, said vehicles transporting loads of different weights, each of said vehicles including scale means for indicating the weight of the vehicle load; and digital control means for controlling the speed of each of said vehicles independently, said control means being responsive to said scale means so that the speed of each vehicle is a function of the weight of the vehicle load. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. A computer-controlled conveyor system comprising:
-
a conveyor path; a plurality of vehicles confined to said path and capable of traveling at independent speeds therealong, said vehicles transporting loads of different types, at least one of said each vehicle and said control means including indicator means for indicating the type of each vehicle load; and digital control means for controlling the speed of each of said vehicles independently, said control means being responsive to said indicator means so that the speed of each vehicle is a function of the type of the vehicle load.
-
Specification