Method of guiding industrial trucks having at least one steerable wheel and system for carrying out the method
First Claim
1. A system for guiding industrial trucks having at least one steerable wheel and other wheels consisting of driven wheels or rollers, said system comprising a guiding signal line providing at the ground a trace for emitting radiation in one of the modes consisting of reflection and a field derived from power that is supplied to said line,which guiding signal line constitutes a guiding element,said system also comprising branches extending to the left or right from a straight portion of the guiding element and consisting of arcuate guiding elements,said system comprising special marks in front of each of said branches,said marks being operable in one of the modes consisting of an identification-signal from the ground and a signal modulation of the radiation from the guiding signal line,in which system the industrial truck comprises a sensor centrally scanning said guiding element and for receiving the radiation and circuitry for evaluating the radiation which has been received by said sensors so as to derive signals from said radiation,said industrial truck comprising steering means (26) for controlling a deflection of at least one steerable wheel of said industrial truck,which steering means are operatively connected to the sensor by means for controlling the steering means independence on a signal that has been received by the sensor for causing the steerable wheel to be laterally deflected to a course that is laterally offset from the guiding signal line,the industrial truck further comprising a direction-presetting subassembly for controlling the steerable wheel, said subassembly is presettable by one of the modes consisting of a time measurement and a travel measurement, andmeans (24, 31, 33, 50, 56) for effecting a control lateral deflection of said steerable wheel are provided and are triggerable by one of said modes,triggering means for triggering said deflection control means are provided and comprise one of the signal generators consisting of an identification mark and means for modulating said radiation,said deflection control means being operable to effect a lateral offset of said steerable wheel from the guide element (4, 5;
- 15,
16) at the ground and to maintain the offset for a travel along a course that is parallel to the guiding signal line (4, 5;
15,
16).
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An industrial truck comprising at least one steerable wheel is to be guided in dependence on direction-controlling signals which are transmitted to the industrial truck. At a junction the truck receives a direction-controlling steering signal, which causes the at least one steerable wheel to be laterally offset from the guiding signal line until a signal equilibrium which depends on the offset has been established in the steering controller. In dependence on the distance traveled and/or on time, a resetting signal is received which causes the steering means to return to an operating condition in which the vehicle is centered over a signal guiding line to be followed. The signals are transmitted by a guiding signal line, which is buried in the ground and cooperates with a sensor, which is provided at the center of the vehicle and scans the guiding signal line so as to control the deflection of steerable wheels of the vehicle. When a branch to the left or right extends from the straight guiding signal line, a signal calling for a lateral offset from the guide wire (4; 15, 16) is delivered and maintained for causing the vehicle to move along a course that is parallel to the guide wire (4; 15, 16). That parallel offset travel is continued until a signal for resetting the vehicle to a centered position over the guide wire is received.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A system for guiding industrial trucks having at least one steerable wheel and other wheels consisting of driven wheels or rollers, said system comprising a guiding signal line providing at the ground a trace for emitting radiation in one of the modes consisting of reflection and a field derived from power that is supplied to said line,
which guiding signal line constitutes a guiding element, said system also comprising branches extending to the left or right from a straight portion of the guiding element and consisting of arcuate guiding elements, said system comprising special marks in front of each of said branches, said marks being operable in one of the modes consisting of an identification-signal from the ground and a signal modulation of the radiation from the guiding signal line, in which system the industrial truck comprises a sensor centrally scanning said guiding element and for receiving the radiation and circuitry for evaluating the radiation which has been received by said sensors so as to derive signals from said radiation, said industrial truck comprising steering means (26) for controlling a deflection of at least one steerable wheel of said industrial truck, which steering means are operatively connected to the sensor by means for controlling the steering means independence on a signal that has been received by the sensor for causing the steerable wheel to be laterally deflected to a course that is laterally offset from the guiding signal line, the industrial truck further comprising a direction-presetting subassembly for controlling the steerable wheel, said subassembly is presettable by one of the modes consisting of a time measurement and a travel measurement, and means (24, 31, 33, 50, 56) for effecting a control lateral deflection of said steerable wheel are provided and are triggerable by one of said modes, triggering means for triggering said deflection control means are provided and comprise one of the signal generators consisting of an identification mark and means for modulating said radiation, said deflection control means being operable to effect a lateral offset of said steerable wheel from the guide element (4, 5; - 15,
16) at the ground and to maintain the offset for a travel along a course that is parallel to the guiding signal line (4, 5;
15,
16). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- 15,
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10. A system for guiding industrial trucks having at least one steerable wheel and other wheels consisting of driven wheels or rollers, said system comprising a guiding signal line providing at the ground a trace for emitting radiation in one of the modes consisting of reflection and a field derived from power that is supplied to said line,
which guiding signal line constitutes a guiding element, said system also comprising branches extending to the left or right from a straight portion of the guiding element and consisting of arcuate guiding elements, said system comprising special marks in front of each of said branches, said marks being operable in one of the modes consisting of an identification-signal from the ground and a signal modulation of the radiation from the guiding signal line, in which system the industrial truck comprises a sensor centrally scanning said guiding element and for receiving the radiation and circuitry for evaluating the radiation which has been received by said sensors so as to derive signals from said radiation, said industrial truck comprising steering means (26) for controlling a deflection of at least one steerable wheel of said industrial truck, which steering means are operatively connected to the sensor by means for controlling the steering means independence on a signal that has been received by the sensor for causing the steerable wheel to be laterally deflected to a course that is laterally offset from the guiding signal line, the guiding signal line being adapted to emit a signal for returning the steerable wheel to a course that is centered on the guiding signal line, a direction-presetting subassembly is provided on the industrial truck and is operatively connected to the sensor and said sensor is adapted to receive said resetting signal from said signal line and in response to said resetting signal to cause said direction-presetting subassembly to reset the at least one steerable wheel.
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11. A system for guiding industrial trucks having at least one steerable wheel and other wheels consisting of driven wheels or rollers, said system comprising a guiding signal line providing at the ground a trace for emitting radiation in one of the modes consisting of reflection and a field derived from power that is supplied to said line,
which guiding signal line constitutes a guiding element, said system also comprising branches extending to the left or right from a straight portion of the guiding element and consisting of arcuate guiding elements, said system comprising special marks in front of each of said branches, said marks being operable in one of the modes consisting of an identification-signal from the ground and a signal modulation of the radiation from the guiding signal line, in which system the industrial truck comprises a sensor centrally scanning said guiding element and for receiving the radiation and circuitry for evaluating the radiation which has been received by said sensors so as to derive signals from said radiation, said industrial truck comprising steering means (26) for controlling a deflection of at least one steerable wheel of said industrial truck, which steering means are operatively connected to the sensor by means for controlling the steering means independence on a signal that has been received by the sensor for causing the steerable wheel to be laterally deflected to a course that is laterally offset from the guiding signal line, said industrial truck carries a terminating signal generator (56) for generating a signal for terminating the travel of the steerable wheel on the laterally offset course and a course-selecting circuit (50), said course-selecting circuit (50) is adapted to be connected to the terminating signal generator (56) via a change-over switch that is controlled by one of the signal generators consisting of an external identification mark (62) and a controller for measuring one of the parameters consisting of the length of travel and time.
Specification