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Conveyor with self propelled vehicles each having an on board control

  • US 4,955,291 A
  • Filed: 07/14/1988
  • Issued: 09/11/1990
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A conveyor (10) of the type including a plurality of vehicles (12) propelled around a track (14), each of said vehicles (12) being driven by a D.C. motor (54) and an on-board battery (52), said vehicles (12) having means for sensing the approach to a next ahead vehicle (32, 34) and on-board control means (40) for stopping said vehicle (12) to queue said vehicle (12) therebehind, the improvement comprising;

  • photosensor means (32,34) located at the forward end of each of said vehicles (12), triggered only upon the approach to a next ahead vehicle (12) at a distance on the order of several inches, to generate a signal in response to said approach to said next ahead vehicle and triggering of said photosensor means; and

    , an on-board control (40) responsive to said signal generated upon triggering of said photosensor means to progressively reduce the power to said D.C. motor (54) to zero and thereby gradually decelerate said vehicle (12) to a stop immediately behind said next ahead vehicle.

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