Trolley car for material handling train

• US 5,676,514 A
• Filed: 09/06/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symorex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Symorex Incorporated
• Inventors: Higman, Gordon L., Erickson, Chris D., Strand, John, Gould, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US08/524,399
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 198/341, 198/349, 198/349.5, 198/349.6, 198/350, 198/370.04, 414/222, 414/339, 414/349, 209/698, 209/912
• US Class Current: 414/339
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/04 Monorail systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 11/04 tractive effort applied to racks
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/962 tilting about an axis substantially parallel to the conveying direction

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.

Claims

1. A material handling system including:

a rail;

a locomotive mounted for powered movement along the rail;

one or more trolley cars arranged to be pulled along the rail by the locomotive and each including an upper load support surface for use in selectively receiving, transporting, and discharging discrete products with respect to various stations along the rail;

a CPU; and

sensor means on each car operative to sense information with respect to the products on the load support surface of that car and transmit the sensed information to the CPU for storage and utilization by the CPU in controlling the load support surface in a manner to facilitate the receipt, transport and discharge of the products.

2. A material handling system according to claim 1 wherein:

each trolley car includes a CPU; and

the information sensed with respect to the product on the load support surface of each car is transmitted to the CPU of that car.

3. A material handling system according to claim 2 wherein:

the locomotive includes a CPU; and

the sensed information stored in each trolley car CPU is transmitted to the locomotive CPU for storage and utilization by the locomotive CPU in the receipt, transport and discharge of the products.

4. A material handling system according to claim 3 wherein:

the system further includes a central dispatch CPU located off track and controlling the overall operation of the material handling system; and

the locomotive CPU communicates with the dispatch CPU and operates to transmit information received from the trolley CPU to the dispatch CPU for utilization by the dispatch CPU in controlling the overall operation of the material handling system.

5. A material handling system according to claim 4 wherein the communication between the locomotive CPU and the dispatch CPU is by radio frequency.

6. A material handling system according to claim 2 wherein the system further includes an off-track CPU and means operative to allow communication directly between the off-track CPU and the trolley car CPU.

7. A material handling system according to claim 6 wherein the means allowing communication comprises means allowing infrared communication between the off-track CPU and the trolley car CPU.

8. A material handling system according to claim 1 wherein the load support surface is defined by a tiltable tray and the information sensed by the sensor means includes information with respect to the position of the tray.

9. A material handling system according to claim 1 wherein the information sensed by the sensor means includes information with respect to the presence or absence of a product load on the load support surface.

10. A material handling system according to claim 1 wherein the information sensed by the sensor means includes information with respect to the size, position or orientation of a product load on the load support surface.

11. A material handling system according to claim 1 wherein the information sensed by the sensor means includes information with respect to the weight of a product load on the load support surface.

12. A material handling system according to claim 1 wherein the information sensed by the sensor means includes information with respect to the identification of a product load on the load support surface.

13. A material handling system according to claim 1 wherein the information sensed by the sensor means includes information with respect to the temperature of a product load on the load support surface.

14. A material handling system according to claim 11 wherein the sensor means comprises a strain gauge positioned proximate the load support surface.

15. A material handling system according to claim 8 wherein:

each trolley car includes a pivot shaft which rotates in response to tilting movement of the tray; and

the sensor means includes signal means operative to sense the angular position of the pivot shaft and thereby generate a tray position signal corresponding to the angular position of the pivot shaft.

16. A material handling system according to claim 15 wherein the signal means comprises at least one magnetic member positioned on the pivot shaft and at least one switch member associated with the magnetic member and operative to sense the presence or absence of the magnetic member and thereby generate a present/absent digital signal representative of the angular position of the pivot shaft and thereby representative of the angular position of the tray.

17. A material handling system according to claim 8 wherein the sensor means comprises a photocell assembly positioned on the load support surface.

18. A material handling system according to claim 12 wherein the sensor means comprises a bar code reader positioned on the load support surface.

19. A material handling system including a rail;

a trolley car including a trolley adapted to move along the rail and a tray mounted on the trolley; and

shift means operative to move the tray between a generally level transport position, a first inclined unloading position for discharge to one side of the rail, and a second oppositely inclined unloading position for discharge to the other side of the rail, characterized in that;

the shift means includes first and second cam tracks defined along the rail, first and second cam followers carried by the trolley car, and means operative in response to engagement of the first cam follower with the first track to move the tray to the first inclined unloading position and operative in response to engagement of the second cam follower with the second track to move the tray to the second inclined unloading position.

20. A material handling system according to claim 19 wherein the shift means further includes first and second solenoids carried by the trolley and operative to move the first and second cam followers into and out of a position where they engage a respective first and second track.

21. A material handling system according to claim 19 wherein the shift means further includes a pivot arm mounted on the trolley for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal pivot axis generally normal to the track, first and second follower arms pivotally mounted on the pivot arm for pivotal movement about a generally vertical pivot axis and each mounting a respective first and second follower, and a link structure connected at a lower end thereof to a free end of the pivot arm at a joint assembly and extending upwardly for connection to the tray.

22. A material handling system according to claim 21 wherein the shift means further includes latching means operative to latch the tray in its transport position upon arrival of the tray at its transport position and unlatching means operative to unlatch the tray as it begins its movement away from its transport position.

23. A material handling system according to claim 22 wherein the joint assembly defines the latching means and the unlatching means.

24. A material handling system according to claim 23 wherein the latching means comprises a lug forming a part of the joint assembly coacting with a spring-biased plunger structure to latch the lower end of the link structure and thereby the tray.

25. A material handling system according to claim 23 wherein the unlatching means comprises a pin and slot connection at the joint assembly.

26. A material handling system according to claim 25 wherein:

the pin has a circular cross-sectional configuration and the slot has a non-circular cross-sectional configuration defining diverging cam surfaces; and

the pin coacts with a respective cam surface as the tray begins its movement away from its transport position to pull the lug out of coaction with the plunger structure.

27. A material handling system according to claim 26 wherein:

the generally horizontal pivot axis comprised a pivot shaft; and

the material handling system further includes signal means operative to sense the angular position of the pivot shaft and generate a tray position signal corresponding to the angular position of the pivot shaft.

28. A material handling system according to claim 27 wherein the signal means comprises a plurality of magnetic members positioned on the pivot shaft at angularly spaced locations and a plurality of switch members respectively associated with the magnetic members and each operative to sense the presence or absence of a magnetic member and thereby generate a present/absent digital signal representative of the angular position of the pivot shaft and thereby representative of the angular position of the tray.

29. A trolley car for a material handling train including a trolley adapted to move along a rail, a load support assembly on the trolley, shift means operative to move the load support assembly between a transport disposition and a discharge disposition and means for indicating the disposition of the load support assembly, characterized in that:

the disposition indicating means comprises an indicator member on the trolley car moveable between first and second positions in response to movement of the load support assembly between its transport and discharge dispositions and signal means operative to sense the position of the indicator member, and thereby the disposition of the load support assembly, and generate a load support assembly disposition signal.

30. A trolley car according to claim 29 wherein the indicator member comprises a shaft pivotable between first and second angular positions in response to movement of the load support assembly between its transport and discharge dispositions.

31. A trolley car according to claim 30 wherein:

the signal means comprises at least one magnetic member positioned on the shaft and at least one switch member associated with the magnetic member and operative to sense the presence or absence of the magnetic member and thereby generate a present/absent digital signal representative of the angular position of the shaft and thereby representative of the disposition of the load support assembly.

32. A trolley car according to claim 31 wherein the signal means comprises a plurality of magnetic members positioned on the shaft at angularly spaced locations and a plurality of switch members respectively associated with the magnetic members and each operative to sense the presence or absence of the magnetic member and thereby generate a present/absent digital signal representative of the angular position of the shaft and thereby representative of the disposition of the load support assembly.