Laser lighting assembly mounted on a forklift to project a light beam parallel to and in the same plane as a fork and utilized to accurately direct the fork into a fork receiving volume of a pallet, thereby avoiding any fork damage to a load on a pallet

• US 6,150,938 A
• Filed: 09/09/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Forrest D. Sower, Matthew Scott Sower
• Original Assignee: Forrest D. Sower, Matthew Scott Sower
• Inventors: Sower, Forrest D., Sower, Matthew Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US09/151,479
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 360/557, 360/555, 360/556, 360/903, 360/340, 360/686.2, 360/686.6, 180/167, 250/491.1
• US Class Current: 340/557
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors

Abstract

A laser lighting assembly, or another type of a directed high intensity collimated beam of light assembly, mountable on a forklift, or like purpose lifting and carrying equipment, to project at least one light beam, which is always directed parallel to and in the same plane as a fork or pair of forks, which are movably mounted on the lifting and carrying equipment for being raised and lowered. The projected light beam, during operations of the forklift, reflects from a changeable spot location on a load to be lifted, which is supported on a pallet, or is supported on a like fork receiving structure. When the fork is being either raised or lowered to be inserted, for example, in a fork receiving volume of a pallet, an operator of the forklift is observing the changeable spot location. When the changeable spot location is no longer reflecting from the load, and, in effect disappears, as the light beam projects into a fork receiving volume below the load, then the operator knows he or she has the fork, or pair of forks, or a like projecting support, positioned at the same elevation of the fork receiving volume. Thereafter, when the lifting and carrying equipment is moved forward, the fork accurately moves into the fork receiving volume, and no portion of a fork touches any portion of the load supported on a pallet, or on another like fork receiving load supporting structure, whereby the supported load is kept free of any possible damage to be otherwise possibly caused by a contracting fork.

Claims

1. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly, mountable on lifting and carrying equipment, on a projecting support thereof, so a collimated beam of light projected forwardly from the light assembly will always be parallel to and in the same plane of the projecting support, and spot like reflections of the collimated light beam will always be essentially observable by the operator of the lifting and carrying equipment, so he or she will avoid damaging any portion of load being supported and moved on a pallet, by the unwanted contact of the load by a portion of a projecting support, comprising:

a. a housing to receive the directable high intensity collimated beam of light components and having a fastening means to secure the housing to a projecting support;

b. a collimated beam of light assembly secured by the housing having;

a collimated light creating means;

an electrical energy source;

circuitry; and

a switching means;

with the beam of light projecting axis being arranged parallel to the axis of the projecting support.

2. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly mounted on lifting and carrying equipment, as claimed in claim 1:

wherein the housing has fastener receiving holes and the fastening means are screws which are positioned in these fastener receiving holes to extend beyond for entry into threaded holes to be provided in a plate secured to projecting support, and

wherein the collimated beam of light creating subassembly, secured by the housing, is in its entirely positioned on the projecting support.

3. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly, mounted on lifting and carrying equipment, as claimed in claimed in claim 1:

wherein the housing has fastener receiving holes and the fastening means are screws which are positioned in these fastener receiving holes to extend beyond for entry into threaded holes to be provided in a plate secured to a projecting support; and

wherein the collimated beam of light creating subassembly, secured by the housing, has a transmitter and receiver switching means, with the transmitter to be positioned nearby an operator of the lifting and carrying equipment, and the receiver and all other components of the collimated beam of light creating subassembly, being positioned on the projecting support.

4. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly mounted on a lifting and carrying equipment, as claimed in claim 1:

wherein the housing has fastener receiving holes and the fastening means are screws which are positioned in these fastener receiving holes to extend beyond the entry into threaded holes to be provided in a plate secured to a projecting support;

wherein the collimated beam of light creating subassembly, secured by the housing, has circuitry extending from the collimated beam of light creating subassembly, to control locale of lifting and carrying equipment, where a switching means is installed for the concerning manipulation by an operator of the lifting and carrying equipment; and

wherein the circuitry includes a spool to be rotably secured to a top portion of a vertical track which guides the up and down motion of the projecting support, whereby the spool is rotated in respective circular directions to either take up or play out circuitry upon the raising or lowering of the projecting support.

5. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly, mounted on lifting and carrying equipment, as claimed in claim 1:

wherein the fastening means for securing the housing to a projecting support is a portion of a projecting support provided with an opening to complementary receive and to hold the directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly.

6. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly mounted on lifting and carrying equipment, as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the electrical energy source is a battery having a supply of three volt direct current electricity.

7. A directable high intensity collimated-beam of light assembly mounted on lifting and carrying equipment, as claimed in claim 1:

wherein the electrical energy source is a battery having a supply of twelve volt direct current electricity, and

wherein the collimated beam of light assembly also includes a voltage regulator to reduce the twelve volt direct current electricity to three volt direct current electricity.

8. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly, which is a laser light assembly, mountable on a forklift, on a fork thereof, so a laser beam of light projected forwardly from the light assembly is always parallel to and in the same plane of the fork, and spot like reflections of the laser light beam are always observable by the operator of the forklift, so he or she avoids damaging any portion of a load being moved and stored on a pallet, by the unwanted contact of the load by a portion of a fork, comprising:

a. a housing to receive a directable high intensity collimated beam of light components, which are laser light components, and the housing has means to secure the housing to a fork; and

b. a directable high intensity collimated beam of light components, which are laser light components, secured within the housing, and the components thereof also include an electrical energy source, circuitry, and a switching means.

9. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly, as claimed in claim 8, wherein the directable high intensity collimated beam of light components are positioned within the housing, so when the housing is secured to the fork the beam of light projecting axis is parallel to the axis of the housing and the axis of the forks.

10. A directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means of the housing, to secure the housing to the fork, is arranged to secure directable high intensity collimated beam of light assembly to an outside edge of a fork at the corner of the fork, where the horizontal and vertical portions of the fork meet together.

11. A laser light assembly, mountable on a forklift, on the fork thereof, so a laser beam of light projected forwardly from laser light assembly is always parallel to and in the same plane of the fork, and spot like reflections of the laser light beam are always observable by the operator of the forklift, so he or she avoids damaging any portion of a load being moved and stored on a pallet by the unwanted contact of the load by a portion of a fork, comprising:

a. a housing to receive the laser light components and the housing has a portion to be secured the fork; and

b. the laser light components which also include an electrical energy source, circuitry, and a switching means, are all secured within and by the housing.

12. A laser light assembly mountable on a forklift, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the laser light components are positioned within the housing, so when the housing is secured to the fork, the projecting beam of laser light has the axis thereof arranged parallel to the axis of the housing and to the horizontal axis of the fork.

13. A laser light assembly mountable on a forklift, as claimed in claim 12, wherein the portion of the housing to be secured, is arranged for securement to an outside edge of a fork, at the corner of the fork, where the horizontal and vertical portions of the fork meet together.

14. A laser light assembly mountable on a forklift, as claimed in claim 13 wherein the portion of the housing to be secured to the fork is sized and contoured to be welded to the fork.

15. A laser light assembly mountable on a forklift, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the portion of the housing to be secured to the fork is sized, formed, and contoured, to be secured to the fork by fasteners.