Maintenance cart for remote inspection and cleaning of closed track

• US 6,349,653 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Siedlarczyk, Irene M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Stephen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US09/548,019
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 104/279, 348/148, 15/54, 153/401
• US Class Current: 104/279
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 15/08 Railway inspection trolleys
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/00 Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 45/10 Cleaning devices adaptations of roller sleeves for cleaning belts B65G39/073
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/962 tilting about an axis substantially parallel to the conveying direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A maintenance cart in a maintenance system is substituted for a material handling cart in a continuous train of material handling carts circulating on a closed track. The maintenance cart includes both inspection and cleaning functions which may be divided among separate maintenance carts, as desired. Inspection includes location sensing (preferably with a bar-code reader), inspection with one or more television-like cameras and clearance measurements. Cleaning functions include removal of dust and debris from a channel-like track by a vacuum arrangement. The maintenance cart or carts may be continuously left in place or substitute as needed in the train and provide continuous cleaning service and system diagnostics for scheduling repairs prior to failure while in use. The system is particularly advantageous for application to mail sorting systems which are largely unaccessible and which permit only brief time windows during which maintenance, repair and inspection can otherwise be carried out.

Claims

1. A maintenance cart for a material handling system having a track and a plurality of similarly dimensioned material handling carts connected in a continuous train, said maintenance cart comprising

a chassis similarly dimensioned to a chassis of a material handling cart,

an inspection and illumination system including at least one camera, and an illumination source,

a position locating system for identifying a location of said at least one camera relative to said track, and

a telemetry transmitter for transmitting a signal representing an indication of said location and an image from said camera.

2. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 1, further including a second maintenance cart comprising

a chassis similarly dimensioned to a chassis of a material handling cart, and

a track cleaning system for removing material from said track and carried by said chassis of said second maintenance cart.

3. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 1, wherein said maintenance cart further comprises

a track cleaning system for removing material from said track and carried by said chassis of said maintenance cart.

4. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 1, wherein said position locating system includes a bar code reader.

5. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 1, wherein said cart further includes clearance measurement means and said telemetry transmitter includes means for transmitting clearance information.

6. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 5, wherein said clearance measurement means is a feeler gauge.

21. A track as recited in claim 1, wherein said track is a closed track.

22. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 1, wherein the continuous train is an endless continuous train circulating on said track wherein said track is a closed track and the maintenance cart is interchangeable with any one of said plurality of similarly dimensioned material handling carts so that the endless continuous train remains the same length.

23. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 1, wherein the material handling system is a sorter/conveyor system.

7. A maintenance cart for a material handling system having a track and a plurality of similarly dimensioned material handling carts connected in a continuous train, said maintenance cart comprising

a chassis similarly dimensioned to a chassis of a material handling cart, and

a track cleaning system for removing material from said track and carried by said chassis of said maintenance cart.

8. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 7, further including

an inspection and illumination system including at least one camera,

a position locating system for identifying a location of said at least one camera relative to said track, and

a telemetry transmitter for transmitting a signal representing an indication of said location.

9. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 8, wherein said position locating system includes a bar code reader.

10. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 8, wherein said cart further includes clearance measurement means and said telemetry transmitter includes means for transmitting clearance information.

11. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 10, wherein said clearance measurement means is a feeler gauge.

24. A track as recited in claim 7, wherein said track is a closed track.

25. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 7, wherein the continuous train is an endless continuous train circulating on said track wherein said track is a closed track and the maintenance cart is interchangeable with any one of said plurality of similarly dimensioned material handling carts so that the endless continuous train remains the same length.

26. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 7, wherein the material handling system is a sorter/conveyor system.

12. A maintenance system for a material handling system having a track and a plurality of similarly dimensioned material handling carts connected in a continuous train, said maintenance system including a maintenance cart comprising

a chassis similarly dimensioned to a chassis of a material handling cart,

an inspection and illumination system including at least one camera, and an illumination source,

a position locating system for identifying a location of said at least one camera relative to said track, and

a telemetry transmitter for transmitting a signal representing an indication of said location and an image from said camera.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, further including a second maintenance cart comprising

a chassis similarly dimensioned to a chassis of a material handling cart, and

a track cleaning system for removing material from said track and carried by said chassis of said second maintenance cart.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said maintenance cart further comprises

a track cleaning system for removing material from said track and carried by said chassis of said maintenance cart.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, further including

a central monitor for receiving said signal.

16. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said track is a closed track.

17. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said position locating system includes a bar code reader.

18. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said cart further includes clearance measurement means and said telemetry transmitter includes means for transmitting clearance information.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein said clearance measurement means is a feeler gauge.

20. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said cart chassis is held captive in said track when connected to an adjacent cart.

27. A maintenance cart as recited in claim 12, wherein the continuous train is an endless continuous train circulating on said track wherein said track is a closed track and the maintenance cart is interchangeable with any one of said plurality of similarly dimensioned material handling carts so that the endless continuous train remains the same length.

28. A material handling system as recited in claim 12, wherein the material handling system is a sorter/conveyor system.