Elevator – industrial lift truck – or stationary lift for vehicle – Industrial lift truck or required component thereof
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-06-05
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 3652)
Elevator, industrial lift truck, or stationary lift for vehicle
Industrial lift truck or required component thereof
C187S231000, C180S019300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241047
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electric powered personnel carrying vehicle that is particularly useful in transporting small items retrieved from shelves in a warehouse, or as a work platform which allows an operator to be raised approximately six feet or more into the air.
Small parts picking is currently done by personnel manually pushing carts equipped with several shelves and a low level ladder which the operator climbs for reaching stock items up to nine feet high. Higher elevation picking up to 12 feet is accomplished with large manual push-in-place mobile ladder stands. Each require the operator to climb up and down while manually holding the goods.
Self-propelled elevating work platforms presently offered to the user are typically large in size, move slowly, have poor travel and controls and are not ergonomically well designed for tasks other than elevating personnel to do elevated maintenance and construction work.
Industrial order picker lift trucks are designed to elevate an operator on a control platform and goods on a pallet carried by the forks of the vehicle. A load platform in place of forks is also available. All units are designed for carrying heavier loads typical to pallet unit size. This requires these vehicles to be large in size and incapable of use in typical small parts storage areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a multi-task capable work assist vehicle designed for transporting and elevating an operator with goods or equipment. Its uses include orderpicking, in-house service maintenance and cargo delivery. It is designed to be compact in size, highly maneuverable for use in narrow storage aisles and tight quarters. Operator controls are designed for efficient use. Guarding and control interlocks are provided to assist operator safety.
The personnel carrying vehicle of the present invention comprises a self-propelled, steerable body, a telescoping mast attached to and extending upwardly from the body, and a personnel compartment attached to the mast and provided with a rail member that extends from the mast and around the sides. A pair of gate members, which are pivotally attached to the rail member and to the floor of the compartment, are movable from a closed position to an open position wherein the gate members extend into the compartment. The mast extends upwardly and forwardly of the body at an angle of approximately five degrees to the top of the rail; this provides the operator with unobstructed access to anything above the top edge of the rail, and the forward tilt of the mast enlarges the upper portion of the compartment, near the waist of the operator, thus accommodating the operator comfortably without increasing the length of the vehicle; it also causes the center of gravity of the vehicle to move forward, toward the center of the vehicle, as the compartment is raised. The vehicle is driven by electric motors which are located under the operator compartment and attached to the drive wheels through a gear train to permit the floor of the compartment to be positioned as close to the ground level as possible. Control handles are mounted within the personnel compartment In the preferred embodiment, the left handle controls steering and the right handle controls traction. Sensors ensure the operator's hands are on both control handles and both feet are properly positioned on the floor before the vehicle can be moved or the platform raised; this ensures a four point stance, providing for operator stability and that the operator's hands and feet are within the operator's compartment anytime the vehicle is being moved or during lifting or lowering operations. Gate interlock switches are provided to restrict or prevent travel of the vehicle under certain conditions. A load deck is provided on the body of the vehicle on the opposite side of the mast from the personnel compartment. Also, a load tray may be mounted to the telescoping mast to move vertically with the compartment. Rail guides may be mounted to the outside of the vehicle to facilitate entry into and operations within narrow aisles.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a personnel carrying vehicle comprising a self propelled, steerable body, a mast attached to and extending upwardly from the body, and a personnel compartment attached to the mast, the personnel compartment including a floor component mounted to the mast, a rail member mounted to the mast, the rail member extending around the sides and front of the vehicle, and a pair of gate members pivotally attached to the rail member and to the floor component and movable from a closed position to an open position wherein the gate members extend into the personnel compartment.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a self powered personnel lifting device including a base member including wheels at the corners thereof, a telescoping mast mounted on the base member toward one end thereof and extending upwardly at an angle of approximately 5°, an operator's compartment, the compartment including a floor, and a rail at approximately waist around the operator's compartment attached to the telescoping mast with the mast not higher than the rail, means for extending the mast, and the operator's compartment upward from the base member.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a steering control for a personnel carrying vehicle comprising a fixed grip for receiving a hand of an operator, a rocker mechanism rotatably mounted in the grip from a center position to either a first position or a second position, biasing means for urging the rocker mechanism to obtain the center position, and means responsive to the position of the rocker for providing an electrical control signal indicating direction of steering.
It is another object of this invention to provide a personnel carrying vehicle comprising a body including a first pair of wheels and a second pair of wheels, means for individually powering the first pair of wheels, an operator's compartment mounted on the body, a pair of handles mounted in the compartment, the handles being positioned at approximately waist height and oriented generally horizontally, with a first handle placed for grasping by one of the operator's hands and the other handle placed for grasping by the other hand, the first handle being rotatable for controlling the speed of the vehicle in the forward and reverse direction, and the second handle provided with means operated by the operator's fingers for controlling the steering of the vehicle.
It is further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for guiding a vehicle into a narrow aisle wherein the vehicle is provided with a pair of driven rear wheels, a pair of front caster wheels, a pair or guide rollers mounted on each side of the vehicle between the wheels, a steering rail mounted on each side of the vehicle between the guide rollers, and wherein the aisle is provided with a guide rail extending the length of the aisle and rollers placed at the entry end of each aisle, the method including the steps of steering the vehicle toward the aisle entrance to cause one of the forward vehicle mounted guide rollers to engage the guide rail and the aisle roller to engage the steering rail, and continuing forward movement of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to rotate about the aisle roller to align the vehicle within the aisle.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a control system for a personnel carrying vehicle which includes an operator's compartment provided with a floor, and a pair of handles positioned at approximately waist height and oriented generally horizontally, with a first handle placed for grasping by the operator's right hand and a second handle placed for grasping by the operator's left hand, means for moving and steering the vehicle, means for lifting and lowering the operator's compartment relative to the remainder of the vehicle, the right hand handle being rotatable
Burns Bradley A.
Dammeyer Ned E.
Gilliland Kevin A.
Grisez Ronald A.
Heidemann William J.
Crown Equipment Corporation
King and Schickli PLLC
Olszewski Robert P.
Tran Thuy V.
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