Electricity: transmission to vehicles – Collectors – Suspended conveyors
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-19
2001-04-17
Le, Mark T. (Department: 3617)
Electricity: transmission to vehicles
Collectors
Suspended conveyors
C191S02300R, C191S01200C, C191S048000, C191S050000, C191S064000, C414S279000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216835
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention eliminates the need for an overhead festoon system to power and control automated storage and retrieval equipment.
Stacker-retrievers, for example, move in long aisles between fixed racks lifting and depositing loads via carriages that run deep into the racks, depositing and retrieving loads from the racks. Festooning power and communication cords are connected to power lines above the racks. The stacker-retriever must be reinforced to carry the additional weight of the festooned power cable. The festooned power cords create burdens and difficulty.
Needs exist for better power transmission systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a power trolley towing device that eliminates the need for an overhead festoon system to power and control automated storage and retrieval equipment. The power trolley towing device uses a combination of a commercially available power rail with a power trolley and rail. The present invention completely eliminates the need for costly, heavy and cumbersome overhead festooned components. The power trolley towing device is less expensive to build, install, and maintain. Cost savings are realized with the use of the power rail and trolley towing device.
A power rail is mounted on the face of storage system support columns. The power from the rail is transmitted to the equipment using a right angle, low clearance power rail trolley.
A problem exists in that the powerful drive motors in the stacker-retrievers may cause damage to the rail, the power pick-up or the stacker-retriever if misalignments occur or obstructions are encountered.
The towing device is mounted to the side of the moving equipment. The device incorporates a new low profile trolley and towing arm attachment to permit mounting only inches from the floor surface. The towing device includes a pair of pin engagement guide fingers that provide tolerance for traveling misalignments between the moving equipment and the stationary power rail. When an obstruction is encountered, power to drive the traveling stacker-retriever is cut off.
The trolley engagement unit is mounted on a lateral swivel arm, the towing arm. The swivel arm mount has a mechanical overload spring pin detent. If a mechanical overload is detected, the swivel arm disengages from the spring pin detent, causing a limit switch to signal an emergency stop condition to disconnect motive power and to stop the moving equipment. The result is that both the moving equipment, the trolley and the stationary power rail are protected from damage.
The power trolley towing device is used in a stacker-retriever system that has a process controller connected to a radio frequency modem. The process controller transmits and receives process data that determines what automatic missions are to be performed by the stacker-retriever. For example power from the power rail is used to drive X, Y and Z motors to advance a mast and to lift a load carriage toward alignment with a rack location, by concurrently driving X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) motors. After alignment with a rack location, a rack entry vehicle is driven with a Z motor into and out of the rack to deposit or pick up a load. Then the drive sequences are reversed.
The power trolley towing device may be used by any powered equipment or vehicle that moves in a track along the power rail.
A power trolley towing device is used on a vehicle moving on tracks. A three-phase A.C. power rail assembly is mounted along the storage rack to one side of the tracks. A power cable end has brushes connected to busses in the power rail assembly. The power cable is routed through the power trolley, which is supported by the power rail assembly. A towing arm is hinged on a side of the vehicle and extends toward the power rail assembly. The middle of the power cable is connected to the towing arm for supporting the power cable. The towing arm is connected to the power trolley for towing the power trolley along the power rail assembly, thereby supplying motive power from the power rail busses through the power cable to the vehicle.
Detents are connected between the towing arm and the vehicle for releasably maintaining the towing arm extended perpendicularly from the vehicle. Preferably the detents include a peripheries of a disc with a recess for receiving an adjustable spring driven plunger mounted on and extending from a side of the vehicle.
A control-power limit switch is electrically connected to the emergency stop circuit of the stacker-retriever. A cam is connected to the towing arm. This cam turns with the towing arm. A cam following control power limit switch has a base connected to the vehicle and has a plunger extending toward and contacting the cam. The cam and plunger close electrical contacts in the limit switch when the towing arm is extended perpendicularly from the vehicle. When the towing arm turns away from perpendicular, the cam activates the limit switch plunger, opening the electrical contacts. This causes the emergency stop circuit to immediately stop the vehicle.
Trolley engaging fingers are maintained perpendicular to the vehicle by a chain interconnecting fixed and rotating sprockets. The fingers extend from parallel springs which are connected to a plate. The plate is connected to the rotating sprocket at the end of the towing arm. As the towing arm rotates within limits with respect to the vehicle, the fingers disengage from the trolley, because the chain and sprockets turn the fingers with respect to the towing arm.
These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification.
REFERENCES:
patent: 519380 (1894-05-01), Cook
patent: 885063 (1908-04-01), Loudon
patent: 1020794 (1912-03-01), Bluhm
patent: 1413250 (1922-04-01), Wolfe
patent: 1692893 (1928-11-01), Gutzat
patent: 3514553 (1970-05-01), Penney et al.
patent: 3700128 (1972-10-01), Noble et al.
patent: 3800963 (1974-04-01), Holland
patent: 3805973 (1974-04-01), Thompson
patent: 3850317 (1974-11-01), Lumier
patent: 3905492 (1975-09-01), Maeda et al.
patent: 3921828 (1975-11-01), Suizu
patent: 3964619 (1976-06-01), Irmler
patent: 4338056 (1982-07-01), Abrahamson et al.
patent: 4395181 (1983-07-01), Loomer
patent: 4510352 (1985-04-01), May et al.
patent: 4549841 (1985-10-01), Ishige
patent: 4850783 (1989-07-01), Maekawa
patent: 5324157 (1994-06-01), Stolzer
patent: 5370492 (1994-12-01), Gleyze et al.
patent: 5540532 (1996-07-01), Carder et al.
patent: 5564890 (1996-10-01), Knudsen, Jr.
patent: 5848867 (1998-12-01), Gagnon et al.
Juhl Kenneth P.
Layman G. Scott
Livesay Mark F.
Troy Richard J.
Creighton Wray James
Le Mark T.
Narasimhan Meera P.
Woodson Incorporated
LandOfFree
Power trolley towing device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Power trolley towing device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Power trolley towing device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2446795