An electronic cart with an electronic cart body including one or more internal compartments. The cart includes one or more wheels and/or a track assembly supporting the electronic cart body. One or more batteries are carried by the electronic cart body. The cart has a drive system to drive the one or more wheels and/or the track assembly, which is powered, at least in part, by the one or more batteries. One or more hand-operated cart controls are provided on the cart to adjust at least a speed with which the drive system drives the one or more wheels and/or the track assembly.

A manually controlled and operable self-propelled seed bed sterilization system and method is provided for preventing weeds from growth in seed beds. The system includes a wheel driven shuttle vehicle having a hot water reservoir, a hot water applicator manifold housing, a dual-function pump and a controllable valve. A self-contained mobile hot water supply vehicle accompanies the shuttle vehicle and has a water heater with hose connections to the reservoir of the shuttle vehicle to provide a continuous water flow path. The burner of the water heater is controlled to heat the water in the range of about 205-207 degrees F. but below the boiling point of water not to create steam. The shuttle vehicle is displaced over the seed bed at a constant drive speed by an electric motor driven by a gas generator. An operator person guides the shuttle vehicle over the seed bed.

An assisted thrust system for a carriage provided with wheels that includes a base to which a first directional wheel and a second directional wheel are fixed that are connected to the base so as to be able to rotate around a respective axis perpendicular to the base; to the base a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel are further fixed that are rotated by at least one gearmotor unit, which drives the first drive wheel by a first magnetic coupling device and the second drive wheel by a second magnetic coupling device.

An Urban Intermodal Freight System is capable of transporting large volumes and tonnage of freight by containerized or other means on a mass transit rail system. It captures excess capacity in the existing mass transit rail infrastructure to move packages, parcels, and freight by using miniaturized intermodal cargo containers that are designed to integrate seamlessly with the existing transit infrastructure, while displacing delivery trucks from increasingly crowded city streets. By enabling inbound trucks to transfer their cargo to the Urban Intermodal Freight System at a city's outskirts, freight is delivered without trucks entering congested downtown areas, greatly alleviating traffic congestion, delays, greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts. The Linear Loading Dock and Conveyor System may have other useful applications, for example to access a facility, building or vehicle, or in other circumstances where off street truck parking or loading docks are not available.

A lifter device includes a pole, a lifting member guided by the pole, a motor that generates power used for ascending and descending of the lifting member, a controller that controls the motor, a case that is fixed to at least a portion of the pole and accommodates the motor and the controller, a transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the motor to the lifting member, and a battery mounting portion that is provided on the case and to which a battery pack is mouted to supply power to the motor.

A lifter device includes a pole, a lifting member guided by the pole, a motor that generates power used for ascending and descending of the lifting member, a controller that controls the motor, a case that is fixed to at least a portion of the pole and accommodates the motor and the controller, a transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the motor to the lifting member, and a battery mounting portion that is provided on the case and to which a battery pack is mouted to supply power to the motor.

An electronic pallet (e-pallet) includes a superstructure mounted to a wheeled base platform. A tether device defines an articulation angle with respect to a leading edge of the superstructure, and is grasped by an operator towing the e-pallet. A motor connected to driven road wheels transmits a drive torque to the road wheels responsive to motor control signals, including a desired yaw rate and ground speed. A speed sensor, angle sensor, and length sensor are respectively configured to determine an actual ground speed of the e-pallet, the articulation angle, and a length of the tether device. An electronic controller, in response to the input signals, generates the motor control signals using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control logic. Coupled lateral and longitudinal dynamics control loops respectively determine the desired yaw rate and ground speed to accommodate for motion of the operator.

A stationary platform for supporting a supply transport device is provided. The stationary platform includes a frame having at least two longitudinal sides, a first end and a second opposing end, and a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of legs extending from the bottom surface of the frame to support the supply transport device on the frame. The supply transport device is slidably received on the top surface of the frame. A wheel base assembly having a cleaning device for contacting a bottom surface of the supply transport device, to remove dirt and debris from or to disinfect the supply transport device, is also provided.

A stationary platform for supporting a supply transport device is provided. The stationary platform includes a frame having at least two longitudinal sides, a first end and a second opposing end, and a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of legs extending from the bottom surface of the frame to support the supply transport device on the frame. The supply transport device is slidably received on the top surface of the frame. A wheel base assembly having a cleaning device for contacting a bottom surface of the supply transport device, to remove dirt and debris from or to disinfect the supply transport device, is also provided.

A weight-bearing device includes a single wheel, a frame attached to the wheel, and an electric motor attached to the frame. The electric motor is configured to rotate a first gear, connected to a second gear with a chain. The second gear is connected to the wheel. The second gear and the first gear may have a gear ratio of greater than 8:1.