B66F17/003

ROBOTIC ARM ASSEMBLY EQUIPPED WITH ELBOW HARD STOP
20210260751 · 2021-08-26 ·

A robot is provided which includes a hub; an elbow joint; a wrist assembly; a first upper arm which is rotatably attached on a first end thereof to the hub, and which is attached on a second end thereof to the elbow joint; a first lower arm which is attached on a first end thereof to the elbow joint, and which is attached on a second end thereof to the wrist assembly; and a hard stop which extends over the elbow joint and a portion of the lower arm. The hard stop prevents the wrist assembly from contacting the hub when the motor of the robot is not engaged.

Prediction of intention of path deviance for vehicles
11110860 · 2021-09-07 · ·

A process includes receiving data indicating position and velocity of a vehicle at time points during a time window; using the data to calculate a path of movement by the vehicle; and determining whether the path indicates a change in a direction of movement of the vehicle. When the calculated path indicates a change in the direction, the location of the vehicle at a future time relative to the time window is estimated using the received position and velocity data at end of the time window, and a classification based on a similarity of the calculated path to at least one vehicle path corresponding to a vehicle preparing to turn and to at least one vehicle path corresponding to a vehicle not preparing to turn, and based on the similarity, classifying the calculated path either as that of a vehicle preparing to turn or a vehicle not preparing to turn.

Hydraulic mass-determining unit and a method for determining the mass of a load using the same
11085810 · 2021-08-10 · ·

A hydraulic mass-determining unit arranged for determining the mass of a load held by a hydraulic fluid system, the mass-determining unit is adapted to be connected to a hydraulic pump at a first fluid connection and a hydraulic actuator of a lifting device at a second fluid connection, the mass-determining unit comprises a first pipe arranged for connecting the first fluid connection and the second fluid connection, and at least one pressure sensor arranged to measure the pressure in the first pipe, wherein the mass-determining unit further comprises a flow regulator with a pressure compensator, where the flow regulator is serially connected to the first pipe to regulate the flow in the first pipe, and one of a pressure switch arranged for measuring the pressure difference over the flow regulator, and for sending a signal to the pressure sensor to measure the pressure in the first pipe when the pressure difference is above a preset value, or a magnetic field switch that comprises a magnet attached to the pressure compensator and a detecting unit arranged for detecting whether the magnet and the pressure compensator are in an initial position, and for sending a signal to the pressure sensor to measure the pressure in the first pipe when the detecting unit detects that the pressure compensator is not in the initial position, and a processor for based on the measured pressure in the first pipe by the pressure sensor calculating a mass of the load.

CONTROLLER

A controller for use with a working machine includes a machine body and a load handling apparatus coupled to the machine body and moveable by a lift actuator and a sway actuator. The controller receives a signal representative of the position of the load handling apparatus and a signal representative of a stability of the working machine. The controller determines a movement range of the load handling apparatus about the sway axis and issues a signal for use by an element of the working machine. The controller restricts or prevents movement of the load handling apparatus outside of the permissible movement range relative to the lateral reference orientation, the permissible range being dependent on the signal representative of the position of the load handling apparatus with respect to the machine body or longitudinal reference orientation and the signal representative of the stability of the machine.

Lift truck attachments

Lift truck attachment assemblies are shown and disclosed. In some embodiments, the lift truck attachment assembly includes a carriage assembly having a carriage and a linear actuator attached to the carriage. The carriage is mountable to a lift truck, and the linear actuator includes a body and longitudinally opposed piston rods slidably received in the body, each of the piston rods having an end. The attachment assembly additionally includes a frame assembly slidably connected to the carriage. The frame assembly includes upper and lower transverse frame members and end vertical frame members connecting the upper and lower transverse frame members in a spaced relationship to define a frame central cavity therebetween. The linear actuator is disposed within the frame central cavity such that the ends of the piston rods contact the end vertical frame members allowing the linear actuator to slide the frame assembly laterally relative to the carriage assembly.

LIFTING MACHINE IN PARTICULAR FOR HANDLING LOADS
20210179406 · 2021-06-17 ·

The invention relates to a lifting machine (1) comprising a lifting arm (3), a rolling chassis (2) equipped with at least one front axle (5) and one rear axle (6), and a sensor for measuring the tilt of the lifting arm (3) in relation to the chassis (2), the rear axle (6) being pivotably mounted around an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine (1). The rear pivoting axle (6) is mounted to freely pivot inside an angular range defined by two abutments supported by said chassis (2), the front axle (5) is coupled to the chassis (2) by a pivoting connection with an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine (1) and is equipped with an activatable/deactivatable suspension (9) in order to allow the relative pivoting between the front axle (5) and the chassis (2) to be damped, said suspension (9) being deactivated at least when the angle value measured by sensor (4) for measuring the tilt of the lifting arm (3) is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

Surroundings monitoring system for work machine

A surroundings monitoring system for a work machine includes a display device in a cabin of the work machine, an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the surroundings of the work machine, and a processor configured to generate a surrounding image of the work machine and to cause a monitoring image to be displayed on the display device. The monitoring image includes a work machine image and the surrounding image placed along the periphery of the work machine image. The processor is configured to cause a magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device. The magnified monitoring image magnifies a partial area of the surrounding image in the monitoring image. The partial area is centered on a position closer to a predetermined target object included in the surrounding image than to the work machine image and includes the target object.

Systems and Methods for Control of a Remotely Controllable Material Handling Vehicle
20210276843 · 2021-09-09 ·

A system for a remotely controllable material handling vehicle switchable between a manual mode and a travel request mode is provided. The system can include a control handle configured to at least control a speed and direction of the material handling vehicle when the material handling vehicle is in the manual mode and a remote control device in communication with the material handling vehicle and configured to provide a request to the material handling vehicle to move forward. The system can also include a mode switch configured to switch the material handling vehicle from the manual mode to the travel request mode and an operator compartment sensor configured to trigger a flag when a weight on a floor of an operator compartment of the material handling vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined weight.

STAND-ON OR WALK-BEHIND UTILITY LOADER WITH VARIABLE LENGTH LIFT ARM ASSEMBLY

A utility loader incorporating a boom of adjustable length. The boom may include either or both of a left and right lift arm assembly, with each lift arm assembly including a rear lift arm that telescopically receives a front lift arm. Each lift arm assembly also includes an extension actuator adapted to telescopically extend and retract its front lift arm relative to its rear lift arm. A detection system may be provided and adapted to limit lift arm assembly extension based at least in part upon a load applied at a tool supported by the boom and a relative telescopic location of a front lift arm relative to its associated rear lift arm.

MODIFY VEHICLE PARAMETER BASED ON VEHICLE POSITION INFORMATION

A materials handling vehicle includes: a power unit including: a steered wheel, and a steering device for generating a steer control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller located on the power unit for receiving the steer control signal; and a sensing device on the power unit and coupled to the controller. The sensing device monitoring areas in front of and next to the vehicle. Based on sensing device data, the controller may modify at least one of the following vehicle parameters: a maximum allowable turning angle or a steered-wheel-to-steering-device ratio.