Lift frames for a vehicle in this disclosure may include a frame body on a top portion of a frame, the frame body extending from a first end to a second end; a lift mechanism moveable with respect to the first end of the frame body, the lift mechanism comprising: a lift body having a first end and a second end, a lifting surface on the first end of the lift body and the second end of the lift body being positioned so as to be movable with respect to the first end of the frame body, wherein the lifting surface is positioned to engage an underside of a cargo container when placed on an upper side of the frame body; and an inflatable air bag having an upper side and a lower side and mounted on the lower side to a platform positioned on the frame beneath the lift body, wherein the inflatable air bag is connected on the upper side thereof to a mounting surface attached to the lift body; and a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the inflatable air bag. Such lift frames may include one or more such lift mechanisms associated with the compressed air source and the lift frames may be used to load and unload cargo containers locked and supported by the lift frames in transit and unlocked and detached from the lift frames when delivered in an easy and safe manner.

A container deck of a trailer includes a front mounting floor, a central elevating floor, a rear mounting floor and a rear elevating floor, the central elevating floor is capable of loading and unloading the air container from the left or right side of the trailer vehicle body, the rear elevating floor is capable of loading and unloading the air container from any of the left and right sides and rear end, the front and rear mounting floors are provided with a roller conveyor for movably placing the container and a roller conveyor and a fixed side guide for slidably engaged the container, the central elevating floor is rotatable, the rear elevating floor includes a turntable and a ball conveyor, the central elevating floor and the rear elevating floor are capable to move up and down a single container.

An autonomous mobile robot including frame defining a payload holding area with a payload seating surface, and having a wheeled traverse system dependent from the frame for substantially free unrestricted roving of the autonomous mobile robot on a riding surface in a facility space, at least one drive section connected to the frame, and at least one motor defining at least one independent degree of freedom; and an articulated pick arm dependent from the frame, the articulated pick arm having an end effector configured so as to stably hold a container therewith, and being operably connected to the at least one motor so that the at least one independent degree of freedom extends and retracts, and raises and lowers the articulated pick arm defining a range of motion of the end effector spanning from an elevation below a lowermost level of the payload seating surface onto the payload seating surface.

A container for transporting material including a main body and a liner disposed within the interior space of the main body. A gap is provided between a perimeter of the main body and a perimeter of the liner to allow the liner to move with respect to the main body. Also, a container for transporting material including a main body defining an interior space with a lift gate pivotably attached at an open end of the main body. When the container is placed on a transportation vehicle and the main body is raised, the engagement of a link between the lift gate and the vehicle automatically transitions the lift gate from a position in which the open end of the main body is covered by the lift gate to a position in which the open end of the main body is not covered by the lift gate.

The present invention relates to an automated guided vehicle (1) having a frame (10) designed to receive a material handling accessory (3). The automated guided vehicle (1) is characterized by at least one displacement element (14) which is designed to be moved in and out in at least one horizontal direction (Y) relative to the frame (10) at least to one side beyond the external dimensions of said frame, wherein the displacement element (14) is further designed to carry the material handling accessory (3) along with it.

Package sorting systems and methods of use are disclosed herein. An example system includes a platform of a vehicle, where the platform is arranged as a grid having a plurality of slots (including an open slot and a target slot). A plurality of slabs can be placed into the grid except for in the open slot. A slab moving assembly is used to move the slabs in order to place a selected slab into the target slot on the platform.

Various examples of arrangements and methods are provided for loading and unloading first and second load units carried by a vehicle. A landing device is arranged between a first end of the first load unit and a second end of the second load unit so that a first portion of the landing device is supported to the first end of the first load unit and a second portion of the landing device is supported to the second end of the second load unit. The landing device can move the first end of the first load unit into a lower level than the second end of the second load unit after the first end of the first load unit is moved so that it passes the second end of the second load unit.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the length of a demountable platform. In the method, a hooklift is used to lift the demountable platform from the ground onto a vehicle, magnitudes of one or more physical quantities related to a position of the hooklift are determined at a moment when the demountable platform comes into contact with rear rollers of the hooklift, and the length of the demountable platform is calculated based on the determined magnitudes of the one or more physical quantities and the position and orientation information of the hooklift relative to the ground. The present invention also relates to a system for determining the length of a demountable platform.

A trailer adapted to haul one or more reels for carrying conveyor belts is disclosed. The trailer includes a loading means to lift the reel on the deck of the trailer. The loading means includes two articulated arms located each side of the trailer, each articulated arm comprising a first elongate member and a second elongate member pivotally mounted to the first elongate member. The first elongate members are movable relative to the trailer between a retracted position and a rearwardly extended position. The second elongate members are pivotable between a horizontal position and an upright position wherein the second elongate members are orthogonal to the first elongate members. A hoist is disposed between the second elongate members and is operable to lift the reel from the support surface to an effective height greater than an effective height of the deck. Jacks are also provided to stabilise the loading means.

A transportable container includes: a container, wherein the container comprises: two sidewalls; a front wall; and a floor; and a mating assembly, wherein the mating assembly is attached to the container and comprises: two or more rails secured to an underneath plane of the floor, wherein the two or more rails matingly engage with two or more hoist rails of a roll-off truck; two or more rear rollers; and a loading assembly. The mating assembly and the loading assembly can be attached to the container after the container has been transported from a first location to a second location. The container can thus, be re-purposed for loading, transporting, and unloading via a roll-off truck. The container can be loaded, transported, and unloaded via a cable/winch system or a hook/lift system of the roll-off truck.