An autonomously-guided industrial truck comprising a vehicle frame defining, in a plan view, a vehicle contour in sections. The vehicle frame comprises three structural levels, arranged one above the other in a vertical direction, each with its own contour. The three structural levels include a lower structural level in which a base structure is attached, an upper structural level with a covering, and a middle structural level comprising a frame structure for connecting the lower structural level and the upper structural level. The industrial truck includes at least one drive wheel assigned to the vehicle frame to stand below the vehicle frame on a driving surface and at least one scanner unit arranged completely within the vehicle contour such that a scanning plane of the at least one scanner unit lies at least in sections vertically in a region of the middle structural level.

A boom extension monitoring system is provided that uses a combination of sensors to determine an absolute location and a relative location of the boom. As the boom extends or retracts, the monitoring system can determine the absolute location of the boom as the sum of the absolute at relative distances. These distances can be obtained through a combination of a grid, low-resolution sensors, high-resolution sensors, counters, processors, and other components according to various embodiments described herein. A process to obtain the total boom extension of multiple telescoping beams by monitoring the extension of a single beam element is also described.

A device and a method for decelerating a vehicle having a front-loading device has a brake system and sensors for measuring the mass and the center of gravity of a load. An electronic evaluation and control unit evaluates the sensor data to determine a maximum brake deceleration in forward travel, in order to prevent the vehicle tilting about the front axle. At least one sensor of the brake system generates a sensor signal in an emergency braking situation for triggering an emergency braking operation, in which the delimitation or reduction of the effective brake pressure in the wheel brake cylinders of the front axle is canceled and, with the exception of an ABS control operation, the full brake pressure is introduced in a controlled manner by way of a primary brake valve into the wheel brake cylinders of the front axle.

A wheel assembly of a vehicle (e.g., a forklift or another material-handling vehicle) is monitored to obtain information regarding the vehicle, including information regarding the wheel assembly, which may be indicative of how the vehicle including the wheel assembly is used (e.g., a duty cycle of the vehicle and/or the wheel assembly), a state (e.g., a degree of wear) of the wheel assembly, loading and shocks on the wheel assembly, and/or a state of an environment (e.g., environmental temperature, a profile, compliance, or other condition of an underlying surface beneath the wheel assembly), and which may be, for example, conveyed to a user (e.g., an operator of the vehicle), transmitted to a remote party (e.g., a provider), and/or used to control the vehicle (e.g., a speed of the vehicle). This may improve use, maintenance, safety and/or other aspects of the vehicle, including the wheel assembly.

A materials handling vehicle includes a mast, a load handling structure supported on the mast, one or more operator controls, and a lifting structure having a chain structure for performing a lifting and lowering of the load handling structure. The materials handling vehicle further includes a height sensor for generating a height signal corresponding to vertical movement of the load handling structure relative to the mast, and a vehicle control module for processing the height signal received from the height sensor and an operator control signal received from the one or more operator controls. The vehicle control module evaluates the height signal and the operator control signal and disables one or more vehicle functions if the height signal does not correspond to the operator control signal.

A stacker crane, which retrieves cases from shelves and conveys the same, includes a traveling cart, a mast, a lift platform, a slide fork, and a cover. The cover is made of a flame retardant or non-inflammable material, and is supported in a detachable manner so as to move toward the top surface of the slide fork.

An engine-type industrial vehicle includes: an engine; a power transmission configured to transmit a driving force of the engine to a driving wheel; a controller configured to adjust the driving force; a travel direction determiner configured to determine a travel direction of the engine-type industrial vehicle; and an object detector configured to detect a position of an object in the travel direction of the engine-type industrial vehicle. The power transmission is switchable between a driving force transmission state and a driving force non-transmission state. The controller causes a state of the engine-type industrial vehicle to be in a travel start prohibition state, when the object detector detects the object and a detection direction of the object matches the travel direction, in a case where a vehicle speed of the engine-type industrial vehicle is equal to or less than a stop determination threshold.

A safety device that prevents tripping over forklifts or other material handling equipment includes a stand attachable to the horizontal fork and a pole of adjustable length extending upward. The device further includes a retractable barrier extending from the top of the pole across to the vertical mast of the forklift. The device preferably incorporates magnets which attach it to an idle forklift as described, and also attach the collapsed device to other portions of the vehicle when in use moving goods. This keeps the device conveniently available for use when the forklift is idle. And when the barrier is erected, nearer eye level, well above the floor, despite the forks sticking out in the aisle, persons passing by are much more likely to notice the forks and step around them.

A machine stability detection and indication for a load moving machine. The machine has a chassis, a boom mount carried by said chassis, a boom assembly pivotally affixed to said boom mount, and a load carrying structure affixed to an end of said boom mount. The machine may be configured in a desired load handling geometry by manipulating components including a boom assembly, a pivot arm connected to said boom assembly, and forks. A control system for facilitating a selected configuration of said load handling geometry. Position sensors generate position data of the components. Pressure cylinders move the components and pressure sensors operatively located on one or more said pressure cylinders generate pressure data. A computer processes the position data and the pressure data for determining a load moment and for calculating a weight of a load being lifted by utilizing said pressure data and said position data.

A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.