A material transport cart includes a cart body, a material support body coupled to the cart body, a wheel coupled to the cart body, a motor operable to drive the wheel, and a powered lift assembly. The powered lift assembly is coupled to the cart body and to the material support body. The powered lift assembly is operable to lift the material support body relative to the cart body. A removable battery is electrically coupled to and operable to supply power to both the motor and the powered lift assembly.

The system can include: a container 110, a set of sensors 120, and a controller 130. The system can optionally include a robot 140. However, the system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system functions to monitor and/or maintain a fullness level of a container. The system can additionally or alternatively function to enable robotic picking out of the container (e.g., in a pick-and-place setting). The system can additionally function to maintain candidate objects within reach of the robot's end effector to increase robot uptime while minimizing the extent of the robot's required motion (e.g., in the z-axis).

According to one embodiment, there is taught herein a family of “branched” variants of the traditional scissor mechanism, in which each stage is formed from more than two arms, joined at their midpoints by a branched rivet. In one embodiment arms in adjacent stages are joined at their endpoints with joints that allow for rotation in a single plane. Each resulting mechanism has one degree of freedom in its motion. It deploys from a compact, collapsed state to an extended state. One embodiment is a grasping member that is mechanically coupled to a scissor mechanism so that when scissor mechanism is collapsed the grasping member is open. Then, when the scissor mechanism is extended the grasping member becomes closed.

A lift device includes a base, a platform configured to support an operator, and a scissor assembly coupling the base to the platform. The scissor assembly includes a first scissor layer including a first inner arm pivotally coupled to a first outer arm. The first inner arm is configured rotate relative to the first outer arm about a first middle axis. The first scissor layer has a first end axis center point. An actuator is configured to move the platform between a fully raised position and a fully lowered position relative to the base. The first middle axis is offset vertically from the first end axis center point.

A mobile lift apparatus includes a mobile base frame with sets of height adjustable, triple caster units, frame mounted floor brakes, a load deck, scissor linkage engaged between the base frame and the load deck, and a load table movable on the load deck. An actuator is engaged with the scissor linkage to extend and retract the scissor linkage.

A lift assembly including a platform movable to a raised position, a lowered position, and an intermediate position between the raised and lowered positions. A scissor arm system defines a cavity beneath the platform. The scissor arm system includes a pair of scissor arms pivotably connected to each other. The scissor arm system has opposed first and second ends with the first ends of the scissor arm system being coupled to the platform. A stanchion guides the platform between the raised and lowered positions. The stanchion extends from a first stanchion end to a second stanchion end above the first stanchion end. A drive mechanism is mounted to the platform to move with the platform. A flexible member is coupled to the stanchion and the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism winds and unwinds the flexible member to move the platform between the raised and lowered positions.

A safety latch system includes a mount, a pawl member, a ratchet member, and a release assembly. The mount is mountable on a housing of a piston. The pawl member is coupled to the mount. The pawl member includes a pawl. The ratchet member has a first sidewall that includes a first connecting portion that is connectable to an end portion of a piston rod of the piston. The first sidewall includes a teeth portion, which is configured to engage with the pawl. The release assembly is configured to provide an engaged state between the pawl member and the ratchet member. The release assembly is also configured to provide a disengaged state between the pawl member and the ratchet member. When in the engaged state, the pawl member is engaged with the ratchet member such that the safety latch system is configured to provide (i) an unlocked state in which the ratchet member is movable relative to the pawl member as the piston rod advances outward from the housing and (ii) a locked state in which the pawl member is configured to lock into a depression between adjacent teeth of the ratchet member to stop the piston rod from moving towards the housing. When in the disengaged state, the pawl member is disengaged from the ratchet member to permit the piston rod to advance outward from the housing and permit the piston rod to retract towards the housing.

A lift device includes a base, a platform configured to support an operator, and a scissor assembly coupling the base to the platform. The scissor assembly includes an actuator configured to extend and retract the scissor assembly to move the platform between a fully raised position and a fully lowered position, a first scissor arm pivotally coupled to a second scissor arm, and a prop pivotally coupled to the first scissor arm such that the prop rotates about a lateral axis. The prop is configured to selectively engage an engagement surface defined by at least one of the second scissor arm and a protrusion coupled to the second scissor arm, thereby preventing the platform from reaching the fully lowered position.

A robotic item retrieval and transport apparatus includes at least one item retrieval mechanism that is minimally exposed while stored and/or engaged in loading or unloading of objects relative to a deck (e.g., upper surface) thereof. Actuators and at least major portions of one or more movable implements are arranged below the deck. Loading and/or unloading of objects may include lateral sliding, such as by pulling the object while it is supported by an extrinsic support surface. At least substantial portions of an item retrieval mechanism may remain outside a central target area of a deck, to provide a unobstructed or minimally obstructed deck surface for holding objects. The apparatus may be used with at least one movable pallet element. A pallet element and/or a retrievable item may include one or more features detectable by a sensor.

A lift vehicle comprises a base having a plurality of wheels, a battery arranged within the base, a drive motor powered by the battery and configured to drive at least one of the plurality of wheels and propel the base, a retractable lift including a first end coupled to the base and being movable between an extended position and a retracted position, a work platform supported by a second end of the retractable lift, and a linear actuator having a lift motor with a rotor. The lift motor is powered by the battery, and the linear actuator is coupled to the retractable lift so that rotation of the rotor moves the retractable lift between the extended position and the retracted position. The lift vehicle further includes an electromagnetic brake coupled to a first side of the lift motor.