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US 11,840,438 B2Granted
Pallet transportation
AssigneeBesser Company
InventorsDouglas Krentz, Caleb Myers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pallet transportation apparatus including a pallet support array supported on a pallet transportation chassis for reciprocal motion and comprising pallet supporters that receive and support pallets. A mast assembly is fixed to the chassis and includes guides that support and guide the pallet support array through a reciprocal lifting and lowering motion, causing the pallet support array to lift and lower pallets. A prime mover moves the pallet support array through its reciprocal lifting and lowering motion, and a motion control system schedules the reciprocal lifting and lowering motion of the pallet support array.
Claims19
A pallet transportation apparatus comprising:
- a mobile pallet transportation chassis;
- a pallet support array supported on the pallet transportation chassis for reciprocal motion relative to the chassis and comprising pallet supporters spaced and shaped to receive and support pallets;
- a mast assembly fixed to the chassis and including guides shaped to support and guide the pallet support array through a reciprocal lifting and lowering motion causing the pallet support array to lift and lower any pallets positioned to be carried by the pallet supporters;
- a prime mover carried by the chassis and operatively connected to the pallet supporter array and configured to move the pallet support array through its reciprocal lifting and lowering motion;
- and
- a motion control system connected to the prime mover and configured to schedule the direction, velocity, and accelerations of the reciprocal lifting and lowering motion of the pallet support array so that the velocities and accelerations of the pallet support array and any supported pallets, are optimized for the payload type of the pallets and the distance that supported pallets are to be raised and/or lowered.
3 more elements
A pallet transportation apparatus comprising:
- a mobile pallet transportation chassis;
- a pallet support array supported on the pallet transportation chassis for reciprocal motion relative to the chassis and comprising pallet supporters spaced and shaped to receive and support pallets;
- a mast assembly fixed to the chassis and including guides shaped to support and guide the pallet support array through a reciprocal lifting and lowering motion causing the pallet support array to lift and lower any pallets positioned to be carried by the pallet supporters;
- a prime mover carried by the chassis and operatively connected to the pallet supporter array and configured to move the pallet support array through its reciprocal lifting and lowering motion, and
- a motion control system connected to the prime mover and configured to schedule the reciprocal lifting and lowering motion of the pallet support array:
- the motion control system comprising a mechanical linkage operatively connecting the prime mover to the array, the linkage comprising a cam driven by the prime mover and shaped to schedule the reciprocal motion of the array via motion of a cam follower operatively connected to the array.
3 more elements
A pallet transportation apparatus comprising:
- a mobile pallet transportation chassis;
- a pallet support array supported on the pallet transportation chassis for reciprocal motion relative to the chassis and comprising pallet supporters spaced and shaped to receive and support pallets;
- a mast assembly fixed to the chassis and including guides shaped to support and guide the pallet support array through a reciprocal lifting and lowering motion causing the pallet support array to lift and lower any pallets positioned to be carried by the pallet supporters;
- a prime mover carried by the chassis and operatively connected to the pallet supporter array and configured to move the pallet support array through its reciprocal lifting and lowering motion;
- and
- a motion control system connected to the prime mover and configured to schedule the reciprocal lifting and lowering motion of the pallet support array:
- the motion control system comprising a mechanical linkage operatively connecting the prime mover to the array, the linkage comprising:
- a lever arm supported upon the pallet transportation chassis for rotation about a lever arm axis;
- and
- a support array engagement surface fixed to the lever arm and located where it will engage the pallet support array and cause the pallet support array to raise or lower according to rotation of the lever arm about the lever arm axis.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.