Chassis with an integrated fork assembly for autonomous mobile robots and autonomous guided vehicles

An apparatus comprising:

• a chassis comprising a front end and a rear end, wherein the rear end of the chassis serves as a fork assembly, wherein the fork assembly comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the fork assembly further comprises:
• a first plate comprising a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall extends from the first end through the second end of the fork assembly;
• a first set of bushings and a second set of bushings, wherein each bushing from the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings comprises a circular end and a flange end, wherein the flange end of each bushing from the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings comprises a plurality of holes, and wherein the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings are mounted adjacent to the first side wall and the second side wall respectively on the first plate of the fork assembly by a plurality of screws that are fitted into the plurality of holes of the flange end;
• a first set of guide rods and a second set of guide rods, wherein each guide rod from the first set of guide rods and the second set of guide rods is configured to slide through the circular end and a corresponding linear bearing comprised in a corresponding bushing from the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings;
• a bearing retainer mounted on the first plate;
• a ball screw and bevel gear assembly coupled to the bearing retainer using one or more bearings, wherein the ball screw and bevel gear assembly comprises a ball screw and a bevel gear arrangement;
• a ball screw nut mounted on the ball screw and bevel gear assembly, wherein a first end of the ball screw nut comprises a step to form a plurality of threads, and a second end of the ball screw nut comprises a set of holes;
• a hinge clamp mounted on the second end of the ball screw nut via the set of holes using a plurality of pins;
• a fork motor fitted in the first plate, wherein the fork motor is operatively coupled to the ball screw and bevel gear assembly;
• and
• a second plate mounted on the first plate, wherein the second plate comprises a plurality of hinge mounting holes and a plurality of guide rod mounting holes, wherein the second plate is fixed to the hinge clamp, the first set of guide rods and the second set of guide rods using a plurality of screw mechanisms through the plurality of hinge mounting holes and the plurality of guide rod mounting holes respectively.