Robotic Cargo Loading Gantry
AssigneeNimble Robotics, Inc.
InventorSimon Kalouche
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gantry for loading or unloading containers into a cargo area of a vehicle. The gantry includes a pair of substantially parallel beams extending in a first horizontal direction, a rail mounted between the beams to be moveable in the first horizontal direction, and a trolley coupled to and moveable along the rail in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The trolley supports a hoist including a plate having an actuatable gripping device for selectively engaging and releasing the containers, and the plate is moveable in a vertical direction relative to the trolley between a retracted position and an extended position to lift and lower the containers. The gantry is thus arranged to load/unload containers into the cargo area in horizontal levels.
Claims21
A gantry, comprising:
- a pair of substantially parallel beams in a first direction;
- a rail mounted between the beams and being moveable along the beams;
- and
- a trolley coupled to and moveable along the rail in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the trolley supporting a hoist including a plate having an actuatable gripping device for selectively engaging and releasing the containers, the plate being moveable in a vertical direction relative to the trolley between a retracted position and an extended position to lift and lower the containers.
(canceled)
An automated gantry, comprising:
- a base including a pair of support legs and a cross-rail extending between the pair of support legs, the base being moveable in a first horizontal direction;
- a trolley moveable along the cross-rail in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction;
- and
- a hoist coupled to the trolley, the hoist including a plate having a gripping device for selectively engaging and releasing containers, the plate being moveable in a vertical direction relative to the trolley between a retracted position and an extended position to lift and lower the containers.
An automated gantry, comprising:
- first and second beams elevated above a ground surface and extending in a first horizontal direction;
- a rail extending between first and second carriages movably mounted to the first and second beams, respectively, such that the rail is moveable along the first and second beams in the first horizontal direction;
- a trolley coupled to and moveable along the rail in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- at least one hoist coupled to the trolley, the at least one hoist including a plate having an actuatable gripping device for selectively engaging and releasing the containers, the plate being moveable in a vertical direction relative to the trolley between a retracted position and an extended position to lift and lower the containers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.