Apparatus for receiving and acknowledging the return of a vehicle at a check-in station

Sensor apparatus for sensing the passage of a wheeled vehicle through a vehicle check-in station and to provide an electrical output signal to acknowledge the return of a vehicle to the check-in station, comprising:

• main frame means movably supporting a multiplicity of sensor arms positioned to be engaged by one or more wheels of a vehicle moving forwardly therepast and including means normally biasing said arms to a neutral position in readiness to be engaged by the vehicle wheels, a plurality of switches operatively associated with said arms respective ones of which are momentarily effective to activate a control circuit in a prearranged pattern to provide an output signal only if said switches have been closed in said prearranged pattern thereby to confirm the return of the vehicle through said check-in station.

Cart check-in apparatus comprising means providing a passageway for wheel-supported carts while being rolled from one area to another on the wheels thereof, means including sensor means located adjacent said passageway actuable in response to movement of a cart therealong in a predetermined direction to indicate the passage of the cart and including a multiplicity of mutually cooperating means effective to acknowledge the passage of a cart along said passageway only if said mutually cooperating means are actuated in a predetermined sequence, and sensor means being mounted in a protective enclosure supported intermediate the opposite ends of said passageway, said sensor means including a plurality of movable arms extending from said protective enclosure each engageable by a cart as an incident to the movement of a cart along said passageway, and means for restoring each of said arms to a selected normal position thereof after the same has been deflected by the passage of a cart along said passageway, said sensor arms being mounted for engagement and deflection by at least one of the cart wheels, one of said sensor arms being arranged to be released from a deflected position as another of said sensor arms starts to move away from its normal position of rest.

Cart check-in apparatus comprising means providing a passageway for wheel-supported carts while being rolled from one area to another on the wheels thereof, means including sensor means located adjacent said passageway actuable in response to movement of a cart therealong in a predetermined direction to indicate the passage of the cart and including a multiplicity of mutually cooperating means effective to acknowledge the passage of a cart along said passageway only if said mutually cooperating means are actuated in a predetermined sequence, said sensor means being mounted in a protective enclosure, said sensor means including a plurality of movable arms extending from said protective enclosure each engageable by a cart as an incident to the movement of a cart along said passageway, and means for restoring each of said arms to a selected normal position thereof after the same has been deflected by the passage of a cart along said passageway, a portion of a cart being positioned to engage respective ones of said sensor arms in sequence as the cart moves along said passageway, and said arms being so positioned relative to said cart that one of said arms is being released from a deflected position thereof substantially at the same time another of said arms is beginning its deflection movement.

Cart check-in apparatus comprising means providing a passageway for wheel-supported carts while being rolled from one area to another on the wheels thereof, means including sensor means located adjacent said passageway actuable in response to movement of a cart therealong in a predetermined direction to indicate the passage of the cart and including a multiplicity of mutually cooperating means effective to acknowledge the passage of a cart along said passageway only if said mutually cooperating means are actuated in a predetermined sequence, said means actuable to indicate the passage of a cart along said passageway including electrical circuit means formed in part by conductive portions of the cart itself.

Cart check-in apparatus comprising means providing a passageway for wheel-supported carts while being rolled from one area to another on the wheels thereof, means including sensor means located adjacent said passageway actuable in response to movement of a cart therealong in a predetermined direction to indicate the passage of the cart and including a multiplicity of mutually cooperating means effective to acknowledge the passage of a cart along said passageway only if said mutually cooperating means are actuated in a predetermined sequence, one-way clutch means including a generally horizontally disposed star wheel rotatable in only one direction and including spoke-like arms engageable by an upright portion of one side of a cart as it moves forwardly along said passageway toward said sensor means, and means for supporting said one-way clutch means selectively in different positions to accommodate said check-in apparatus for use with carts of different sizes and designs.

Cart check-in apparatus comprising means providing a passageway for wheel-supported carts while being rolled from one area to another on the wheels thereof, means including sensor means located adjacent said passageway actuable in response to movement of a cart therealong in a predetermined direction to indicate the passage of the cart and including a multiplicity of mutually cooperating means effective to acknowledge the passage of a cart along said passageway only if said mutually cooperating means are actuated in a predetermined sequence, a base plate adapted to rest flush against the floor, and rigid frame means on said base plate forming an elongated open-ended passageway for carts, said sensor means being mounted on said base plate intermediate the ends of said passageway.

Cart check-in apparatus comprising means providing a passageway for wheel-supported carts while being rolled from one area to another on the wheels thereof, means including sensor means located adjacent said passageway actuable in response to movement of a cart therealong in a predetermined direction to indicate the passage of the cart and including a multiplicity of mutually cooperating means effective to acknowledge the passage of a cart along said passageway only if said mutually cooperating means are actuated in a predetermined sequence, a base plate underlying and supporting said passageway for a cart, guide channel means extending lengthwise of said base plate and cooperating to provide parallel channels along which the front wheels of a cart must pass when passing through said passageway, said sensor means including means engageable with a part of a cart as the front wheels thereof are passing along said guide channel means, said sensor means including a plurality of independently pivotable arms positioned to be engaged by more than one wheel of said cart and to be pivoted thereby in out-of-phase sequence as a cart passes forwardly along said passageway from the entrance end thereof.