US 5,176,485 AGranted

Freight manipulator with articulated cantilever boom

AssigneeYellow Freight System, Inc.

InventorsCarl J. Ruder, Ronald J. Haney, L. Bruce Payne

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Abstract

A freight manipulator includes a mobile chassis positioned on a pair of guide tracks and have an articulated cantilever boom extending forwardly thereof. A tool carriage is mounted at the end of the boom and has a pair of freight engaging tools thereon for engaging freight articles. The boom is connected to a two-axis gimbals at the rear of the chassis which allows swinging of the boom about a vertical axis and tilting of the boom about a horizontal tilt axis to increase the positioning range of the freight engaging tools. A boom bearing assembly at the front of the chassis supports the boom on the chassis during movement thereof. A pair of swing cylinders are connected to the chassis and have a chain connecting the ends of their rams to the bearing assembly. The swing cylinders work in opposition to swing the boom. A pair of boom tilt cylinders are connected between the bearing assembly and the boom and operate in unison to tilt the boom.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A freight manipulator system for transferring discrete freight articles between spaced apart first and second locations, said second location being within an elongated article transporting vehicle and said first location being external to said vehicle, said system comprising:

(a) elongated rail means extending from said first location toward said second location and terminating at a rail end between said locations;
(b) a manipulator chassis supported and guided on said rail means and movable therealong;
(c) an elongated cantilever boom pivotally connected to said chassis to enable swinging said boom about a substantially vertical swing axis, said boom extending toward said second location;
(d) swing motor means engaged between said boom and said chassis and operable t pivot said boom about said swing axis;
(e) tool means mounted on an end of said boom and operable to releasably engage a discrete freight article to lift and transfer same;
(f) chassis motor means drivingly engaged between said chassis and said rail means and operable to propel said chassis on said rail means between a retracted condition at said first location and an extended condition at said rail end, said tool means invading said second location with said chassis in said extended condition;
and
(g) said chassis has a front end and a rear end;
(h) a swing pivot joint is positioned in spaced relation to said front end and pivotally connects said boom to said chassis;
and
(i) boom bearing means, including a load bearing member, is engaged between said boom and said chassis and movable with respect to said chassis, and located in spaced relation along said boom from said swing pivot joint.

8 more elements

(a) elongated rail means extending from said first location toward said second location and terminating at a rail end between said locations;
(b) a manipulator chassis supported and guided on said rail means and movable therealong;
(c) an elongated cantilever boom pivotally connected to said chassis and extending toward said second location;
(d) a universal coupling pivotally connecting said boom to said chassis to enable swinging said boom about a substantially vertical swing axis and tilting said boom about a horizontal tilt axis;
(e) swing motor means engaged between said boom and said chassis and operable to pivot said boom about said swing axis;
(f) tilt motor means operatively engaged between said boom and said chassis and operable to pivot said boom about said tilt axis;
(g) tool means mounted on an end of said boom and operable to releasably engage a discrete freight article to lift and transfer same;
(h) chassis motor means drivingly engaged between said chassis and said rail means and operable to propel said chassis on said rail means between a retracted condition at said first location and an extended condition at said rail end, said tool means invading said second location with said chassis in said extended condition;
and
(i) said chassis includes a chassis body supported on a plurality of spaced apart chassis legs to form an article clearance space below said chassis body to enable movement of said chassis over articles and the movement of articles beneath said chassis.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.