Automated guided vehicle
AssigneeMentor AGVS, Inc.
InventorMilan E. Ivancic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated guided vehicle for carrying and moving heavy loads providing the vehicle with a gross weight of more than about 100 tons includes a vehicle platform or deck for carrying the loads and wheel assemblies at either end of the platform for both steering and driving the vehicle along a predetermined path. Each of the wheel assemblies includes a differential gear assembly and a drive arrangement therefor for driving the wheels, and each wheel assembly includes a drive arrangement for rotating the wheel assembly to steer the vehicle. Suspension arrangements are disclosed for supporting the vehicle against the imposition of undesirable forces on the wheel assemblies during loading.
Claims28
An automated guided vehicle for carrying and moving loads comprising:
- deck means for supporting loads to be transported by said vehicle and having longitudinally opposite first and second ends;
- first and second wheel assembly means respectively at said first and second ends of said deck means for steering and driving said vehicle along a predetermined path;
- said first and second wheel assembly means being supported by said deck means for rotation independent of each other about a corresponding vertical axis and each comprising at least two wheels aligned and laterally spaced from each other, each of said two wheels being connected to a corresponding axle;
- first and second differential gear means respectively connecting the axles of said two wheels of said first and second wheel assembly means;
- first and second differential drive means for respectively independently driving said first and second differential gear means to rotate the corresponding axles and wheels;
- and
- first and second steering means for respectively independently rotating said first and second wheel assembly means about said corresponding vertical axis.
A wheel assembly for an automated guided vehicle comprising:
- support means rotatable about a vertical axis;
- two axles each having an outer end and an inner end;
- means mounting said axles on said support means for rotation therewith about said vertical axis and for rotation relative to one another about a common horizontal axis;
- at least one wheel attached to the outer end of each of said axles;
- differential gear means on said support means between and connected to the inner ends of each of said axles;
- means mounted on said support means for rotation therewith and for driving said differential gear means to drive said axles;
- and
- means including pinion means on said support means for rotating said support means about said vertical axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.