Automatic transport loading system and method
AssigneeJervis B. Webb Company
InventorsWayne David Ross, Gerald Edward Chilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for automatically loading and unloading a transport is disclosed. A first guidance system follows a travel path to a position near the transport and then a sensor profiles a transport so that a transport path is determined for an AGV to follow into the transport to place a load and for exiting the transport upon placement of the load.
Claims25
A method for loading a transport, having a sidewall and an adjacent end wall, with an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:
- engaging a load with the AGV;
- guiding the AGV with a guidance system to a position A and wherein the position A is located outside of the transport;
- creating, at approximately said position A, a data profile of the transport, by sensing at least more than one location of the sidewall of the transport and the adjacent end wall of the transport;
- determining a transport path for depositing the load at an intended load position on the transport using the data profile from said step of creating a data profile;
- guiding the AGV along the determined transport path and into the transport with the guidance system to the intended load position;
- and
- depositing the load onto the transport at the intended load position.
A method for loading a transport, having at least one sidewall and an end wall, adjacent to the sidewall with an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:
- engaging a load with the AGV;
- guiding the AGV with an inertial guidance system to a position A;
- creating, at approximately said position A, a data profile of the transport by sensing at least more than one location of the sidewall of the transport and the adjacent end wall of the transport;
- determining a transport path from position A to an intended load position on the transport using the data profile from said step of creating a data profile;
- aligning the AGV with the determined transport path;
- guiding the AGV along the determined transport path using the inertial guidance system from position A into the transport and to the intended load position;
- depositing the load;
- and
- guiding the AGV along the determined transport path using the inertial guidance system from the intended load position to position A.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.