摘要:
A system, including methods and apparatus requiring digital communication between two devices using radio frequency communications to provide the link. Apparatus for decoding a digital data stream is provided, which data stream has been imposed on a base band signal where the rate of data transmission is as high as twice the frequency of the base band signal. A differential amplifier is employed to recognize the beginning and end of a segment of a wave cycle which represents a digital bit.
摘要:
A vehicle (10) particularly adapted for use as an automated guided vehicle uses standard plastic tote boxes as a body shell (13) and as a battery carrier (20). The vehicle includes a drive wheel assembly (14) and a bogey assembly (16) which pivot about center pivot points and are steered by a single motor-driven steering assembly (18) which provides dual fifth wheel steering. Commonly-driven ball screw lift assemblies (122) engage the underside of nestable load- carrying tote boxes (22) for pickup and delivery functions. The weight of the load carrier(s) is transferred through the vehicle frame (12) to load transfer assemblies (76) on the drive and bogey assemblies.
摘要:
A storage/retrieval machine (10) is provided with means to adapt the machine for use in fighting fires in a warehouse in which the machine is installed. A plurality of platforms (26,30) and access ladders (28, 32) are provided along the length of the machine mast (14). A standpipe (34) having a connection (36) to a central fire extinguisher fluid source extends along the mast, and hose and nozzle assemblies (38) are provided at each platform. To provide power to the machine to move it to the location of the fire, an auxiliary drive motor (61) is mounted on the storage/retrieval machine, and an auxiliary power supply (46) mounted in a waterproof housing (48) and supported on its own wheels (50,52), is engageable with the storage/retrieval machine for movement therewith.
摘要:
Système servant à actualiser avec une précision accrue la position et la direction d'un véhicule à guidage automatique navigant à l'estime. Des aimants permanents servant d'indicateurs de position détectables sont montés dans le sol et peuvent être disposés à des emplacements largement espacés, comme à 50 pieds de distance par exemple, le long de la route du véhicule. Un réseau de capteurs à effet Hall est monté transversalement sur le véhicule. Les capteurs détectent l'emplacement latéral de chaque aimant se trouvant dans le sol par rapport au véhicule au fur et à mesure que le véhicule pase au-dessus de l'aimant. Les capteurs sont préétalonnés, corrigent les erreurs de lecture de tension nulle d'un capteur dues à des changements des caractéristiques du capteur résultant de causes telles que le vieillissement et la température. Les données provenant de cinq capteurs qui se trouvent le plus près de l'aimant sont mises en corrélation avec une configuration de champ magnétique mémorisée et une moyenne de leurs données de position est établie pour procéder à une première estimation de la position latérale ou de la première position dimensionnnelle du véhicule. Une moyenne de roulement est calculée à partir d'estimations acquises séquentiellement pour améliorer les résultats. Un tel préétalonnage et un tel établissement de moyennes permettent d'accroître la précision des mesures de la position latérale ou de la première position dimensionnelle entre le réseau de capteurs à effet Hall et l'aimant. Des mesures de haute fréquence du moment auquel les signaux de la rangée de capteurs atteignent une valeur de pointe, qui est le moment auquel la rangée de capteurs est le plus près de l'aimant, fournissent une deuxième série de mesures améliorées de la position dimensionnelle. Plus d'un aimant est lu en même temps pour fournir des informations sur la position et la direction durant un cycle de traitement.
摘要:
A double reach shuttle assembly (20) for a storage and retrieval machine. Latch mechanisms (82) are provided on the movable elements (22, 23, 24, 25) of the shuttle to control the sequence of extension of the movable elements thereby reducing the amount of space required beneath a load in a storage rack to accommodate the shuttle elements when the double reach shuttle is used in a single reach mode. As the shuttle extends, each movable element remains stationary until the element above it reaches a predetermined point relative thereto. The invention further provides an additional latch mechanism (124) which insures that the load carrying element (25) of the shuttle is the last to retract.
摘要:
A wheel mounting assembly for a rail-supported storage/retrieval machine (10). The drive (14) and idler wheels (18) are each mounted on a removable module (32, 34) which includes a fixed plate (46) having a concave spherical surface (48) formed in it and movable plate (50) to which the wheel is mounted having a convex spherical surface (52) interfitting with the concave surface on the fixed plate to define a spherical joint. The plates are interconnected by bolts (58) fitting loosely in oversize holes (49) formed in the fixed plate and threaded into the movable plate to provide limited relative movement of the plates about a plurality of axes. Four jackscrews (60-63) arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the movable plate are threaded through a frame (42-45) holding the first plates and bear against the sides of the second plate. Simultaneous tightening and loosening among combinations of the four jackscrews provides horizontal and vertical alignment of the wheel relative to the rail on which the machine is supported. After proper alignment is achieved the bolts are tightened to provide a clamping force between the spherical surfaces.
摘要:
In a guidance system for guiding a plurality of unmanned vehicles along a traffic lay out comprising a plurality of guide wires, a guide wire communications system is disclosed which is provided with a plurality of data communications circuits which can be linked together in a logical tree structure to form an extensive network. The communications circuits are connected to a vehicle traffic control computer which is provided with means for composing a coded vehicle instruction for assigning tasks to said unmanned vehicles. Various parts of the system, including for example, segments along guide wires, are designated as resources. The computer uniquely allocates those resources to each vehicle which are necessary for the performance of the tasks assigned to that vehicle. The vehicle traffic control computer further includes polling means which enables it to poll the status of each vehicle at varying time intervals and to receive a response from said vehicle when the computer next polls the vehicle. The guide wire communications system can communicate coded instructions to the vehicles either individually or as a group. The guide wire communications system further comprises a network connecting the computer and the communications circuits which is provided with means for preventing reception of data transmissions from more than one vehicle at a time. The communications circuits comprise data transmitters provided with means for generating a communications wave with low frequency and low power but high data transmission rate. The data transmitters further include means for encoding and decoding digital data using at least two data transmission frequencies. Said means comprise a circuit for digitally constructing a string of single cycles of cosine wave forms of selected frequencies. The communications circuits are provided with receivers for detecting cosine wave segments, tranforming such segments into sine wave segments and recovering digital data at a rate substantially equal to the lowest data transmission frequency employed. The data communications circuits also include means for selecting low impedence or high impedence characteristics for a guide wire depending on the function of the guide wire as a data receiving antenna, a data transmitting antenna or a tracking-signal carrier, permitting low power signals to be used. The guidewire communications system further includes a communications circuit on each of a plurality of vehicles which comprises a low frequency, high gain transmit antenna composed of a substantially figure-eight pattern of conductors mounted on the bottom of the vehicle; a transmitter and a receiver substantially as described above, memory for storing a plurality of instructions for serial execution by the vehicle essentially independantly; and means for determining estimated completion time of assigned tasks to permit minimum polling of each vehicle by the vehicle traffic control computer at varying time intervals.