Load height sensor

Claim 2

A retractile sensing assembly for sensing the presence or absence of an object comprising; an elongated piston rod having sensing means mounted adjacent one end for sensing the presence or absence of the object, an elongated closed cylinder having fluid therein, a piston carried upon the other end of said piston rod, said piston and said piston rod being moveable axially in said cylinder between a first position in which said piston is positioned adjacent one end of said cylinder and said piston rod extends substantially entirely from said cylinder and a second position in which said piston is positioned toward the other end of the cylinder and said piston rod is progressively enclosed within said cylinder in response to a force exerted on said one end of said piston rod, the volume of said enclosed portion of said piston rod displacing a portion of the fluid in said cylinder, and compressible means responsive to and receiving said displaced portion of said fluid for urging said piston rod toward said first position.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said cylinder is substantially filled with liquid and said compressible means comprises a gas filled chamber in pressure transmitting communication with said liquid whereby the volume of liquid which is displaced by said piston rod compresses the gas in said chamber to urge said piston rod toward said first position.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 2 wherein said gas filled chamber comprises a flexible bladder positioned in said liquid.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 2 wherein said piston includes a bleed means communicating between the opposite sides of said piston.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said compressible means comprises a closed reservoir communicating with said cylinder and a sealed flexible bladder filled with gas positioned in said reservoir, said cylinder and said reservoir being substantially entirely filled with liquid.

Claim 7

In a load carrier elevatable lift platform which is adapted to be positioned adjacent different storage bins of a storage installation for inserting and removing a load into and from the storage bins, a retractile sensing assembly for sensing the height of the load, said assembly comprising; a fluid filled elongated closed cylinder mounted on the lift platform, a mast having sensing means mounted adjacent one end thereof above said lift platform for sensing the height of a load which is positioned on said platform, the other end of said mast including a piston rod which moveably extends into said cylinder and having a piston thereon, said piston rod and piston being axially moveable in said cylinder in response to contact of said mast with load carrier related structure to enable said sensing means to move elevationally relative to said lift platform, and compressible means for receiving the volume of fluid in said cylinder which is displaced by movement of said other end of said mast into said cylinder, said compressible means urging said mast upward of said lift platform.

Claim 8

In a load carrier elevatable lift platform which is adapted to be positioned adjacent different storage bins of a storage installation for inserting and removing a load into and from the storage bins, a retractile sensing assembly for sensing the height of the load, said assembly comprising; a fluid filled elongated closed cylinder mounted on the lift platform, a mast having sensing means mounted adjacent one end thereof above said lift platform for sensing the height of a load which is positioned on said platform, the other end of said mast including a piston rod which moveably extends into said cylinder and having a piston thereon, said piston rod and piston being axially moveable in said cylinder in response to contact of said mast with load carrier related structure to enable said sensing means to move elevationally relative to said lift platform, and compressible means for receiving the volume of fluid in said cylinder which is displaced by movement of said other end of said mast into said cylinder, said compressible means urging said mast upward of said lift platform.

Claim 9

In the load carrier of claim 6, wherein said compressible means comprises a gas filled chamber in pressure transmitting communication with the fluid in said cylinder and said piston includes a bleed means cOmmunicating between opposite sides of said piston.

Claim 10

In the load carrier of claim 6, wherein said sensing means comprises a pair of spaced sensing beam generating means, whereby the height of non-cubic loads may be sensed.

Claim 11

In the load carrier of claim 6, wherein said sensing means includes photoelectric means.

Claim 12

In a load carrier elevatable lift platform adapted to be positioned adjacent different storage bins of a storage installation for inserting and removing a load into and from the storage bins, a retractile sensing assembly for sensing the height of the load comprising; load height sensing means mounted on retractile means positioned on a lift platform, said retractile means normally positioned to position the load height sensing means in its highest position above the lift platform, force means associated with the retractile means to urge the retractile means and the load height sensing means mounted thereon upward of said lift platform, said retractile means withdrawing against said force means relative to upward movement of the lift platform in response to interference of the upward movement of the load height sensing means as the lift platform is elevated, to thereby permit additional elevation of the lift platform without additional elevation of the load sensing means.

Claim 13

In a load carrier elevatable lift platform adapted to be positioned adjacent different storage bins of a storage installation for inserting and removing a load into and from the storage bins, a retractile sensing assembly for sensing the height of the load comprising; load height sensing means mounted on retractile means positioned on a lift platform, said retractile means normally positioned to position the load height sensing means in its highest position above the lift platform, force means associated with the retractile means to urge the retractile means and the load height sensing means mounted thereon upward of said lift platform, said retractile means withdrawing against said force means relative to upward movement of the lift platform in response to interference of the upward movement of the load height sensing means as the lift platform is elevated, to thereby permit additional elevation of the lift platform without additional elevation of the load sensing means.

Claim 14

A retractile sensing assembly for sensing the presence or absence of an object comprising; an elongated piston rod having sensing means mounted adjacent one end for sensing the presence or absence of the object, an elongated closed cylinder a piston carried upon the other end of said piston rod, said piston and said piston rod being moveable axially in said cylinder between a first position in which said piston is positioned adjacent one end of said cylinder and said piston rod extends substantially entirely from said cylinder and a second position in which said piston is positioned toward the other end of the cylinder and said piston rod is progressively enclosed within said cylinder in response to a force exerted on said one end of said piston rod, and compressible means responsive to the volume of said piston rod which is enclosed within said cylinder for urging said piston rod toward said first position, said cylinder being substantially filled with liquid and said compressible means comprising a gas filled chamber in pressure transmitting communication with said liquid, whereby the volume of liquid which is displaced by said piston rod compresses the gas in said chamber to urge said piston rod toward said first position.

Claim 15

A retractile sensing assembly for sensing the presence or absence of an object comprising; an elongated piston rod having sensing means mounted adjacent one end for sensing the presence or absence of the object, an elongated closed cylinder a piston carried upon the other end of said piston rod, said piston and said piston rod being moveable axially in said cylinder between a first position in which said piston is positioned adjacent one end of said cylinder and said piston rod extends substantially entirely from said cylinder and a second position in which said piston is positioned toward the other end of the cylinder and said piston rod is progressively enclosed within said cylinder in response to a force exerted on said one end of said piston rod, and compressible means responsive to the volume of said piston rod which is enclosed within said cylinder for urging said piston rod toward said first position, said cylinder being substantially filled with liquid and said compressible means comprising a gas filled chamber in pressure transmitting communication with said liquid, whereby the volume of liquid which is displaced by said piston rod compresses the gas in said chamber to urge said piston rod toward said first position.

Claim 16

The assembly of claim 11 wherein said gas filled chamber comprises a flexible bladder positioned in said liquid.

Claim 17

The assembly of claim 11 wherein said piston includes a bleed means communicating between the opposite sides of said piston.

Claim 18

A retractile sensing assembly for sensing the presence or absence of an object comprising; an elongated piston rod having sensing means mounted adjacent one end for sensing the presence or absence of the object, an elongated closed cylinder, a piston carried upon the other end of said piston rod, said piston and said piston rod being moveable axially in said cylinder between a first position in which said piston is positioned adjacent one end of said cylinder and said piston rod extends substantially entirely from said cylinder and a second position in which said piston is positioned toward the other end of the cylinder and said piston rod is progressively enclosed within said cylinder in response to a force exerted on said one end of said piston rod, and compressible means responsive to the volume of said piston rod which is enclosed within said cylinder for urging said piston rod toward said first position, said compressible means comprising a closed reservoir communicating with said cylinder and a sealed flexible bladder filled with gas positioned in said reservoir, said cylinder and said reservoir being substantially entirely filleD with liquid.

Claim 19

A retractile sensing assembly for sensing the presence or absence of an object comprising; an elongated piston rod having sensing means mounted adjacent one end for sensing the presence or absence of the object, an elongated closed cylinder, a piston carried upon the other end of said piston rod, said piston and said piston rod being moveable axially in said cylinder between a first position in which said piston is positioned adjacent one end of said cylinder and said piston rod extends substantially entirely from said cylinder and a second position in which said piston is positioned toward the other end of the cylinder and said piston rod is progressively enclosed within said cylinder in response to a force exerted on said one end of said piston rod, and compressible means responsive to the volume of said piston rod which is enclosed within said cylinder for urging said piston rod toward said first position, said compressible means comprising a closed reservoir communicating with said cylinder and a sealed flexible bladder filled with gas positioned in said reservoir, said cylinder and said reservoir being substantially entirely filleD with liquid.