US3723841A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Motor control system
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1971-11-12
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Granted: 1973-03-27
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Expires: 1991-11-12
Abstract
Abstract An automatic warehouse system which allows an operator to sit at a fixed station and by placing punched cards into card readers and pressing a ''''GO'''' button can cause a fork to take one article from a pickup station into storage and to retrieve any other article from storage on its return trip and bring it to a selected set-down station and then return to the starting point. Depending upon the information punched on the card, it can skip either the storage or the retrieval operation and perform the other or it can cause the fork to move an article from any rack in the warehouse to any other rack without returning to the pickup or set-down stations. In performing these movements in three dimensions, the system is provided with apparatus which recalculates the position of the fork every step of the way so as to eliminate any error that may occur.
Inventors
- 👤 R Cotton
- 👤 B Rae
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:34
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/08; B; B65; B65G; B65G1/00; B65G1/02; B65G1/04; B65G1/0407; B65G1/0421
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
339 words
In a control system for a driven device that is adapted to operate in controlled sequences a plurality of motor controls, electrical control apparatus comprising: a forward and reverse motor control; an up and down hoist motor control; an in and out lateral motor control; binary code input means and means for controlling the same to insert into the system binary codes indicative of desired amounts of operation of the travel and hoist motor controls, and indicative of operation of the lateral motor control in a controlled sequence therewith; means for initiating operation of the system; program control means responsive to said initiation of operation of the system for controlling operations of the travel and hoist and lateral motor controls in a controlled sequence comprising: binary coded means mounted along coordinate paths defined by said travel and hoist motor control operations and being indicative of actual amounts of operation thereof; reader means operable in synchronism with the operation of said travel and hoist motor controls to extract actual-position indicative codes from said binary coded means at predetermined defined points as the travel and hoist motor controls are operated; means for comparing each actual-position indicative binary code with the inserted binary code to obtain a difference code each time an actual-position indicative binary code is extracted; means for providing directional output signals indicative of the polarities of the difference codes, that is, indicative of whether the difference code is plus or minus; first motion control means operable to cause the travel and hoist motor controls to be oPerated in their forward or reverse and up or down directions in accordance with the last obtained difference code and the last directional signal provided respectively therefor; limit control means for the lateral motor control; and second motion control means operable to cause the lateral motor control to be operated in its in and out directions under control of said program control means and said limit control means in a predetermined programmed sequence with said operations of said travel and hoist motor controls.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
339 words
In a control system for a driven device that is adapted to operate in controlled sequences a plurality of motor controls, electrical control apparatus comprising: a forward and reverse motor control; an up and down hoist motor control; an in and out lateral motor control; binary code input means and means for controlling the same to insert into the system binary codes indicative of desired amounts of operation of the travel and hoist motor controls, and indicative of operation of the lateral motor control in a controlled sequence therewith; means for initiating operation of the system; program control means responsive to said initiation of operation of the system for controlling operations of the travel and hoist and lateral motor controls in a controlled sequence comprising: binary coded means mounted along coordinate paths defined by said travel and hoist motor control operations and being indicative of actual amounts of operation thereof; reader means operable in synchronism with the operation of said travel and hoist motor controls to extract actual-position indicative codes from said binary coded means at predetermined defined points as the travel and hoist motor controls are operated; means for comparing each actual-position indicative binary code with the inserted binary code to obtain a difference code each time an actual-position indicative binary code is extracted; means for providing directional output signals indicative of the polarities of the difference codes, that is, indicative of whether the difference code is plus or minus; first motion control means operable to cause the travel and hoist motor controls to be oPerated in their forward or reverse and up or down directions in accordance with the last obtained difference code and the last directional signal provided respectively therefor; limit control means for the lateral motor control; and second motion control means operable to cause the lateral motor control to be operated in its in and out directions under control of said program control means and said limit control means in a predetermined programmed sequence with said operations of said travel and hoist motor controls.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second motion control means comprise: means responsive to completion of operation of said travel and hoist motor controls for causing sequential operation of said lateral motor control in its in direction, operation of said hoist motor control in its up or down direction as determined by said digital input code followed by operation of said lateral motor control in its out direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said first motion control means comprises: means for simultaneously causing operation of said travel and hoist motor controls.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said first motion control means comprises: binary code recognition means responsive to a difference code equal to or smaller than a predetermined small value for initiating slow-down action of the travel and hoist motor controls.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said binary code recognition means comprises: means responsive to a difference code of zero for providing a stopping action of the travel and hoist motor controls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said binary coded means mounted along coordinate paths defined by said travel and hoist motor control operations and being indicative of actual amounts of operation thereof comprises: magnetic bits arranged in a binary code and mounted along the paths of movement defined by said travel and hoist motor control operations so as to be sensed at periodic points therealong.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-26 | 1976-09-25 | 1977-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-26 | 1980-09-25 | 1981-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-26 | 1984-09-25 | 1985-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |