Control apparatus for a warehousing shelf locator

Claim 2

For use in an automatic shelf selector system for a forklift having a movable fork and motor means to actuate the fork to a position to store or retrieve pallets in accordance with a preselected rack shelf pattern; a control device comprising a carrier assembly means, sensor means including a plurality of control switches for the motor means, means responsive to the actuation of the fork by the motor means including a lead screw and a screw nut, cam means, said screw nut supporting the cam means for longitudinal movement along the lead screw, said nut screw being in an operative relation with the lead screw so that the longitudinal movement may be imparted to the cam means upon rotation of the lead screw relative to the carrier assembly means, means for drivingly connecting the fork to the lead screw to cause relative rotation of the lead screw for effecting the longitudinal movement of the cam means along the lead screw in response to the actuation of the fork by the motor means, aid plurality of control switches being supported by the carrier assembly means and extending along the longitudinal path of travel of the cam means, said plurality of control switches including cam follower means sequentially actuated by the cam means in the longitudinal movement of the cam means, an operatoroperative selector switch means for selectively rendering at least one of the control switches effective to terminate operation of the motor means upon the cam follower means of said one control switch being actuated by the cam means in response to the actuation of the fork by the motor means to a predetermined position in relation to a preselected rack shelf location in accordance with the preselected rack shelf pattern for the storing or retrieval of the pallets, said carrier assembly means including a pair of longitudinally spaced frame plates, said lead screw being rotatably supported by at least one of the fRame plates, said nut screw being in said operative relation with the lead screw, means coupling the nut screw to at least one of the frame plates of the carrier assembly means so that the longitudinal movement may be imparted to the cam means along the lead screw upon a relative angular adjustment being imparted to the lead screw in relation to the frame plates of the carrier assembly means, a plurality of tie rods circumferentially located about said cam means and supporting the plates in spaced relationship, and attaching means securing the control switches on the tie rods along the longitudinal path of travel of the cam means on the lead screw, said attaching means being operably adjusted to preselectively locate the control switches on the tie rods in accordance with the preselected rack shelf pattern.

Claim 3

The control device defined by claim 1 including a frame structure for supporting the carrier assembly means, the nut screw being integral with the cam means, spring means connected between one of the frame plates and the cam means for biasing the cam means and thereby the nut screw in one sense and in said operative relation with the lead screw, said spring means providing the means coupling the nut screw integral with the cam means to the carrier assembly means, and means pivotally mounting the carrier assembly means in the supporting frame structure for predetermined angular adjustment of the carrier assembly means relative to the frame structure and the lead screw so that the nut screw and thereby the cam means may be longitudinally adjusted on the lead screw for alternately lagging or leading the rotation of the lead screw in properly locating the fork of the forklift at the predetermined location in relation to the preselected rack shelf location depending upon the storing or retrieval pattern effected by said angular adjustment of the carrier assembly means in one and another senses.

Claim 4

The control device defined by claim 1 further comprising an electrical control network including other operator-operative selector switch means, indicator means, and control means for the indicator means, said control means including a plurality of other control switches for the indicator means, said other control switches being operably supported by the carrier assembly means along the longitudinal path of travel of the cam means, said other control switches including cam follower means sequentially actuated by the cam means, said other operator-operative selective switch means rendering at least one of the other control switches effective to cause the indicator means to be operable in response to the position of the fork in relation to the selected shelf location for signifying to the forklift operator that the fork has been properly located for the effective storing or retrieval pattern of operation.

Claim 5

In a shelf selector system for a forklift which includes a movable fork and motor means to actuate the fork to positions corresponding to preselected rack shelf locations; a control apparatus comprising carrier assembly means, sensor means including a plurality of control devices for the motor means, a lead screw rotatably supported by the carrier assembly means and extending longitudinally within the carrier assembly means, cam means supported by the lead screw, means drivingly connected between the lead screw and the cam means to position the cam means on the lead screw in a longitudinal path of travel upon rotation of the lead screw relative to the carrier assembly means, means for drivingly connecting the movable fork of the forklift to the lead screw for effecting rotation of the lead screw in response to the actuation of the fork by the motor means, the plurality of control devices being supported by the carrier assembly means and extending within the carrier assembly means along the longitudinal path of travel of the cam means, each of the control devices including a cam follower element selectively actuated in one sense by the cam means during the positioning of the caM means along the lead screw in the longitudinal path of travel, operator-operative control means to initiate operation of the control means and to selectively render at least one of the plurality of control devices effective to terminate operation of the motor means upon the cam follower element of the selected control device being selectively actuated in said one sense by the cam means, the selective actuation of the cam follower element in said one sense being effected by said cam means in response to actuation of the fork by the motor means to a predetermined position in relation to a preselected rack shelf location, said carrier assembly means including longitudinally extending supporting means circumferentially located about the lead screw and cam means, means mounting the control devices on the supporting means along said longitudinal path of travel with the cam follower elements of the control devices extending in a predetermined cooperative relation with the cam means corresponding to the predetermined position in relation to said preselected rack shelf location; said control apparatus also including a frame structure for supporting the carrier assembly means, means coupling the cam means to the carrier assembly means, means pivotally mounting the carrier assembly means in the supporting frame structure, the carrier assembly means being angularly positioned in one sense about the pivotal mounting means and relative to the lead screw so as to casue the cam means to be longitudinally adjusted on the lead screw in a sense for lagging the rotation of the lead screw and alternatively in another and opposite and angular sense about the pivotal mounting means and relative to the lead screw so as to cause the cam means to be longitudinally adjusted on the lead screw in an opposite sense for leading the rotation of the lead screw in properly locating the fork of the forklift at the predetermined position in relation to the preselected rack shelf location corresponding to a storing or retrieval patterns of fork locations effected by said alternative angular adjustments of the carrier assembly means about the pivotal mounting means in said one and said other angular senses.

Claim 6

In a shelf selector system for a forklift which includes a movable fork and motor means to actuate the fork to positions corresponding to preselected rack shelf locations; a control apparatus comprising carrier assembly means, sensor means including a plurality of control devices for the motor means, a lead screw rotatably supported by the carrier assembly means and extending longitudinally within the carrier assembly means, cam means supported by the lead screw, means drivingly connected between the lead screw and the cam means to position the cam means on the lead screw in a longitudinal path of travel upon rotation of the lead screw relative to the carrier assembly means, means for drivingly connecting the movable fork of the forklift to the lead screw for effecting rotation of the lead screw in response to the actuation of the fork by the motor means, the plurality of control devices being supported by the carrier assembly means and extending within the carrier assembly means along the longitudinal path of travel of the cam means, each of the control devices including a cam follower element selectively actuated in one sense by the cam means during the positioning of the caM means along the lead screw in the longitudinal path of travel, operator-operative control means to initiate operation of the control means and to selectively render at least one of the plurality of control devices effective to terminate operation of the motor means upon the cam follower element of the selected control device being selectively actuated in said one sense by the cam means, the selective actuation of the cam follower element in said one sense being effected by said cam means in response to actuation of the fork by the motor means to a predetermined position in relation to a preselected rack shelf location, said carrier assembly means including longitudinally extending supporting means circumferentially located about the lead screw and cam means, means mounting the control devices on the supporting means along said longitudinal path of travel with the cam follower elements of the control devices extending in a predetermined cooperative relation with the cam means corresponding to the predetermined position in relation to said preselected rack shelf location; said control apparatus also including a frame structure for supporting the carrier assembly means, means coupling the cam means to the carrier assembly means, means pivotally mounting the carrier assembly means in the supporting frame structure, the carrier assembly means being angularly positioned in one sense about the pivotal mounting means and relative to the lead screw so as to casue the cam means to be longitudinally adjusted on the lead screw in a sense for lagging the rotation of the lead screw and alternatively in another and opposite and angular sense about the pivotal mounting means and relative to the lead screw so as to cause the cam means to be longitudinally adjusted on the lead screw in an opposite sense for leading the rotation of the lead screw in properly locating the fork of the forklift at the predetermined position in relation to the preselected rack shelf location corresponding to a storing or retrieval patterns of fork locations effected by said alternative angular adjustments of the carrier assembly means about the pivotal mounting means in said one and said other angular senses.

Claim 7

In the shelf selector system defined by claim 4 the control apparatus including a frame structure for supporting the carrier assembly means, means coupling the cam means to the carrier assembly means, means pivotally mounting the carrier assembly means in the supporting frame structure, the carrier assembly means being angularly positioned in one sense about the pivotal mounting means and relative to the lead screw so as to cause the cam means to be longitudinally adjusted on the lead screw in a sense for lagging the rotation of the lead screw and alternatively in another and opposite angular sense about the pivotal mounting means and relative to the lead screw so as to cause the cam means to be longitudinally adjusted on the lead screw in an opposite sense for leading the rotation of the lead screw, other motor means operably connected to said pivotally mounted carrier assembly means, and said operator-operative control means to selectively control said other motor means so as to angularly position the carrier assembly means about said pivotal mounting said means in said one and said other sense for properly locating the fork of the forklift at the predetermined position in relation to the preselected rack shelf location corresponding to a storing or a retrieval pattern of fork locations effected by said alternative angular adjustment of the carrier assembly means about the pivotal mounting means in said one and in said other angular senses.

Claim 8

In the shelf selector system defined by claim 4, the control apparatus including the operator-operative control means being selectably operable in one sense to render said at least one of said plurality of control devices effective to terminate the operation of the motor means upon the fork being actuated by the motor means to a predetermined position immedIately above the preselected rack shelf location in a storing pattern, and the operator-operative control means being selectably operable in another sense to render said at least one of said plurality of control devices effective to terminate the operation of the motor means upon the fork being actuated by the motor means to a predetermined position immediately below the preselected rack shelf location in a retrieval pattern.

Claim 9

In the shelf selector system defined by claim 4, the control apparatus including the operator-operative control means being selectively operable in one sense to render said at least one of said plurality of control devices effective to terminate a first stage of operation of the motor means in a storage pattern upon the fork being actuated by the motor means to a predetermined position immediately above the preselected rack shelf location in the storage pattern, and the operator-operative control means being selectively operable in another sense to render said at least one of said plurality of control devices effective to terminate a first stage of operation of the motor means in a retrieve pattern upon the fork being actuated by the motor means to a predetermined position immediately below the preselected rack shelf location in the retrieve pattern, another of said plurality of control devices being selectively rendered effective by said operator-operative control means, the cam follower element of said selected other control device being selectively actuated in one sense by the cam means in response to actuation of the fork by the motor means to a predetermined deceleration point immediately below said predetermined actuated position of the fork and below said preselected rack shelf location, said cam means retaining said cam follower element of said other control device actuated in said one sense over a predetermined deceleration range extending from said deceleration point to the other predetermined actuated position of the fork immediately above the preselected rack shelf location, auxiliary control means for said motor means including relay means rendered effective by said selected other control device upon the cam follower element of the other control device being actuated in said one sense by the cam means, the auxiliary control means effecting a decrease in the speed of the actuation of the fork by the motor means in response to the relay means being rendered effective by said selected other control device, said operator-operative control means being selectively operable in an auxiliary sense in the storage pattern and alternatively in the retrieve pattern upon the termination of the first stage of operation of the motor means and so long as said relay means may be rendered effective by said selected other control device, said operator-operative control means being selectively operable in said auxiliary sense in the storage pattern to reinitiate operation of the motor means to lower the fork from said predetermined position immediately above the preselected rack shelf location in the storage pattern to a predetermined auxiliary position below the preselected rack shelf location, a further control device of said plurality of control devices being selectively rendered effective by said operator-operative control means to terminate the auxiliary lowering operation of the motor means upon the cam follower element of said selected further control device being selectively actuated in one sense by the cam means, the selective actuation of the cam follower element of said further control device in said one sense being effected by said cam means in response to the lowering of the fork by the motor means to said auxiliary position below the preselected rack shelf location in the storage pattern; and said operator-operative control means being selectively operable in said auxiliary sense in the retrieve pattern to re-initiate operation of the motor means to raise the fork from said predetermined position immediately below the preselected rack shelf locatioN in the retrieve pattern to a predetermined auxiliary position immediately above the preselected rack shelf location, and said operator-operative control means being selectively operable to render said at least one of said plurality of control devices effective to terminate the operation of the motor means upon the fork being raised by the motor means to said auxiliary raised position above the preselected rack shelf location in the retrieve pattern.