Device for orienting a lifting means, for example, in relation to a load

Claim 1

In a device for orienting a lift fork on a fork-lift truck in a certain position in relation to a pallet having a hole therethrough, comprising light-emitting means movable with the lift fork and disposed to illuminate the pallet, a photoelectric detector which is movable together with the lift fork, electronic control equipment connected to the photoelectric detector to receive signals from the same, and operating equipment for the lift fork, connected to the control equipment for moving the lift fork dependent on signals from the control equipment, an image consisting of lighter and darker fields being created on the pallet within a scanning area for the photoelectric detector, the control and operating equipment being disposed to move the lift fork with the photoelectric detector in one direction over the scanning area, the detector being arranged during this movement to scan the pallet to register said light and dark fields and send signals to the control and operating equipment for orientation of the lift fork depending on the location of the light and dark fields; the improvement in which the axes of said photoelectric detector and light-emitting means are vertically spaced from each other and are inclined toward each other, as seen from the side, in the direction of emission of light from said light-emitting means, at a sufficiently great angle that the point of convergence of said axes, as seen from the side, does not extend beyond the pallet.