Cargo transport system including motorized pallet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077158-B2
Application number	US-201715403579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2017
Priority date	Jan 11, 2017
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A cargo transport system includes a cassette for transporting a workpiece and dolly for transporting the cassette. The dolly includes a dolly frame and at least one wheel attached to the dolly frame for supporting the dolly on a surface. A track plate is attached to the dolly frame. The cassette is moveably mountable on the dolly and includes a cassette frame having first and second cassette conveyors engagable with the dolly for moveably supporting the cassette on the dolly. A first drive wheel is attached to the cassette frame between the first and second cassette conveyors. The first drive wheel is rotatable about a first axis of rotation and is operable for moving the cassette along a path-of-travel relative to the dolly. A location of the first axis of rotation is continuously adjustable relative to the cassette frame as the cassette moves along the path-of-travel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo transport system comprising:
a dolly comprising:
a dolly frame;
at least one dolly wheel attached to the dolly frame for supporting the dolly on a surface; and
a track plate attached to the dolly frame; and

a cassette moveably mountable on the dolly for transporting a workpiece, the cassette comprising:
a cassette frame including a first cassette conveyor engagable with the dolly for moveably supporting the cassette on the dolly and a second cassette conveyor spaced from the first cassette conveyor and engagable with the dolly for moveably supporting the cassette on the dolly; and
a first drive wheel attached to the cassette frame between the first and second cassette conveyors, the first drive wheel rotatable about a first axis of rotation and operable for moving the cassette along a path-of-travel relative to the dolly, wherein a location of the first axis of rotation is continuously adjustable relative to at least one of the first and second cassette conveyors for traction with the dolly as the cassette moves along the path-of-travel.

2. The cargo transport system of claim 1 further comprising a second drive wheel spaced from the first drive wheel along the path-of-travel and attached to the cassette frame between the first and second cassette conveyors, the second drive wheel rotatable about a second axis of rotation and operable for moving the cassette along the path-of-travel relative to the dolly, wherein a location of the second axis of rotation is continuously adjustable relative to at least one of the first and second cassette conveyors for traction with the dolly when moving the cassette along the path-of-travel.

3. The cargo transport system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second drive wheels are located along a common plane aligned substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes of rotation and parallel to the path-of-travel.

4. The cargo transport system of claim 3 further comprising:
a first biasing mechanism having one end connected to the cassette frame and a second end connected to the first drive wheel, the first biasing mechanism operable for urging the first drive wheel into contact with the track plate when the cassette is moved along the path-of-travel; and
a second biasing mechanism having one end connected to the cassette frame and a second end connected to the second drive wheel, the second biasing mechanism operable for urging the second drive wheel into contact with the track plate when the cassette is moved along the path-of-travel.

5. The cargo transport system of claim 1 further comprising a first biasing mechanism having one end connected to the cassette frame and a second end connected to the first drive wheel, the first biasing mechanism operable for generating a biasing force urging the first drive wheel into contact with the track plate when moving the cassette along the path-of-travel.

6. The cargo transport system of claim 1 , wherein the dolly further comprises a first dolly conveyor engagable with the first cassette conveyor and a second dolly conveyor engagable with the second cassette conveyor, wherein the first and second dolly conveyors include a plurality of rollers, each having an axis of rotation aligned substantially perpendicular to the path-of-travel, and the first and second cassette conveyors each include an elongated cassette conveyor rail engagable with and moveably supported on the plurality of rollers.

7. A cargo transport system comprising:
a dolly comprising:
a dolly frame;
at least one dolly wheel attached to the dolly frame for supporting the dolly on a surface;
a track plate attached to the dolly frame;
a first dolly conveyor attached to the dolly frame; and
a second dolly conveyor attached to the dolly frame and spaced from the first dolly conveyor, the track plated located between the first and second dolly conveyors; and

a cassette moveably mountable on the dolly for transporting a workpiece, the cassette comprising:
a cassette frame including a first cassette conveyor engagable with the first dolly conveyor and a second cassette conveyor spaced from the first cassette conveyor and engagable with the second dolly conveyor, the first and second cassette conveyors operable in conjunction with the first and second dolly conveyors for supporting the cassette on the dolly;
a first drive wheel movably attached to the cassette frame between the first and second cassette conveyors, the first drive wheel rotatable about a first axis of rotation and operable for moving the cassette along a path-of-travel relative to the dolly; and
a first biasing mechanism having one end connected to the cassette frame and a second end connected to the first drive wheel, the first biasing mechanism operable for generating a first biasing force urging the first drive wheel into contact with the track plate.

8. The cargo transport system of claim 7 further comprising a second drive wheel spaced from the first drive wheel and movably attached to the cassette frame between the first and second cassette conveyors, the second drive wheel rotatable about a second axis of rotation and operable for moving the cassette along the path-of-travel.

9. The cargo transport system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second drive wheels are located along a common plane aligned substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes of rotation and parallel to the path-of-travel.

10. The cargo transport system of claim 8 further comprising a second biasing mechanism having one end connected to the cassette frame and a second end connected to the second drive wheel, the second biasing mechanism operable for generating a second biasing force urging the second drive wheel into contact with the track plate.

11. The cargo transport system of claim 10 , wherein a sum of a magnitude of the first biasing force and a magnitude of the second biasing force is less than a weight of the cassette.

12. The cargo transport system of claim 7 , wherein the first and second dolly conveyors include a plurality of rollers, each having an axis of rotation aligned substantially perpendicular to the path-of-travel, and the first and second cassette conveyors each include an elongated cassette conveyor rail engagable with and moveably supported on the plurality of rollers.

13. The cargo transport system of claim 12 , wherein longitudinal axes of the cassette conveyor rails are aligned substantially parallel to the path-of-travel.

14. The cargo transport system of claim 7 , wherein a magnitude of the first biasing force is less than a weight of the cassette.

15. The cargo transport system of claim 7 , wherein the first drive wheel is pivotally connected to the cassette frame.

16. The cargo transport system of claim 7 further comprising a motor operably connected to the first drive wheel for rotating the first drive wheel about the first axis of rotation, the first drive wheel and the motor pivotally mounted on the cassette frame as a combination for concurrent pivoting movement.

17. A self-propelled pallet comprising:
a frame including a first conveyor engagable with a surface on which the pallet is supported and a second conveyor spaced from the first conveyor and engagable with the surface;
a first drive wheel attached to the frame between the first and second conveyors, the first drive wheel rotatable about a first axis of rotation and operable for moving the pallet along a path-of-travel, wherein a location of the first axis of rotation is continuously adjustable relative to at least one of the first and second conv

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Lee Gary
• Valad Darren Eric
• Cortina Tony V
• Ignat Cristian
• Givens Raymond David
• Garland Christopher William

Classifications

• B60P1/6436

  the load-transporting element being shifted horizontally in a crosswise direction, combined or not with a vertical displacement · CPC title

• B60P1/6409

  details, accessories, auxiliary devices · CPC title

• B60P1/52

  using rollers in the load-transporting element · CPC title

• B65G67/20 Primary

  Loading covered vehicles · CPC title

• B62D65/18 Primary

  Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines {(conveyors and haulage in general B65G)} · CPC title