Systems and methods for modular carriage width adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12129159-B2
Application number	US-202318093065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2023
Priority date	Jan 27, 2022
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a modular carriage system that includes one or more modular pieces to expand one or more dimensions of a base carriage plate. The modular pieces and/or the base carriage plate may include, and/or be configured to receive, mounting hardware to secure the modular pieces to the base carriage plate. In some examples, multiple modular pieces can be stacked together to incrementally increase the one or more dimensions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular carriage system comprising:
one or more modular pieces comprising at least one extension member; and
a base carriage plate configured to removably receive the one or more modular pieces at an end of the base carriage plate, the base carriage plate comprising one or more machined areas, wherein:
a first modular piece of the one or more modular pieces expands the base carriage plate in a first dimension;
a first extension member of the at least one extension members of the first modular piece extends from the first modular piece in the first dimension, the first extension member is sized and shaped to mate with a first machined area of the one or more machined areas; and
mounting hardware secures the one or more modular pieces to the base carriage plate by extending through the first machined area of the base carriage plate, and secures the first extension member of the first modular piece to the base carriage plate in a second dimension different from the first dimension.

2. The modular carriage system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting hardware includes one or more of a fastener, a screw, a bolt, a plate, or a weld.

3. The modular carriage system of claim 2 , wherein one or more fasteners extend through the one or more modular pieces and mate with one or more holes of the base carriage plate.

4. The modular carriage system of claim 2 , wherein one or more plates are secured to a surface of the one or more modular pieces and to a surface of the base carriage plate, the one or more plates secured to the one or more modular pieces of the base carriage plate by one or more screws.

5. The modular carriage system of claim 1 , wherein a first modular piece of the one or more modular pieces is secured to a first side of the base carriage plate and a second modular piece of the one or more modular pieces is secured to a second side of the base carriage plate.

6. The modular carriage system of claim 5 , wherein the first side of the base carriage plate is opposite the second side.

7. The modular carriage system of claim 5 , wherein the first side and the second side of the base carriage plate are parallel.

8. The modular carriage system of claim 5 , wherein the first side is generally perpendicular to the second side of the base carriage plate.

9. A modular carriage system comprising:
a plurality of modular pieces comprising mounting hardware; and
a base carriage plate comprising an area configured to receive and secure the plurality of modular pieces to the base carriage plate via the mounting hardware, the plurality of modular pieces expand one or more dimensions of the base carriage plate,
wherein a first side of a first modular piece of the plurality of modular pieces is configured to be directly secured to the base carriage plate at a vertically oriented end of the base carriage plate to extend a horizontal profile of the base carriage plate, and
a second modular piece of the plurality of modular pieces is configured to be directly secured to a second side of the first modular piece opposite the first side to further extend the horizontal profile of the base carriage plate.

10. The modular carriage system of claim 9 , wherein the mounting hardware of the plurality of modular pieces comprises one or more extensions extending from a surface of the plurality of modular pieces, the one or more extensions configured to mate with the area of the base carriage plate.

11. The modular carriage system of claim 9 , wherein the modular carriage system is configured to mount to a lift truck attachment system for a lift truck.

12. The modular carriage system of claim 11 , wherein the base carriage plate is configured to support one or more load handling fixtures.

13. The modular carriage system of claim 9 , wherein the modular carriage system is configured to support a side-shifter to move the one or more load handling fixtures horizontally.

14. The modular carriage system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more modular pieces are configured to house one or more of sensors, wiring or electronics.

15. A modular carriage system comprising:
one or more modular pieces; and
a base carriage plate configured to removably receive the one or more modular pieces at a first end of the base carriage plate facing a first direction and at a second end of the base carriage plate opposite the first end and facing a second direction, the base carriage plate having one or more machined areas, wherein:
a first modular piece of the one or more modular pieces comprises one or more first extensions sized and shaped to mate with one or more a respective first machined areas of the one or more machined areas on the first end of the base carriage plate, such that the first modular piece extends the base carriage plate in the first direction;
mounting hardware is configured to secure the first modular piece to the base carriage plate by extending through at least one of the one or more first machined areas the base carriage plate and at least one of the one or more first extensions of the first modular piece;
a second modular piece of the one or more modular pieces comprises one or more second extensions sized and shaped to mate with one or more respective second machined areas of the one or more machined areas on the second end of the base carriage plate, such that the second modular piece extends the base carriage plate in a second direction; and
a third modular piece of the one or more modular pieces is configured to directly couple to the first modular piece or the second modular piece to further extend the base carriage plate in the first direction or the second direction.

16. The modular carriage system of claim 15 , wherein the base carriage plate comprises one or more carriage holes,
each modular piece of the one or more modular pieces further comprises a fastener extending from the modular piece, and
each modular piece of the one or more modular pieces is attached to the base carriage plate by the fastener of the modular piece mating with a respective carriage hole of the one or more carriage holes.

17. The modular carriage system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more modular pieces include two or more modular pieces configured to be secured to each other and the base carriage plate at a vertically oriented end of the base carriage plate to extend a horizontal profile of the base carriage plate.

18. The modular carriage system of claim 15 , wherein the base carriage plate comprises a carriage hole, such that a fastener secures the base carriage plate to a modular piece of the one or more modular pieces by extending through the carriage hole and the one or more extension.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Sukalski Andrew
• Johnson Thomas H
• Detert Kevin
• Hainy Cory

Classifications

• B66F9/14 Primary

  laterally movable, e.g. swingable, for slewing or transverse movements · CPC title