Device and method for transporting heavy duty racks by means of a transport vehicle on an uneven ground surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707879-B2
Application number	US-201414906478-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2014
Priority date	Aug 12, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and to a method for transporting heavy duty racks on an uneven ground surface by means of a transport vehicle, comprising the following features: a) a housing ( 3 ) having a carrier plate ( 1 ) for transporting a heavy duty rack ( 12 ), having two separately powered drive wheels ( 20 ) hinged to a respective axis of rotation ( 5 ) on both sides in the center of the housing ( 3 ), having at least one stabilizing wheel ( 9 ) in the front and at least one stabilizing wheel ( 21 ) in the back; b) a transverse control arm ( 34 ), which connects the drive wheels ( 20 ), which respectively can be pivoted about the axis of rotation ( 5 ) by means of an angle lever ( 40 ) such that they are able to carry out vertical movements independently from one another; c) a centrally arranged actuating element ( 31 ), which can move two front lift rods ( 19 ) and two rear lift rods ( 16 ) by means of a lifting rotary lever ( 27 ) and of a push rod ( 24 ) connected thereto, for raising and lowering the carrier plate ( 1 ); d) a system for supplying a transport vehicle with energy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for transporting heavy duty racks on an uneven ground surface by means of a transport vehicle, comprising the following features:
a) a housing ( 3 ) having a carrier plate ( 1 ) for carrying and transporting a heavy duty rack ( 12 ), having two separately driven drive wheels ( 20 ) each hinged to a separate axis of rotation ( 5 ), one on each of the two sides in the center of the housing ( 3 ), and having at least one stabilizing wheel ( 9 ) at the front, and having at least one stabilizing wheel ( 21 ) at the rear,
b) a transverse control arm ( 34 ), which connects the drive wheels ( 20 ), which each can be pivoted about the axis of rotation ( 5 ) by means of an angle lever ( 40 ), such that they are able to carry out vertical movements independently of one another,
c) a centrally arranged actuating element ( 31 ), which can move two front lift rods ( 19 ) and two rear lift rods ( 16 ) by means of a lifting rotary lever ( 27 ) and a push rod ( 24 ) connected thereto, for raising or lowering the carrier plate ( 1 ),
d) a system for supplying energy to a transport vehicle either via inductive lines laid in the ground or via stationary energy supply stations which can be driven up to,
e) a control system for controlling and moving a transport vehicle within the scope of a load transportation program.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front lift rods ( 19 ) each have an actuating element ( 18 ) and the rear lift rods ( 16 ) each have an actuating element ( 17 ) for separate height adjustment.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the center of gravity of the heavy duty rack ( 12 ) is detected by means of sensors, and the result of such a center of gravity determination is used in order to control the actuating elements ( 17 ) and ( 18 ).

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein sensors ( 42 ) for detecting the rotary movement of the drive wheels ( 20 ) are provided and can also determine the slip at each drive wheel ( 20 ) depending on the speed of the transport vehicle.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inclination of a heavy duty rack ( 12 ) is determined by means of an inclination sensor.

6. A method for transporting heavy duty racks on an uneven ground surface by means of a transport vehicle, said method having the following features:
a) a transport vehicle travels beneath a rack system ( 12 ) to be transported and vertically lifts this by means of an actuating element ( 31 ) and the push rods ( 19 ) and ( 16 ), moved directly vertically upwardly as a result of this movement by means of the carrier plate ( 1 ), to such an extent that the feet of the heavy duty rack ( 12 ) do not contact the ground surface during the transportation, even if the ground is uneven, and moves to the target location,
b) unevennesses in the ground are compensated for during the transportation to the target location by means of the individually driven drive wheels ( 20 ) and the possibility for movement thereof about a decentrally arranged axis of rotation ( 5 ), and also the combined movement thereof via the respective angle lever ( 40 ) with a transverse control arm ( 34 ), such that the transport vehicle is subjected only to minor fluctuations,
c) in the event of gradients the inclined position of the heavy duty rack is determined by means of an inclination sensor, and the horizontal position of the carrier plate ( 1 ) is corrected as necessary by means of actuating elements ( 17 ) and ( 18 ),
d) upon arrival at the target location the heavy duty rack ( 12 ) is set down at the desired location by means of the lowered push rods ( 19 ) and ( 16 ).

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the center of gravity of the heavy duty rack ( 12 ) is detected by means of sensors, and the result of such a center of gravity determination is used to control the actuating elements ( 17 ) and ( 18 ), and in that the inclination of a heavy duty rack ( 12 ) is determined by means of an inclination sensor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein sensors ( 42 ) for detecting the rotary movement of the drive wheels ( 20 ) are provided and can also determine the slip at each drive wheel ( 20 ) depending on the speed of the transport vehicle.

9. A computer program having a program code for carrying out the method steps as claimed in claim 6 when the program is executed in a computer.

10. A machine-readable carrier containing the program code of a computer program for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 6 when the program is executed in a computer.

Assignees

• Grenzebach Maschb Gmbh

Inventors

• Mecklinger Siegfried

Classifications

• B60P1/02 Primary

  with parallel up-and-down movement of load supporting or containing element (in combination with tipping B60P1/34; devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes, movable on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/06 {; suspensions with electronic levelling control during loading or unloading B60G17/0157}) · CPC title

• B66F9/065

  non-masted (mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00) · CPC title

• B66F9/063 Primary

  Automatically guided · CPC title

• B60P3/00

  Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects (ambulances or other vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00; hearses A61G21/00; fire-fighting land vehicles A62C27/00; refuse-collecting vehicles B65F3/00, B65F7/00; snow-removing vehicles E01H; armoured or armed vehicles F41H7/00; self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles F41H11/16) · CPC title