Apparatus for automated transfer of large-scale missile hardware

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834228-B2
Application number	US-201615390285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	May 7, 2013
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A cradle drive system includes a cradle drive sled. The sled includes a pin configured to mechanically couple the sled to a cradle. The cradle is configured to hold a hardware load for movement along a factory rail. The sled also includes a power interface configured to provide torque to move a hardware load. The sled further includes processing circuitry configured to, in response to determining that the sled is mechanically coupled to the cradle, transfer the cradle and hardware load longitudinally along the factory rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
traversing, with a first sled, a length of a first factory rail comprising a docking end configured to mechanically couple to a docking end of a second factory rail;
supporting at least two cradles on the first factory rail;
coupling the first sled to a first cradle of the at least two cradles, the first cradle disposed nearer to the docking end of the first factory rail than a second cradle of the at least two cradles;
moving, with the first sled, the first cradle to the docking end of the first factory rail;
detecting a location of one or more of the at least two cradles on the first factory rail based on the traversing, the at least two cradles configured to hold a hardware load for movement along a factory rail; and
sending location information to a controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving, with the first sled, a second of the at least two cradles toward the docking end of the first factory rail.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coupling the docking end of the second factory rail to the docking end of the first factory rail, the second factory rail associated with a second sled;
when the first sled is enabled to move a cradle, disabling the second sled from coupling to that cradle;
coupling the first sled to a second of the at least two cradles; and
moving, with the first sled, the second cradle to the docking end of the first factory rail, the moving of the second cradle to the docking end of the first factory rail transferring the first cradle from the first factory rail to the second factory rail.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
when the second sled is enabled to move a cradle, disabling the first sled from coupling to that cradle;
enabling the second sled to couple to a cradle; and
coupling the second sled to and moving, with the second sled, the first cradle away from the docking ends, the moving the first cradle away from the docking ends transferring the second cradle from the first factory rail to the second factory rail.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
decoupling the docking end of the second factory rail from the docking end of the first factory rail; and
moving the second factory rail out of alignment with the first factory rail by an automated guided vehicle coupled to the second factory rail.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein coupling the docking end of the second factory rail to the docking end of the first factory rail further comprises:
actuating an end stop end within an end stop assembly of the second factory rail to cause an end stop pin within the end stop assembly to retract.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length consists of a distance between a first end of the first factory rail and the location of a first detected cradle of the at least two cradles.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the location of the one or more of the at least two cradles on the first factory rail based on the traversing comprises detecting the location with a sensor that receives or emits a signal during the traversing.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor configured to detect a cradle retaining plate on the first factory rail.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the proximity sensor is configured to send the location information to the controller and the controller is configured to trigger a barcode reader to read a barcode on a cradle brake plate.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a first sled configured to traverse a length of a first factory rail comprising a docking end, the docking end of the first factory rail configured to mechanically couple to a docking end of a second factory rail;
at least two cradles supported on the first factory rail, the first sled coupled to a first cradle of the at least two cradles, the first cradle disposed nearer to the docking end of the first factory rail than a second cradle of the at least two cradles and the first sled configured to move the first cradle to the docking end of the first factory rail; and
a sensor configured to detect a location of one or more of the at least two cradles on the first factory rail based on the traversing and to send location information to a controller, the at least two cradles configured to hold a hardware load for movement along a factory rail.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first sled is further configured to move a second of the at least two cradles toward the docking end of the first factory rail.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the docking end of the second factory rail is configured to couple to the docking end of the first factory rail, the second factory rail associated with a second sled,
wherein, when the first sled is enabled to move a cradle, the second sled is disabled from coupling to that cradle,
wherein the first sled is coupled to a second of the at least two cradles, and
wherein movement, with the first sled, of the second cradle to the docking end of the first factory rail transfers the first cradle from the first factory rail to the second factory rail.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein, when the second sled is enabled to move a cradle, the first sled is disabled from coupling to that cradle;
wherein the second sled is configured to couple to a cradle, and
wherein coupling the second sled to and movement, with the second sled, of the first cradle away from the docking ends transfers the second cradle from the first factory rail to the second factory rail.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the docking end of the second factory rail is configured to decouple from the docking end of the first factory rail, and
wherein the second factory rail is configured for movement out of alignment with the first factory rail by an automated guided vehicle coupled to the second factory rail.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the docking end of the second factory rail is configured to couple to the docking end of the first factory by actuating an end stop end within an end stop assembly of the second factory rail to cause an end stop pin within the end stop assembly to retract.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the length consists of a distance between a first end of the first factory rail and the location of a first detected cradle of the at least two cradles.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the location of the one or more of the at least two cradles on the first factory rail is detected with a sensor that receives or emits a signal during the traversing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor configured to detect a cradle retaining plate on the first factory rail.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the proximity sensor is configured to send the location information to the controller and the controller is configured to trigger a barcode reader to read a barcode on a cradle brake plate.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Huelsmann Eric P
• Tucker Kenneth A

Classifications

• B61L25/025

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title

• B61C7/00 Primary

  Other locomotives or motor railcars characterised by the type of motive power plant used; Locomotives or motor railcars with two or more different kinds or types of motive power · CPC title

• B61B13/00 Primary

  Other railway systems · CPC title