MY118112A - Under-cart type guided tractor - Google Patents

Abstract

AN UNDER-CART TYPE GUIDED TRACTOR COMPRISING A FRAME (1) PROVIDED WITH A DRIVING UNIT (3) INCLUDING DRIVING WHEELS (2) ON THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF, THE GUIDED TRACTOR BEING ADAPTED TO TRAVEL GUIDED BY A GUIDE SIGNAL SENT OUT FROM A GUIDE ELEMENT, SUCH AS A MAGNETIC TAPE (14) LAID ALONG A TRAVELING PATH ON A FLOOR SURFACE (4), AND TO DRAW A CART (5) PROVIDED WITH FREE WHEELS (11) AND LOADED WITH GOODS, WITH THE GUIDED TRACTOR LOCATED UNDER A LOAD-CARRYING PLATFORM OF THE CART (5). THE FRAME (1) OF THE GUIDED TRACTOR HAS A HEIGHT THAT ALLOWS THE GUIDED TRACTOR TO MOVE UNDER THE FRAME (6) OF THE CART (5), AND A STRUCTURE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THE VERTICAL LOAD OF THE CART (5) TO ACT ON THE GUIDED TRACTOR. THE FRAME (1) OF THE GUIDED TRACTOR COMPRISES AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE FRAME COMPONENTS (7,8) THAT ARE ARRANGED IN LINE WITH THE TRAVELLING DIRECTION OF THE GUIDED TRACTOR AND JOINED BY A PIN (9) IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE FRAME COMPONENTS (7,8) ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE AN UPWARD OR DOWNWARD BENT FORMATION. THE FRAME (1) OF THE GUIDED TRACTOR IS PROVIDED WITH FREE WHEELS (12) THAT ARE ADAPTED TO TRAVEL ON THE FLOOR SURFACE (4) ALONG WITH THE DRIVING WHEELS (2). THE FRAME COMPONENTS (7,8) ARE EQUIPPED WITH A CLAMP MECHANISM (10) CAPABLE OF BEING RAISED AND LOWERED, THE CLAMP MECHANISM (1.0) BEING ADAPTED TO BE RAISED AND CLAMP THE FRAME (6) OF THE CART (5) WHEN THE GUIDED TRACTOR HAS COME TO ANAPPROPRIATE POSITION UNDER THE FRAME OF THE CART (5). A SENSOR (13) IS PROVIDED AT A PORTION SUITABLE FOR DETECTING THE GUIDE SIGNAL SENT OUT FROM THE GUIDE ELEMENT, SUCH AS A MAGNETIC TAPE (14). (FIGURE 3B)