Abstract: An industrial truck for picking up a laterally disposed load from the ground or from racks comprises at least one chassis beam, which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the track, an extending and retracting drive for laterally moving a load carrier subassembly including load carrier arms. A lifting drive is provided for vertically moving the load carrier subassembly relative to at least chassis beam. The load carrier arms of the forked load carrier or corresponding roller-carrying arms, which are transversely movable, are provided with downwardly extensible load-supporting rollers, which are adapted to support the load during a transverse movement of the load carrier.

Abstract: An industrial truck comprising at least one steerable wheel is to be guided in dependence on direction-controlling signals which are transmitted to the industrial truck. At a junction the truck receives a direction-controlling steering signal, which causes the at least one steerable wheel to be laterally offset from the guiding signal line until a signal equilibrium which depends on the offset has been established in the steering controller. In dependence on the distance traveled and/or on time, a resetting signal is received which causes the steering means to return to an operating condition in which the vehicle is centered over a signal guiding line to be followed. The signals are transmitted by a guiding signal line, which is buried in the ground and cooperates with a sensor, which is provided at the center of the vehicle and scans the guiding signal line so as to control the deflection of steerable wheels of the vehicle.

Abstract: A fork truck is provided with a collision-preventing safety arrangement which initiates an emergency stopping in response to a contact with or detection of an obstacle. That safety arrangement comprises a safety device which at least adjacent to a load carrier (3) encloses the space for accommodating a picked-up load (20) on a level within the height range of a human being. That safety device is designed to permit a handling of the load (20) by means of the load carrier (3) at least in a forward direction. For that purpose the safety device may comprise a confining structure, which in its operative position encloses at least the space adjacent to the load carrier (3) and is movable out of its operative position when a load (20) is to be handled.

Abstract: An industrial truck, particularly a high-lift truck, comprising a lifting frame provided with extensible mast sections and a load-carrying carriage, is provided on the fixed mast section and, if desired, on extensible mast sections, with laterally disposed vertical rails, which serve in alternation as carriers for rotatably mounted guide roller for engaging guideways on adjacent rails or to provide guideways for such guide rollers. The guideways are provided at least on one side with a bordering ledge for the lateral guidance of the guide rollers. At least part of the guide rollers (20, 22, 30; 24, 26, 27, 28; 102-104; 105; 106; 108, 109; 143), particularly those disposed on one side of the lifting frame (2), are axially displaceable. In one embodiment the guide rollers (20, 22; 24) disposed on one side of the lifting frame are axially displaceable in their bearings and those (19, 21; 23, 25) disposed on the other side of the lifting frame are axially fixed in their bearings.

Abstract: An industrial truck, particularly a high-lift truck, comprising a lifting frame provided with extensible mast sections and a load-carrying carriage, is provided on the fixed mast section and, if desired, on extensible mast sections, with laterally disposed vertical rails, which serve in alternation as carriers for rotatably mounted guide roller for engaging guideways on adjacent rails or to provide guideways for such guide rollers. The guideways are provided at least on one side with a bordering ledge for the lateral guidance of the guide rollers. At least part of the guide rollers (20, 22, 30; 24, 26, 27, 28; 102-104; 105, 106; 108, 109; 143), particularly those disposed on one side of the lifting frame (2), are axially displaceable. In one embodiment the guide rollers (20, 22; 24) disposed on one side of the lifting frame are axially displaceable in their bearings and those (19, 21; 23, 25) disposed on the other side of the lifting frame are axially fixed in their bearings.

Abstract: A lift truck has a lifting mast and a lifting cylinder arrangement, which is located either in front of or behind an upright of the mast and defines a dead angle for the operator of the vehicle in the operator's station. A load chain is connected to a central point of the load carrier and a chain guide roller arrangement extends obliquely to the lateral extent of the mast. The invention is applicable to masts which are nonextensible and to telescopic masts having one or more extensible sections.

Abstract: A swivel head for industrial robots has two degrees of freedom, which are associated with respective spindles having intersecting axes. A first spindle serves to swivel a tool and a second spindle serves to rotate the tool. The swivel head also comprises two concentric drive shafts, which extend one in the other and carry bevel gears. One of said bevel wheels is a driving bevel gear for directly driving the second spindle by means of a bevel gear mounted on said second spindle. The other bevel gear drives a swiveling bevel gear mounted on the first spindle. In that swivel head a speed-reducing tansmission having a high reduction ratio is connected to the second spindle and serves to drive a tool carrier. The swiveling bevel gear directly carries a bearing bracket, which carries the tool shaft and intermediate gears of the transmission. The housing of the swivel head consists of a rigid part and a movable part.

Abstract: A controller with at least one switch or a plurality of switches e.g. in the form of a power switchgroup for controlling an electric drive motor in a vehicle wherein a set point selector consists of a mask that is rigidly connected or interchangeably attached to an actuating member of the controller, the mask is adapted to provide a predetermined set point characteristic in cooperation with control elements that are connected to an input of an electronic circuit which includes a second input to which are connected means for varying a reference voltage at the output of the electronic circuit and the control range of the set point characteristic. The control elements cooperating with the mask may consist of an opto-electronic transmitter-receiver device.

Abstract: A control lever switch for providing steplessly adjustable control values, e.g. directional commands, for a plurality of outputs is based upon the provision of a number of electrodes in a spaced array around a control lever, these electrodes being capacitively coupled to a transmitter electrode which is carried by the control lever and which is adjustable via the control lever both radially and circumferentially of the electrode array. Preferably, four 90.degree. segment electrodes are provided, with a circular gap in the center, appropriately connected to two output channels to give, in a vehicle control system, both directional control and speed control in each channel. The electrode array and the transmitter electrode may be provided on respective opposite sides of a circuit board over which the transmitter electrode can slide easily.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to steerable vehicles, particularly fork lift trucks, which include one or more travel drive motors adapted to be controlled in a predetermined manner, and a steerable swivelled wheel assembly. To increase the safety of such vehicle in operation, an electrically controlled drive control system is provided which is simple and free from elements that are susceptible to wear. For this purpose, two speed sensors are provided on opposite sides of the vehicle and cooperate with respective coaxial road wheels and are connected by a comparator to a switching system for controlling the travel drive, e.g., to a travel control signal generator. Elements for applying at least one additional speed-influencing input signal are associated with the comparator.

Abstract: A drive arrangement in the chassis of an electrically powered mobile machine such as a fork lift or the like having a steerable wheel assembly at one end of the chassis and a non-steerable wheel assembly at the opposite chassis end wherein each wheel includes coupling means for connection to a driving motor and one or more driving motors may be selectively mounted in the chassis to selectively drive one, two, several or all wheels of the vehicle as may be desired.

Abstract: A sensor array which extends only over a fraction of the length of the vehicle generates pick-up signals in response to signals emitted by a ground wire lying in the ground. The pick-up signals are processed in signal-processing circuits to generate a heading signal and a displacement signal representing the position of the vehicle and the direction of its longitudinal axis relative to the guide wire. A curvature detector is provided for generating a curvature signal, which represents the curvature of a bend of the guide wire near the sensor array. The heading, displacement and curvature signals are combined by a signal-combining circuit, which delivers a position control signal to position control means for controlling at least one steerable wheel of the vehicle so as to steer the latter along the guide wire.