Patents Assigned to The Raymond Corporation
  • Communication technique by which an autonomous guidance system controls an industrial vehicle
    Patent number: 8433469
    Abstract: A propulsion drive system is operated by a controller to propel an industrial vehicle along a path in an unmanned mode. An autonomous processor module sends commands to the vehicle controller in response to messages received via a communication network from a guidance and navigation system. The guidance and navigation system transmits a message over the communication network, wherein that message contains a first numerical value specifying the velocity and a second numerical value specifying an amount that the propulsion drive system is to turn a wheel of the industrial vehicle. The message also specifies a maximum speed limit and indicators commanding that a load carried by the industrial vehicle be raised and lowered. The autonomous processor module transmits a feedback message indicate actual vehicle operating parameters to the guidance and navigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Dean S. Harvey, Stephen L. Page, Richard M. Day
  • Method of allocating batteries for use on specific industrial vehicles in a fleet
    Patent number: 8427104
    Abstract: A plurality of rechargeable and removable batteries are allocated to a plurality of industrial vehicles based on the power delivery capability of each battery and the intensity level at which each vehicle is operated. One of a plurality of ratings is assigned to each industrial vehicle, wherein a rating denotes an operating intensity level. The actual capacity of each battery is measured. A given battery is installed on a particular industrial vehicle in response to the relationship between the rating assigned to that industrial vehicle and the actual capacity of the given battery. Batteries with greater actual capacity are installed on industrial vehicles that are used more intensively. When a battery ages and its actual capacity diminishes, that battery is installed on less intensively used industrial vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Paul P. McCabe, Augustus Baldini, John Bryant Kirk
  • Pallet truck with calculated fork carriage height
    Patent number: 8230976
    Abstract: A pallet truck including a controller that calculates the height of the fork carriage without the use of mechanical devices such as switches or sensors. A calculated carriage height is derived by adding the amount of time that a carriage is commanded to be raised and offsetting that by the amount of time that the carriage lower button is depressed. The calculated carriage height is essentially an accumulated lift time where the time that the carriage is lifting is a positive value and the time that the carriage is lowering is a negative value. When these values are combined, the result is the present calculated carriage height. The controller further monitors the calculated carriage height such that if the carriage is too close to the ground, the maximum speed of the pallet truck is limited to prevent damage to the forks or ground due to striking or scraping between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventor: Augustus R. Baldini
  • Energy storage module for load leveling in lift truck or other electrical vehicle
    Patent number: 8203310
    Abstract: An energy storage module for use in an electric vehicle, such as a lift truck, is disclosed. The energy storage module includes a bank of super capacitors or ultra-capacitors which are connected between the battery and the load. In operation, the energy storage module charges the capacitors, and uses the charged capacitors to level the load on the battery, limiting spikes in current draw, and assuring a substantially smooth discharge profile, wherein the battery discharge is substantially steady state. The energy storage module further includes sensors for determining when the battery and load are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Patrick McCabe
  • Apparatus and method for monitoring a hydraulic pump on a material handling vehicle
    Patent number: 8196464
    Abstract: Wear of a pump is estimated using a process that involves operating the pump to drive a hydraulic actuator that moves a member. The actual speed of the member is determined and the speed of the pump is sensed. Pressure of fluid conveyed from the pump to the hydraulic actuator also is sensed. A predicted speed of the member is calculated based on the speed of the pump and the pressure of the fluid. The predicted speed is compared to the actual speed and the result is employed to provide an indication of a degree of wear of the pump. The difference between the predicted speed and the actual speed increases as the pump wear increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: John Bryant Kirk, Jeff Greene, Paul Patrick McCabe
  • Control system for a pallet truck
    Patent number: 8195366
    Abstract: A control system for controlling motion of a pallet truck vehicle includes three modes of operation for controlling coasting of the vehicle. In a first, constant pressure mode, the vehicle coasts for as long as an activation button is depressed. In a second, time controlled mode, the vehicle coasts for a predetermined period of time. In the third, distance controlled mode, the vehicle coasts for a predetermined distance. Each of these functions can be activated from a remote location using a remote activation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Paul P. McCabe, Douglas D Fett, Bryce A. Gregory
  • System and method for dynamically maintaining the stability of a material handling vehicle having a vertical lift
    Patent number: 8140228
    Abstract: A system and method that maintains the dynamic stability of a material handling vehicle having a vertical lift. The method allows static vehicle properties, such as vehicle weight, wheelbase length, and wheel configuration, and dynamic operating parameters, such as vehicle velocity, floor grade, lift position, and load weight, to be accounted for when maintaining the dynamic stability of a moving material handling vehicle. The method may include calculating and predicting center-of-gravity parameters, wheel loads, and projected force vectors multiple times a second and adjusting vehicle operating parameters in response thereto to maintain vehicle stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Patrick McCabe, Paul F. Finnegan, Augustus Baldini, Shane Storman
  • Cyclonic motor cooling for material handling vehicles
    Patent number: 8136618
    Abstract: A material handling vehicle includes a cyclonic motor cooling system for a motor compartment that accommodates an ergonomically designed operator compartment. Together, the motor compartment and cyclonic motor cooling system include a generally cylindrical housing with a tangentially arranged cooling air injection port at a lower end and exhaust port at a radially and axially opposite end. An air blower directs cooling air into the compartment where a cyclonic cooling air flow and a vortex cooling flow is produced. The cyclonic air flow cools more effectively than conventional linear air flow while also reducing dust contamination and buildup of the motors in the motor compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventor: Michael George Field
  • Heated glass guard with sensorless control for forklift trucks
    Patent number: 8084716
    Abstract: An open forklift truck is provided having an elongated windshield that protects the operator from wind chills experienced when operating the truck in a cold storage environment. The windshield is a laminate having a plurality of heating elements disposed therein that are electrically connected to a control that monitors speed, battery voltage, temperature, and ambient feedback and adjusts the power supply to the windshield based on this feedback. Accordingly, the windshield is maintained at a predetermined temperature selected to limit condensation and fogging of the windshield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventor: Richard M. Day
  • Pallet counter for lift truck
    Patent number: 7992686
    Abstract: A method for counting the pallets or loads moved by a lift truck using internal sensors is disclosed. The lift truck includes a weight sensor for weighing a load, a height sensor, for measuring a height of the forks, and a distance sensor for determining whether the vehicle has moved. When the data from each of these sensors exceeds a corresponding minimum value, a vehicle control system increments a pallet counter. A count of the number of pallets moved is therefore maintained without the need for tracking specific pallets of for adding expensive components and devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Patrick McCabe
  • Mast construction for a lift truck
    Patent number: 7984793
    Abstract: A mast includes a base section, an outer telescopic section and an inner telescopic section which are raised and lowered by a pair of main lift cylinders. A fork carriage is slidably mounted to the inner telescopic section and is raised and lowered thereon by a pair of free lift cylinders. The mast elements are arranged to form two mast columns which produce minimum obstruction to the truck operator's field of view when looking forward through the mast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Lewis, John A. West
  • Material handling vehicle with dual control handle system
    Patent number: 7938220
    Abstract: A material handling vehicle includes an operator compartment having two operator control handles, a deadman switch accessible by an operator using either control handle, and a traction system. The traction system is controlled by the control handles to drive the vehicle in a selected direction, wherein an operator can control the traction system while facing one of the selected directions and the deadman switch is selectively activatable to enable operation from both control handles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory W. Smiley, Robert J. Lewis, Kurt R. Werner, H. Scott Ryan
  • Magneto-rheological inertial damping system for lift trucks
    Patent number: 7896358
    Abstract: A lift truck includes a magneto-rheological damper coupled between the base frame and a frame holding a vertically sprung suspended wheel. The damper is electrically connected to a vehicle control system, which increases and decreases the damping force as a function of at least one of a weight of a load on the forks of the lift truck, a height of the mast of the lift truck, and a speed of the lift truck. As the weight of the load, height of the mast and speed of the vehicle increase, the damping force is increased. As the weight of the load, height of the mast, and speed of the vehicle decrease, the damping force is decreased. When the damper is activated to increase the damping force, the truck can maintain a four point stance, providing a larger footprint for the center of gravity, thereby limiting truck sway or oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventor: William H Hoff
  • Vehicle having dual deadman pedals and method of operation
    Patent number: 7891457
    Abstract: A material handling vehicle includes an operator compartment having a floor. A step is disposed in the operator compartment and spaced above the floor. A first deadman switch is disposed in the floor for actuation by an operator standing on the floor in the operator compartment. A second deadman switch is disposed in the step for actuation by an operator sitting in the operator compartment, wherein simultaneous actuation of the first deadman switch and the second deadman switch disables operation of both deadman switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Holland, David Howe
  • Lift truck with hybrid power source
    Patent number: 7730981
    Abstract: A lift truck power source includes a hybrid power supply including a storage battery, a capacitor bank, and optionally a fuel cell. The capacitor bank stores power produced during regeneration by either the truck traction system or the lift system and delivers current when current demand exceeds that delivered by the fuel cell. The storage battery or fuel cell acts as a main power supply to deliver current at a rate sufficient to power the lift truck. When the fuel cell is the main power supply, the storage battery stores power during times when current demand is less than that delivered by the fuel cell and delivers current at times when current demand is greater than that delivered by the fuel cell. When the storage battery is the main power supply, the fuel cell supplements the power delivered by the storage battery, and can also recharge the storage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Paul P. McCabe, Bryce A. Gregory, Richard M. Day
  • Steering control support
    Patent number: D617176
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas W. Confer, Gregory W. Smiley
  • Steering control support
    Patent number: D634247
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas W. Confer, Gregory W. Smiley
  • Mast for a material handling vehicle
    Patent number: D650959
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew I. Gilbride, Gregory W. Smiley
  • Integral display mount
    Patent number: D650960
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew I. Gilbride, Gregory W. Smiley
  • Vehicle seat with bump
    Patent number: D653882
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Howard Scott Ryan, Thomas W. Confer, Gregory W. Smiley, Douglas M. Russell, David L. Fergot