Abstract: Photovoltaic module feeder assemblies, systems and methods are provided which comprise two rotatable arms, a grabber bar, and at least two gripping pieces. Each arm has a proximal end and a distal end and a plurality of articulation points. The grabber bar is coupled to the distal end of each rotatable arm, and the gripping pieces are connected to each grabber bar. When the rotatable arms rotate to position the grabber bars in alignment with a photovoltaic module, the gripping pieces activate and grip or support the photovoltaic module. The rotatable arms maintain the short sides of the photovoltaic module in a horizontal position by utilizing one or more of the plurality of articulation points. The photovoltaic module feeder assembly may be coupled to a mobile unit having a conveyor and guide rails for moving and holding a pallet of photovoltaic modules. Disclosed methods may be controlled by software that can determine a just-in-time installation schedule.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods associated with powered vehicles are disclosed herein. In examples, a system for controlling a vehicle may include sensors and a processor coupled to the sensors. The processor may identify one or more values received from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more values are associated with one or more conditions of the vehicle and/or the vehicle's environment, and determine, based on the one or more values, a net resultant force vector of one or more forces acting on a center of mass of the vehicle. The processor may further determine a relationship between the net resultant force vector and a stability polygon that is superimposed at a base of the vehicle, and determine whether to limit one or more of a speed, rate of change, and/or travel amount for one or more of the operational systems controlled by the processor based on the relationship between the net resultant force vector and the stability polygon. Other examples may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: A vehicle lift includes a lift base, a movable lift tower, and a movable platform. A first rail is configured to move the lift tower horizontally, and includes a outer extruded rails secured to the lift base, central extruded rails movable with respect to the outer extruded rails, and inner extruded rails movable with respect to the central extruded rails and fixed to the lift tower. A second rail assembly is fixed to the lift tower and may move the platform vertically with respect to the lift tower, and includes a outer extruded rails secured to the lift tower, central extruded rails movable with respect to the outer extruded rails, and inner extruded rails movable with respect to the central extruded rails and fixed to the lift tower.

Abstract: A container for consumables includes multiple holding portions, a partition plate and a fixer. The multiple holding portions are configured to respectively accommodate the consumables, each of which is loaded into and unloaded from one direction. The partition plate includes a first portion formed to be disposed between a light emitting part and a light receiving part of a detector, and the partition plate is accommodated in one of the multiple holding portions. The fixer is configured to fix the container so that the consumables are arranged on a transfer path to be loaded into and unloaded from the multiple holding portions.

Abstract: Disclosed is an example material transfer vehicle comprising a feeder having a hydraulic motor, a chain actuated by the hydraulic motor, and loading hopper configured to provide material to the chain; a sensor configured to detect a presence of a truck; and an electronic control module, wherein the electronic control module is configured to automatically increase a speed at which the chain is actuated when the sensor detects a presence of a truck.

Abstract: A system may include a vehicle for delivering items and a moveable track that cooperates with the vehicle. The moveable track may cooperate with a storage system having storage locations for storing items. The vehicle may drive into the moveable track and lift the track using a vertical drive mechanism. The vehicle may include a horizontal drive system operable to drive the vehicle horizontally along the ground to carry the moveable track to a position adjacent the storage location. The vehicle may operate the vertical drive system to drop the moveable track adjacent the storage system. Additionally, the vehicle may operate the vertical drive to drive up the moveable track to an elevated position adjacent one of the storage locations in the storage system. The vehicle may include a transfer mechanism for transferring items between the vehicle and the storage location while the vehicle is in the elevated position.

Abstract: The application relates to a carrying robot including a fork. The fork includes a telescopic arm and a temporary storage tray. The telescopic arm includes a fixed arm and a movable arm connected to the fixed arm. The movable arm is telescopically movable relative to the fixed arm. The temporary storage tray is mounted to the fixed arm and is configured to temporarily store goods. The temporary storage tray is able to extend relative to the fixed arm. An extending direction of the temporary storage tray is consistent with an extending direction of the movable arm. When the fork pulls in or pushes out the goods, containers can be stably transferred between a stationary rack and the temporary storage tray.

Abstract: A system may include a vehicle for delivering items and a moveable track that cooperates with the vehicle. The moveable track may cooperate with a storage system having storage locations for storing items. The vehicle may drive into the moveable track and lift the track using a vertical drive mechanism. The vehicle may include a horizontal drive system operable to drive the vehicle horizontally along the ground to carry the moveable track to a position adjacent the storage location. The vehicle may operate the vertical drive system to drop the moveable track adjacent the storage system. Additionally, the vehicle may operate the vertical drive to drive up the moveable track to an elevated position adjacent one of the storage locations in the storage system. The vehicle may include a transfer mechanism for transferring items between the vehicle and the storage location while the vehicle is in the elevated position.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for opening and emptying a bag of material includes a base having a pair of opposed sides and a central aperture through which material may flow. The system includes a pair of opposed doors rotatably mounted on a pair of door shafts, the edges of the pair of opposed doors forming an opening and a plurality of piercing blades pivotally mounted to the base on a pivot rod, the blades capable of pivoting to pierce said bag. The system further includes a cutting blade mounted transversely below the opening of the opposed doors, the cutting blade capable of linear motion across the opening.

Abstract: A product conveyance system includes: a storage box in which a product is stored; and a product conveyance robot including a travel portion and a holding portion provided above the travel portion and configured to hold the storage box. The holding portion includes a pair of support columns provided in a standing manner with an interval between the support columns in the width direction. Each of the support columns includes: one or more support rails configured to support the storage box in the height direction, the storage box being placed between the support columns; and one or more lock pins provided on a facing surface of the each of the support columns, the facing surface facing the other one of the support columns, the one or more lock pins being configured to protrude and retract in the width direction.

Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.

Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.

Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes, at least one vertically reciprocating lift, and at least one pickface handoff station connected to the transfer deck and interfacing between the at least one autonomous transport vehicle on the transfer deck and the at least one vertically reciprocating lift so that a pickface is transferred between the at least one vertically reciprocating and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

Abstract: A trailer configured to transport a load includes a bed including an upper surface configured to support the load, a first rotation pin extending above the upper surface of the bed, and a winch assembly coupled to a first side of the trailer and including a first winch and a boom. The boom is configured to extend outward from the first side of the trailer and the first winch is configured to be connected to the load and to rotate the load about the first rotation pin.

Abstract: The invention provides a product leveling system within at least one tank or particulate material supply compartment that helps to encourage uniform movement of an agricultural product out of the bottom of the compartment. More specifically, the invention relates to a product leveling system that helps monitor areas in which agricultural product is prone to starving and also prone to accumulation, such that quantities of the agricultural product can be diverted from the areas prone to accumulation to the areas prone to starving. For instance, at least one leveling device having a driving shaft and a helical coil may be rotatably mounted within the compartment and rotated to encourage agricultural product to be moved from areas of accumulation to areas where the agricultural product is more quickly removed, resulting in starving. The product leveling system may include three coils mounted about the compartment.

Abstract: Provided herein are vehicle restraint systems for releasably securing a vehicle having a RIG bar to a loading dock. The vehicle restraint systems can include a vehicle engagement member, such as a restraint hook, that is configured to engage RIG bars having a variety of geometries, including conventional RIG bars having a square cross-sectional area and modified RIG bars having more complex geometries. The engagement member can include an engagement region having a scallop feature configured to provide clearance for the RIG bars during engagement.

Abstract: Operating a refuse collection vehicle to collect refuse from a refuse container includes positioning a refuse collection vehicle with respect to a refuse container to be emptied, and manually engaging a switch to initiate a dump cycle to be performed by the refuse collection vehicle on the refuse container. The dump cycle includes engaging the refuse container with a portion of the vehicle, lifting the engaged refuse container to a dump position, and moving the refuse container to release contents of the refuse container into a hopper of the refuse collection vehicle. The dump cycle continues to completion as long as the switch remains manually engaged.

Abstract: An automatic storage and retrieval system includes: a delivery vehicle; a storage container carried by the delivery vehicle; and an unloading station for unloading an item from the storage container while it is being carried by the delivery vehicle. The unloading station includes: an unloading device; and a destination conveyor configured to convey the item to a target destination, wherein the unloading device is configured to move the item through a side opening of the storage container to the destination conveyor.

Abstract: A transport apparatus includes a body; a fork having one portion supported by the body and another portion protruded from the body; a lifting unit; a control unit; a primary rotatable member mounted at a front end portion of the fork; an auxiliary rotatable member mounted at a rotatable-member-attaching position of the fork closer to a front end portion or a rear end portion of the fork compared to the primary rotatable member; and a step detection unit, disposed at a detection-unit-attaching position of the fork closer to the front end portion or closer to the rear end portion of the fork compared to the auxiliary rotatable member, and the step detection unit configured to detect a step member of a carriage base. The control unit lowers the fork using the lifting unit in response to a detection of the step member by the step detection unit.

Abstract: A lift for a fork tine assembly includes a generally upright frame having at least one handle grip portion at a rearward portion thereof. The handle grip portion is fixed relative to the frame. A lift mechanism is secured to the frame. The lift mechanism is capable of attaching to and raising and lowering at least one fork tine. A plurality of wheels support the frame. The at least one fork tine may be part of a first fork tine assembly that can be selectively removed from the lift and replaced with a different configuration fork tine assembly. An optional shelf is provided on the frame for convenience but may be pivoted out of the way when not in use.