Patents by Inventor George A. Melke

George A. Melke has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4044853
    Abstract: A driverless vehicle has an elongated frame supported at each of its ends by a steerable wheel and a castor wheel, the steerable wheels being mounted in longitudinal alignment, and one of the steerable wheels is reversibly driven. Each steerable wheel is individually controllable by a guidance system including a steering motor, forward and reverse direction sensing units which obtain a steering signal from a guide path, and a circuit for controlling the steering motor in response to the steering signal. In automatic operation of the vehicle, the individually controllable steerable wheels will follow a common guide path or separate guide paths so that the vehicle can move forwardly, rearwardly and laterally. Manual controls enable an operator to steer and energize the drive wheel, to steer the other steerable wheel and to separately activate and deactivate the guidance systems for the steerable wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1977
    Assignee: Jervis B. Webb Company
    Inventor: George A. Melke