Patents by Inventor Michael L. Robert

Michael L. Robert 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).

  • Trailer and hitch mechanism for a robot
    Patent number: 7677587
    Abstract: A trailer and hitch system for a mobile robot. The trailer includes a front Ackerman steering linkage, a releasable locking mechanism for releasably positioning the Ackerman steering linkage in a turned position to arrest the trailer, a tow bar extending upwardly from the Ackerman steering linkage and terminating in a lunette ring, and spaced skid members extending downwardly and rearwardly. The mobile robot includes a hitch assembly for the lunette ring. The hitch assembly has a frame including a slot for the lunette ring and a guide portion for guiding the lunette ring into the slot, a latch pivotable with respect to the frame and biased to close the slot, and a decoupling mechanism configured to move the latch to release the lunette ring from the slot. A robot arm is maneuverable to engage the decoupling mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Foster-Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: Allan T. Fisk, Michael L. Robert, Michael T. Johnson, Charles Edwin Dean
  • TRAILER AND HITCH MECHANISM FOR A ROBOT
    Publication number: 20100025964
    Abstract: A trailer and hitch system for a mobile robot. The trailer includes a front Ackerman steering linkage, a releasable locking mechanism for releasably positioning the Ackerman steering linkage in a turned position to arrest the trailer, a tow bar extending upwardly from the Ackerman steering linkage and terminating in a lunette ring, and spaced skid members extending downwardly and rearwardly. The mobile robot includes a hitch assembly for the lunette ring. The hitch assembly has a frame including a slot for the lunette ring and a guide portion for guiding the lunette ring into the slot, a latch pivotable with respect to the frame and biased to close the slot, and a decoupling mechanism configured to move the latch to release the lunette ring from the slot. A robot arm is maneuverable to engage the decoupling mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Allan T. Fisk, Michael L. Robert, Michael T. Johnson, Charles Edwin Dean