Automated lumber unit tracking system

摘要

On Fork Lift 100, Load Cell Assemblies 40a and 40b are affixed to Fork Arms 32a and 32b and as such are capable of determining the weight of any object lifted by Fork Arm Lift Assembly 30. Continuous weight information is transmitted from Assemblies 40a and 40b to Fork Lift Computer 52 via wires and IR Transmitter 44 and Receiver 48. Changes in weight information are interpreted as load engagement and disengagement by Computer 52, which then responds by receiving the current relative vertical height of Fork Arm Lift Assembly 30 from Ultrasonic Distance Measuring Unit 56. The Computer 52 then transmits, via Telescoping Antenna 70, an uniquely encoded signal with both weight and height information to Stationary Elevated Locating Modules such as 74a and 74b, which have been strategically placed throughout the operating range of Fork Lift 100. This signal is then transmitted to Unit Tracking Computer System 80 by Locating Modules such as 74a and 74b. Using conventional tracking technology, the Computer System 80 determines the current x-y coordinates of transmitting Fork Lift 100 and communicates this information along with the transmitted z coordinate and weight to the Office Computer System 84. Computer System 84 is capable of storing this information is a database of like information for the purposes of tracking the exact three dimensional location and weight of the objects which are being moved by vehicles such as Fork Lift 100.