Patent ID: 11913188
Assignee: R.H. BORDEN AND COMPANY, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC E  B  G | IPC B  E  G

Claim 4:
5. A self-driving vehicle that is configured to find manholes, expose the manhole by removing the manhole cover, operate on the exposed manhole, thereafter cover the exposed manhole back up, the self-driving vehicle comprising:
a manhole navigation mechanism configured to find a manhole on the road, and to position the self-driving vehicle at a position with respect to the manhole;
a manhole cover handling mechanism attached to the self-driving vehicle, the manhole cover handling mechanism comprising:
a manhole cover attachment mechanism configured to attach to a manhole cover; and
a movement mechanism configured to respond to commands to move the manhole cover attachment mechanism with respect to the self-driving vehicle;
a command module configured to issue commands to the movement mechanism to cause the movement mechanism to force the manhole cover attachment mechanism to attach to a manhole cover that the manhole navigation mechanism has caused the self-driving vehicle to drive close to, to lift the manhole cover from off the cover, to move the manhole cover laterally out from directly above the manhole to thereby expose the manhole, and to put back the manhole cover on the exposed manhole to thereby cover the manhole back up; and
a tool handling mechanism mounted to the self-driving vehicle and configured to place a tool above or within the exposed manhole whilst the manhole handling mechanism has allowed access to the exposed manhole after lifting the manhole cover, and prior to putting the manhole cover back on the exposed manhole.