Patent ID: 11904919
Assignee: nan
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 8:
9. A daughter cart ejector apparatus adapted for attachment to a mother cart that is configured for receiving, transporting, and ejecting, a daughter cart of the wheels-on ground-type, for aiding in separation of the daughter cart from a mother cart, where the daughter cart has a daughter cart frame supported by casters attached to the daughter cart frame and is configured for rolling engagement with an underlying surface during transport of the daughter cart on the underlying surface, where the mother cart is adapted for receiving the daughter cart ejector apparatus, has a mother cart frame defining a transport direction, the mother cart frame being supported by wheels attached to the mother cart frame for rolling engagement with the underlying surface and including a coupling system attached to the mother cart frame, the coupling system being adapted and oriented for operatively guiding the daughter cart in a loading direction that is substantially transverse to the transport direction into towable engagement in a towing position with the mother cart, the daughter cart ejector apparatus comprising:
an ejector element adapted for operative attachment to the mother cart frame and configured for movement between an extended position of the ejector element whereat the ejector element operatively bears against the daughter cart frame in a manner urging the daughter cart to move away from the mother cart in an unloading direction that is substantially opposite from the loading direction, and a retracted position of the ejector element whereat the ejector element does not urge the daughter cart to move away from the mother cart in the coupling system in the unloading direction;
an ejector element actuator adapted for operative connection between the mother cart frame and the ejector element and configured for selectively moving the ejector element between the retracted and extended positions of the ejector element; and
a control arrangement adapted for operative attachment to the mother cart and the ejector element actuator, the control arrangement including a daughter cart initiate-eject input element configured for receiving an initiate-eject input indicating a desire to initiate ejection of the daughter cart from the mother cart, the control arrangement being configured for generating a commence-eject signal to the ejector actuator in response to the initiate-eject signal, for moving the ejector element from the retracted toward the extended positions of the ejector element;, wherein:
the coupling system further includes a locking pin arrangement operatively attached to the mother cart and including a locking pin and a locking pin position selector, the locking pin being selectively movable between a fully engaged position and a fully disengaged position thereof and adapted for engaging and locking the daughter cart in the towing position when in the fully engaged position of the locking pin while the daughter cart is positioned in the towing position, the locking pin position selector being operatively connected by the locking pin arrangement to the locking pin and selectively movable between pin-engaged and pin-disengaged positions thereof for positioning the locking pin in its fully engaged position when the locking pin position selector is located in its pin-engaged position and for positioning the locking pin in its fully disengaged position when the locking pin position selector is located in its pin-disengaged position;
the control arrangement is further configured for determining that the locking pin has been fully disengaged from the daughter cart and for delaying communication of the commence-eject signal to the ejector element actuator, and thereby precluding the ejector element from commencing movement from its retracted toward its extended positions, until full disengagement of the locking pin from the daughter cart has been determined;
the control arrangement includes a controller and a locking pin position sensor, the locking pin position sensor being operatively coupled between the locking pin and the controller and configured for providing a locking pin position signal to the controller indicative of a present position of the locking pin, the controller being configured for receiving the initiate-eject input, the locking pin position signal, and for generating the commence-eject signal;
the controller is operatively connected between the locking pin position sensor and the ejector element actuator; and
the controller is configured for receiving the locking pin position signal from the locking pin position sensor, determining if the locking pin is fully disengaged, and if and only if the locking pin is fully disengaged generating and sending the commence-eject signal to the ejector element actuator.