Patent ID: 9555982
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: B25J,B65G,Y10S

Claim:
1. A robotic carton unloader for unloading a carton pile resting on a floor, comprising: a mobile body having a front and a rear and sides and movable across the floor; a conveyor mounted on the mobile body to convey unloaded cartons thereon; and a straddling robotic arm having a base secured to the mobile body with the movable robotic arm movably pivotally attached to each vertical side of the base to define a horizontal axis perpendicular to the vertical sides and parallel to the front of the vehicle, the robotic arm extending therefrom pivotally movable in an arcuate path around the horizontal axis with the conveyor and unloaded cartons conveyed thereon passing between arcuately movable portions of the straddling robotic arm, wherein the straddling robotic arm further comprises a distal end movable with the straddling robotic arm to unload cartons from the carton pile and to place and release the unloaded cartons onto the conveyor when the distal end of the straddling robotic arm is above a conveying surface of the conveyor, and wherein an over the center counterbalance connects between the vertical side of the base and the pivotally movable robotic arm for counterbalancing the straddling robotic arm robotic arm when the straddling robotic arm is extending towards the carton pile and away from the carton pile.