Patent ID: 7428940

Claim:
A transport trolley having: at least two interconnected spaced tines that extend parallel with a longitudinal axis of the trolley, wherein each said tine has a forward region, a central region and a rearward region; a roller housing mounted to each of said forward region and a roller and a roller housing mounted to each said central region or rearward region, wherein said roller housing contain ground-engaging rollers and each said roller housing has a mounting pin for mounting to a said tine; and steering system including: distance monitors connected to the forward region and to the central or rearward regions of at least one of the tines for monitoring the distance between the at least one tine (hereafter referred to as the “monitoring tine”) and at least one sidewall of a container, wherein in use the at least one sidewall extends generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the trolley; a drive system which includes hydraulic steering cylinders for moving the rollers relative to the tines as well as for moving the rollers at the forward regions independently of the rollers at the central or rearward regions, wherein pistons of said hydraulic steering cylinders extend parallel with the longitudinal axis of the trolley and are movable between an intermediate position whereby the rollers are in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the trolley and the trolley is steered straight, and an extend position and a retracted position relative to the intermediate position whereby the rollers are out of alignment with the longitudinal axis and the trolley is steerable in directions other than straight; and an electronic control system, operatively connected to the distance monitors and the drive system, for activating the drive system such that the monitoring tine may be maintained at a pre-set distance from the at least one sidewall.