Patent ID: 8078315

Claim:
A control system comprising: (a) a controller for a load-handling clamp having first and second load-engaging surfaces for selectively gripping respective dissimilar units of multiple loads between said surfaces, at least one of said surfaces being selectively movable toward the other by a clamping actuator; (b) said controller being capable of variably regulating a clamping force setting causing said actuator to move said one of said surfaces toward the other in a load gripping movement; (c) said controller being operable to receive information variably describing a respective geometric configuration and a respective load-type identifier applicable to each of said dissimilar units of said multiple loads, said controller further being operable to automatically select a respective different optimal clamping force setting for each of said dissimilar units from predetermined multiple different optimal clamping force settings depending upon both said respective geometric configuration and said respective load-type identifier in combination.