Patent ID: 7070061

Claim:
A load-lifting apparatus with a control system for movements in a horizontal plane defined by coordinate axes (X-Y), comprising: a load-lifting device having a carrying element oriented vertically (Z—Z) at least when in a position at rest and influenced by gravity; a motor drive operatively associated with the carrying element to impart movement to the load lifting device in a substantially horizontal direction on at least one axis as a function of force (F) applied manually to the carrying element in a substantially horizontal direction; a sensor device operatively associated with the motor drive and responsive to the manually applied force; the sensor device having a housing with a measuring body in contact with the carrying element, and; the sensor device having at least one force transducer allocated to a respective coordinate axis of the motor drive and in contact with the measuring body so as to detect path-free a horizontal movement imparted to the measuring body by the force manually applied to the carrying element, whereby the motor drive imparts the substantially horizontal movement to the load lifting device in response to the force manually applied to the carrying element.