Automated Guided Vehicle Systems
Jervis B. Webb Company Receives Patent for Automatic Trailer Loading and Unloading Vehicle
Farmington Hills, Mich. - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Jervis B. Webb Company - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daifuku Co., Ltd. and leading provider of material handling solutions - U.S. Patent No. 7,648,329 for its Automatic Trailer Loading and Unloading technology.
Webb uses this patented technology in its SmartLoader® Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV), which can load and unload standard, over-the-road trailers and other transport vehicles without requiring any modifications to the trailers. It also adapts to varying trailer positions, as well as differences in trailer heights.
Designed for the warehouse environment, SmartLoader picks up loads from palletizers, automated storage & retrieval systems, and staging areas. Additionally, it stacks pallets with pinpoint accuracy and loads trailers in a variety of configurations.
"Nearly 90 years ago, the Webb Company revolutionized mass production by adapting the chain conveyor for automotive assembly lines," said Brian Stewart, president and Co-CEO of the Jervis B. Webb Company. "Our tradition of innovative engineering continues today with SmartLoader, which is revolutionizing warehouses."
SmartLoader is increasing efficiency, while reducing operating costs for warehouses across the country. Each year, Webb's SmartLoaders load more than 315,000 trailers and move more than 11 million loads.
About Jervis B. Webb Company
Jervis B. Webb Company is a subsidiary of Daifuku Co. Ltd and leading developer of innovative material handling technology and systems, including Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), conveyors, baggage handling systems and Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems (AS/RS). Webb specializes in the design, engineering, installation and support of integrated systems used in the automotive, airport, beverage, bulk handling, warehousing and manufacturing industries. Webb is headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., with manufacturing locations in Harbor Springs and Boyne City, Mich.; Carlisle, S.C.; Canada; India; and China. The company was founded in 1919 by Jervis B. Webb who invented the forged rivetless chain conveyor that helped revolutionize mass production. SmartLoader® is a registered trademark of the Jervis B. Webb Company.
Contact:
Sarah Carlson
248-553-1000 xt. 1311
