All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrokinetic torque converter comprising a housing rotatable about a predetermined axis and including a driving section; a rotary pump, a rotary turbine, and a stator disposed in said housing; an engageable and disengageable lockup clutch provided in said housing and spacedly surrounding said axis; and a torque sensor disposed in said housing between said turbine and said section, as seen in the direction of said axis, and radially inwardly of said clutch.
2. The torque converter of claim 1, further comprising a rotary input member non-rotatably connected with said driving section and forming part of a prime mover.
3. The torque converter of claim 1, further comprising a rotary output element including a shaft arranged to drive a transmission and a hub non-rotatably surrounding said shaft and arranged to receive torque from one of said turbine and said lockup clutch.
4. The torque converter of claim 3, wherein said transmission is a continuously variable transmission.
5. The torque converter of claim 1, wherein said lockup clutch comprises a piston axially movably and non-rotatably surrounding a rotary output element having an axis coinciding with said predetermined axis, a friction surface of said driving section of said housing being in frictional engagement with said piston in the engaged condition of said clutch and being rotatable relative to said piston in the disengaged condition of said clutch, and further comprising means for rotating said driving section including a prime mover having a rotary output member and a flexible torque transmitting member interposed between and connected with said output member and said driving section of said housing.
6. The torque converter of claim 5, wherein said output member comprises a crankshaft and said prime mover includes a combustion engine.
7. The torque converter of claim 5, further comprising means for connecting said torque transmitting member with said driving section, including an annular plate-like connector and means for separably securing said connector to said torque transmitting member, and further comprising an auxiliary mass affixed to at least one of said connector and said torque transmitting member, said driving section having a side facing away from said clutch and said auxiliary mass being disposed at said side of said driving section.
8. The torque converter of claim 7, further comprising means for affixing said auxiliary mass to said torque transmitting member including threaded fasteners extending through openings provided therefor in said torque transmitting member and said connector.
9. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said auxiliary mass includes a casting.
10. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said connector and said torque transmitting member define an annular space and said auxiliary mass at least substantially fills said space.
11. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said auxiliary mass has an annulus of signal generating recesses.
12. The torque converter of claim 11, wherein said auxiliary mass has an outer side facing away from said predetermined axis and said recesses are provided at said side of said auxiliary mass.
13. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said auxiliary mass includes an annulus having a circumferential surface provided with a groove, and further comprising a shroud surrounding said surface of said annulus and provided with signal generating windows in register with said groove.
14. The torque converter of claim 13, wherein said shroud includes a ring of metallic sheet material and said windows form an annular array and are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of said surface of said auxiliary mass.
15. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said flexible torque transmitting member has a substantially circular outline and said auxiliary mass includes a tubular portion defining a recess receiving a radially outer marginal portion of said flexible torque transmitting member.
16. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said flexible torque transmitting member has a polygonal outline and includes a plurality of corners, said auxiliary mass having recesses for the corners of said flexible torque transmitting member.
17. The torque converter of claim 16, wherein said polygonal outline of said flexible torque transmitting member is a triangular outline.
18. The torque converter of claim 17, wherein said polygonal outline is that of an equilateral triangle.
19. The torque converter of claim 7, further comprising a starter gear surrounding said flexible torque transmitting member.
20. The torque converter of claim 19, wherein said auxiliary mass includes a tubular portion surrounding said flexible torque transmitting member, said starter gear being provided on and surrounding said tubular portion of said auxiliary mass.
21. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said auxiliary mass consists, at least in part, of metallic sheet material.
22. The torque converter of claim 21, wherein said auxiliary mass has an annular shape and includes a radially inner portion and a radially outer portion affixed to said driving section of said housing.
23. The torque converter of claim 22, wherein said radially inner portion of said auxiliary mass includes two layers extending substantially radially of said predetermined axis and overlying each other.
24. The torque converter of claim 23, wherein said radially outer portion of said auxiliary mass is of one piece with one of said layers.
25. The torque converter of claim 24, wherein said radially outer portion of said auxiliary mass and said one layer make an angle at least approximating 90.
26. The torque converter of claim 21, wherein said auxiliary mass includes a radially inner portion adjacent said flexible torque transmitting member and a radially outer portion including two interfitted tubular layers adjacent said driving section of said housing, one of said layers being of one piece with and being inclined at an angle of substantially 90 relative to the radially inner portion of said auxiliary mass.
27. The torque converter of claim 26, wherein the other of said layers surrounds said one layer.
28. The torque converter of claim 26, wherein said connector includes a tubular radially outer portion extending in the direction of said predetermined axis toward said driven section of said housing.
29. The torque converter of claim 28, wherein said tubular radially outer portion of said connector includes a first layer surrounding said layers of said radially outer portion of said auxiliary mass, and a second layer surrounding said first layer of said tubular radially outer portion of said connector.
30. The torque converter of claim 29, further comprising externally threaded male fasteners affixed to sad connector and extending in substantial parallelism with said predetermined axis away from said driving section of said housing and through openings provided therefor in said flexible torque transmitting member and in a radialy exteding substantially washer-like portion of a ring-shaped attachment, said radially extending portion of said attachment overlying said flexible torque transmitting member and said attachment further comprising a tubular radially outer portion making with said washer-like radially extending portion an angle of at least close to 90 and at least partially surrounding said radially outer portion of said connector.
31. The torque converter of claim 30, further comprising female fasteners mating with said male fasteners and outwardly adjacent said washer-like portion of said attachment to secure said attachment to said connector.
32. The torque converter of claim 30, further comprising rivets securing said washer-like portion of said attachment to said flexible torque transmitting member.
33. The torque converter of claim 30, wherein said tubular radially outer portion of said attachment has an annulus of signal generating windows.
34. The torque converter of claim 7, wherein said auxiliary mass is of one piece with said driving section of said housing.
35. The torque converter of claim 34, wherein said driving section of said housing and said auxiliary mass constitute a one-piece casting.
36. The torque converter of claim 35, further comprising male fastener means arranged to secure said flexible torque transmitting member to said auxiliary mass and including externally threaded portions extending into tapped bores of said casting.
37. The torque converter of claim 34, wherein said auxiliary mass has a recess at a side facing away from said turbine and arranged to receive a radially outermost marginal portion of said flexible torque transmitting member.
38. The torque converter of claim 37, wherein said flexible torque transmitting member has a polygonal outline and includes a plurality of corners, said recess including portions snugly receiving said corners of said flexible torque transmitting member.
39. The torque converter of claim 38, wherein said polygonal outline is that of an equilateral triangle.
40. The torque converter of claim 34, further comprising means for rotating said driving section, said driving section being of one piece with a hub having an axis coinciding with said predetermined axis and said hub being connectable with said means for rotating said driving section.
41. The torque converter of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a second section driven by said driving section and arranged to rotate said pump and rotatably surrounding a rotary output element of the torque converter, said lockup clutch comprising a piston rotatable with said turbine and including a conical radially outer portion, said clutch further comprising a second conical portion provided on said driving section and confronting said radially outer portion of said piston, and at least one friction lining between said conical portions, said piston being movable in the direction of said predetermined axis toward and away from said driving section to respectively engage and disengage said clutch, said torque sensor comprising neighboring first and second profiled annular members and spreading elements between sad profiled members, said first profiled member being arranged to rotate with said output element and said second profiled member being arranged to rotate with said piston about said predetermined axis and to move relative to said piston in the direction of said axis.
42. The torque converter of claim 41, wherein said piston further comprises a radially inner portion including a tubular flange extending in the direction of said predetermined axis toward said driving section of said housing, and further comprising a first annular member non-rotatably connected with said radially inner portion of said piston and having a tubular radially inner portion provided with internal teeth, a second annular member having external teeth mating with said internal teeth and said second annular member including a radially inner portion rotatable relative to said output element about said predetermined axis and movable relative to said output element in the direction of said predetermined axis, a third annular member including a radially outer first tubular portion rotatable relative to said tubular flange of said piston about said predetermined axis and movable relative to said flange in the direction of said predetermined axis, said third tubular member further including a radially inner second tubular portion non-rotatably mounted on said second annular member, said second profiled annular member of said torque sensor having a radially outer portion provided with external teeth mating with internal teeth provided on a second tubular portion of said third annular member, and further comprising an annular plunger non-rotatably provided on a radially inner portion of said second profiled annular member and including a tubular first portion extending in the direction of said predetermined axis toward said second section of said housing, a second portion extending from said tubular first portion outwardly toward said clutch, and a tubular third portion extending from said second portion of said plunger toward said driving section of said housing and sealingly engaging said tubular first portion of said third annular member, said third portion of said plunger being rotatable relative to said tubular first portion of said third annular member about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said tubular first portion of said third annular member in the direction of said predetermined axis.
43. The torque converter of claim 42, wherein said second portion of said plunger extends at least substantially radially of said predetermined axis.
44. The torque converter of claim 42, wherein said output element comprises a hub and a shaft non-rotatably surrounded by said hub, said first profiled annular member of said torque sensor being non-rotatably secured to said hub, said second profiled annular member of said torque sensor being rotatable on said hub about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said hub in the direction of said predetermined axis, said tubular first portion of said plunger being in sealing engagement with an annular external collar of said hub and being rotatable about said collar and about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said collar in the direction of said predetermined axis, said radially inner portion of said second annular member being rotatable on said hub about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said hub in the direction of said predetermined axis, said plunger and said collar and said hub and said second and third annular members jointly defining a fluid-containing plenum chamber and said hub having at least one channel in communication with said plenum chamber.
45. The torque converter of claim 44, wherein said second profiled annular member of said torque sensor and said plunger and said collar and said hub jointly define a second fluid-containing plenum chamber, said output element defining a second channel communicating with said second plenum chamber.
46. The torque converter according to claim 44, wherein said third annular member further includes a portion extending substantially radially of said predetermined axis and including a tubular part sealingly engaging said hub, said tubular part being rotatable relative to said hub about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said hub in the direction of said predetermined axis.
47. The torque converter of claim 42, wherein said output element comprises a hub and a shaft non-rotatably surrounded by said hub, said first profiled annular member of said torque sensor being non-rotatably secured to said hub, said second profiled annular member of said torque sensor being rotatable on said hub about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said hub in the direction of said predetermined axis, said tubular first portion of said plunger being in sealing engagement with an annular external collar of said hub and being rotatable about said collar and about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said collar in the direction of said predetermined axis, said radially inner portion of said second annular member being rotatable on said hub about said predetermined axis and being movable relative to said hub in the direction of said predetermined axis, said second profiled annular member of said torque sensor and said plunger and said collar and said hub jointly defining a fluid-containing plenum chamber and said output element defining a channel communicating with said plenum chamber.
48. The torque converter of claim 42, wherein at least one of (a) said piston, (b) at least one of said first, second and third annular members, (c) said plunger, and (d) at least one section of said housing is obtained by deep drawing.
49. The torque converter of claim 1, wherein said driving section of said housing has an inner side and said lockup clutch comprises a piston rotatable with an output element of the torque converter about said predetermined axis, said piston being movable in said housing in the direction of said axis toward and away from said driven section to respectively engage and disengage said clutch, and said clutch further comprising a discrete torque transmitting part affixed to and disposed at said inner side of said driving section and being in frictional engagement with said piston in the engaged condition of said clutch.
50. The torque converter of claim 49, wherein said driving section includes a wall extending at least substantially radially of said axis and said discrete torque transmitting part of said lockup clutch is affixed to said wall of said driving section.
51. The torque converter of claim 49, wherein said driving section includes a tubular wall extending in the direction of said predetermined axis and said discrete torque transmitting part of said clutch is affixed to said tubular wall of said driving section.
52. The torque converter of claim 49, wherein said discrete torque transmitting part of said lockup clutch is laser welded to said driving section of said housing.
53. The torque converter of claim 49, wherein said discrete torque transmitting part of said lockup clutch is riveted to said driving section of said housing.
54. The torque converter of claim 1, further comprising a rotary output element coaxial with said housing, said lockup clutch comprising a piston rotatable with said output element and movable in the direction of said predetermined axis toward and away from said driving section of said housing to respectively engage and disengage said clutch, and further comprising means for centering said piston on said output element in the disengaged condition of said clutch.
55. The torque converter of claim 54, wherein said centering means comprises a substantially sleeve-like bearing member non-rotatably received in a central opening of said piston and surrounding said output element, said bearing member having an internal surface including a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, said output element having an external surface including a cylindrical portion surrounded by the cylindrical portion of said internal surface and a conical portion complementary to and abutting the conical portion of said internal surface in the disengaged condition of said clutch.
56. The torque converter of claim 55, wherein said bearing member is a press fit in said central opening of said piston.
57. The torque converter of claim 55, further comprising at least one sealing device interposed between said bearing member and said output element.
58. The torque converter of claim 57, wherein said bearing member has an internal groove for said sealing device.
59. The torque converter of claim 57, wherein said output element has an external groove for said sealing device.
60. The torque converter of claim 54, wherein said centering means comprises a radially inner portion of said piston, said radially inner portion of said piston having a conical internal surface, and said centering means further comprising a complementary conical external surface provided on said output element and abutting said conical internal surface in the disengaged condition of said lockup clutch.
61. The torque converter of claim 60, wherein said conical external surface has a circumferential groove, and further comprising a sealing device provided in said groove and sealingly contacting said conical internal surface in the disengaged condition of said lockup clutch.
62. The torque converter of claim 60, wherein said output element includes a discrete centering member provided with said complementary conical external surface.
63. The torque converter of claim 62, wherein at least a portion of said disrete centering member consists of an elastomeric material.
64. The torque converter of claim 62, further comprising means for anchoring said discrete centering member in a rotary hub of said output element.
65. The torque converter of claim 64, wherein said anchoring means comprises an annular groove provided in one of said hub and said discrete centering member, and a projection provided on the other of said hub and said discrete centering member and received in said groove.
66. The torque converter of claim 62, wherein one of said conical surfaces has an annular groove and further comprising an annular sealing device provided in said groove to establish a seal between said conical surfaces in the disengaged condition of said lockup clutch.
67. The torque converter of claim 1, further comprising means for centering said driving section of said housing on a rotary output element of a prime mover, including a substantially plate-like flexible torque transmitting member connectable with the output element of the prime mover, and an annular plate-like torque transmitting connector arranged to transmit torque between said flexible member and said driving section.
68. The torque converter of claim 67, wherein said flexible member and said connector include radially outer portions remote from said predetermined axis, and means for securing said radially outer portions to each other.
69. The torque converter or claim 68, wherein said means for securing comprises threaded fasteners.
70. The torque converter of claim 67, wherein said connector includes a hub coaxial with said housing and received in a coaxial recess of said output element.
71. The torque converter of claim 67, wherein said connector has a centrally located centering section surrounding a cylindrical external surface of said rotary output element.
72. The torque converter of claim 71, wherein said output element is one of a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine.
73. The torque converter of claim 67, wherein said driving section of said housing comprises a centrally located centering projection which is journalled in a rotary output element of the torque converter.
74. The torque converter of claim 73, wherein said centering projection is hollow and extends in the direction of said predetermined axis toward said turbine.
75. The torque converter of claim 67, wherein said connector has a polygonal outline and includes a plurality of corners offset in the direction of said predetermined axis toward said flexible torque transmitting member, said flexible torque transmitting member having recesses for said corners.
76. The torque converter of claim 75, wherein said polygonal outline at least approximates the outline of an equilateral triangle.
77. The torque converter of claim 67, wherein said connector includes portions bonded to said flexible torque transmitting member.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for symbol boundary detection in UWB-OFDM, comprising:
determining a sign of a preamble input comprising multi-level samples;
correlating the sign of the preamble input with the sign of a first reference pattern to produce correlated values;
comparing the correlated values with a first threshold to create an intermediate correlation stream;
correlating the intermediate correlation stream with a second reference pattern to form an overall correlation;
finding a position where the overall correlation crosses a second threshold; and
finding a second position where the overall correlation crosses the second threshold within approximately 1 symbol from the first threshold crossing.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises in phase (I) and quadrature (Q) channels.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second threshold is adapted based on summing and scaling the correlation values from a previous packet.
4. The method. of claim 1, wherein the first reference pattern includes an 8-value subpattern.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second reference pattern includes a 16-value pattern of subpatterns.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising finding a variable number of threshold crossings in the overall correlation separated from the first threshold crossing by approximately an integer number of symbols.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising aligning data based on the found position.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing and decoding data.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising squaring the overall correlation and finding a position where the squared correlation crosses the second threshold.
10. A system for symbol boundary detection in UWB-OFDM, comprising:
means for determining a sign of a preamble input comprising multi-level samples;
means for correlating the sign of the preamble input with the sign of a first reference pattern to produce correlated values;
means for comparing the correlated values with a first threshold to create an intermediate correlation stream;
means for correlating the intermediate correlation stream with a second reference pattern to form an overall correlation;
means for finding a position where the overall correlation crosses a second threshold; and
means for finding a second position where the overall correlation crosses the second threshold within approximately 1 symbol from the first threshold crossing.
11. A system for symbol boundary detection in UWB-OFDM, comprising:
a sign determiner capable of determining the sign of a preamble input comprising multi-level samples;
a first correlation block, coupled to the sign determiner, capable of correlating the sign of the preamble input with the sign of a first reference pattern to produce correlated values;
a comparator, coupled to the first correlation block, capable of comparing the correlated values with a first threshold to create an intermediate correlation stream;
a second correlation block, coupled to the comparator, capable of correlating the intermediate correlation stream with a second reference pattern to form an overall correlation;
a threshold crossing determiner, coupled to the second correlation block, capable of finding a position where the overall correlation crosses a second threshold; and
a second threshold crossing determiner capable of finding a second position where the overall correlation crosses the second threshold within approximately 1 symbol from the first threshold crossing.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the input comprises in phase (I) and quadrature (Q) channels.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second threshold is adapted based on summing and scaling the correlation values from a previous packet.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first reference pattern includes an 8-value subp att em.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the second reference pattern includes a 16-value pattern of subpatterns.
16. The system of claim 11, wherein the second threshold crossing determiner is further capable of finding a variable number of threshold crossings in the overall correlation separated from the first threshold crossing by approximately an integer number of symbols.
17. The system of claim 11, further comprising circuitry capable of aligning data based on the found position.
18. The system of claim 11, further comprising circuitry capable of processing and decoding data.
19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a squaring device, coupled to the second correlation block, capable of squaring the output of the second correlation block; and
wherein the threshold crossing determiner is coupled to the squaring device and capable of finding a position where the squared correlation crosses the second threshold.

1. An apparatus to store modified data, the apparatus comprising:
a secondary power source for supplying power in the event of a primary power source failure;
a memory module for storing data, the memory module comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion configured to receive power from the secondary power source;
a data flow module operably connected to the memory module for controlling data flow into and out of the memory module, the data flow module storing modified data exclusively in the first portion of the memory module.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary power source is a battery.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the memory module comprises a cache memory for storing modified data.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a first nonvolatile storage.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data flow module directs modified data to the memory cache of the memory module.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data flow module copies modified data to a second nonvolatile storage.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises more than about one sixty-fourth of the memory module.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises less than about seven eighths of the memory module.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises between about one twentieth and about one sixth of the memory module.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the size of the first portion is automatically determined by the apparatus.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data flow module is configured to remove data from the first portion of the memory module when said data has not been accessed for a predetermined time threshold.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data flow module is configured to remove data from the first portion of the memory module when a predetermined amount of the first portion has been filled with data.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data flow module stores a value associated with a largest amount of first portion occupied by modified data at any given time.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data flow module is configured to adjust the predetermined amount of first portion necessary to be filled before data is removed from the first portion, based upon the stored value associated with the largest amount of first portion occupied by modified data.
15. A cache for storing modified data, the cache comprising:
a portion of memory configured to store modified data, said portion backed up by a secondary power source;
a portion of memory configured to store unmodified data, said portion not connected to the secondary power source; and
a refresh module for refreshing the modified data after a primary power source has failed.
16. The cache of claim 15, wherein the portion configured to store modified data comprises more than about one sixty-fourth of the memory.
17. The cache of claim 15, wherein the portion configured to store modified data comprises less than about seven eighths of the memory.
18. The cache of claim 15, wherein the portion configured to store modified data comprises between about one twentieth and about one sixth of the memory.
19. A system to store modified data, the system comprising:
a processor;
a memory module operably connected to the processor, the memory module comprising a cache configured to store volatile data, and a nonvolatile storage configured to store nonvolatile data, the cache comprising a portion of memory dedicated to storing modified data;
a secondary power source for supplying backup power, the secondary power source configured to supply power exclusively to the nonvolatile storage and cache portion dedicated to storing modified data in the event of a primary power source failure;
a data flow module operably connected to the memory module for controlling data flow between the processor and the memory module, the data flow module storing modified data exclusively in the cache and the nonvolatile storage; and
a disk storage unit.
20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a refresh module operably connected to the memory module for refreshing modified data in the cache portion after a power failure.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein the data flow module is configured to remove modified data from the cache of the memory module when said data has not been accessed for a predetermined time threshold.
22. The system of claim 19, wherein the data flow module is configured to remove modified data from the cache of the memory module when a predetermined amount of the cache is filled.
23. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform an operation to store modified data, the operation comprising:
receiving one or more read and a write commands;
storing data associated with the write command in a nonvolatile storage backed up by a battery source;
storing data associated with the write command in a portion of cache memory backed up by a battery source; and
storing data associated with the read command in a portion of cache memory not backed up by a battery source.
24. The signal bearing medium of claim 23, wherein storing data associated with the write command in a portion of cache memory backed up by a battery comprises determining whether space exists to store the data.
25. The signal bearing medium of claim 232, further comprising staging certain data in the battery backed portion of memory to a disk storage unit.
26. The signal bearing medium of claim 25, further comprising freeing up the space on the battery backed portion of memory where the staged data resided.
27. A method for storing modified data, the method comprising:
receiving a read command and a write command;
storing data associated with the write command in a nonvolatile storage;
storing data associated with the write command in a portion of a cache memory backed up by a battery; and
storing data associated with the read command in a portion of a cache memory not backed up by a battery.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein storing data associated with the write command on a portion of cache memory backed up by a battery comprises determining whether space exists to store the data.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein storing data associated with the write command comprises determining whether to deallocate space associated with that data stored on a portion of cache memory not backed up by a battery.
30. The method of claim 27, wherein storing data associated with the write command comprises finding said data in a portion of cache not backed up by a battery, allocating space for said data in cache backed up by a battery, storing said data in the battery-backed cache and freeing the space in the cache not backed up by a battery where said data existed.
31. An apparatus to store modified data, the apparatus comprising:
means for receiving a read and a write command;
means for storing data associated with the write command in a nonvolatile storage;
means for storing data associated with the write command in a portion of a cache memory backed up by a battery; and
means for storing data associated with the read command in a portion of a cache memory not backed up by a battery.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. 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 \u201cmonitoring tine\u201d) 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.
2. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein the pre-set distance is programmed by scanning a reflector guard of suitable profile with the distance monitor at the forward region of the monitoring tine, wherein the reflector guard is positioned outside the container and within a plane of the at least one sidewall.
3. The transport trolley of claim 2, wherein the reflector guard has a substantially identical profile to that of the at least one sidewall.
4. The transport trolley of claim 3, wherein the reflector guard is corrugated and the corrugated profile is taken into account when programming the pre-set distance for the distance monitor.
5. The transport trolley of claim 4, wherein steering is achieved by periodically taking maximum and minimum distance readings, than taking an average of those readings and steering to a longitudinally extending central plane of the corrugations.
6. The transport trolley of claim 1 further having an incremental rotary encoder operatively connected to the electronic control system for coordination therewith.
7. The transport trolley of claim 6, wherein the encoder is connected to a ground-contacting wheel of the trolley.
8. The transport trolley of claim 6, wherein data from the encoder is displayed on a display of the electronic control system.
9. The transport trolley of claim 7, wherein said ground-contacting wheel is pivotable out of contact with the ground.
10. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein a piston of a said steering cylinder is connected to a first end of a said mounting pin and moves the first end relative to a second end of the mounting pin.
11. The transport trolley of claim 10, wherein both the first and second ends of the mounting pin are located within spherical bearings of the tine and both said spherical bearings are slidably mounted to the tine.
12. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system includes a control panel and display whereby an operator of the trolley is informed of both the position of the monitoring tine relative to the at least one sidewall and that the correct direction of steering is being employed.
13. The transport trolley of claim 12, wherein the control panel and display enable the operator to steer the trolley manually.
14. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein the roller housings are connected to load supports of the tines.
15. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein each said distance monitor is a photoelectric sensor.
16. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system automatically activates the drive system to correct the direction of travel of the trolley when the monitoring tine has moved from the pre-set distance from the at least one sidewall.
17. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system is programmable so that the pre-set distance can be adjusted.
18. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein the distance monitors are connected to load supports of the monitoring tine.
19. The transport trolley of claim 1, wherein the pre-set distance is a distance range defined by a maximum allowable distance and a minimum allowable distance from the at least one sidewall.