SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE FOR HANDLING GLASS-SHEET SUPPORTING RACKS

A self-propelled vehicle for handling glass-sheet supporting racks of the type comprising: a front rack-supporting chassis provided with a substantially U-shaped rigid oblong frame having two longitudinal beams that extend horizontally and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, on opposite sides of the vehicle midplane, and that delimit a large central slit or compartment open at the front and dimensioned to accommodate a glass-sheet supporting rack; a rear tractor unit which is firmly connected to the front rack-supporting chassis via mechanical means allowing the rack-supporting chassis to move vertically with respect to the tractor unit; a lifting apparatus Adapted to vary, on command, the height from the ground of the rigid oblong frame of the rack-supporting chassis; and an electronic vehicle-load detecting apparatus which is adapted to detect the geometric and/or structural features of the glass-sheet supporting rack during insertion into the central slit or compartment of the rack-supporting chassis.