Patent ID: 6422799
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: B65G,B66C

Abstract:
An overhead transport system, comprising:a first rail system located at an upper level, said first rail system including a plurality of parallel first horizontally positioned running rails and a plurality of horizontal crane rails positioned perpendicular to said first running rails, a second rail system located in a lower level in parallel, spaced-apart disposition to the first rail system, said second rail system including a plurality of parallel second running rails and a plurality of horizontal vehicle rails positioned perpendicular to said second running rails; a plurality of load bearing members traveling on the running rails of each of the first and second rail systems; a crane traveling on said crane rails in the upper level in a transverse direction to the running rails and including a support beam and a rail element securely mounted to an underside of the support beam and extending in parallel relationship to the support beam, said crane configured for moving the support beam horizontally in the upper level to align the support beam with the running rail in the upper level and vertically between said upper and lower levels to facilitate transfer of the load-bearing members onto said running rails in the second rail system; a self-propelled transfer vehicle traveling on said vehicle rails in the lower level in a direction transversely to the second running rails, said transfer vehicle including rail elements and a support beam, said rail elements being mounted to an underside of the support beam; and a plurality of receptacles located in each of the upper and lower levels to receive opposite ends of a respective support beam, thereby establishing an alignment of a rail element on a support beam with a running rail of the first and second rail systems and allowing a transfer of the load-bearing members between the support beams and running rails.