Patent ID: 7089868
Filing Date: 2006-08-15
Classification: B61B,B65G

Abstract:
1. A conveyance apparatus using movable bodies, each movable body movable along a fixed path by a plurality of guided devices, said guided devices supporting and guiding said movable body on a main rail, each movable body having a main body comprising a front frame member having a front end, a rear frame member having a rear end and a middle frame member having a front end and a rear end, and said main body further comprising connecting devices for connecting the frame members in a relatively rotatable fashion in a transverse direction with respect to a longitudinal direction, a supporting section provided on said middle frame member for conveyed items, and vehicle axles coupling, in a relatively rotatable fashion, each of said guided devices to the movable body, wherein said guided devices comprise middle guided devices provided on the respective front and rear ends of the middle frame member, and end guide devices provided on said front end of the front frame member and on said rear end of the rear frame member, said conveyance apparatus further comprising: a plurality of lateral travel rail members on a lateral side of a prescribed region of the fixed path, said travel rail members supporting and guiding the guided devices wherein said middle frame member provided with the supporting section assumes an orthogonal position with respect to a direction of travel, and the other frame members align with the direction of travel; and branching means in the prescribed region for causing the guided devices on the main rail to branch off onto the plurality of lateral travel rail members, said branching means allowing the frame members other than said middle frame member provided with the supporting section to assume an orthogonal attitude in a same direction, with respect to said middle frame member provided with the supporting section, wherein said branching means comprises a divided rail member simultaneously supporting the end guided device on the front frame member and the middle guided device at the front, a divided rail member simultaneously supporting the middle guided device at the rear and the end guided device on the rear frame member, said respective divided rail members being formed by dividing the main rail in the prescribed region, and rotating devices for causing said divided rail members to rotate about vertical axes, and wherein said lateral travel rail members are arranged in a pair and allow the divided rail members to connect thereto when the divided rail members have been rotated and separated from the main rail.