Patent ID: 6644210
Filing Date: 2003-11-11
Classification: B65G,B66B

Abstract:
A combination inclined tow conveyor and shopping cart for moving the shopping cart between an upper floor and a lower floor of a building, the combination comprising:a pair of spaced front wheel tracks extending between a loading end and an unloading end of the conveyor, each of the front wheel tracks positioned to receive one of a pair of swivelly mounted front wheels contained on the shopping cart; a pair of spaced rear wheel tracks extending between the loading end and an unloading end of the conveyor, each rear wheel track positioned to receive one of a pair fixed rear wheels contained on the shopping cart, wherein the front wheel tracks and the rear wheel tracks are inclined from the lower floor to the upper floor to guide the movement of the shopping cart therebetween; a driven continuous conveyor operable to engage and move the shopping cart along the front wheel tracks and the rear wheel tracks between the upper floor and the lower floor; and a front wheel alignment and turning system for rotating at least one of the front wheels 180 degrees to place both front wheels in a common aligned position before the shopping cart is engaged by the conveyor.