Patent ID: 7721654
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: B66F

Abstract:
1. A stacker crane configured to move on a single rail provided along one or more racks, the single rail having a top face, side faces, and a downward facing face, the stacker crane comprising: a first wheel that moves on the rail; a second wheel that moves on the rail, and that is disposed spaced apart from the first wheel in a fore-and-aft direction; a vehicle frame supported by the first wheel and the second wheel; first drive means supported by the vehicle frame for driving the first wheel; wherein the vehicle frame comprises: a first support post that extends vertically and has a downwardly facing surface that is connected to the first upwardly facing surface of the first support frame; a second support post that extends vertically and has a downwardly facing surface that is connected to the second upwardly facing surface of the second support frame, the first wheel and the first support post being supported by the first support frame such that the first wheel vertically overlaps with the first support post when viewed in a lateral direction and a fore-and-aft direction, the second wheel and the second support post being supported by the second support frame such that the second wheel vertically overlaps with the second support post when viewed in a lateral direction and a fore-and-aft direction; a first restriction wheel rotatably supported by the first support frame such that the first restriction wheel is in contact with the downward facing face of the rail with elastic force from an elastic portion, and the first restriction wheel restricting lifting of the first wheel from the rail; a third restriction wheel rotatably supported by the second support frame such that the third restriction wheel is in contact with the downward facing face of the rail with elastic force from an elastic portion, the third restriction wheel restricting lifting of the second wheel from the rail; and a vertically movable platform that is guided by the first support post and the second support post, and that can move vertically with respect to the vehicle frame wherein the connection frame comprises a right frame member positioned on a right side of the rail and a left frame member positioned on a left side of the rail, the right frame member is connected to a rear end portion of the right support portion of the first support frame and to a front end portion of a right support portion of the second support frame, and the left frame member is connected to a rear end portion of a left support portion of the first support frame and to a front end portion of a left support portion of the second support frame.