Patent ID: 7552683

Claim:
A conveying apparatus comprising: a lifting/lowering platform in which a platform is supported on a conveying traveler body, the platform being liftable and lowerable via an erectable crosslink operable to lift the platform from a lowering limit height to a middle height and to a maximum height, the crosslink having first and second cam follower portions protruding below the conveying traveler body, the first cam follower portion engaging a first cam rail to lift the platform to the middle height and the second cam follower portion engaging a second cam rail to lift the platform from the middle height to the maximum height the second cam follower portion being provided at a middle bending fulcrum of a toggle link, the toggle link being interposed between a link of the crosslink and a fixing position on a conveying traveler body side of the conveying apparatus or in a vicinity thereof, the toggle link having two end fulcrums and being in a collapsed condition where the two end fulcrums are both located either in front or to a rear, in a traveling direction, with respect to the middle bending fulcrum when the platform is located at the lowering limit height, the toggle link being in an extended condition when the platform has been lifted to the middle height, where one of the two end fulcrums is located in front, in the traveling direction, with respect to the middle bending fulcrum and an other one of the two end fulcrums is located to the rear, in a traveling direction, with respect to the middle bending fulcrum, and when the toggle link is in the extended condition, the second cam follower portion is located lower than the first cam follower portion.