Patent ID: 7597257

Claim:
An overhead traveling vehicle, having a hoisting frame holding an article with an ID, and transporting the article along a traveling rail, the vehicle comprising: an ID reader for reading the ID; a moving means for moving the ID reader between an ID reading position in an article transfer route and a retracted position outside of the article transfer route, and a pair of covers on front and back sides of the overhead traveling vehicle in a traveling direction, the covers having fall prevention pieces for preventing the article from being dropped, wherein the ID reader is supported by one of the covers such that, in the retracted position, the ID reader is hidden by the one of the covers, wherein the ID reader is supported by the one of the covers such that, in the ID reading position, the ID reader is protruded from the one of the covers to be arranged at approximately a center position of the overhead traveling vehicle in the traveling direction, and wherein when the article is held by the hoisting frame and pulled into the overhead traveling vehicle, the moving means moves the ID reader to the ID reading position for reading the ID of the article.