Patent ID: 7296521

Claim:
A conveyance apparatus using movable bodies, wherein each movable body of said movable bodies freely moves along a fixed path by being supported and guided on a main rail by a plurality of guided devices, wherein each movable body has a main body formed by three frame members connected by connecting devices in a relatively rotatable fashion in a transverse direction with respect to a longitudinal direction, one of said frame members being a front frame member, and wherein at least one of the frame members is provided with a supporting section for conveyed items, each of said guided devices being coupled in a relatively rotatable fashion to the movable body by a vertical axle, said conveyance apparatus comprising: a pair of lateral travel rail members for supporting and guiding the guided devices on a lateral side of a prescribed region of the fixed path comprising the one main rail; and a branching apparatus in the prescribed region for branching the guided members located on the main rail onto the pair of lateral travel rail members; the branching apparatus comprising divided rail members by splitting the main rail at two locations corresponding to the lateral travel rail members, each of the divided rail members having an upstream end always connected to the main rail and a downstream end connected selectively to one of the main rail and the corresponding lateral travel rail member by an operating device, wherein the branching apparatus causes the movable body to travel laterally with the front frame member being aligned with one of the lateral travel rail members, the middle frame member extending orthogonally with respect to the direction of travel thereof, and the rear frame member assuming a bent state in alignment with the other lateral travel rail member.