Patent ID: 7748514

Claim:
A method of conveying objects to an object loading and unloaded position, comprising: providing an object loading and unloading conveyance device operable to convey an object together with a pallet supporting the object between a hanging conveyance line, in which the pallet and object are conveyed while being supported by a hanging hanger, and the object loading and unloading position below the hanging conveyance line, providing the object loading and unloading conveyance device with a horizontal conveyance device operable to convey the pallet horizontally between a hanger stop position in the hanging conveyance line and a pallet transferring position above the object loading and unloading position, providing the object loading and unloading conveyance device with an elevating conveyance device operable to convey the pallet between the pallet transferring position and the object loading and unloading position, providing the elevating conveyance device with a plurality of pallet mounting bases for supporting pallets and an endless cyclic elevating path operable to move the pallet mounting bases cyclically vertically, and with means for driving the pallet mounting bases operable to rotatively move the pallet mounting bases while holding the pallet mounting bases in erect postures in the endless cyclic elevating path, providing the pallet mounting bases at even intervals equal to a distance between the pallet transferring position and the object loading and unloading position, and providing the pallet transferring position and the object loading and unloading position on a same side of the endless cyclic elevating path of the elevating conveyance device so that when a pallet mounting base is moved to the object loading and unloading position, another pallet mounting base is simultaneously moved to the pallet transferring position, providing a first object supported by a first pallet on a first pallet mounting base of the elevating conveyance device, the first pallet mounting base being positioned at the pallet transferring position; providing an empty pallet on a second pallet mounting base of the elevating conveyance device, the empty pallet being from an object that was previously unloaded; cyclically operating the elevating conveyance device along the endless cyclic elevating path to simultaneously move (a) the first pallet mounting base carrying the first object on the first pallet to the object loading and unloading position, and (b) the second pallet mounting base carrying the empty pallet to the pallet transferring position, and after the cyclical operation the elevating conveyance device and without further cyclical operation thereof, removing the empty pallet from the second pallet mounting base, transferring the empty pallet to the hanging conveyance line, and transferring a second object on a second pallet from the hanging conveyance line to the second pallet mounting base.