Patent ID: 8303234

Claim:
A transfer device that positions a carriage to a predetermined position, the carriage being configured to carry an object thereon, said transfer device transferring the object between the carriage and a transfer area, and said transfer device comprising: a base defining a carrying-in area into which the carriage is moved, said base having left and right sidewalls provided on left and right sides of said base, respectively; a position mechanism including: left and right rocking arms that are provided on the left and right sides of said base, respectively, and configured to engage with and disengage from the carriage in such a manner that, with the carriage in said carrying-in area, said rocking arms are positioned on opposite sides of the carriage with respect to a lateral direction of the carriage so as to sandwich the carriage there between and are operable to lift the carriage up from the opposite sides of the carriage and position the carriage at a predetermined height; a transfer mechanism for transferring the object between the carriage, having been positioned at the predetermined height by said positioning mechanism, and the transfer area; left and right guide rails that are provided on said left and right sidewalls, respectively, so as to extend in a vertical direction; left and right elevating holders on which said left and right rocking arms are supported, respectively, so as to be able to rock relative thereto, said left and right elevating holders being guided by said left and right guide rails, respectively, for up and down movement; left and right driving units that are arranged on said left and right sidewalls of said base, respectively, for driving said left and right elevating holders, respectively, to move up and down; and left and right engagement portions that are arranged on said left and right sidewalls of said base, respectively, and configured and positioned to rock said left and right rocking arms, respectively, by engaging said left and right rocking arms in response to said left and right rocking arms being vertically moved together with said left and right elevating holders, respectively, by said left and right driving units, respectively.