Patent ID: 7395886

Claim:
A motorized cart collector for pulling two rows of carts in a forward direction over a surface, the cart collector comprising: a mobile body including a frame having a front end, a rear end and a width, wherein the forward direction is toward the front end from the rear end; and a cart connector assembly pivotally connected to the rear end of the frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis that is approximately perpendicular to the surface, the cart connector assembly including a horizontal support member spanning approximately the width of the frame, a cart separator attached to the horizontal support member and having a pair of outside edges displaced along a length of the horizontal support member that define a cart separating distance, and first and second cart connectors each coupled to the horizontal support member on opposing sides of the cart separator and respectively configured to attach to first and second lead carts, wherein the cart separator is configured to maintain at least the cart separating distance between leading portions of the first and second lead carts.