Patent ID: 8459438

Claim:
A workpiece conveyance device comprising: a workpiece conveying path comprising a first conveying path and a second conveying path branched off perpendicularly and horizontally with respect to the first conveying path; a workpiece conveying traveling body traveling on the workpiece conveying path and composed of a workpiece support carriage which supports a longitudinal central portion of a workpiece whose longitudinal direction is parallel to the first conveying path and two auxiliary carriages releasably connectable to a front and rear in a traveling direction of the first conveying path of the workpiece support carriage and are positioned below both longitudinal end portions of the workpiece; a workpiece conveying traveling body driving means juxtaposed on the first conveying path to drive the workpiece support carriage and the two auxiliary carriages to travel integrally; a carriage diverging means arranged at a branching point between the first conveying path and the second conveying path so as to leave the two auxiliary carriages on the first conveying path and to diverge and introduce only the workpiece support carriage perpendicularly and horizontally into the second conveying path; and a workpiece support carriage driving means juxtaposed on the second conveying path to drive the workpiece support carriage to travel perpendicularly and horizontally with respect to the traveling direction of the workpiece support carriage on the first conveying path; wherein the workpiece support carriage is provided with a workpiece high-position supporting means configured to be switchable between a rising posture of supporting the workpiece at a high position and a fallen-down folded posture under the workpiece and on the workpiece support carriage, and the two auxiliary carriages are provided with workpiece low-position supporting means configured to individually support front and rear two places in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece under the workpiece and at a position higher than the workpiece high-position supporting means in the folded posture.