Patent ID: 8245647

Claim:
A switching facility for crossed paths comprising: a first path; a second path that crosses the first path in a crossing area; at least one article transport vehicle configured to travel along the first path and the second path, each of the at least one of the article transport vehicle having: a guided roller provided to an upper portion of the article transport vehicle to be rotatable about an axis extending in a vertical direction of the article transport vehicle; travel wheels provided to a lower portion of the article transport vehicle to be rotatable about an axis extending in a lateral direction of the article transport vehicle; a guide rail for guiding the guided roller of the article transport vehicle; a travel rail for supporting and guiding the travel wheels of the article transport vehicle, wherein the guide rail and the travel rail are provided in each of a first entrance area and a first exit area of the first path, and a second entrance area and a second exit area of the second path, each of the first entrance area, the first exit area, the second entrance area, and the second exit area being continuous with the crossing area; a rotatable guide rail located in the crossing area and rotatable about a vertical axis between a first position for guiding in which the rotatable guide rail is continuous with the guide rails provided in the first entrance area and the first exit area, and a second position for guiding in which the rotatable guide rail is continuous with the guide rails provided in the second entrance area and the second exit area; a rotatable travel rail located in the crossing area and rotatable about a vertical axis between a first position for travel in which the rotatable travel rail is continuous with the travel rails provided in the first entrance area and the first exit area, and a second position for travel in which the rotatable travel rail is continuous with the travel rails provided in the second entrance area and the second exit area; a push operating portion provided to each of the article transport vehicle and configured to push one of the rotatable guide rail and the rotatable travel rail from the first position into the second position, and from the second position into the first position as the article transport vehicle advances into the crossing area, operatively connecting means for coupling a rotation of the rotatable guide rail with a rotation of the rotatable travel rail such that when one of the rotatable guide rail and the rotatable travel rail is pushed by the push operating portion and rotated from the first position to the second position, the other of the rotatable guide rail and the rotatable travel rail is rotated from the first position to the second position, and such that when one of the rotatable guide rail and the rotatable travel rail is pushed by the push operating portion and rotated from the second position to the first position, the other of the rotatable guide rail and the rotatable travel rail is rotated from the second position to the first position.