Patent ID: 7637380

Claim:
A transporting apparatus comprising: a track portion, configured to be installed on or near a ceiling; a traveling device traveling on the track portion; and a transporting device, wherein the transporting device comprises, a main body device mounted on said traveling device, a loading device configured to i) elongate in an elongation direction from the main body device toward a side of the track portion and to ii) load a transported object, a grip device configured to hold the transported object, a lifting belt connecting the grip device to the loading device and configured to lift the grip device, and an elongation mechanism configured to elongate each of the loading device, the grip device and the lifting belt together in the elongation direction, wherein the elongation mechanism comprises, a first rack fixed to the main body device, a second rack fixed to the loading device, the first rack and the second rack each extending in the elongation direction and facing each other with a space therebetween, a first pinion engaged with the first rack, a second pinion engaged with the second rack, and an odd number of third pinions engaged between the first and second pinions, the first, second, and third pinions being disposed in the space, wherein a first axis of rotation of the first pinion is fixed at a position vertically offset from a second axis of rotation of the second pinion by a predetermined vertical distance h 1 , the first pinion positioned such to have no contact with the second rack, and the second pinion positioned such to have no contact with the first rack, and wherein the loading device is configured to elongate in the elongation direction by shifting the second rack in the elongation direction with respect to the first rack while rolling the first, second, and third pinions.