Patent ID: 8291829

Claim:
A motorized transport system, comprising: a guide rail assembly affixed to a floor in an area of transport, said guide rail assembly defining a path along which item transport will occur, said guide rail assembly including a guide rail portion and a conductor rail portion; at least one motorized cart for holding one or more items and transporting said one or more items along the path defined by said guide rail assembly, each motorized cart further comprising: a frame, a plurality of wheels associated with said frame for supporting said cart in a rolling manner; a drive system for propelling said cart along said guide rail assembly, said drive system including a drive motor, a drive wheel assembly for engaging said guide rail portion of said guide rail assembly, a contactor assembly at least partially suspended below said cart to contact said conductor rail portion of said guide rail assembly, a drive controller for controlling operation of said motor and movement of said cart, and a sensor located along a leading edge of said cart, said drive controller in communication with said drive motor and said sensor, a cart guide located beneath said cart for directing said guide rail portion of said guide rail assembly into said drive wheel assembly, and a blocking element located along a trailing edge of said cart; and a power supply electrically connected to said conductor rail portion of said guide rail assembly; wherein, said contactor assembly is located such that, as said cart is moved into engagement with said guide rail assembly, said contactor assembly will contact said conductor rail, thereby energizing said drive motor and causing said drive wheel assembly to propel said cart along said guide rail by rotation thereof against said guide rail portion of said guide rail assembly; and wherein, said blocking element on each cart is located to interrupt a signal produced by said sensor on a trailing cart when a trailing cart approaches a leading cart in a row of carts formed along a guide rail assembly, thereby causing said drive controller of said trailing cart to de-energize the drive motor thereof, halting forward motion of said trailing cart prior to contact with said leading cart and allowing for the automated formation of a row of spaced carts.