Railways – Trolley transfer – Sliding shift
Patent
1992-02-18
1993-12-28
Le, Mark T.
Railways
Trolley transfer
Sliding shift
104130, B65G 3700
Patent
active
052729850
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for transporting workpeices. The apparatus includes a transport path (track) system for transport wagons (carriages). The transport path system which passes by workplaces, is composed of route modules and point (switching) modules, each provided with running surfaces for the transport wagons and support surfaces for the lateral guidance of the wagons. In the point modules the lateral guidance is effected by guide elements, such as rotatably mounted rollers which are arranged on the opposite transport wagon sides that are oriented parallel to the plane of the transport path. The guide elements are perpendicular to the plane of the running surfaces and engage in guides of the point modules. The engagement on a side of the transport wagon parallel to the transport path is discontinued by changing the setting of the guide elements at the point module and/or on the transport wagons from an operative position determining the direction of travel to an inoperative, lateral position. In a known apparatus of this generic type, the transport path system is provided with simple point modules, on which only the transport wagons arriving on one of the two coaxially opposite point branches can optionally be transferred into the coaxially opposite point branch or into the point branch which is diverted at a right an design requires additional point connections to make it possible for the travel paths of the transport wagons to be fixed in an as flexible and optimum manner as possible in a network transport path system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved transport path system of the above-outlined type from which the discussed disadvantages are eliminated.
This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by a first embodiment of the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the transporting apparatus includes a wagon and a transport path system for guiding the wagon. The transport path system includes first and second longitudinally aligned, mutually spaced route modules defining a first travel path; third and fourth longitudinally aligned, mutually spaced route modules defining a second travel path; and a point module assembly coupling the first, second, third and fourth route modules to one another and having switchable guide elements for routing the wagon. The point module assembly includes a first T-shaped double point module having two opposite point branches coupled tot he first and second route modules, respectively and a diverted point branch extending at an angle from the opposite point branches. The point module assembly further has a second T-shaped double point module including two opposite point branches coupled to the third and fourth route modules, respectively; and a diverted point branch extending at an angle from the opposite point branches of the second T-shaped double point module and having an end arranged face-to-face to an end of the diverted point branch of the first T-shaped double point module.
Objects of the invention are further accomplished by a second embodiment of the invention according to which, briefly stated, the transport path system includes first and second longitudinally aligned, mutually spaced route modules; a third route module spaced from the first and second route modules and extending parallel thereto; and a point module assembly coupling the first, second and third route modules to one another for causing the wagon to travel from the first route module to the second route module through the point module assembly or for causing the wagon to travel from the first route module to the third route module through the point module assembly. The point module assembly includes a point module having two opposite ends coupled to the first and second route modules, respectively; a first, linear wagon-guiding strip extending between the opposite ends and being switchable between an operative and an inoperative position; and a sec
REFERENCES:
patent: 3901160 (1975-08-01), Auer
patent: 4899865 (1990-02-01), Keil
patent: 5044283 (1991-09-01), Marie et al.
patent: 5154123 (1992-10-01), Loomer
Drexel Peter
Erne Hans
Kollek Hans-Jochen
Maier Gernot
Mueller Ulrich
Le Mark T.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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