Railways – Trolley transfer
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-19
2003-12-02
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railways
Trolley transfer
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655297
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The preset invention relates to a transfer system using movable bodies in moving the movable bodies, which is used to transfer subjects, for example, in a given path on the floor or ceiling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, as for this type of movable body, there has been provided an arrangement found in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-25441, for example. That is, amovable body movable in a given path as supported and guided by a rail has a main body composed of three frame bodies relatively turnably connected through connecting devices. And each frame body is in the form of a quadrangular body extending in the direction of the given path, with its side surface being formed as a driven surface. The intermediate frame body included in the frame body is provided with a support section for transfer subjects, and guided device to be supported and guided by the rail. Further, the two frame bodies, front and rear, are provided with guided devices to be supported and guided by the rail.
According to the conventional arrangement described above, however, in transferring the movable body to a different given path or returning to the original given path after it has been taken out of the given path, for example, the movable body has to be moved for separating or joining while moving the movable body in the longitudinal direction, thus requiring a long path for separating or joining. Further, when a storage path is formed in the given path to store the movable body, for example, the storage path will be long in length according to the number of storages since this movable body is stored with each frame body put in rectilinear form.
From these facts, it follows that the layout formation for the given path in its entirety cannot be easily effected and that the percentage of occupied area for separating, joining and storing is increased.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a transfer system using movable bodies, which is capable of moving movable bodies transversely for separating and also for joining, with respect to a given path.
To achieve the object described above, the invention provides a transfer system, using movable bodies that are supported and guided by a rail through a plurality of guided devices disposed on main bodies of the movable bodies so that the movable bodies are movable in a given path, the main bodies being provided with supports for a transfer subject, wherein the group of the guided devices are relatively turnably connected to the main bodies through vertical shafts; the given path has a set path portion which includes therein a plurality of divisional rail bodies capable of supporting the group of guided devices, and turning means for turning these divisional rail bodies around vertical axes; and there are provided laterally of the set path portion a group of transverse rail bodies to which the divisional rail bodies turned for separation with respect to the rail can be connected.
According to the above arrangement of the invention, the group of divisional rail bodies are turned around the vertical axes by the turning means and connected to the rail while they are separated from the transverse rail bodies. Thereby, the guided devices that have moved in can be transferred from the rail to the group of divisional rail bodies and the movable body can be stopped at a position where the guided devices are supported by the corresponding divisional rail bodies.
Subsequently, the group of divisional rail bodies are separated from the rail by the reverse turn of the turning means and then connected to the transverse rail bodies. Such turning force of the divisional rail bodies can turn the guided devices through vertical shafts with respect to the movable body and the support section of the main body; thus, the movable bodies can cause the guided devices to take a transversely facing attitude while causing the group of their main bodies to take an attitude lying along the set path portion.
And, the group of guided devices are moved by suitable transverse moving means. The group of these moving guided devices are transferred from the divisional rail bodies to the transverse rail bodies, so that the movable body can be transversely moved and stopped at a predetermined position with its main body taking an attitude lying along the set path portion. Subsequently, the group of divisional rail bodies are separated from the transverse rail bodies by the reverse turn of the turning means and connected to the rail, whereby they can be restored to the initial state.
In addition, the movable bodies supported by the group of transverse rail bodies can be returned to the original rail by the operation of the divisional rail bodies and turning means that is reverse to the above. Alternatively, similar divisional rail bodies and turning means may be disposed at the free end side (opposite side) of the group of transverse rail bodies, so that after the movable bodies have been transferred from the divisional rails to a separate rail, they can be moved in a separate given path.
Thereby, the main bodies of the movable bodies can be transversely separated from and joined to the given path. Therefore, a path suffices for separating and joining can be shortened, and when the transverse path portion consisting of the group of transverse rail bodies is used as a storage path, for example, the movable bodies can be stored in a side-by-side state, so that the storage path can be reduced in total length according to the storage number. From these facts, the formation of the entire layout of the given path can be easily made and the occupied area for separating, joining or storage can be minimized.
Further, the invention provides a transfer system using movable bodies, in which the movable bodies are supported and guided by a rail through a plurality of guided devices so that they are movable in a given path, the movable body having a main body composed of a plurality of frame bodies horizontally connected to be relatively turnable through connecting devices, at least one of the frame bodies being provided with a support section for transfer subjects, wherein the group of guided devices are relatively turnably connected to the movable bodies through vertical shafts; the given path has a set path portion which includes therein a plurality of divisional rail bodies capable of supporting the group of guided devices, and turning means for turning these divisional rail bodies around vertical axes; and there are provided laterally of the set path portion a group of transverse rail bodies to which the divisional rail bodies turned for separation with respect to the rail can be connected.
According to the above arrangement of the invention, the group of divisional rail bodies are turned around the vertical axes by the turning means and connected to the rail while they are separated from the transverse rail bodies. Thereby, the guided devices that have moved in, or the group of guided devices disposed in the group of frame bodies, can be transferred from the rail to the group of divisional rail bodies and the movable body can be stopped at a position where the guided devices are supported by the corresponding divisional rail bodies.
Subsequently, the group of divisional rail bodies are separated from the rail by the reverse turn of the turning means and then connected to the transverse rail bodies. Such turning force of the divisional rail bodies can turn the guided devices through vertical shafts with respect to the main body of the movable body and the support section; thus, the movable bodies can cause the guided devices to take a transversely facing attitude while causing the group of frame bodies of the movable bodies to take an attitude lying along the set path portion.
And, the group of guided devices are moved by suitable transverse moving means. The group of these moving guided devices are transferred from the divisional rail bodies to the transverse rail bodies, so that the movable bodies can be transversely moved and stopp
Kawato Kenichiro
Kyotani Hisashi
Suzuki Takaharu
Uehara Takashi
Daifuku Co. Ltd.
Jaffe Michael A.
Jules Frantz F.
Kusner Mark
Morano S. Joseph
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