Driverless vehicle shuttle

• US 4,132,174 A
• Filed: 10/13/1976
• Issued: 01/02/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SI Handling Systems, Inc. (Paragon Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SI Handling Systems, Inc. (Paragon Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scheel, Russell H., Ziegenfus, Barry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Application Number:
  US05/731,871
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 104/48, 104/50, 104/35, 104/36, 104/166, 198/412
• US Class Current: 104/48
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/125 the propulsion device being a rotating shaft or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B61J 1/10 Traversers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 35/063 the traction element being a rotating bar or tube

Abstract

A shuttle vehicle reciprocates between sets of tracks for driverless vehicles. The linear movement of the shuttle vehicle causes a turntable on the shuttle vehicle to rotate. The turntable is adapted to support a driverless vehicle to be transported from one set of tracks to another.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transporting a driverless vehicle between a pair of vehicle incoming tracks and a pair of vehicle outgoing tracks comprising:

(a) first and second shuttle tracks, a drive shaft between said shuttle tracks, said drive shaft being closer to said first shuttle track than to said second shuttle track, motor means coupled to said drive shaft for causing a shuttle vehicle to reciprocate along said shuttle tracks,

(b) a shuttle vehicle mounted on said shuttle tracks, a rotatable drive wheel on said shuttle vehicle, said drive wheel being in rolling contact with said drive shaft, a turntable supported from below by said shuttle vehicle for rotation about a vertical axis, spaced track means on said turntable for supporting a vehicle, a drive shaft on said turntable between said spaced track means, means on said turntable for stopping a vehicle on the turntable, said shuttle vehicle having an opening in the central portion thereof, an arm connected to said turntable for rotation therewith and extending downwardly through said opening in all positions of said turntable, said arm being spaced from the axis of rotation of said turntable.

(c) cam means for converting linear movement of the shuttle vehicle along said shuttle tracks to rotary movement of the turntable, said cam means including a portion angled with respect to said first and second shuttle tracks, said angled portion of the cam means being between said first mentioned drive shaft and said second shuttle track, and said arm supporting a cam follower which cooperates with said cam means to cause said rotary movement of said turntable.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cam means includes a first portion disposed generally parallel to said first mentioned drive shaft and extending from one end of said angled portion, said cam means including a second portion disposed generally parallel to said first mentioned drive shaft and extending from the other end of said angled portion, whereby said cam follower may move along the first portion to the angled portion and then to the second portion, and the angled portion of said cam means rotating said turntable as the shuttle vehicle moves along the portion of said shuttle tracks adjacent said angled portion.