Electrically driven self-propelled truck and apparatus for changing course thereof

• US 5,127,336 A
• Filed: 12/19/1990
• Issued: 07/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nakanishi Metal Works Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nakanishi Metal Works Company Limited
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Douglas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rutherford, Kevin D.
• Application Number:
  US07/629,917
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 104/35, 104/45, 104/48, 104/96, 104/99, 104/243, 104/245, 104/246, 104/247, 198/465.1, 414/223
• US Class Current: 104/35
• CPC Class Codes: B61J 1/10 Traversers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/0625 with wheels for moving around the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/065 Scissor linkages, i.e. X-configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/08 hydraulically or pneumatically operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 Multiple station with conveyor

Abstract

An electrically driven self-propelled truck having at least one electrically driven wheel guidable along a rail on a floor, an article lift table mounted on the upper side of the truck body, a work space provided around the lift table, and an adjacent truck coupling provided at least one side edge portion of the truck body. At an intersection of truck guide rails on the floor, a rail segment rotating mechanism is provided which has a rail segment for changing the course of the wheel. A truck orientation changing turntable is provided on a floor portion where the orientation of the truck is to be changed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for changing the course of an electrically driven wheel supported self-propelled truck moving on a floor, said truck having a body and at least one electrically driven wheel attached to a lower side of said body of said truck, said electrically driven wheel being freely rotatable on said lower side of said body in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis and having a flange extending outwardly horizontally therefrom, said flange having downwardly extending, horizontally spaced rail guides, said course changing apparatus comprising at least two truck guide rails mounted on said floor for selective engagement between said rail guides and guiding said electrically driven wheel, said guide rails extending on said floor in a plane parallel to said horizontal plane of rotation of said driven wheel, said rails extending in intersecting directions and a rail segment rotating mechanism on said floor at the intersection of said guide rails and having a rail segment for changing the direction of said drive wheel from the direction of one guide rail of said intersecting guide rails to the direction of the other of said intersecting guide rails, whereby when said drive wheel of said truck traveling along one of said guide rails is stopped on said rail segment rotating mechanism with said rail segment on said rotating mechanism in alignment with said one of said guide rails, said rotating mechanism rotates said drive wheel relative to said intersecting guide rails to align said drive wheel with the other of said guide rails.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein four freely rotatable truck supporting casters are positioned on the lower side of said truck body along with said electrically driven wheel and on opposite sides of said guide rails, said guide rails having rotary plates with noncontinuous guide rail portions attached thereto for receiving said casters on said rotary plates as said casters are advanced to said rotary plates and contact said noncontinuous guide rail portion thereon for pivoting said rotary plate and said noncontinuous guide rail portion thereon and traversing said received caster through said guide rail, said rotary plate and said noncontinuous guide rail portion thereon being returnable to its original position upon passage of said caster therethrough.

2. An apparatus for changing the course of an electrically driven wheel supported self-propelled truck moving on a floor, said truck having a body and at least one electrically driven wheel attached to a lower side of said body of said truck, said electrically driven wheel being freely rotatable on said lower side of said body in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis and having a flange extending outwardly horizontally therefrom, said flange having downwardly extending, horizontally spaced rail guides, said course changing apparatus comprising a first truck guide rail mounted on said floor for engagement between said rail guides and guiding said electrically driven wheel, a truck course changing turntable in a floor portion in axial alignment with said first truck guide rail where said course of said truck is to be changed, a second truck guide rail in axial alignment with and at one of its ends abutting one end of said first guide rail, said second guide rail having its other end at the periphery of said turntable, a third truck guide rail fixed to said turntable for rotation therewith, rail segment rotating mechanisms mounted on said turntable at the opposite ends of said third truck rail and each having a rail segment thereon for rotation therewith for engaging said rail guides on said flange of an electrically driven wheel positioned thereon as said course of said truck on said turntable is being changed by the rotation of said turntable and said rail segment rotating mechanisms, and said rail segments at the opposite ends of said third truck rail and said rail segments thereon are rotated to change the course of said wheel thereon, and a pair of fourth parallel truck rails mounted on said floor for receiving said wheel from said rotated rail segments on said turntable and for engaging said rail guides on said flange for guiding said electrically driven wheel and said truck in said changed course.