Daifuku Co., Ltd.

Daifuku Ltd.

Tatsuya Sakagami

Katsuyoshi Makimura

Masao Arai

Yoshito Kaida

Tsuneo Shishido

Yasuaki Abe

Yasuhide Kido

Kazuysohi Fukuhara

A transport system having (i) electrical movers for moving in a travel direction along a guide rail, each having (a) a drive wheel, (b) a brakeless electric motor for rotating the drive wheel, (c) a photoelectric switch adapted to sense the proximity of an object, (d) a contact member for stopping movement of the electric mover at a predetermined location, the photoelectric switch being disposed in the travel direction ahead of said contact member for switching the supply of electrical power to the motor upon sensing or ceasing to sense a previously sensed proximity of an object, and (ii) a stopping mechanism located along the guide rail for stopping the movement of an electric mover, including (a) a stopper adapted in an operative position thereof to stop a moving electrical mover by contact with the contact member, and to allow movement of the electrical mover when the stopper is not in its operative position, (b) a shifter for shifting the stopper in and out of its operating position, and (c) a detectable member shiftable by the shifter to a position perpendicularly to the travel direction when the detectable member is shifted to said perpendicular position, it can be sensed by the photoelectric switch before contact between the stopper and the contact member.

Transport system with electric movers

A transport system having a first electric rail car adapted to be propelled over a guide rail, a rail car stopping device being disposed separately from the first rail car along the guide rail, the first rail car having a brakeless motor, an electric power supply circuit for the motor, a wheel driven from the electric motor, a first limit switch, a second limit switch, the first and second limit switches being in the electric power supply circuit for selectively cutting off the supply of electricity to the motor, a stop engaging member, and stopping control device for a second electric rail car following the first electric rail car, the stopping control device having an elongated member projecting rearwardly from the first electric rail car for opening a second limit switch of the second electric rail car when the second electric rail car approaches the first electric rail car closer than a predetermined distance to prevent a collision between the first and second electric rail cars, the stopping control device having a flat control face portion for controlling an electrical limit switch of the second electric rail car so that the second rail car continues to move by its momentum after electric power to its motor was cut off when the second limit switch was opened by contact with the stopping control device.

Transport system with electric rail cars

The invention relates to a monorail tramcar type conveyor having a driven carriage connected to a free rolling carriage for traveling along the top of the rail. Both the driven and free carriages have a rectangular frame, from which vertical axis guide rollers are cantilevered so as to engage the sides of the rail. The top portion of the frames have a vertical opening which is surrounded by the frame, and the driven and free rolling wheels which ride on the top of the rail are loosely fitted into these openings on the respective driven and free rolling carriages.

Monorail tramcar type conveyor

A conveyor trolley with a pair of wheels rolling on a flat upper face of an upper end rail portion of a guide rail, one wheel acting as a drive wheel and attached to an output shaft of a speed-reducing unit mounted on a trolley body movably supported on the guide rail, and a motor for driving the output shaft via a speed-reducing mechanism in the speed-reducing unit, the trolley having a collector unit for supplying power to and communicating control signals with the motor, guide rollers for laterally binding and positioning the upper rail portion and a lower rail portion of the guide rail, a wheel securing unit disposed between an annular concave portion defined in a boss of the drive wheel and the output shaft, the wheel securing unit including an outer ring, an inner ring having a wedge-shaped cross section to be engaged into the outer ring and a tightening member for securing the wheels to the output shaft by reducing an inner diameter of the inner ring and by enlarging an outer diameter of the outer ring, the trolley further having a clutch removably disposed between the output shaft of the speed-reducing unit and a final rotary member of the speed-reducing unit loosely mounted on the output shaft and an operational lever attached to the clutch for engaging and disengaging the same.

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Tatsuya Sakagami