Material handling apparatus

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL DRIVERLESS MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM COMPRISING A REFERENCE SURFACE HAVING A GUIDE SLOT, A PAIR OF SPACED ELECTRICAL RAILS ADJACENT TO AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID SLOT, DRIVERLESS VEHICLE HAVING A GUIDE MEMBER CENTRALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID VEHICLE, SAID GUIDE MEMBER HAVING A LOWER END PORTION PARTIALLY EXTENDING INTO SAID SLOT, SAID MEMBER HAVING AT ONE END A PAIR OF ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED CONTACT STRUCTURES EACH ADAPTED TO BE ELECTRICALLY COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID RAILS, SAID MEMBERR COOPERATING WITH SAID SLOT TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE SLOT, ONE OF SAID CONTACT STRUCTURES BEING BELOW AND PROJECTING TO ONE SIDE OF THE SLOT, SAID ONE CONTACT STRUCTURE BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TO A POSITION SO THAT IT IS MOVABLE VERTICALLY THROUGH THE SLOT WHILE SUPPORTED BY SAID MEMBER, SAID VEHICLE HAVING WHEELS, A MOTOR ON SAID VEHICLE, SAID MOTOR BEING COUPLED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WHEELS FOR DRIVING THE SAME TO PROPEL THE VEHICLE ALONG THE SLOT, AND CONDUCTORS ON SAID VEHICLE COUPLING SAID MOTOR IN SERIES WITH SAID CONTACT STRUCTURES.