Conveying system

Claim 2

A conveying system comprising a track network including a plurality of track sections, branching junctions connecting at least one track section with at least one other track section and a plurality of small-sized light vehicles adapted to run over a succession of track sections along a predetermined path, a lefthand and a right-hand guiding rail extending along each track section, two guiding parts carried by each vehicle, a mechanism on each vehicle adapted to engage fully and selectively one of the guiding parts of the vehicle in the guiding rail accompanying one side of the track on which the vehicle is running, a feeler carried longitudinally by each lateral surface of each vehicle and adapted, upon engagement with a feeler carried by another vehicle entering a junction simultaneously with the vehicle carrying the feeler considered, to actuate said mechanism and ensure engagement of one guiding part of the vehicle with the cooperating rail lying on the off side with reference to said other vehicle.

Claim 3

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicles include buffers operating over a long stroke and adapted to impinge against any other vehicle following the same path to damp any shock between said vehicles.

Claim 4

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each vehicle includes a controlling part, the system including furthermore stationary controlling parts distributed at predetermined points of different fractions of the network, an electric circuit feeding energy to the vehicles on each fraction and adapted to be deenergized by the cooperation between any vehicle controlling part and stationary controlling part to thereby brake and stop the vehicles on said network fraction.

Claim 5

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each vehicle, driven by an asynchronous motor, includes a controlling part, the system including furthermore stationary controlling parts distributed at predetermined points of different fractions of the network, a three-phase circuit feeding the motors on the vehicles running over the network and adapted upon cooperation between the controlling part on any vehicle and a stationary controlling part to feed a single-phase current into the motors to brake them and stop all the vehicles on the network fraction considered.

Claim 6

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of a number of branching junctions connects two inlet track sections, the ends of which leading to the junction are near each other, with two outlet track sections, the ends of which adjacent the junction are near each other, each inlet section being substantially aligned with the corresponding outlet section, at least one auxiliary track connecting one inlet section with the outlet section other than that aligned with said inlet section, the engagement between the cooperating feelers on the vehicles running simultaneously on the two inlet sections acting on the vehicle mechanisms to constrain the guiding parts on both vehicles to engage the off side guiding rails thereby to lead the vehicles each over aligned inlet and outlet track sections.

Claim 7

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of a number of branching junctions connects two inlet track sections, the ends of which leading to the junction are near each other, with the outlet track sections, the ends of which adjacent the junction are near each other, each inlet section being substantially aligned with the corresponding outlet section, at least one auxiliary track connecting one inlet section with the outlet section other than that aligned with said inlet section, engagement between the cooperating feelers on the vehicles running simultaneously on the two inlet sections acting on the vehicle mechanisms to constrain the guiding parts on both vehicles to engage the off side guiding rails thereby to lead the vehicles each over aligned inlet and outlet track sections, a counter system carried by each vehicle, means controlled by the latter and controlling the vehicle mechanism to constrain the vehicle to follow stepwise a prescribed path along the track sections of the network in accordance with a predetermined program, stationary means distributed throughout the network and controlling the counter systems of the vehicles passing in registry with them to count down said counter systems until the latter become operativE in conformity with said predetermined program, the feelers on the vehicles cutting out the operative means connecting the counter systems and the vehicle mechanism upon simultaneous engagement of two vehicles at the inlet of a junction.

Claim 8

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of a number of branching junctions connects two inlet track sections, the ends of which leading to the junction are near each other, with the outlet track sections, the ends of which adjacent the junction are near each other, each inlet section being substantially aligned with the corresponding outlet section, at least one auxiliary track connecting one inlet section with the outlet section other than that aligned with said inlet section, the engagement between the cooperating feelers on the vehicles running simultaneously on the two inlet sections acting on the vehicle mechanism to constrain the guiding parts on both vehicles to engage the off side guiding rails thereby to lead the vehicles each over aligned inlet and outlet track sections, an auxiliary track circuit connecting beyond each of a number of junctions the two outlet sections of said junction, auxiliary junctions between the outlet sections of each of said junctions and the corresponding auxiliary track circuit, stationary control stations distributed along the track sections of the network and means whereby each stationary control station is adapted to control the mechanisms of the vehicles passing in registry with said station to make said vehicle move over the different junctions, auxiliary tracks and when required track circuits to return the vehicle onto the outlet section other than that aligned with the inlet section over which it has reached the junction including said inlet section and from which it has been led by engagement of its feeler with the feeler of another vehicle onto said aligned outlet section.

Claim 9

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 comprising furthermore electric motors driving the vehicles and means distributed along the track sections and adapted to control selectively on the vehicles passing in front of them the operation of the motors and mechanisms thereof to make the vehicles move along a prescribed path and stop at predetermined points.

Claim 10

A conveying system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of a number of branching junctions connects two inlet track sections, the ends of which leading to the junction are near each other, with two outlet track sections, the ends of which adjacent the junction are near each other, each inlet section being substantially aligned with the corresponding outlet section, at least one auxiliary track connecting one inlet section with the outlet section other than that aligned with said inlet section, the engagement between the cooperating feelers on the vehicles running simultaneously on the two inlet sections acting on the vehicle mechanism to constrain the guiding parts on both vehicles to engage the off side guiding rails thereby to lead the vehicles each over aligned inlet and outlet track sections, stationary control stations distributed along the track sections of the network and means whereby each stationary control station is adapted to control the mechanisms of the vehicles passing in registry with said station to make said vehicle move over the different junctions, and auxiliary tracks according to a predetermined program.

Claim 11

A conveying system as claimed in claim 5, said feelers engaging also with other portions of vehicles other than the vehicles by which said feelers are carried.