Linear motor assembly for driving a vehicle of a conveying system

Claim 1

In a conveying system having a vehicle with a chassis propelled by a linear motor assembly along a guide structure defining a travEl axis, the linear motor assembly comprising a motor truck, a winding carrier mounted on said motor truck, a rail-like return member arranged on the guide structure in operative proximity to said winding carrier, and a guidance arrangement for connecting said motor truck to the vehicle chassis, said guidance arrangement including: force transition means comprising a fork connected to said motor truck for holding the same so as to be disposed in a direction corresponding to the travel axis, for transmitting pulling and pushing forces from said motor truck to the vehicle, a plurality of movable joints for connecting said force transmission means between said motor truck and the vehicle so as to cause said motor truck to be movable in elevation independent of the vehicle, and articulated joint means comprising a rotatable joint, one of said movable joints and said rotatable joint cojointly defining an articulated joint for connecting said fork to the chassis of the vehicle, and for causing said motor truck to be also movable about and transverse to the travel axis independent of the vehicle, and ancillary linkage means for connecting said motor truck to the chassis of the vehicle in the direction transverse to the travel axis.