262results about "Turntables/traversers" patented technology

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a switch for a powered pallet conveyor is provided. The switch comprising (a) a turntable and (b) rail portions which are arranged upon the turntable and define at least a first travel pathway and a second travel pathway, whereby the first travel pathway is defined by straight rail portions and a second travel pathway is defined by curved rail portions, so that the central line of the first travel pathway and the departure lines of the second travel pathway respectively pass through the fulcrum of the turntable.

A method and system of devices facilitate the uninterrupted transport of a payload of persons (110) or cargo along a multi-segmented guide cable (180), or zip line, suspended from a series of support structures (120). Transfer mechanisms (800, 810) allow the cable to loop to a starting location or to transport between discrete endpoints. A trolley (200) carrying the payload may be powered by gravity alone, or a motorized assist may allow the cable course to be traversed without regard to relative elevations of cable supports. Safety mechanisms (300) prevent the trolley from leaving the cable (180) unintentionally. The system enables one or more riders (110) to travel along the guide cable (180) at velocities desired for recreational purposes while assuming many body positions, such as prone, sitting or standing, to provide the sensation of flying like a bird.

A system and method for automated handling, transferring and storing conventional cargo storage containers on a cargo ship wherein the containers are stored in a multi-tier cell system and are manipulated by powered transfer units which are selectively moveable along an intersecting overhead track system such that containers may be simultaneously retrieved from, moved or placed within any of the cells of the ship. The transfer units are equipped both with hoists, which control spreader beams which are selectively secured to the cargo containers, and guide stabilizers, which prevent undesirable movement of the cargo containers when they are elevated above the cell structures such that the containers may be manipulated even during rough sea conditions such that the system is essentially continuously operable as a floating supply distribution system.

A non-powered, light rail unit train (referred to as Rail-Veyor by the inventor) combination for the transport of bulk materials consisting of a plurality of connected cars open at each end except for the first and last cars, which have end plates. The train forms a long open semi-circular trough and has a flexible flap attached near the front of each car, overlapping the gap between car in front to prevent spillage during operation while allowing articulated movement of the train during transport. The lead car has four flanged wheels and tapered side drive plates at the front of the car for smooth entry into the systems stationary drive stations. The cars that follow each have parallel drive plates on either side of the car that are outside the two flanged wheels that are approximately the same width as the flexible drive tire. Each car has a clevis type hitch at the front and rear with the front clevis hitch connecting to the rear clevis hitch of the car immediately forward. Forward motion is provided by a series of appropriately placed fixed drive stations consisting of drive motors, gear reducers and horizontal flexible drive tires located on either side of the track which can be adjusted to provide sufficient friction on the aforementioned drive plates to transform rotational tire motion to horizontal thrust of the entire train. The motors at each drive station are controlled by use of an A / C inverter and controller whereby said motors are synchronized and both the voltage and frequency can be modified as needed to provide and adjust system operating needs. The flanged wheels are symmetrical to the side drive plates allowing operation in an inverted position which, when four rails are used to encapsulate the wheel outside loop discharge of the bulk material is possible. By using elevated rails, the train can operate in the inverted position as easily as in the convention manner.

The Personal Mass Transit (PMT) system utilizes a removable vehicle conveyance apparatus and method for conveying transit vehicle car-pods and their contents from one transit station to another autonomously. Vehicle conveyance apparatus are stored off-line in storage silos and other areas awaiting on-demand transit system instruction to pickup vehicles at loading points and convey them to different stations as requested by occupants or pre-programmed instructions. The PMT system further utilizes a number of transmitter-receivers nodes and control computers to manage all aspects of operation of the transportation system. Any number of different types of PMT vehicles could ride the transit system when equipped with the correct coupling points and remain under the maximum combined curb weight of any particular area or type of transit track in order to be transported on the PMT system.

A crane trolley, especially a single-rail trolley with a short overall height, with a traveling mechanism frame (2) having a hoisting mechanism (1), which can travel by running wheels (3, 3a) on a rail, especially a lower flange (4a) of an essentially horizontal beam (4), wherein at least one running wheel (3a) can be driven, and a friction roller (10) interacting with the driven running wheel (3a) is arranged on the underside (4b) of the rail. In order to create a crane trolley that guarantees a reliable reduction in the slippage of the driven running wheel (3a) with a simple design, a pair of friction rollers (10) is provided, which may be positioned against the underside (4b) of the rail by adjusting the spacing from each other via a common pressing mechanism.

A path switching facility for crossed paths comprises: at least one article transport vehicle configured to travel along a first path and a second path that crosses the first path; a guide rail for guiding a guided roller of the article transport vehicle; a travel rail for guiding and supporting travel wheels of the article transport vehicle; a rotatable guide rail and a rotatable travel rail both located in a crossing area; a push operating portion provided to the article transport vehicle to push one of the rotatable guide rail and the rotatable travel rail; and, an operatively connecting device for coupling a rotation of the rotatable guide rail with a rotation of the rotatable travel rail.

A direction change device includes first and second transport passage 3, 4, in which one of the transport passages is disposed at the same vertical position as that of the first transport rail 16, the other is disposed below the one, a rotating unit 22 rotating the transport passages 3, 4 about their central points, a lift unit 23 lifting the transport passages 3, 4 in a vertical direction and a control unit 21. The control unit 21 controls such that when the FOUP 5 is carried out from the transport rail 16 to the transport passage disposed at the same vertical position as that of the transport rail 16, rotating the transport passages 3, 4 by about 90°, carrying out the FOUP 5 from one of the transport passages, and exchanging the respective vertical positions of the first and second transport passages 3, 4.

A circuit board is enclosed in a housing containing rows of metal oxide varistors. Multiple surge ferrule type fuses are soldered directly to circuit board holes between the rows of metal oxide varistors. A ring connector electrically connects pairs of fuses and an electrical conductor connects the ring connector to an electrical circuit to be protected.

It is the pallet conveying mechanism to move a pallet P arrived at an end point 17b of a friction conveyer FC2 to a starting point 7a of a friction conveyer FC1 in just as it is the direction without turning. The pallet conveying mechanism is comprised of rollers 34 having a flange portion 34a to contact with the pallet P by arranging along a main frame 31 provided so as to connect the friction conveyer FC 1 and FC 2 with each other and a drive mechanism 35 for driving rollers 34.

A rail guide having first and second guiding rails disposed in a mirror-inverted relationship with regard to one another. At least one pair of spaced leading and following carriages are displaceably mounted to the guiding rails so as to engage and transport a sliding component along a transport path towards a stacking area. While the leading and following carriages are slidably supported by both guiding rails along the main track of the transport path, the leading carnage slides along the first rail, and the trailing carriage slides along the second rail along the transport path downstream from the main track in the stacking area.

A platform including a rotatable turntable apparatus for attachment to a boat deck, or the cargo space of a pick-up truck or the cargo space of an all terrain vehicle, or other area where a person with impaired mobility needs to experience greater mobility to engage in fishing, boating, wild game hunting or activities that they would otherwise be unable to enjoy. The platform can be used for securely mounting a wheelchair or a fishing type chair to provide a rotational means for persons with impaired mobility. The turntable is reversibly rotated by an electric motor a full 360 degrees. The motor can be independently actuated by a switch located on the turntable within easy reach of the chair occupant or by a switch at another convenient location.

Guide tracks 56, 56 projecting in a vertical direction are provided in a right and left of a running track 50 and left and right guide rollers 20, 21 are provided on a track guided vehicle and guided using inner surfaces of the left and right guide tracks. Branching rollers 22, 23 each comprising elevating and lowering means are provided in the right and left of the track guided vehicle and outside the right and left guide tracks. Thus, branching and rectilinear progression of the track guided vehicle is controlled by switching between a state where the branching rollers 22, 23 are elevated or lowered to guide the track guided vehicle using outer surfaces of the guide tracks 56, 56 and a state where the branching rollers 22, 23 do not contact with the outer surfaces. Whether the track guided vehicle runs straight or shifts to a branch line can be controlled by contacting one of the branching rollers 22, 23 with the outer surface of the corresponding guide tracks 56, 56, which guide the guide rollers 20, 21 in the section (rectilinear progression section 52) different from the branching portion 51.

A rail system for a powered pallet conveyor, which comprises alternative pathways having an electric cable provided on at least one of n parallel rails defining a travel pathway, wherein n≧2, whereby the rail system includes a switch for switching between m alternative travel pathways, wherein m≧2, and allowing the vehicle to continuously move across the switch after switching, said switch comprising a first actuator for selectively positioning (m*n) rigid rail portions bridging the distance between rail ends at (i) n joining points where the n parallel rails of each of the m alternative travel pathways subject to switching converge, and (ii) (m*n) continuation points where each alternative pathway subject to switching diverges downstream from the joining points. A second actuator selectively positions [m(n−1)] rigid rail portions bridging the distance between rail ends, where each alternative pathway is discontinued downstream from the corresponding continuation points.

The article transport facility includes a plurality of article transport vehicles which can travel on a travel path defined by rails installed in the ceiling. The travel path includes a loop-shaped primary path, and secondary paths each arranged to extend along and by at least one article transport location, a first connecting path that connects the primary path and the secondary path, and a second connecting path, provided independently from the first connecting path, with one end portion connected to the secondary path located on one side of the primary path, and the other end portion connected to the secondary path located on the other side of the primary path.

A circuit board is enclosed in a housing containing rows of metal oxide varistors. Multiple surge ferrule type fuses are soldered directly to circuit board holes between the rows of metal oxide varistors. A ring connector electrically connects pairs of fuses and an electrical conductor connects the ring connector to an electrical circuit to be protected.

A non-contact electric power supply system for a rail-guided vehicle includes a main line having fixed rails for guiding the vehicle. A movable rail body is provided for changing the course of the vehicle moving along the main line. A first high frequency power supply apparatus supplies electric power to the main line along an electric feed line. A second high frequency power supply apparatus supplies electric power to the movable rail body along an electric feed line. Portions of the electric feed line on the movable rail body may be fixed in place.

A ground handling system for an airship which comprises a first track system to allow a plurality of docking carts to move from a hangar to a weathervane / launching / landing ring R. The docking carts are configured to complete a second track system. Carried by each of the docking carts is a mooring cart that carries a mooring structure. Upon the completion of the second track system by each of the docking carts, the mooring carts are able to move about the second track system. Thereby allowing the airship to be oriented in a desired manner to facilitate its launch or landing.