Conveying device, conveying system, and conveying method

Abstract

This invention provides a transport device, transport system, and transport method for transporting rails on which a trolley can travel. [Solution] The transport device (10) is configured to transport a running rail (30) on which a trolley (20) runs between a running position and a retracted position, and includes a drive unit (40) that moves the trolley (20) on the running rail (30) and moves the running rail (30) between the running position and the retracted position, and stoppers (50A, 50B) that fix the running rail (30) at the running position and the retracted position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus, a conveying system, and a conveying method for conveying a rail on which a carriage can travel.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in a drawing path for drawing a cast iron pipe from a casting mold, an arm that receives and supports the cast pipe drawn horizontally from a casting carriage pivots in a horizontal plane around its base end portion. By pivoting, the arm can retreat to the side of the travel path of the casting carriage, and is configured not to interfere with the travel of the casting carriage.

[0003] It is well known that an object to be conveyed is conveyed by a carriage, not limited to cast iron pipes, and an aspect in which the carriage loaded with the object to be conveyed travels on a rail laid on the ground side (for example, a floor) is also known.

[0004] In addition to the case where the object to be conveyed is conveyed laterally along the rail, there is also a case where the object to be conveyed is conveyed in the vertical direction. For example, when conveying (lifting) in the zenith direction, an elevating device is used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In an aspect that requires vertical conveyance in addition to laterally conveying the object to be conveyed along the rail, the aforementioned elevating device must be disposed close to the rail, for example, it is necessary to arrange the elevating device below the rail.

[0007] However, if the lifting device is to be placed below the rails, it will be necessary to either miniaturize the lifting device so as not to interfere with the rails, or to perform the extensive work of temporarily removing the rails.

[0008] Therefore, one aspect of the present invention aims to realize a conveying device, conveying system, and conveying method for conveying rails on which a trolley can travel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, a transport device according to one aspect of the present invention transports a trolley between a running position, which is a position where the trolley is fixed for the trolley to run, and a retracted position, which is a position where the running rail is moved away from the running position so as not to interfere with the operation of other equipment, comprising: a drive unit that runs the trolley on the running rail and moves the running rail between the running position and the retracted position; and a stopper that fixes the running rail at the running position and the retracted position. It has.

[0010] According to the above configuration, a single drive unit can drive both the movement of the running rail and the movement of the trolley, and the position of the running rail can be easily switched by bringing the running rail into contact with a stopper. Specifically, by providing a stopper, a mechanism can be realized that automatically switches to trolley movement the moment the running rail is fixed by the stopper.

[0011] A transport device according to one aspect of the present invention may have a configuration in which a movable stopper is positioned between the traveling position and the retracted position and moves between a position for fixing the traveling rail and a position for releasing the fixing of the traveling rail.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the movable stopper makes it possible to move the trolley to a safe position on the running rail (for example, the end on the retraction side) before moving the running rail to the retraction position. This prevents the trolley from falling off the running rail.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the transport device may be configured such that the drive unit moves the travel rail by engaging a pinion, which is rotated by the driving force of the drive unit, with a rack provided on the travel rail.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the movement of the rails and the movement of the trolley can be switched by controlling the meshing of the pinion and the rack.

[0015] A transport device according to one aspect of the present invention may have a gear mechanism that switches between a state in which the driving force of the drive unit is transmitted as the running force of the trolley and a state in which the driving force of the drive unit is transmitted as the moving force of the running rail.

[0016] According to the above configuration, it is possible to switch between the movement of the rails and the movement of the trolley.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, a transport system according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, comprises a transport device having the above configuration, and a lifting device as other equipment for raising and lowering an object that is placed on the trolley and transported.

[0018] According to the above configuration, in the conveying device, the movement of the running rail and the movement of the trolley can be driven by a single drive unit, and the position of the running rail can be easily switched by bringing the running rail into contact with a stopper. Specifically, by providing a stopper, it is possible to provide a conveying system equipped with a conveying device that can realize a mechanism that automatically switches to trolley movement the moment the running rail is fixed by the stopper.

[0019] Furthermore, to solve the above problem, a conveying method according to one aspect of the present invention is a conveying method for conveying a travel rail on which a carriage travels, between a travel position which is a fixed position for causing the carriage to travel, and a retracted position to which the travel rail is retracted from the travel position so as not to interfere with the operation of other equipment, the conveying method comprising: a travel rail conveying step of conveying the travel rail between the travel position and the retracted position; a fixing step of temporarily fixing the travel rail by a stopper at the travel position or the retracted position; and a carriage traveling step of causing the carriage to travel on the travel rail when the travel rail conveyed by the travel rail conveying step is fixed by the fixing step.

[0020] According to the above configuration, by temporarily fixing the movement of the travel rail with the stopper, it is possible to realize a mechanism that automatically switches to the traveling of the carriage at the moment when the travel rail is fixed by the stopper. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a conveying apparatus, a conveying system, and a conveying method that convey a rail on which a carriage can travel. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a schematic plan view of a conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a partial perspective view of the conveying apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] It is a diagram for explaining the conveying process of the travel rail and the carriage by the conveying apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining the conveying process of the travel rail and the carriage by the conveying apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining a state in which a conveyed object is lifted and lowered by a lifting device in a conveying mechanism including the conveying apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the flow of a conveying method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] The following describes in detail one embodiment of the present invention. The transport device of this embodiment can be configured as part of a transport mechanism for transporting objects, and transports the objects by a trolley that travels on a running rail, and is a device that can move the position of the running rail itself.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the transport device 10 of this embodiment. Figure 1 shows the transport rails viewed from above, and as an example, the transport device 10 is shown viewed in the vertical direction. In the figure, the horizontal plane is defined as the XY plane formed by the X and Y axes, and the Z axis is set perpendicular to the XY plane, creating a three-dimensional coordinate system of XYZ. The negative direction of the Z axis is the vertical direction.

[0025] In Figure 1, diagrams of the two states are placed side by side, one above the other, for easier comparison. These diagrams are similar in all aspects except for the position of the running rail 30. The upper diagram in Figure 1 shows the running rail 30 in the running position, while the lower diagram shows the running rail 30 in the retracted position.

[0026] The transport device 10 moves (transports) the running rail 30 between the running position and the retracted position. The transport device 10 includes a trolley 20, a running rail 30 on which the trolley 20 can run, a drive unit 40, stoppers 50A and 50B, and a movable stopper 50M (Figure 3, etc.). Here, the running position is the position in which the trolley is fixed to run on the running rail. The retracted position is the position in which the running rail 30 is retracted from the running position so as not to interfere with the operation of other equipment.

[0027] Furthermore, Figure 1 shows, as an example, a lifting device 60 as another piece of equipment located below the running rail 30 in the running position (a position corresponding to the area further back in the drawing than the running rail 30). The lifting device 60 is a device for raising and lowering the object to be transported T (object) which is transported on the trolley 20 along the running rail 30. Note that the lifting device 60 is not a component of the transport device 10, but can be a component of the transport system 100 which is provided together with the transport device 10. The lifting device 60 will be described later.

[0028] The trolley 20 can travel along the running rail 30 in the direction of rail extension. The method of travel of the trolley 20 will be described later.

[0029] In this embodiment, the running rails 30 are paired and move as a single unit. The number of rails is not limited to this; there may be only one. Furthermore, there may be three or more rails as long as they move as a single unit. The longitudinal direction of the running rails 30 is defined as the X-axis.

[0030] The running rail 30 is movable forward and backward along its longitudinal direction, i.e., the X-axis. In other words, it is slidable in the direction along the X-axis. The running rail 30 has rollers 31 (Figure 3, etc.) for sliding movement, which are disposed at the bottom of the rail to enable sliding movement. The movement of the running rail 30 between the running position and the retracted position is performed by the drive unit 40.

[0031] Note that the roller 31 does not necessarily have to be installed on the rail, but may be installed on the surface over which the running rail 30 travels (hereinafter referred to as the sliding running surface R).

[0032] The drive unit 40 moves the trolley 20 on the running rail 30 and also moves the running rail between the running position and the retracted position. The drive unit 40 is mounted on the trolley 20. Details of the drive unit 40 will be described later.

[0033] The stoppers 50A and 50B are configured to fix the running rail 30 in the running position and the retracted position. Each of the stoppers 50A and 50B has a configuration to prevent the running rail 30 from traveling beyond the stopper installation point, and may be a structure such as a buffer stop (buffer stop) for a train running on rails.

[0034] As will be described in detail later, as shown in Figure 1, the transport device 10 can move the travel rail 30 from the travel position to the retracted position, and when the travel rail 30 is in the retracted position, the travel position can be left empty (the travel rail 30 is not in the travel position). Therefore, even if the lifting device 60 is positioned such that its lifting operation (lifting path) overlaps with the travel position, the travel rail 30 does not interfere with its lifting operation.

[0035] Here, the drive unit 40 will be explained using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a part of the conveying device 10. As shown in Figure 2, the drive unit 40 is mounted on a trolley. Note that while Figure 2 shows the device configuration in more detail than Figure 1, Figure 1 is merely an overview of the configuration shown in Figure 2 for the purpose of ease of understanding.

[0036] The drive unit 40 has a drive mechanism 41 and a gear mechanism 42. The gear mechanism 42 is connected to the drive mechanism 41, and the gear mechanism 42 can switch the driving force between being used as the driving force for moving the running rail 30 or as the driving force for moving the trolley 20. The driving force for moving the trolley 20 is transmitted to the wheels 21 of the trolley 20, causing the wheels 21 to rotate. On the other hand, the driving force for moving the running rail 30 is transmitted to the rail moving mechanism 43.

[0037] The rail moving mechanism 43 is a component of the drive unit 40. The rail moving mechanism 43 has a rack 33 provided on the running rail 30 and a pinion 34 that meshes with the rack 33, and the driving force for moving the running rail 30 rotates the pinion 34.

[0038] Thus, the drive unit 40 uses a gear mechanism 42 to switch between transmitting driving force to a first drive system that rotates the wheels 21 of the trolley 20, and a second drive system that rotates a pinion 34 that meshes with a rack 33 provided on the running rail 30. When the driving force of the drive unit 40 rotates the pinion 34, the running rail 30 moves. The gear mechanism 42 also switches between a state in which the driving force of the drive unit 40 is transmitted as the running force of the trolley 20, and a state in which the driving force of the drive unit 40 is transmitted as the moving force of the running rail 30.

[0039] The timing of the switch by the gear mechanism 42 is handled by the stoppers 50A, 50B and the movable stopper 50M. Specifically, the moment the running rail 30 is fixed to any of the stoppers 50A, 50B and the movable stopper 50M, the gear mechanism 42 switches, and the movement of the trolley 20 switches from the movement of the running rail 30.

[0040] The conveying method performed by the conveying device 10 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a schematic side view illustrating the process of moving the trolley 20 forward by the conveying device 10. Figure 3 is a view of the running rail 30 from the side in the horizontal direction. In contrast, Figure 4 is a schematic side view illustrating the process of moving the trolley 20 backward, and like Figure 3, it is a view of the running rail 30 in the horizontal direction.

[0041] State (i) shown in Figure 3 is the retracted position of the running rail 30. In state (i), the running rail 30 is fixed in the retracted position by the stopper 50A. Specifically, the stopper 50A is located further to the negative X-axis direction than the end of the running rail 30 on the negative X-axis side. The stopper 50A fixes the running rail 30 in the retracted position so that it does not move further to the negative X-axis direction.

[0042] From state (i), the gear mechanism 42 (Figure 2) drives the drive unit 40, transmitting the driving force of the drive unit 40 (driving force of the drive mechanism 41) as the moving force of the running rail 30. As a result, the driving force of the drive mechanism 41 is transmitted to the pinion 34 (Figure 2) as the moving force of the running rail 30 in the positive X-axis direction. The moving force transmitted to the pinion 34 moves the running rail 30 in the positive X-axis direction via the rack 33.

[0043] At this time, the trolley 20 moves relative to the running rail 30 which moves in the positive X-axis direction, and therefore remains almost in place. This is because the trolley 20 is heavy, while the running rail 30 can slide with a relatively small load due to the rollers 31 for sliding movement that are placed beneath the running rail 30. Therefore, although the trolley 20 is placed on the running rail 30, it does not move together with the running rail 30 which moves in the positive X-axis direction. In other words, on the running rail 30, the wheels 21 of the trolley 20 (Figure 2) rotate in a way that causes the trolley 20 to move in the negative X-axis direction.

[0044] In this way, the running rail 30, having moved in the positive X-axis direction from state (i), reaches the position shown in state (ii). In state (ii), the running rail 30 is in the running position.

[0045] In state (ii), the running rail 30 is fixed in position by a stopper 50B that fixes the running rail 30 in the running position. Specifically, the stopper 50B is located further to the positive X-axis side than the end of the running rail 30 on the positive X-axis side. The stopper 50B fixes the running rail 30 in the running position so that it does not move further to the positive X-axis side.

[0046] Furthermore, in state (ii), a movable stopper 50M appears at a position adjacent to the end of the running rail 30 on the negative X-axis side, on the negative X-axis side. The movable stopper 50M fixes the position of the running rail 30 so that the running rail 30, which is in the running position, does not move toward the negative X-axis side.

[0047] Here, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the movable stopper 50M is positioned between the running position and the retracted position, and moves between a position that fixes the running rail 30 and a position that releases the fixing of the running rail 30. In this embodiment, the movable stopper 50M moves between a state in which it is within the path of the sliding movement of the running rail 30 and is below the sliding running surface R of the running rail 30, and a state in which it moves in the positive Z-axis direction from that position to come above the sliding running surface R. As a result, when it comes above the sliding running surface R, it comes into contact with the running rail 30 and interferes with its sliding movement, thereby fixing the position of the running rail 30.

[0048] In state (ii), on the running rail 30 which is fixed in the running position by the stopper 50B and the movable stopper 50M, the gear mechanism 42 switches to a state in which the driving force of the drive unit 40 (drive mechanism 41) is transmitted as the running force of the trolley 20. When the drive unit 40 is driven in the switched state, the trolley 20 on the running rail 30 moves (moves forward) along the running rail 30 in the positive X-axis direction by the driving force of the drive mechanism 41. Here, the stopper 50B may be equipped with a contact sensor, and when the sensor detects that the running rail 30 has made contact, the gear mechanism 42 may be switched.

[0049] In state (ii), when the trolley 20 moves along the running rail 30 in the positive X-axis direction, the running rail 30 is about to be pushed out in the negative X-axis direction due to the rotation of the wheels 21 of the trolley 20, but this movement is restricted because it is fixed by the movable stopper 50M.

[0050] The trolley 20, having moved in the positive X-axis direction from state (ii), reaches the position shown in state (iii). In state (ii), the trolley 20 is at the end on the negative X-axis side of the running rail 30, and in state (iii), it is at the end on the positive X-axis side of the running rail 30.

[0051] In state (iii), the drive unit 40 stops, and the trolley 20 stops. The forward movement process is up to state (iii). In state (iii), for example, the process of unloading the object to be transported T (Figure 1) placed on the trolley 20 is performed. The unloaded object to be transported is supported by support means not shown. The object to be transported T may be a pipe as described above, but it may also be other products, boxes, or other objects.

[0052] Figure 4 shows the process of moving the trolley 20 backward. Following the process shown in Figure 4, state (iv) is the same as state (iii) in Figure 3, with the movable stopper 50M fixed to the running rail 30. Then, in state (iv), the driving force of the drive unit 40 is transmitted as the running force of the trolley 20 (the gear mechanism 42 is in the same state as in states (ii) and (iii)), and the drive unit 40 is driven. As a result, the trolley 20 moves in the negative X-axis direction on the running rail 30 (backs up).

[0053] In state (iv), when the trolley 20 moves along the running rail 30 in the negative X-axis direction, the running rail 30 is about to be pushed out in the positive X-axis direction due to the rotation of the wheels 21 of the trolley 20, but this movement is restricted because it is fixed by the stopper 50B.

[0054] In this way, the trolley 20, having moved in the negative X-axis direction from state (iv), reaches the position shown in state (v). In state (v), the position of the trolley 20 is at the end of the running rail 30 on the negative X-axis side, which is in the running position.

[0055] When the trolley 20 reaches the position shown in state (v), the movable stopper 50M releases the fixing of the running rail 30, as shown in state (v). The mechanism for releasing the fixing is as described above, and the movable stopper 50M moves in the negative Z-axis direction. As a result, as shown in state (v), the movable stopper 50M is lower than the sliding running surface R of the running rail 30, and the restriction on the movement of the running rail 30 in the negative X-axis direction is released.

[0056] As shown in state (v), when the movable stopper 50M releases the fixing of the running rail 30, the gear mechanism 42 switches from a state in which the driving force of the drive unit 40 is transmitted as the running force of the trolley 20 to a state in which the driving force of the drive unit 40 is transmitted as the moving force of the running rail 30. In this state, by driving the drive unit 40, the driving force of the drive unit 40 is transmitted to the pinion 34 (Figure 2) as a moving force of the running rail 30 in the negative X-axis direction. The moving force transmitted to the pinion 34 moves the running rail 30 in the negative X-axis direction via the rack 33 (Figure 2).

[0057] At this time, the trolley 20 remains almost in place because it moves relative to the running rail 30 which moves in the negative X-axis direction. The reason for this is as explained earlier. The trolley 20 is placed on the running rail 30, but it does not move with the running rail 30 which moves in the negative X-axis direction. In other words, on the running rail 30, the wheels 21 of the trolley 20 appear to rotate in a way that moves the trolley 20 in the positive X-axis direction.

[0058] In this way, the running rail 30, having moved in the negative X-axis direction from state (v), reaches the position shown in state (vi), where the running rail 30 is fixed in the retracted position by the stopper 50A. The running rail 30, fixed by the stopper 50A, will not move any further in the negative X-axis direction.

[0059] In state (vi), the running rail 30 is not in the running position. Therefore, as mentioned above, even if the lifting operation (lifting path) of the lifting device 60 overlaps with the running position, in state (vi), the running rail 30 does not interfere with the lifting operation of the lifting device 60. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the lifting device 60 is located below the sliding running surface R of the running rail 30. Now, the lifting device will be explained using Figure 5.

[0060] Figure 5 shows the running rails 30 and the like in the arrangement shown in state (vi) of Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5, the lifting device 60 can further lift the object to be transported T located above. For example, as described in state (iii), the object to be transported T, which has been lowered from the trolley 20 and supported by a support means (not shown), can be placed on, for example, a lift 61 and further lifted in the positive Z-axis direction by the lifting device 60.

[0061] As shown in Figure 5, the lifting device 60 can, for example, be installed in a recess Rb having an opening Ra at its upper end, which is provided in the sliding road surface R. The opening Ra is configured such that a portion of it is obscured by the running rail 30 when the running rail 30 is in the running position.

[0062] The transport path for the transported object T described in this embodiment is merely an example, and other examples are possible. In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the transported object is transported by the trolley 20 from the negative X-axis direction to the positive X-axis direction, then lowered from the trolley 20 at a support means (not shown) located on the positive X-axis side, and subsequently transported further in the positive Z-axis direction by the lifting device 60. However, the transported object may be transported in the reverse direction of this path.

[0063] Reverse transport, for example, as shown in Figure 5, assumes that the object to be transported T, located above, is supported at that position by some configuration. Transport begins from this configuration, and the object to be transported is lowered in the negative Z-axis direction by the lifting device 60 until it is supported by the support means. At this point, the operation of the lifting device 60 is complete. In this state, the running rail 30, which was previously in the retracted position, moves from position (i) to position (ii) shown in Figure 3, and the object to be transported T is placed on the trolley 20 at position (iii) shown in Figure 3. From there, the system transitions from state (iv) to state (vi) in Figure 4. Then, the object to be transported T is lowered from the trolley 20 at position (iv). A transport device may be arranged along such a transport path.

[0064] Note that state (vi) in Figure 4 is the same as state (i) in Figure 3, and the transport of the transported object can be repeated by repeating the process described in Figures 3 and 4.

[0065] As described above, the transport device 10 of this embodiment allows the travel rail 30 to be moved from the travel position to the retracted position, and when the travel rail 30 is in the retracted position, the travel position can be left empty (the travel rail 30 is not in the travel position). Therefore, even if the lifting device 60 is positioned such that its lifting operation (lifting path) overlaps with the travel position, the travel rail 30 does not interfere with its lifting operation. Thus, the lifting device 60 can perform a predetermined operation (lifting operation).

[0066] Furthermore, since it is possible to achieve a state where the running rail 30 is not in the running position, there are no constraints on the installation size of the lifting device 60. This makes it possible to install large lifting devices, which would have been difficult to install in conventional configurations where the running rail is always positioned above the lifting device. This contributes to increasing the degree of freedom in the types of objects that can be handled as transported objects.

[0067] Furthermore, since it is possible to achieve a state where the running rail 30 is not in the running position, maintenance work on the lifting device 60 is also easier.

[0068] Furthermore, the flow of the transport method performed using the transport device 10 of this embodiment will be explained again with reference to Figure 6. The transport method M1 is a transport method that transports a running rail on which a trolley runs between a running position, which is a position where the trolley is fixed for the trolley to run, and a retracted position, which is a position where the running rail is moved away from the running position so as not to interfere with the operation of other equipment. The transport method M1 includes a running rail transport step S1 in which the running rail 30 is transported between the running position and the retracted position, and a fixing step S2 in which the running rail 30 is temporarily fixed by stoppers 50A and 50B at the running position or the retracted position. Furthermore, once the running rail 30 transported by the running rail transport step S1 is fixed by the fixing step S2, the transport method M1 includes a trolley running step S3 in which the trolley 20 runs on the running rail 30.

[0069] As soon as the running rail 30 is fixed to the stopper 50A or stopper 50B in the fixing process S2, the trolley running process S3 begins. In other words, a mechanism is realized that automatically switches to trolley running the moment the running rail is fixed by the stopper.

[0070] The fixing process S2 includes fixing the running rail 30 with the movable stopper 50M described above. The fixing process S2, including the fixing of the running rail 30 with the movable stopper 50M, corresponds to state (ii) shown in Figure 3.

[0071] The trolley travel process S3 only needs to include the step in which the trolley 20 travels in the positive X-axis direction as shown in Figure 3 (state (iii) shown in Figure 3). However, it is not limited to this; the step in which the trolley 20 travels in the negative X-axis direction as shown in Figure 4 (state (iv) shown in Figure 4) after the step in which it travels in the positive X-axis direction may also be included in the trolley travel process S3.

[0072] If the trolley travel process S3 includes only the step of the trolley 20 traveling in the positive X-axis direction as shown in Figure 3 (state (iii) shown in Figure 3), then the following steps may be included following the trolley travel process S3. Specifically, the steps of the trolley 20 stopping, the step of unloading the object to be transported T from the trolley 20, the step of the trolley 20 traveling in the negative X-axis direction as shown in Figure 4 (state (iv) shown in Figure 4), the step of the trolley 20 stopping, the step of the movable stopper 50M releasing the fixing of the running rail 30 (state (v) shown in Figure 4), the step of the running rail 30 traveling (reverse), and the step of the running rail 30 being fixed to the stopper 50A in the retracted position (state (vi) shown in Figure 4) may be included in this order.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 10 Conveying device 20 carts 21 wheels 30 Running Rails 31 Laura 33 racks 34 pinion 40 Drive unit 41 Drive mechanism 42 Gear mechanism 43 Rail moving mechanism 50A, 50B Stopper 50M Movable Stopper 60 Lifting device 61 Lifts 100 Conveyor Systems R sliding road surface Ra opening Rb indentation M1 Conveying Method S1 Rail transport process S2 Fixed process S3 Trolley running process

Claims

1. A transport device that transports a trolley between a running position, which is a position where the trolley is fixed for the trolley to run, and a retracted position, which is a position where the running rail is moved away from the running position so as not to interfere with the operation of other equipment, A drive unit that moves the trolley on the running rail and moves the running rail between the running position and the retracted position, A stopper for fixing the running rail in the aforementioned running position and the aforementioned retracted position, Having, Conveying device.

2. It has a movable stopper positioned between the aforementioned running position and the aforementioned retracted position, which moves between a position for fixing the running rail and a position for releasing the fixing of the running rail. The conveying device according to claim 1.

3. The drive unit moves the running rail by engaging a pinion, which rotates due to the driving force of the drive unit, with a rack provided on the running rail. The conveying device according to claim 1.

4. The gear mechanism has a state in which the driving force of the drive unit is transmitted as the running force of the trolley, and a state in which the driving force of the drive unit is transmitted as the moving force of the running rail. The conveying device according to claim 1.

5. A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A lifting device, which is another piece of equipment for raising and lowering an object that is placed on the trolley and transported, Having, Conveyor system.

6. A transport method for transporting a trolley between a running position, which is a position where the trolley is fixed for the trolley to run, and a retracted position, which is a position where the running rail is moved away from the running position so as not to interfere with the operation of other equipment, A rail transport process for transporting the rail between the running position and the retracted position, A fixing step of temporarily fixing the running rail with a stopper at the running position or the retracted position, Once the rails transported by the rail transport process are fixed in the fixing process, the trolley travels on the rails in a trolley travel process, including, Method of transport.

Images