Transport system for moving loads on an underlying surface

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) for moving loads on an underlying surface, comprising: at least one rail travel path; and at least one transport vehicle (50) which runs on wheels (12, 12A) on the rail travel path, characterised in that: the rail travel path comprises a single rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514) for receiving the load of the transport vehicle (50); the transport vehicle (50) comprises at least one front wheel (12) and at least one rear wheel (12A) which each rest on the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514) one behind the other in the travel direction by means of a running surface (14) having a concave cross-section; and the transport vehicle (50) further comprises support rollers (52A, 52B) which are arranged on both sides of the front and rear wheels (12, 12A) and run on the underlying surface on both sides of the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514).

Description

[0001] Transport system for moving loads on a surface

[0002] The invention relates to a transport system for moving loads on a surface, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] Transport systems of this type are used in industry for the precise movement of large machines or machine parts, such as cranes, rotary printing press drums, and the like, and especially for transporting large and heavy assembly parts from one production station to the next. For example, in automotive manufacturing, so-called push-skid systems are used, which are platforms that run on such rail systems. Another example is the nacelles of wind turbines, which weigh several tons but can be moved relatively easily with the help of such assembly platforms.

[0004] Such transport systems are known, for example, from DE 43 18 383 CI and EP 2 890 625 B2. They each comprise rails held in support profiles embedded in a substrate such as a hall floor. Typically, the rails of a track are laid in pairs, allowing a transport vehicle, such as an assembly platform of the type mentioned above, to run on the rails with its wheels on either side of the vehicle. The wheel treads are essentially adapted to the corresponding load-bearing surfaces on the free upper surfaces of the rails. One problem arises in accommodating changes in the direction of travel of the transport vehicle. If the track is laid in a curve, slippage occurs between the wheel and the rail on the inside and outside of the curve, as the rolling paths of the inner and outer wheels are of different lengths. This results in undesirable wear.At the same time, controlling the speed of the transport vehicle by controlling the angular velocity of the wheel is made more difficult, since it is not defined how much slip there is on the inner and outer rails of the curve.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a transport system of the type described above in such a way that it enables the transport vehicle to drive around curves without excessive wear due to slippage between wheel and rail, and that reliable speed control is possible by means of the angular velocity of the wheel.

[0006] This problem is solved according to the invention by a transport system with the features of claim 1.

[0007] In the transport system according to the invention, the rail track comprises a solitary rail for supporting the load of the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle comprises at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel, each of which rests one behind the other on the rail with a tread having a concave cross-section in the direction of travel. The transport vehicle further comprises support rollers arranged on both sides of the front and rear wheels, which run on the ground on both sides of the rail.

[0008] The load of the transport vehicle (i.e., both its own weight and the weight of the transported cargo) is thus transferred to the rail via the front and rear wheels, while the side support rollers are not designed to bear the load. Instead, the load is borne almost exclusively by the wheels running on the rail, which are designed to be correspondingly robust. Loads borne by the support rollers are negligible. The support rollers can therefore be less robust than the wheels running on the rail, as they only serve to stabilize the transport vehicle laterally and prevent it from tipping over. They can roll directly on the flat hall floor to the left and right of the rail without themselves running precisely on tracks.For this purpose, the running surfaces can have a flat or slightly convex cross-section, while the front and rear wheels have a concave cross-section for load bearing and guidance on the rail.

[0009] In a curve of the track, slippage can only occur on the inside and outside of the single rail between the wheels running on it. This slippage is significantly less than on a curved section of a track with paired rails, since the difference in radii between the inner and outer rails of the pair is much greater there. Slippage between the inner and outer support rollers and the floor is practically negligible, as the rollers can slide across the floor if necessary. The friction that occurs in this way is irrelevant to the operation of the transport system.

[0010] The running surfaces of the support rollers can be provided with low-friction running surfaces to further reduce friction, which promotes sliding across the hall floor in the event of slippage, while precise guidance of the front and rear wheels on the rail is essential for the operation and control of the transport system.

[0011] Preferably, the front and rear wheels are positioned centrally between the support rollers on the transport vehicle when viewed in the direction of travel. This ensures that the load transfer from the transport vehicle to the rail occurs directly under, or at least very close to, the load's center of gravity.

[0012] Preferably, the transport vehicle comprises at least two groups of front and rear wheels arranged one behind the other on the rail, each group comprising at least one wheel. The load of the transport vehicle can thus be distributed across the groups of wheels arranged one behind the other.

[0013] Preferably, each of the groups is mounted in a wheel bearing cassette that is rotatably attached to the transport vehicle about an axis perpendicular to the rail. In this case, the wheel bearing cassettes can rotate independently of each other.

[0014] Preferably, the transport system according to the invention comprises a rail system comprising at least a first rail track with a solitary first rail, at least a second rail track with a solitary second rail and a rotary unit at an intersection point of the first and second rails, from which the second rail extends in a different direction than the first rail, which rotary unit is configured to rotate a wheel bearing cassette mounted on the rotary unit about its axis of rotation and to align it from an extension direction of the first rail to the extension direction of the second rail.

[0015] This rotating unit enables a track change between the first and second rails. When a transport vehicle traveling on the first rail, with a wheel bearing cassette leading in the direction of travel, reaches the rotating unit, the transport vehicle stops, and the rotating unit can rotate until it has aligned the wheel bearing cassette with the second rail. As the transport vehicle continues its movement, the already rotated, leading wheel bearing cassette leaves the rotating unit and moves onto the second rail, while a following wheel bearing cassette approaches the rotating unit on the first rail. The rotating unit returns to its original position, in which it is aligned with the first rail, and the following wheel bearing cassette can enter the rotating unit. The alignment process described above is then repeated.The trailing wheel bearing cassette is rotated together with the rotating unit and aligned with the second rail. Then the leading and trailing wheel bearing cassettes have the same alignment along the direction of travel of the second rail, and the transport vehicle can continue its journey on the second rail.

[0016] During the above-described process of successive alignment of the leading and trailing wheel bearing cassettes, the travel speed of the wheel bearing cassettes can be controlled depending on the rotation angle of the entire transport vehicle.

[0017] The first and second rails can have different orientations relative to each other. The track paths of the first and / or second rails do not necessarily have to end or begin at a rotating unit; rather, the first rail can continue beyond the rotating unit in the same direction, and the second rail can branch off from the first rail at the rotating unit at any angle.According to a further embodiment of the invention, the transport system according to the invention comprises a rail system comprising at least a first rail track with a solitary first rail, at least a second rail track with a solitary second rail and a rotary unit at an intersection point of the first and second rails, from which the second rail extends in a different direction than the first rail, which rotary unit is configured to rotate the entire transport vehicle about a common axis of rotation in a state in which it is supported at least with its wheel bearing cassettes on the rotary unit and to align its wheel bearing cassettes from an extension direction of the first rail to the extension direction of the second rail.

[0018] In this embodiment of the invention, the individual wheel bearing cassettes are not rotated with respect to the transport vehicle, but the entire transport vehicle travels on the rotating unit, which is constructed in the manner of a turntable and can include a rail section that can be aligned with the extension direction of the first rail so that it connects to it, can be traveled on by the transport vehicle and connects to the second rail in a rotated position so that the entire transport vehicle can leave the turntable in the direction of the second rail.

[0019] Preferably, the solitary rail of the track or rail sections in a curve of the track comprises a curved section that is arc-shaped around a circle's center point M. The wheel rests on this curved section at an inner contact point Pi and an outer contact point PA. While the inner contact point Pi is spaced from the circle's center point M by a curve radius n and from the wheel's axis of rotation D by a rolling radius Ri, the outer contact point PA is spaced from the circle's center point M by a curve radius r greater than n and from the wheel's axis of rotation D by a rolling radius RA greater than Ri.

[0020] The following relationships therefore apply: r A > r t and

[0021] R AThe rolling radii RA and Ri are therefore different on the inner and outer surfaces of the curve, unlike the prior art mentioned earlier, where both wheel and rail have a symmetrical cross-section and consequently the rolling radii are the same on the outside and inside of the rail. Due to the different rolling radii RA and Ri, the slippage occurring between the rail and wheel can be reduced, at least to a significant extent.

[0022] The term "contact points" refers here and throughout the application to the cross-section of the rail and wheel. If there is no contact outside these contact points Pi and PA, slippage can be completely avoided due to the aforementioned relationship between the curve radii and the rolling radii.

[0023] Preferably, the following relationship exists between the curve radius n and the rolling radius Ri of the inner contact point Pi and the curve radius r and the rolling radius RA of the outer contact point PA:

[0024] Preferably, the respective wheel rests exclusively on the rail at the inner and outer contact points Pi and PA.

[0025] Preferably, the running surface of the respective wheel is mirror-symmetrical with respect to a median plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation D. In this case, a relationship between the inner and outer curve radii and the inner and outer rolling radii of the wheel can be established by an asymmetrical cross-section of the rail on the inner and outer surfaces of the curve. With a concave shape of the wheel's running surface, the outer contact point PA can then be positioned lower and at a greater distance from the wheel's plane of symmetry than the inner contact point Pi, which is correspondingly higher and closer to the plane of symmetry.

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1A is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the transport system for loads according to the invention, comprising a top view of a rail track;

[0027] Figs. IB and IC are enlarged schematic cross-sections through various rail sections and a wheel of a transport vehicle;

[0028] Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of a rail and a transport vehicle in different positions along the rail;

[0029] Figs. 3A to 3E are schematic representations of a further embodiment of the transport system according to the invention, comprising a rail system with a first rail track, a second rail track and a rotary unit for changing track between the rails of these rail tracks, in various operating positions;

[0030] Figures 4A to 4C are schematic representations of a further embodiment of the transport system according to the invention, comprising a rail system with a first rail track, a second rail track and a rotary unit for changing tracks between the rails of these rail tracks, in various operating positions; and

[0031] Figs. 5A to 5C are schematic representations of a further embodiment of the transport system according to the invention, comprising a rail system with a first rail track, a second rail track and a rotary unit for changing track between the rails of these rail tracks, in various operating positions.

[0032] Fig. 1A is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a transport system 100 for loads according to the invention. The transport system 100 comprises a solitary rail 10, which includes a first straight rail section 10A, a curved section 10B adjoining it, and a second straight rail section IOC adjoining the other end of the curved section 10B.

[0033] The straight track sections 10A and IOC are at a 90° angle to each other. The curved track section 10B between them serves to change the direction of a transport vehicle, which can travel from the first straight track section 10A, via the curved track section 10B, to the second straight track section IOC, thus changing its direction of travel by 90°. The successive track sections 10A, 10B, and IOC therefore constitute a track for a transport vehicle (not shown here).

[0034] The curved section 10B is curved in a circular arc around a circle's center M and represents a quarter circle. An enlarged schematic cross-section of the curved section 10B is shown in Fig. 1B together with part of a wheel 12 of the transport vehicle. In Fig. IC, a corresponding schematic cross-section of the first straight curved section 10A and the second straight curved section IOC is shown. Accordingly, the first straight curved section 10A and the second straight curved section IOC have identical cross-sections, which differ from the cross-section of the curved section 10B. The wheel 12 has a mirror-symmetrical cross-section with respect to a median plane S, which is perpendicular to the ground and to the axis of rotation D of the wheel. A central circumferential surface of the wheel 12 forms a tread 14 with a concave cross-section, which rests on the rail 10. In Fig.It can be seen that the first and second straight rail sections 10A and IOC also have a symmetrical cross-section with respect to the central plane S of the wheel 12. That is, the entire arrangement of the respective rail sections 10A and IOC with the wheel 12 running on them is mirror-symmetrical.

[0035] The first and second straight rail sections 10A and IOC have a rectangular cross-section, while the wheel 12, with its tread 14, rests on two upper contact points Pi and P2 of the respective rail sections 10A and IOC. These upper contact points Pi and P2 correspond to the upper left and right corners of the cross-sections of the straight rail sections 10A and IOC. In contrast, the curved section 10B of the rail 10 has an asymmetrical cross-section, as can be seen in Fig. 1B. Both the inner and outer surfaces of the curved section 10B are rectangular, with a rectangular cross-sectional area 16 on the inside of the curved section 10B, which is closer to the center of the circle M, being taller and narrower than the outer cross-sectional area 18.Therefore, the contact points Pi and PA of the tread surface 14 of the wheel 12 on the curve section 10B are also asymmetrical to the median plane S of the wheel 12.

[0036] The contact points Pi and PA are shown together in Fig. 1B with their rolling radii Ri and RA. The axis of rotation D of the wheel 12 is horizontal here. The wheel rotates with an angular velocity Q.

[0037] The inner contact point Pi is located from the center of the circle M by a curve radius ri and from the axis of rotation D of the wheel 12 by a rolling radius Ri. The outer contact point PA is located from the center of the circle M by a curve radius r, which is larger than the curve radius ri of the inner contact point Pi. The outer contact point PA is located from the axis of rotation D of the wheel 12 by a rolling radius RA, which is larger than the rolling radius Ri of the inner contact point Pi.

[0038] In the representation of curve segment 10B in Fig. 1A, the curve radii n and TA of the inner and outer contact points Pi and PA are shown together with the circle center M. Furthermore, the orbital velocity V of the contact points Pi and PA is plotted on the ordinate axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, along whose abscissa the orbital radii r are plotted. The circle center M forms the origin of this coordinate system.

[0039] The inner and outer contact points Pi and PA have the same angular velocities co with respect to their motion along the curve segment 10B around the circle's center M, but different linear velocities due to the different curve radii r > n. The outer contact point PA has a higher linear velocity VA than the inner contact point Pi, which has a linear velocity Vi, due to its greater distance (i.e., larger curve radius TA).

[0040] Since the wheel 12 with a uniform running surface 14 rests on the curve section 10B and consequently rotates about its axis of rotation D with a uniform angular velocity Q (see Fig. 1B), while moving about the center of the circle M along the curve section 10B with the angular velocity co, the following relationships must hold:

[0041] From these specifications for the respective angular velocities co and Q, the following relationships for the curve radii and the rolling radii result: co Rj RA

[0042] (3)

[0043] Fl TI r A

[0044] It follows:

[0045] R i _

[0046] (4)

[0047] R A r A

[0048] The equation (4) mentioned above is the condition that no slippage occurs between the inner contact point Pi and the outer contact point PA during the movement of the wheel 12 along the curve section 10B.

[0049] The relationship according to equation (4) strictly applies to geometric point contact at contact points Pi and PA between wheel 12 and curve section 10B. However, a reduction in slip between the inside and outside of the rail or wheel 12 can be achieved if the inner contact point Pi and the outer contact point PA are slightly widened to form a line or surface contact, which can occur in practice due to the pressure of the load of wheel 12 on curve section 10B. In connection with this embodiment, the avoidance of slip on the inside and outside of a single rail 10, which represents the track of a transport vehicle, was demonstrated.This problem arises to a much greater extent with transport vehicles that run in the usual way on a track comprising two parallel rail sections laid at a distance from each other, since the curve radii between the inner and outer rails differ much more in this case and the slippage between the wheels on the inner and outer curved sections of the rail is considerable.

[0050] An embodiment that avoids this problem by using a single rail 10 is discussed below.

[0051] Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a transport system 200 according to the invention, with a solitary rail 10 corresponding to the first embodiment of the transport system 100, which also comprises a first straight rail section 10A, a curved section 10B adjoining it, and a second straight rail section 10C adjoining the curved section 10B. A transport vehicle 50 is shown on the rail 10 in three different positions: on the first straight rail section 10A, on the curved section 10B, and on the second straight rail section 10C.

[0052] The transport vehicle 50 comprises a front wheel 12, which runs ahead in the direction of travel F and, as shown in Fig. IC, runs on the first straight rail section 10A, and a rear wheel 12A, which runs in the same way on the first straight rail section 10A and is identical in design to the front wheel 12. Both wheels 12 and 12A are arranged centrally on the transport vehicle 50 when viewed in the direction of travel F, and the rail 10 extends centrally beneath the transport vehicle 50. The center of gravity L of the transport vehicle 50 is also shown and is located centrally between the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 12A above the first straight rail section 10A. To prevent the transport vehicle 50 from tipping sideways, it includes lateral support rollers: a left support roller 52A and an opposite right support roller 52B when viewed in the direction of travel F.These support rollers 52A and 52B do not run on rails, but on the surface adjacent to the left and right sides of the rail 10. They therefore require no guidance. The load of the transport vehicle 50 is transferred almost exclusively into the rail 10 via the wheels 12 and 12A, while the support rollers 52A and 52B bear only a small and therefore negligible portion of the load. They can thus be constructed to be considerably lighter than the wheels 12 and 12A. Any slippage occurring on the support rollers 52A and 52B is insignificant and negligible for the operation of the transport system 200.

[0053] The number of support rollers 52A and 52B may differ from the number shown here. In another embodiment, two support rollers can also be arranged on each side of the transport vehicle 50, for example one of which is located at each corner of the transport vehicle 50.

[0054] The wheels 12 and 12A are mounted in front and rear wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A, respectively, which are individually rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the rail 10 beneath a base plate 50A of the transport vehicle 50. The transport vehicle 50 can include drives in the wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A for the respective wheels 12 and 12A. When the transport vehicle 50 moves from the first straight rail section 10A into the curved section 10B, the wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A can follow the curve. Figure 2 shows that the wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A of the front and rear wheels 12 and 12A assume different angles of rotation on the transport vehicle 50. The support rollers 52A and 52B do not necessarily have to be arranged in wheel bearing cassettes, and they do not have to adapt to the different curve radii on the inner track 56B of the right support roller 52B and the outer track 56A of the left support roller 52A.When the transport vehicle 50 leaves the curved section 10B on its further journey and reaches the second straight track section IOC, the front and rear wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A return to their starting position for a straight journey.

[0055] The cross-sections of the first and second straight rail sections 10A and IOC, as well as the curved section 10B, correspond to the cross-sections shown in Fig. 1B and Fig. IC, just as the cross-section of the wheels 12 and 12A, including the tread 14, corresponds to the cross-sections in the first embodiment. It should be noted that, in contrast to the embodiment shown here, the use of a single rail 10 with symmetrical cross-sections in the first and second straight rail sections 10A and 10C and in the curved section 10B is conceivable; that is, the rail 10 has the same cross-section in the curved section 10B as in the straight rail sections 10A and IOC. In this case, slippage occurs on the inner and outer sides of the curved section 10B, as explained above. Under certain circumstances, this slippage can be accepted in favor of a simplified design of the rail 10.

[0056] The solitary rail 10 is at least partially embedded in the subfloor, so that it does not pose an obstacle in the floor of a production hall and can easily be driven over laterally by other vehicles. The rail can, for example, be fixed in a retaining profile in the subfloor and replaced by detaching it from the retaining profile.

[0057] Figures 3A to 3E show a further embodiment of the transport system 300 according to the invention in various operating states. The transport system 300 comprises a rail system 310, comprising a first rail track with a solitary first rail 312 and a second rail track with a solitary second rail 314, which run perpendicular to each other and are embedded in a substrate such as a hall floor. At an intersection point between the first and second rails 312 and 314, a rotary unit 316 is provided, which is configured to rotate a wheel bearing cassette 54, 54A of a transport vehicle 50 about its axis of rotation. For this purpose, the rotary unit 316 is designed as a turntable or the like and includes its own drive for rotation about a vertical axis, which in turn is perpendicular to the first rail 312 and the second rail 314.

[0058] The transport vehicle 50 is designed like the transport vehicle shown in Fig. 2 in connection with the transport system 200 and includes the same features, including the wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A arranged one behind the other, each of which accommodates a wheel 12, and the lateral support rollers 52A and 52B. Figs. 3A to 3E show various positions of the transport vehicle 50 before, during and after a track change operation from the first rail 312 to the second rail 314.

[0059] In Fig. 3A, the transport vehicle 50 moves along the first rail 312, with its wheels 12 and 12A resting on the upper surface of the first rail 312 within the wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A, respectively, with their treads 14. The transport vehicle 50 approaches the intersection point until its front wheel bearing cassette 54 reaches the rotating unit 316.

[0060] The rotary unit 316 is then actuated and rotated 90° clockwise (as shown in the top view in Figs. 3A and 3B), while simultaneously the wheel bearing cassette 54 located on it is rotated by the same angle and thus aligned from the direction of extension of the first rail 312 to the direction of extension of the second rail 314. The state after completion of this rotation is shown in Fig. 3B.

[0061] As the transport vehicle continues its journey, the front wheel bearing cassette leaves the rotating unit 316 by continuing along the second rail 314, while the following rear wheel bearing cassette 54A approaches the rotating unit 316 on the first rail 312, as demonstrated in Fig. 3C. The base plate 50A of the transport vehicle 50 undergoes a gradual 90° clockwise rotation until the rear wheel bearing cassette 54A is positioned on the rotating unit 316, as shown in Fig. 3D. In this position, the rotating unit 316, together with the wheel bearing cassette 54A located on it, completes a further 90° clockwise rotation relative to the base plate 50A, so that it is also aligned with the direction of travel of the second rail 314. The transport vehicle 50 can then continue along the second rail 314, so that the following wheel bearing cassette 54 A leaves the rotary unit 316. This is shown in Fig. 3E.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 3C, while the leading wheel bearing cassette 54 travels on the second rail 314 and the following wheel bearing cassette 54A travels on the first rail 312 and the base plate 50A of the transport vehicle 50 completes the rotation, the travel speeds of the wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A are controlled depending on the rotation angle of the transport vehicle 50.

[0063] Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C show a further embodiment of a transport system 400 according to the invention, comprising a rail system 410, including at least a first rail track with a solitary first rail 412 and a second rail track with a solitary second rail 414, which extends from a rotating unit 416 in the track of the first rail 412 at an angle of 45° to the left, relative to the direction of travel of a transport vehicle 50, which in Figure 4A moves from below towards the rotating unit 416. The first rail 412 thus extends to the rotating unit 416 and, with a section adjoining it, beyond in the same direction.

[0064] The rotary unit 416 is essentially designed like the rotary unit 316 described above, based on the rail system 310. When the transport vehicle 50 reaches the rotary unit 416, the wheel bearing cassette 54, which is moving forward in the direction of travel, moves onto the rotary unit 416. The transport vehicle 50 stops, and the rotary unit 416 rotates the wheel bearing cassette 54 by 45° counterclockwise (in the top view according to Fig. 4A), thereby also rotating the wheel bearing cassette 54 located on it by 45° and aligning it from the direction of extension of the first rail 412 to the direction of extension of the second rail 414. The transport vehicle 50 is then moved further, so that the leading wheel bearing cassette 54 leaves the rotary unit 416 and enters the second rail 414, while the rear wheel bearing cassette 54A continues to approach the rotary unit 416, as shown in Fig. 4B.Meanwhile, the base plate 50A of the transport vehicle 50 rotates counterclockwise until the rear wheel bearing cassette 54A reaches the rotating unit 416.

[0065] The rotating unit 416 is then rotated 45° together with the wheel bearing cassette 54A located on it, until the rear wheel bearing cassette 54A is aligned from the direction of extension of the first rail 412 to the direction of extension of the second rail 414. The transport vehicle can then continue its journey on the second rail 414, as shown in Fig. 4C.

[0066] To enable the lateral support rollers 52A, 52B to traverse the rails 312, 314, 412, 414 in the rail systems 310 and 410, the rails 312, 314, 412, 414 can either be embedded sufficiently shallowly in the substrate, or gaps can be provided in the rails 312, 314, 412, 414. It is also possible to install the support rollers 52A, 52B with level control so that they can be raised to traverse a rail 312, 314, 412, 414.

[0067] Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C show a further embodiment of the transport system 500 according to the invention, comprising a rail system 510, a first rail track with a solitary first rail 512, and a second rail track with a solitary second rail 514. These are arranged similarly to the previous embodiment of the rail system 410, and their directions of extension form an angle of 45° with each other, such that the second rail 514 branches off from the first rail 512 at this angle to the left in the direction of travel. The branch is located at a rotating unit 516 in the track of the first rail 512, which extends further beyond the rotating unit 516.In contrast to the preceding embodiments, the rotary unit 516 is here designed as a turntable of a size that allows the transport vehicle 50 (which is designed as in the preceding embodiments) including both wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A and the support rollers 52A, 52B to be accommodated. For this purpose, a rail section 518 extends over the entire diameter of the rotary unit 516.

[0068] In the situation shown in Fig. 5A, the transport vehicle 50 approaches the rotating unit 516 on the first rail 512 in a position in which the rail section 518 is aligned with the extension direction of the first rail 512 and its ends connect to the sections of the first rail 512 that extend beyond the rotating unit 516. This allows the leading wheel bearing cassette 54 to travel along the rail section 518, as shown in Fig. 5A. As the transport vehicle 50 continues to move, the trailing wheel bearing cassette 54A also reaches the rotating unit 516 and travels along the rail section 518 until both wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A are completely positioned on the rotating unit 516.The rotary unit 516 is then rotated at an angle of 45° counterclockwise (in the top view) until the rail section 518 of the rotary unit 516 is aligned with and connected to the extension direction of the second rail 514. This situation is shown in Fig. 5B.

[0069] The transport vehicle can then leave the rotating unit 516 via the second rail 514 and travel on the second rail 514 with both wheel bearing cassettes 54, 54A.

[0070] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 50 is rotated as a whole, so that rotation of the wheel bearing cassettes 54 and 54A relative to the base plate 50A is not required, and no provisions need to be made to allow the support rollers to pass over the rails 512 and 514. Depending on the geometry of the transport vehicle 50, it is also possible that the support rollers 54A, 54B are located outside the rotating unit 516 during the rotation of the transport vehicle 50. The transport vehicle 50 of the transport system according to the invention, as shown in the figures in connection with the embodiments of the transport system 200, 300, 400 and 500, is described in Figures 200, 300, 400 and 500.The transport vehicle 50, as shown in Figures 2 to 5C, can be used both in conjunction with a track with a rail 10 that has a different cross-section in a curved section 10B than in straight sections 10A and 10C, and in combination with a track with a rail that has the same cross-section in both the straight and curved sections. Furthermore, the transport vehicle 50 can be used in a track system 300, 400, 500 with rotary units 316, 416, 516 to enable a track change between a first track and a second track, without this track system including any curved sections. The transport vehicle 50 can therefore be used in combination with a track system that includes any combination of track systems with or without curved sections and different rotary units for changing track between different track systems.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 04 February 2026 (04.02.2026) 1. Transport system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) for moving loads on a surface, comprising at least a rail track and at least one transport vehicle (50) running on wheels (12, 12A) on the rail track, wherein the rail track comprises a solitary rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514) for receiving the load of the transport vehicle (50), wherein the transport vehicle (50) comprises at least one front wheel (12) and at least one rear wheel (12A), each bearing a tread (14) with a concave cross-section in the direction of travel in succession on the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514), and the transport vehicle (50) further comprises support rollers (52A, 52B), which are arranged on both sides of the front and rear wheels (12, 12A) and run on the ground on both sides of the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514), characterized in that the transport vehicle (50) has at least two on the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512,514) comprises successive groups of wheels (12, 12A) for introducing the load of the transport vehicle (50) into the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514), each group comprising at least one wheel (12, 12A), wherein the introduction of the load of the transport vehicle (50) into the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514) is effected almost exclusively via the wheels (12, 12A) running on the rail, each of the groups being mounted in a wheel bearing cassette (54, 54A) which is rotatably mounted on the transport vehicle (50) about an axis perpendicular to the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514).

2. Transport system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to claim 1, characterized in that the front and rear wheels (12, 12A) are arranged centrally between the support rollers (52A, 52B) on the transport vehicle (50) when viewed in the direction of travel.

3. Transport system (300, 400) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a rail system (310, 410) comprising at least one first rail track with a solitary first rail (312, 412), AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) at least a second rail track with a solitary second rail (314, 414) and a rotating unit (316, 416) at a crossing point of the first rail (312, 412) and the second rail (314, 414), from which the second rail (314, 414) extends in a different direction than the first rail (312, 412), which rotating unit (316, 416) is configured to rotate a wheel bearing cassette (54, 54A) mounted on the rotating unit (316, 416) about its axis of rotation and to align it from a direction of extension of the first rail (312, 412) to the direction of extension of the second rail (314, 414).

4. Transport system (500) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a rail system (510) comprising at least a first rail track with a solitary first rail (512), at least a second rail track with a solitary second rail (514), and a rotary unit (516) at an intersection point of the first rail (512) and the second rail (514), from which the second rail (514) extends in a different direction than the first rail (512), the rotary unit (516) being configured to rotate the entire transport vehicle (50) in a state in which the vehicle is supported at least with its front and rear wheels (12, 12A) or wheel bearing cassettes (54, 54A) on the rotary unit (516) about a common axis of rotation and to rotate its wheel bearing cassettes (54, 54A) from one direction of extension of the first rail (512) to the direction of extension of the second rail (514). to align.

5. Transport system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the solitary rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514) of the or a rail track in a curve of the same comprises a curved section (10B) curved in a circular arc around a circle center point (M), and the wheels (12, 12A) are each connected at an inner contact point Pj and an outer contact point P A on the curve section (10B), wherein the inner contact point Pj is spaced from the center of the circle (M) by a curve radius ri and from the axis of rotation (D) of the wheel (12, 12A) by a rolling radius Ri and the outer contact point P A from the center of the circle (M) by a curve radius r A greater than r T and from the axis of rotation (D) of the wheel (12, 12A) by a rolling radius R A greater than R| is spaced apart. AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) 6. Transport system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to claim 5, characterized in that between the curve radius rj and the rolling radius R| of the inner contact point Pj and the curve radius r A and the rolling radius R A of the outer contact point P A The following relationship exists:

7. Transport system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the respective wheel (12, 12A) is exclusively connected at the inner and outer contact points P b P A rests on the rail (10, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514).

8. Transport system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the running surface (14) of the respective wheel (12, 12A) is mirror symmetrical with respect to a median plane (S) perpendicular to the axis of rotation (D). AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)

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