JP2013208922A - Coupling device of towing truck - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coupling device of a towing truck, capable of reliably coupling a towed truck without mounting a coupling component to the towed truck.SOLUTION: A truck body 21 of a towing truck 20A is provided with two arms rotatably supported in a horizontal direction, corresponding to the positions of a pipe 16a at front and rear ends at one lateral side of a cage of a cage truck 10A. By rotating the two arms 37 laterally outward of the truck body 21 of the towing truck 20A, a pipe 16a at front and rear ends at the one lateral side is held between the arms 37, and the cage truck 10A is coupled to the lateral side of the towing truck 20A.

Description

  The present invention relates to a coupling device for a tow truck that unattendedly pulls and transports a towed truck without power.

  2. Description of the Related Art Towing carts that pull and transport unpowered towed carts unmannedly are known, and such a towed cart is provided with a connecting device for connecting the towed cart (Patent Documents 1 to 3). 3).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-315956 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-172353 JP-A-11-212645

  In the prior arts shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a problem that, in response to the connecting device provided on the tow truck, it is impossible to connect to the tow truck unless any connecting parts are attached to the towed truck side. is there. On the other hand, in the prior art shown in Patent Document 3, a car cart pipe to be a towed truck can be used as a connecting part on the towed truck side, and there is no need to provide a separate connecting part on the towed truck side. . However, in the prior art shown in Patent Document 3, there is a problem that when the tow truck stops, only the towed truck moves forward due to inertia, and the connection is disconnected. Further, the connecting claw enters inside the pipe. Since it is a structure, this nail | claw contacts the goods inside a pipe, and there also exists a problem that a goods will be crushed in the worst case (refer FIG. 4 of patent document 3).

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connecting device for a tow truck that can reliably connect the towed truck without attaching a connecting part to the towed truck side.

A coupling device for a tow truck according to a first invention for solving the above-described problem is
In a tow truck connecting device for connecting the towed truck to the towed truck when towing a towed truck having a loading portion surrounded by a cage made of a plurality of frame members using a tow truck that automatically travels ,
An arm that is provided on a body of the tow carriage and is arranged corresponding to a position of a frame member at a front end on one side of the car, and is supported rotatably in a horizontal direction;
A drive mechanism that is provided on the vehicle body and moves the tip of the arm from the front side to the side outside of the vehicle body;
A clamp part that is formed in a groove shape on the arm and in which the frame member at the front end is arranged when the front end of the arm is rotated laterally outward of the vehicle body;
Another arm provided on the vehicle body, arranged corresponding to the position of the frame member at the rear end of one side of the car, and supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
Another drive mechanism provided on the vehicle body and moving a tip of the other arm from the rear side to the side outside of the vehicle body;
The other arm is formed in a groove shape, and when the front end of the other arm is rotated outward to the side of the vehicle body, the other clamp part on which the frame member at the rear end is disposed,
The front end frame member and the rear end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm by rotating the arm and the other arm laterally outward of the vehicle body. The towed cart is connected to the side.

A coupling device for a tow truck according to a second invention that solves the above-described problem,
In the coupling device for a tow truck described in the first invention,
When the front wheel of the tow cart is a steering drive wheel and the rear wheel of the tow cart is a fixed wheel,
The front wheel of the towed truck is a free wheel, the rear wheel of the towed truck is a fixed wheel,
The other arm is arranged so that the rotational axis of the rear wheel of the tow truck is aligned with the rotational axis of the rear wheel of the towed truck when viewed from above.

A coupling device for a tow truck according to a third invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
In the coupling device for a tow truck described in the first or second invention,
When the frame member at the front end and the frame member at the rear end are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, between the clamp part and the frame member at the front end and between the other clamp part and the rear end. The clamp part and the other clamp part are formed so that a gap is formed in at least one of the frame members.

A coupling device for a tow truck according to a fourth invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
In a tow truck connecting device for connecting the towed truck to the towed truck when towing a towed truck having a loading portion surrounded by a cage made of a plurality of frame members using a tow truck that automatically travels ,
An arm that is provided on the body of the tow carriage, is arranged corresponding to the position of the frame member at the right end on the front side of the car, and is supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
A drive mechanism that is provided on the vehicle body and moves the front end of the arm to the rear outside through the right side of the vehicle body;
A clamp part, which is formed in a groove shape in the arm and in which the frame member at the right end is disposed when the tip of the arm is rotated rearwardly outside the vehicle body;
Another arm provided on the vehicle body, arranged corresponding to the position of the leftmost frame member on the front side of the car, and supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
Another drive mechanism provided on the vehicle body and moving the tip of the other arm to the rear outside through the left side of the vehicle body;
The other arm is formed in a groove shape, and when the tip of the other arm is rotated to the rear outside of the vehicle body, the other clamp portion on which the left end frame member is disposed,
By rotating the arm and the other arm to the rear outer side of the vehicle body, the right end frame member and the left end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, and the rear end of the tow cart is A towed truck is connected.

A coupling device for a tow trolley according to a fifth invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
In a tow truck connecting device for connecting the towed truck to the towed truck when towing a towed truck having a loading portion surrounded by a cage made of a plurality of frame members using a tow truck that automatically travels ,
An arm that is provided on the body of the tow carriage, is arranged corresponding to the position of the frame member on the right end on the rear side of the car, and is supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
A drive mechanism that is provided on the vehicle body and moves the front end of the arm to the front outside through the right side of the vehicle body;
A clamp part that is formed in a groove shape in the arm, and the right end frame member is disposed when the front end of the arm is rotated forward and outward of the vehicle body;
Another arm provided on the vehicle body, arranged corresponding to the position of the leftmost frame member on the rear side of the car, and supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
Another drive mechanism provided on the vehicle body and moving the front end of the other arm to the front outside through the left side of the vehicle body;
The other arm is formed in a groove shape, and when the tip of the other arm is rotated to the front outer side of the vehicle body, the other clamp portion on which the left end frame member is disposed,
By rotating the arm and the other arm toward the front outside of the vehicle body, the right end frame member and the left end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, and the front end of the tow truck is A towed truck is connected.

A coupling device for a tow truck according to a sixth invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
In the coupling device for a tow truck described in the fourth or fifth invention,
All the wheels of the towed truck are free wheels.

A coupling device for a tow truck according to a seventh invention for solving the above-described problem is
In the coupling device for a tow truck described in any one of the fourth to sixth inventions,
When the right end frame member and the left end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, between the clamp portion and the right end frame member and between the other clamp portion and the left end frame member. The clamp part and the other clamp part are formed so that a gap is formed in at least one of them.

  According to the first, fourth, and fifth inventions, the arm supported rotatably in the horizontal direction is provided corresponding to the positions of the frame members at the two ends of the cage of the towed carriage. Since the two arms are rotated to the outside of the body of the tow truck, the frame members at the two ends of the car of the tow truck are sandwiched between the two arms. The towed truck can be reliably connected to the towing cart without attaching a connecting part to the side.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rotation axis of the fixed wheel that is the rear wheel of the towed carriage and the rotation axis of the fixed wheel that is the rear wheel of the towed truck are aligned with each other as viewed from above. The towing cart can run smoothly.

  According to the third and seventh inventions, when the frame member of the two end portions of the towed cart is sandwiched between the two arms, a gap is formed between the clamp portion and the frame member. Therefore, when the height difference of the towed trolley and the height difference of the traction trolley arise, the gap can be absorbed by the gap.

  According to the sixth invention, since all the wheels of the towed truck are free wheels, the towed truck to be pulled can run smoothly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows an example (Example 1) of embodiment of the connection apparatus of the tow truck which concerns on this invention, The figure which looked at the towed truck pulled by the tow truck which has the said connection apparatus, and the tow truck from the front side. It is. It is the figure which looked at the towed trolley and the towed trolley shown in FIG. 1 from the side. It is the figure which looked at the towed trolley and the towed trolley shown in FIG. 1 from the upper side. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the coupling device of the tow truck shown in FIG. 3. It is a figure which shows another example (Example 2) of embodiment of the coupling | bonding apparatus of the towed trolley which concerns on this invention, and sees the towed trolley pulled by the towed trolley which has the said connecting apparatus, and the towed trolley from the upper side. It is a figure. It is a figure which shows another example (Example 3) of the embodiment of the connection apparatus of the tow trolley | bogie which concerns on this invention, and sees the towed trolley pulled by the tow trolley which has the said connection apparatus, and the tow trolley from the upper side. It is a figure.

  In factories and warehouses, unmanned transport carts that transport items such as parts unattended are used. Some unmanned transport carts load goods on their own carts, but there are also those that pull and transport non-powered carts (towed carts) that carry goods (hereinafter referred to as towing carts). In the invention, such a tow cart is a target.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a tow truck connecting device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

Example 1
FIG. 1 is a view of a tow truck having a connecting device for a tow truck and a towed truck to be pulled by the tow truck from the front side, and FIG. 2 is a view of the tow truck shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a view of the towed truck as viewed from the side, and FIG. 3 is a view of the towed truck and the towed truck illustrated in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the connecting device for the tow truck shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the wheel of the tow truck and the towed truck itself are shown in a transparent state, and in FIG. 3, the wheel of the tow truck and the towed truck are shown in a transparent state. ing.

  In this embodiment, a car cart is used as a towed cart that does not have its own power and is towed. The car cart 10A in this embodiment has a bottom plate 11 on which goods are loaded, and a lower caster 13 having a free wheel 12 and a fixed caster 15 having a fixed wheel 14 are provided on the lower surface side thereof. In this embodiment, two universal casters 13 are respectively attached to the left and right sides of the front side of the car cart 10A, and two fixed casters 15 are respectively attached to the left and right sides of the rear side of the car cart 10A. Here, the free caster 13 is arranged on the front side, and the fixed caster 15 is arranged on the rear side in accordance with the configuration of the wheels of the tow truck 20A described later.

  A cage 16 composed of a plurality of pipes (frame members) is provided on the upper surface side of the bottom plate 11, and is arranged along the outer edge of the bottom plate 11 so as to surround the bottom plate 11. Items are stacked on the bottom plate 11 surrounded by the car 16 (loading unit), and the items are conveyed. In this embodiment, as will be described later, of the four corner pipes 16a of the car 16, the two pipes 16a disposed at the left front end and the rear end, which are one side of the car cart 10A, are clamped. Then, the car cart 10A is towed. As the frame member to be clamped, pipe-shaped members may be erected at the four corners of the carriage, so that a commercially available car carriage can be used as the car carriage 10A. Here, a cylindrical pipe is used as the frame member, but other shapes such as a prismatic pipe may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the towing cart 20A for towing the car cart 10A has a vehicle body 21 with a built-in driving steering mechanism for driving and steering the battery and the driving steering wheel 23, and the driving steering wheel 23 is fixed to the lower surface side thereof. A fixed caster having a ring 24 is provided. In the present embodiment, one drive steering wheel 23 is attached to the front center of the traction carriage 20A, and two fixed casters are attached to the left and right sides of the traction carriage 20A. The drive steering wheels 23 may be configured to be respectively attached to the left and right sides of the front side of the traction carriage 20A, that is, a configuration having two drive steering wheels 23. In addition, illustration of a battery, a drive steering mechanism, etc. is abbreviate | omitted.

  Further, on the upper surface side of the vehicle body 21, there are provided two coupling devices 30 for clamping the above-described two pipes 16a on the lateral sides of the vehicle body 21, and a control box 22 for controlling the coupling device 30 and the drive steering mechanism. It has been. The two connecting devices 30 are respectively attached to the front and rear of the traction cart 20A corresponding to the positions of the two pipes 16a to be clamped.

  In addition, the tow cart 20A of the present embodiment performs automatic travel along a pre-laid transport route, for example, like an unmanned transport cart with a normal track, and this transport route is, for example, a magnetic It is formed by laying tape or light reflecting tape on the road surface. Accordingly, the car cart 10A that is connected to the side of the tow cart 20A and is towed is towed along the transport route in parallel with the transport route on which the tow cart 20A travels.

  Here, the coupling device 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 together with FIGS. In FIG. 4, the connecting device 30 on the rear side is illustrated, but the connecting device 30 on the front side has only a difference in the arrangement of some components, and the components are equivalent. Here, illustration of the connecting device 30 on the front side is omitted.

  The coupling device 30 performs a clamping operation by driving an electric cylinder 31 that is a linear actuator. Instead of the electric cylinder, another linear actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder may be used. Further, when an auxiliary arm 35 described later that converts linear motion into rotational motion is included, a rotary actuator such as a motor may be used instead.

  In this embodiment, the rear end side of the electric cylinder 31 is supported on the upper surface of the vehicle body 21 by the support portion 32, and the piston rod 31b on the front end side thereof expands and contracts by rotating the motor 31a. On the front end side of the piston rod 31b, a link pin 33 that passes through the top plate 41 from below is attached. A long hole 34 serving as a linear motion guide for the link pin 33 is provided in the top plate 41. . With such a configuration, the piston rod 31b and the link pin 33 perform linear motion. The top plate 41 is supported on the upper surface of the vehicle body 21 by a plurality of support posts 42, but the support posts 42 are not provided in a range in which an arm 37 described later rotates.

  One end side of the auxiliary arm 35 is attached to the lower end side of the link pin 33, and the auxiliary arm 35 can rotate with the link pin 33 as a fulcrum. Further, one end side of an arm 37 is attached to the other end side of the auxiliary arm 35 via a link pin 36, and the auxiliary arm 35 and the arm 37 can rotate with respect to the link pin 36 as a fulcrum. . The arm 37 is supported by a rotation support shaft 38 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. With such a configuration, the linear motion of the piston rod 31b and the link pin 33 is converted into the rotational motion of the arm 37 via the auxiliary arm 35, and the clamping operation by the arm 37 is performed. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the locus of the tip of the arm 37 accompanying the rotation is indicated by the symbol T.

  Thus, in the coupling device 30, the electric cylinder 31, the link pin 33, the long hole 34, the auxiliary arm 35, etc. function as a drive mechanism for rotating the arm 37. For example, at the time of clamping, in the connecting device 30 on the rear side, the tip of the arm 37 is rotated from the rear side of the vehicle body 21 to the lateral outer side, and in the connecting device 30 on the front side, the tip of the arm 37 is moved forward of the vehicle body 21. Rotate from side to side.

  Moreover, the arm 37 is arrange | positioned corresponding to the position of the pipe 16a to clamp. For example, the connecting device 30 on the rear side is arranged corresponding to the pipe 16a on the left end of the left side of the car 16 of the car cart 10A, and the connecting device 30 on the front side has a left side of the car 16 of the car cart 10A. It arrange | positions corresponding to the pipe 16a of the front end.

  Further, a clamp portion 37 formed in a trapezoidal groove shape (or a V-shaped groove shape) by cutting out a part of the arm 37 is provided on the distal end side of the arm 37. At the time of clamping, the groove of the clamp portion 37a is provided. The pipe 16a is arranged in the portion. For example, in the connecting device 30 on the rear side, when the front end of the arm 37 is rotated from the rear side of the vehicle body 21 to the lateral outer side, the left rear end pipe 16a is disposed in the groove portion of the clamp portion 37a of the arm 37. In the connecting device 30 on the front side, when the tip of the arm 37 is rotated from the front side of the vehicle body 21 to the outside in the lateral direction, the pipe 16a on the left front end is disposed in the groove portion of the clamp portion 37a of the arm 37. become.

  Here, a series of operations will be described. At the time of unclamping, the piston rod 31b is extended to the stroke S by the rotational drive of the motor 31a. Then, the auxiliary arm 35 moves and rotates following the movement of the tip of the piston rod 31b, and further, the arm 37 follows the movement and rotation of the auxiliary arm 35 with the rotation support shaft 38 as the rotation center. Will rotate. For example, in the connecting device 30 on the rear side, the tip of the arm 37 moves to the rear side of the vehicle body 21, and in the connecting device 30 on the front side, the tip of the arm 37 moves to the front side of the vehicle body 21. (Refer to the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 3 and 4). This is a state in which the pipe 16a is not clamped.

  On the other hand, at the time of clamping, the piston rod 31b is contracted by the rotational drive of the motor 31a. Then, the auxiliary arm 35 moves and rotates following the movement of the tip of the piston rod 31b, and further, the arm 37 follows the movement and rotation of the auxiliary arm 35 with the rotation support shaft 38 as the rotation center. Will rotate. For example, in the connecting device 30 on the rear side, the tip of the arm 37 moves to the outside of the vehicle body 21, and in the connecting device 30 on the front side, the arm 37 moves to the outside of the vehicle body 21. (Refer to the solid lines in FIGS. 3 and 4). This is a state in which the pipe 16a is clamped.

  Immediately after clamping, it is desirable to form a small gap G between the pipe 16a and the clamp part 37, and this gap G allows the pipe 16a to move freely in the groove part of the clamp part 37. . This is because, when the vehicle cart 10A and the traction cart 20A are displaced in height or tilted due to unevenness on the road surface or the like during traveling, the gap G absorbs these displacements.

  Since the gap G has only to be large enough to absorb the above-described misalignment, the gap G is formed in at least one of the clamp parts 37a among the two clamp parts 37a sandwiching the two pipes 16a. You may do it. However, in the two clamp portions 37a sandwiching the two pipes 16a, if the gap G is equal to or larger than the radius of the pipe 16a, the pipe 16a may be detached from the two clamp portions 37a. It is less than the radius of the pipe 16a.

  Further, it is desirable that the depth D of the groove of the clamp portion 37 is not more than the diameter of the pipe 16a to be clamped. This is to prevent the arm 37 from coming into contact with items loaded inside the car 16 when the arm 37 clamps the pipe 16a.

  Further, at the time of clamping, the auxiliary arm so that the piston rod 31b of the electric cylinder 31 and the arm 37 are parallel to each other, and the auxiliary arm 35 is at a right angle to the spin rod 31b of the electric cylinder 31 and the arm 37. 35 and the arm 37 are comprised. Therefore, even if there is an impact on the arm 37 during traveling, the influence on the electric cylinder 31 can be reduced and it can be made difficult to break. As a result, the size of the electric cylinder 31 itself can be reduced.

  In the connecting device 30 on the front side and the connecting device 30 on the rear side, the arrangement of the electric cylinder 31, the support portion 32, and the long hole 34 is exactly the same, and the arrangement of the auxiliary arm 35, the arm 37, and the rotation support shaft 38 is the left and right. The opposite is true. Therefore, in the connecting device 30 on the rear side, the clamp portion 37a of the arm 37 clamps the pipe 16a on the rear side from the rear side, whereas in the connecting device 30 on the front side, the clamp portion 37a of the arm 37 is The pipe 16a on the front side is clamped from the front side.

  Accordingly, by rotating the two arms 37 having the clamp portions 37a on the inside thereof toward the inside thereof, the two pipes 16a on the left front end and the rear end of the car cart 10A are connected to the two arms 37 from the outside thereof. Thus, the car cart 10A is securely connected without separately attaching connecting parts.

  At this time, if the rotation axis R1 of the fixed wheel 14 of the car cart 10A and the rotation axis R2 of the fixed wheel 24 of the tow cart 20A are arranged in a straight line as seen from above, the car is pulled. The car cart 10A can be smoothly driven. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the rear side coupling device 30 so that the rotation axis R1 and the rotation axis R2 at the time of connection are in a straight line when viewed from above, and in some cases, the front side and rear side coupling devices 30 are arranged. It is desirable to arrange both as such.

  Further, when the car cart 10A is towed on the side as in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to reverse the tow cart 20A when connecting / disconnecting the car cart 10A. This embodiment can be applied.

  Further, in the above-described connection method, there is no need to separately provide a connecting part on the car cart 10A side, and therefore, for example, it is not necessary to modify the commercially available car cart at all and can be used as it is. Therefore, especially when using many car trolley | bogies, the cost can be suppressed.

(Example 2)
FIG. 5 is a view of a tow cart having a tow cart connection device of the present embodiment and a towed cart to be pulled by the tow cart from above. In addition, in FIG. 5, it has illustrated in the state which permeate | transmitted the wheel of the towed trolley | bogie and the wheel of the towed trolley | bogie.

  In the first embodiment, a configuration (side traction) is shown in which the car cart is connected to the side of the towing cart for towing, but only by changing the arrangement position of the connecting device 30 shown in the first embodiment, the towing is performed. It is also possible to tow (rear towing) by connecting a car cart to the rear side of the cart. Therefore, the configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  Also in this embodiment, a car cart is used as the towed cart. Basically, the same configuration as the car cart 10A shown in the first embodiment may be used, but the configuration of the wheels is different from that of the first embodiment. In Example 1, the rotation axis R1 of the fixed wheel 14 of the car cart 10A and the rotation axis R2 of the fixed wheel 24 of the tow cart 20A could be arranged in a straight line when viewed from above, Such an arrangement is not possible due to the difference in the pulling direction. Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, all four wheels of the car cart 10 </ b> B are constituted by the universal casters 13 having the universal wheels 12. With such a configuration, the towed car cart 10B can run smoothly.

  In the present embodiment, due to the difference in the pulling direction, the two pipes 16a arranged at the left end and the right end on the front side of the car cart 10B among the pipes 16a at the four corners of the car 16 are clamped, and the car cart 10B is Tow. In this embodiment as well, a commercially available car cart can be used as long as pipe-like ones are erected in advance at the left and right ends of the front of the four corners of the cart.

  In the present embodiment, the tow cart 20B that pulls the car cart 10B may have the same configuration as the tow cart 20A shown in the first embodiment, but the arrangement position of the connecting device 30 provided on the upper surface side of the vehicle body 21 is the first embodiment. Is different. Specifically, the two connecting devices 30 are respectively attached to the left and right of the rear side of the traction cart 20B corresponding to the positions of the two pipes 16a of the car cart 10B to be clamped.

  Since the configuration of the coupling device 30 itself is the same as that described in the first embodiment, the detailed description thereof is omitted here, but since the arrangement position of the coupling device 30 is different, the arm 37 also has a pipe 16a for clamping. The arrangement position will be different corresponding to the position. For example, in the right side connecting device 30, an arm 37 is arranged corresponding to the right end pipe 16a on the front side of the car 16 of the car cart 10B, and in the left side connecting device 30, the front side of the car 16 of the car cart 10A. The arm 37 is arranged corresponding to the leftmost pipe 16a.

  At the time of clamping, in the right coupling device 30, the tip of the arm 37 passes through the right side of the vehicle body 21 and rotates rearward and outward, and when rotated in this way, the groove portion of the clamp portion 37 a of the arm 37 is inserted. The front right end pipe 16a is arranged. In the left connecting device 30, the tip of the arm 37 is rotated rearward and outward through the left side of the vehicle body 21, and when rotated in this way, the front left end is inserted into the groove portion of the clamp portion 37a of the arm 37. This pipe 16a is arranged.

  In this manner, similarly to the first embodiment, the two arms 37 having the clamp portions 37a on the inside are rotated inwardly, thereby the two pipes 16a at the left end and the right end on the front side of the car cart 10B. Then, the two arms 37 are sandwiched and clamped from the outside, and thereby, the car cart 10B is securely connected without separately attaching a connecting part.

  And the towing cart 20B of the present embodiment also performs automatic traveling along a transport route using a magnetic tape or the like that has been laid in advance, for example, in the same manner as an unmanned transport cart with a normal track, so that the towing cart The car cart 10B towed at the rear of 20B is towed along the transport route along which the tow cart 20B travels.

(Example 3)
FIG. 6 is a view of the towing cart having the tow cart connection device of the present embodiment and the towed cart to be pulled by the towing cart as viewed from above. In FIG. 6, the wheel of the towed truck and the wheel of the towed truck are shown in a transparent state.

  In the first embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the car cart is connected to the side of the towing cart and pulled (side-side towing), and in the second embodiment, the cage cart is connected to the rear side of the towing cart and pulled. Although (rear towing) was shown, it is also possible to connect the car cart to the front side of the towing cart and tow (forward towing) simply by changing the arrangement position of the coupling device 30 shown in the first and second embodiments. It is. Therefore, the configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  Also in this embodiment, a car cart is used as the towed cart. Basically, the same configuration as the car cart 10A shown in the first embodiment may be used, but the configuration of the wheels is different from that in the first embodiment due to the difference in the traction direction. All four wheels of the carriage 10 </ b> B are composed of a universal caster 13 having a universal wheel 12.

  Also in this embodiment, due to the difference in the pulling direction, the two pipes 16a arranged at the left end and the right end on the rear side of the car carriage 10B among the pipes 16a at the four corners of the car 16 are clamped, and the car carriage 10B. Tow. In this embodiment as well, a commercially available car cart can be used as long as pipe-like ones are erected in advance at the left and right ends of the rear of the four corners of the cart.

  In this embodiment, the tow cart 20C for towing the car cart 10B may have the same configuration as the tow cart 20A shown in the first embodiment and the tow cart 20B shown in the second embodiment, but is provided on the upper surface side of the vehicle body 21. The arrangement position of the coupling device 30 is different from the first and second embodiments. Specifically, the two connecting devices 30 are respectively attached to the left and right of the front side of the traction cart 20C corresponding to the positions of the two pipes 16a of the car cart 10B to be clamped.

  Since the configuration of the connecting device 30 itself is as described in the first embodiment, the detailed description thereof is omitted here, but the arrangement position of the connecting device 30 is different, so that the arm 37 is also clamped by the pipe 16a to be clamped. The arrangement position will be different corresponding to the position. For example, in the right side connecting device 30, an arm 37 is arranged corresponding to the right end pipe 16a on the rear side of the car 16 of the car cart 10B. In the left side connecting device 30, the car 16 of the car cart 10A is located behind the car 16. The arm 37 is disposed corresponding to the pipe 16a at the left end on the side.

  At the time of clamping, in the right coupling device 30, the tip of the arm 37 passes through the right side of the vehicle body 21 and rotates forward and outward, and when rotated in this way, the groove portion of the clamp portion 37 a of the arm 37 is formed. The rear right end pipe 16a is arranged. Further, in the left side connecting device 30, the tip of the arm 37 is rotated to the front outer side through the left side of the vehicle body 21, and when rotated in this way, the rear side of the groove portion of the clamp portion 37a of the arm 37 is provided. The leftmost pipe 16a is arranged.

  In this manner, similarly to the first embodiment, the two arms 37 having the clamp portions 37a on the inner side are rotated inwardly, thereby the two pipes 16a on the left end and the right end on the rear side of the car cart 10B. Are clamped and clamped by the two arms 37 from the outside thereof, so that the car cart 10B can be securely connected without separately attaching a connecting part.

  And the towing cart 20C of the present embodiment also performs automatic traveling along a transport route using a magnetic tape or the like that has been laid in advance, for example, in the same manner as an unmanned transport cart with a normal track. The car cart 10B towed in front of 20C is towed along the transport route along which the tow cart 20C travels.

  In the first to third embodiments, the description has been made on the assumption that the tracked automatic guided vehicle is used. However, the present invention can also be applied to a trackless automatic guided cart.

  The present invention is applicable to a towing cart that pulls and transports a towed cart such as a car cart unattended.

10A, 10B Car cart (towed cart)
12 Universal wheel 14 Fixed wheel 16 Car 16a Pipe (frame member)
20A, 20B, 20C Towing cart 21 Vehicle body 22 Control box 23 Drive steering wheel 24 Fixed wheel 30 Connecting device 31 Electric cylinder 31a Motor 31b Piston rod 33 Link pin 34 Slot 35

Claims (7)

In a tow truck connecting device for connecting the towed truck to the towed truck when towing a towed truck having a loading portion surrounded by a cage made of a plurality of frame members using a tow truck that automatically travels ,
An arm that is provided on a body of the tow carriage and is arranged corresponding to a position of a frame member at a front end on one side of the car, and is supported rotatably in a horizontal direction;
A drive mechanism that is provided on the vehicle body and moves the tip of the arm from the front side to the side outside of the vehicle body;
A clamp part that is formed in a groove shape on the arm and in which the frame member at the front end is arranged when the front end of the arm is rotated laterally outward of the vehicle body;
Another arm provided on the vehicle body, arranged corresponding to the position of the frame member at the rear end of one side of the car, and supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
Another drive mechanism provided on the vehicle body and moving a tip of the other arm from the rear side to the side outside of the vehicle body;
The other arm is formed in a groove shape, and when the front end of the other arm is rotated outward to the side of the vehicle body, the other clamp part on which the frame member at the rear end is disposed,
The front end frame member and the rear end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm by rotating the arm and the other arm laterally outward of the vehicle body. The tow truck connecting device is characterized in that the tow truck is connected to the side. In the coupling device of the tow trolley | bogie of Claim 1,
When the front wheel of the tow cart is a steering drive wheel and the rear wheel of the tow cart is a fixed wheel,
The front wheel of the towed truck is a free wheel, the rear wheel of the towed truck is a fixed wheel,
The coupling device for a tow truck, wherein the other arm is arranged so that a rotation axis of a rear wheel of the tow truck and a rotation axis of a rear wheel of the towed truck are aligned with each other when viewed from above. In the coupling device of the tow trolley | bogie of Claim 1 or Claim 2,
When the frame member at the front end and the frame member at the rear end are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, between the clamp part and the frame member at the front end and between the other clamp part and the rear end. The coupling device for a traction carriage, wherein the clamp portion and the other clamp portion are formed so that a gap is formed in at least one of the frame members. In a tow truck connecting device for connecting the towed truck to the towed truck when towing a towed truck having a loading portion surrounded by a cage made of a plurality of frame members using a tow truck that automatically travels ,
An arm that is provided on the body of the tow carriage, is arranged corresponding to the position of the frame member at the right end on the front side of the car, and is supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
A drive mechanism that is provided on the vehicle body and moves the front end of the arm to the rear outside through the right side of the vehicle body;
A clamp part, which is formed in a groove shape in the arm and in which the frame member at the right end is disposed when the tip of the arm is rotated rearwardly outside the vehicle body;
Another arm provided on the vehicle body, arranged corresponding to the position of the leftmost frame member on the front side of the car, and supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
Another drive mechanism provided on the vehicle body and moving the tip of the other arm to the rear outside through the left side of the vehicle body;
The other arm is formed in a groove shape, and when the tip of the other arm is rotated to the rear outside of the vehicle body, the other clamp portion on which the left end frame member is disposed,
By rotating the arm and the other arm to the rear outer side of the vehicle body, the right end frame member and the left end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, and the rear end of the tow cart is A towing cart connecting device for connecting towed carts. In a tow truck connecting device for connecting the towed truck to the towed truck when towing a towed truck having a loading portion surrounded by a cage made of a plurality of frame members using a tow truck that automatically travels ,
An arm that is provided on the body of the tow carriage, is arranged corresponding to the position of the frame member on the right end on the rear side of the car, and is supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
A drive mechanism that is provided on the vehicle body and moves the front end of the arm to the front outside through the right side of the vehicle body;
A clamp part that is formed in a groove shape in the arm, and the right end frame member is disposed when the front end of the arm is rotated forward and outward of the vehicle body;
Another arm provided on the vehicle body, arranged corresponding to the position of the leftmost frame member on the rear side of the car, and supported rotatably in the horizontal direction;
Another drive mechanism provided on the vehicle body and moving the front end of the other arm to the front outside through the left side of the vehicle body;
The other arm is formed in a groove shape, and when the tip of the other arm is rotated to the front outer side of the vehicle body, the other clamp portion on which the left end frame member is disposed,
By rotating the arm and the other arm toward the front outside of the vehicle body, the right end frame member and the left end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, and the front end of the tow truck is A towing cart connecting device for connecting towed carts. In the coupling device of the tow trolley | bogie of Claim 4 or Claim 5,
A coupling device for a tow truck, wherein all the wheels of the towed truck are free wheels. In the connection apparatus of the tow cart as described in any one of Claims 4-6,
When the right end frame member and the left end frame member are sandwiched between the arm and the other arm, between the clamp portion and the right end frame member and between the other clamp portion and the left end frame member. A coupling device for a traction cart, wherein the clamp portion and the other clamp portion are formed so that a gap is formed in at least one of them.

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