A system for moving electrically powered apparatuses is described, comprising at least one fixed supporting track along which the apparatuses are moved. The track is made by a tubular section bar having an opening extending for its whole length and at least one carriage is movably housed inside the track. The system further comprises at least one motor for moving the carriage in the track.

A conveyor facility having at least one traveling unit, which has an electrical load, in particular an electric drive and which can be moved along a conveyor path by means of the drive; and a railbus, which is arranged along the conveyor path and which has at least one supply collector wire via which the traveling unit is supplied with power. In order to reduce the space required by the railbus, a safety device is provided which has only one safety collector wire and yet ensures an emergency stop in a fault-tolerant manner.

A sub-path is connected to a first main path and a second main path along which an article transport vehicle travels in a direction opposite to that of the first main path. The sub-path includes an intersection portion, a first upstream path connected to the first main path and the intersection portion, a second upstream path connected to the second main path and the intersection portion, a first downstream path connected to the intersection portion and the second main path, and a second downstream path connected to the intersection portion and the first main path. In the intersection portion, a first connection path that connects the first upstream path and the first downstream path, and a second connection path that connects the second upstream path and the second downstream path are provided so as to be located at the same height and to intersect each other.

A sub-path is connected to a first main path and a second main path along which an article transport vehicle travels in a direction opposite to that of the first main path. The sub-path includes an intersection portion, a first upstream path connected to the first main path and the intersection portion, a second upstream path connected to the second main path and the intersection portion, a first downstream path connected to the intersection portion and the second main path, and a second downstream path connected to the intersection portion and the first main path. In the intersection portion, a first connection path that connects the first upstream path and the first downstream path, and a second connection path that connects the second upstream path and the second downstream path are provided so as to be located at the same height and to intersect each other.

An overhead transport vehicle travels along a rail on a ceiling of a building to transport a FOUP. The overhead transport vehicle includes a holding base and an upper shelf transfer device. The holding base holds at least one of a side surface and a bottom surface of the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base at least upwardly while holding the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base from the holding position in which the holding base holds and transfers the FOUP to the upper transfer position to transfer the FOUP, which is a different position from the holding position in a plan view and higher than the holding position.

An overhead transport vehicle travels along a rail on a ceiling of a building to transport a FOUP. The overhead transport vehicle includes a holding base and an upper shelf transfer device. The holding base holds at least one of a side surface and a bottom surface of the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base at least upwardly while holding the FOUP. The upper shelf transfer device moves the holding base from the holding position in which the holding base holds and transfers the FOUP to the upper transfer position to transfer the FOUP, which is a different position from the holding position in a plan view and higher than the holding position.

A bolster beam is correspondingly connected to a connection base by means of a damping unit; the radial dimensions of an outer wall of an inner supporting member and an inner wall of an outer supporting member gradually decrease from one end to the other end in a vertical direction; one of the inner supporting member and the outer supporting member is connected to the connection base, and the other one is connected to the bolster beam; when in use, the inner supporting member and the outer supporting member tend to be close to each other, and since surfaces, close to each other, of the two are configured to be tapered, the two can-not be relatively separated; when getting closer to each other, the inner supporting member and the outer supporting member produce a compression action on an intermediate buffer member, and the intermediate buffer member is elastically deformable.

A traveling vehicle system includes a track including a first gap, a partial track, and a second gap, a traveling vehicle including a drive wheel and first and second auxiliary wheels, a first auxiliary track on a near side of the first gap in a traveling direction and in contact with a lower end of the first auxiliary wheel while a lower end of the drive wheel passes through the first gap when the drive wheel enters the partial track, and a second auxiliary track on a far side of the second gap in the traveling direction and in contact with a lower end of the second auxiliary wheel while the lower end of the drive wheel passes through the second gap when the drive wheel leaves the partial track.

A traveling vehicle system includes a track including a first gap, a partial track, and a second gap, a traveling vehicle including a drive wheel and first and second auxiliary wheels, a first auxiliary track on a near side of the first gap in a traveling direction and in contact with a lower end of the first auxiliary wheel while a lower end of the drive wheel passes through the first gap when the drive wheel enters the partial track, and a second auxiliary track on a far side of the second gap in the traveling direction and in contact with a lower end of the second auxiliary wheel while the lower end of the drive wheel passes through the second gap when the drive wheel leaves the partial track.

Provided herein are transit systems for travel overhead of streets, having: at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle; a main track on which the vehicles travel, the main track having a suspended overhead rail over the streets by a support structure, such that the vehicles travel at an elevated level overhead of street level; docking stations for the vehicles to lower to the street level for loading and/or unloading passengers and/or cargo; a two-position switch at each docking station, having cables enabling vertical movement of the vehicle, and a replacement track; wherein the two-position switch allows for docking of the first vehicle while the second vehicle passes the docked first vehicle, by enabling lowering of the first vehicle from the elevated level to the street level, and the replacement track providing a track portion for the second vehicle on which to pass the first vehicle.