A conveyor system including a fixed, non-powered rail defining a conveyor path, and a plurality of automated conveyor carriers supported on the rail. Each carrier includes an on-board motor, at least one wheel forming an interface with the rail, and an on-board power source selectively powering the on-board motor to drive the ACC along the rail. Each of the plurality of carriers operates to power the on-board motor from the on-board power source under the direction of instructions programmed to a local controller.

A conveyor system including a fixed, non-powered rail defining a conveyor path, and a plurality of automated conveyor carriers supported on the rail. Each carrier includes an on-board motor, at least one wheel forming an interface with the rail, and an on-board power source selectively powering the on-board motor to drive the ACC along the rail. Each of the plurality of carriers operates to power the on-board motor from the on-board power source under the direction of instructions programmed to a local controller.

An automated conveyor carrier includes a first trolley and a second trolley. The first trolley includes an on-board motor and at least one drive wheel driven from the on-board motor and configured for engagement with a conveyor rail. An on-board power source is configured to selectively power the on-board motor to drive the at least one drive wheel. The second trolley includes at least one wheel configured for engagement with the rail. A load bar connects the first trolley and the second trolley. The on-board power source is supported by the load bar between the first and second trolleys.

An automated carrier system is disclosed for moving objects to be processed. The automated carrier system includes a base structure of a carrier on which an object may be supported, and at least two wheels mounted to at least two motors to provide at least two wheel assemblies, the at least two wheel assemblies being pivotally supported on the base structure for pivoting movement from a first position to a second position to effect a change in direction of movement of the carrier.

A maintenance system is disclosed for assisting in maintaining an automated carrier system for moving objects to be processed. The maintenance system includes a plurality of automated carriers that are adapted to move on an array of discontinuous standard track sections, each said automated carrier including a carrier body that is no larger in either a length or width direction that a standard track section, and an automated maintenance carrier that is adapted to move on the array of discontinuous track sections, said automated maintenance system including a maintenance body that is larger in at least one of a length or width direction than the standard track section.

A rail-led conveying device includes a conveying vehicle with at least three runner rollers for rolling conveying along a rail guide. Rotation planes of the at least three runner rollers are arranged at an angle of greater than 0 and smaller than 180 relative to one another. The associated conveying installation includes a plurality of such conveying devices as well as a corresponding rail guidance with a rail body. The rail body includes a rail body longitudinal section with three runner surfaces that are arranged on the outer periphery of the rail body and are for the at least three runner rollers of the conveying device. The surface normals of the three runner surfaces are arranged at an angle to one another of greater than 0 and smaller than 180.

The invention relates to a flexible manual storage system comprising: a rolling track (3); piece-holding chains (1, 1, 1) formed by a variable number of crossbars (1a, 1b, 1c) provided with through-holes (12) form which pieces can be suspended; shock absorbing end parts (4) and carns (6) for connecting consecutive piece-holding chains (1, 1, 1); and rolling assemblies (2) provided with a casing (25) having a U-shaped cross-section and equipped with at least one pair of rollers (26) bearing on a guide (31) of a rolling track (3) and with a vertical shaft (21) for supporting the crossbars of a piece-holding chains. The rolling track (3) comprises at least one first segment (3a) and one second segment (3b) that can be coupled to one another and a station (8) at which successive piece-holding chains can be stopped and disconnected from one another.

An object processing system is disclosed that includes a plurality of track sections, and a plurality of remotely actuatable carriers for controlled movement along at least portions of the plurality of track sections, each of the actuatable carriers being instructed at any time to move a limited number of track section only.

A connection adapter for a connection of profile segments of a rail profile in a conveying device for conveying hanging objects. The connection adapter has, on its inside, a running surface for the mounting of holding adapters mounted such as on rollers, where the running surface is disposed in an inclined manner with respect to a profile extension direction of the connection adapter in such a way that a cross-section of an inner space of the connection adapter, which is defined by the running surface, is larger at a first end face of the connection adapter than at a second end face of the connection adapter.

A bin exchange system is disclosed that includes a plurality of automated carriers, each of which is adapted to be remotely movable on an array of track sections, at least one input station by which bins may be introduced to the array of track sections, at least one processing station in communication with the array of track sections wherein objects may be moved between bins, and at least one output station by which bins may be removed from the array of track sections.