A method for producing vehicles, in which vehicle bodies are conveyed through multiple treatment devices in order to carry out multiple work steps. In two successive work steps, work processes of different types are carried out on the vehicle bodies. The vehicle bodies are conveyed at least from a corrosion protection treatment process to a final assembly process in a surface treatment system for treating the surface of the vehicle bodies at least along some regions by a driverless transport system that has a plurality of floor-bound transport carriages which travel on a travel floor and each of which carries a dedicated drive system and is driven and moved independently of one another. Furthermore, a surface treatment system is provided for treating the surface of vehicle bodies using multiple treatment devices, wherein a driverless transport system is provided that includes a plurality of floor-bound transport carriages, on each of which a respective vehicle body is secured and which travel on a travel floor, and each transport carriage carries a dedicated drive system and can be driven and moved independently of one another.

A carrying device for receiving goods, which comprises a carrying wall, having a front wall and a rear wall, and a closing device, having at least one closing structure for releasably connecting the front wall to the rear wall in a closed state. The carrying wall is here arrangeable between the closed state and an open state, wherein in the closed state, it delimits a carrying volume for receiving the goods at least partially to the front, bottom and rear, and wherein in the open state, it opens up the carrying volume in the downward direction. The at least one closing structure is arrangeable, in the open state, at a spacing from the carrying wall.

An area storage for storing vehicle bodies, the longitudinal extension of which equals at least one and a half times the transverse extension thereof, having a storage area having at least two storage spaces and two associated vehicle body receptacles, wherein the storage area is designed such that vehicle bodies can be stored on the storage area in a plane on the at least two storage spaces on one of the vehicle body receptacles in each case, at least one multi-track industrial vehicle, which can be coupled to the vehicle body receptacle. The industrial vehicle is designed for omnidirectional travel, such that the direction of conveyance can be chosen independently of the orientation of the industrial vehicle and the industrial vehicle having the coupled vehicle body receptacle can carry out a conveyance direction change without changing the relative orientation of the vehicle body receptacle and industrial vehicle. A method for conveying vehicle body receptacles is also disclosed.

An automated baggage conveyor and storage system used in a transportation vehicle for receiving baggage from a passenger. The system includes a vertical conveyor, with drive motor. The vertical conveyor includes baggage trays mounted on a conveyor belt and under the control of an electronic sensor for starting and stopping the conveyor belt. Next to the top of the vertical conveyor is one end of a motor driven, horizontal conveyor. When a passenger places a piece of baggage on one of the trays, it is lifted to the top of the vertical conveyor and transferred to the horizontal conveyor. The piece of baggage is then moved along a length of the overhead storage compartment, where the baggage remains stored during transit.

A lifting device 1 includes an upper station 2, a lower station 3, and lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11. The upper station 2 and the lower station 3 have horizontal placing tables 5 and 6, respectively. The horizontal placing tables 5 and 6 move only in the horizontal direction. The lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11 move only in the vertical direction. When any of the lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11 is in the upper station 2, the upper side horizontal placing table 5 is at a position adjacent to the lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11 to form a series of conveying passages. When the lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11 move away from the upper station 2, the upper side horizontal placing table 5 moves to a position where the lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11 used to exist. When the lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11 move away from the lower station 3, the lower side horizontal placing table 6 moves to a position where the lifting and lowering placing tables 10 and 11 used to exist.

An autonomous vehicle, for example, an automated guided vehicle or an autonomous mobile robot, has a support structure having a general double-hull configuration, with two separate longitudinal hulls, parallel to each other and transversely spaced apart, and at least two bridge structures that connect the hulls to each other. The aforesaid bridge structures have ends connected to the two hulls by interposition of elastic joints, in such a way that the two hulls are free to perform differentiated oscillating movements so as to allow the front wheels and the rear wheels of the vehicle to remain in contact with the surface on which the vehicle is moving, even when this surface has irregularities and/or slope variations.

A method for controlling a variable production line using a skid-type variable workbench and an apparatus for the same. According to the method, a process group including multiple variable workbenches may be organized based on a design, each of the multiple variable workbenches may be mounted on an upper part of a skid board, the skid board may be loaded on a powered line that moves at a regular speed in a fixed direction, the skid board may be moved in consideration of a position of a worker responsible for each process and a work state of the process group, and movement of a target variable workbench may be stopped by removing a skid board, on which the target variable workbench corresponding to an unload instruction in the process group is mounted, from the powered line when the unload instruction is input by a worker.

A paddle bracket with superior durability and a grain elevator chain including such a paddle bracket are disclosed. The paddle brackets are used to connect paddles for moving the grain to the chain. Each paddle bracket has a brace portion for giving additional support to the intermediate portion of the bracket between the portion of the paddle bracket that connects to the other links in the chain and that portion of the paddle bracket that attaches to the paddle. An austempering process for forming a bainitic microstructure in the paddle bracket to further enhance the strength of the paddle bracket is also disclosed.

A jump shuttle conveyor system is configured to receive formed food patties from a molding assembly of a patty forming machine. The system includes a lifting plate and belt assembly coupled to a frame which are configured to be indexed to different vertical positions relative to the frame. Formed food patties are received on a belt of the belt assembly thereon, and can be moved off of the belt onto a transfer shuttle conveyor system. An output conveyor system can be provided to receive the formed food patties.

A belt conveyor having a platform that is movable from a retracted position recessed into a conveyor belt's top surface and an extended position above the top surface. The platform translates across the width of the belt in a slot to carry articles across the width of the belt. Guides in the conveyor below the belt have cam surfaces that raise and lower the carrier and translate it across the belt. The carrier may include a cam-actuated lever to flip articles on the belt or off a side of the belt.