An electrical brake mechanism for a caster can reliably brake a caster. A switch is mounted on a target to which a caster is attached and outputting an instruction signal to a brake device, a detector is provided on a rotating shaft of the cam and arranged in correspondence with each of positions of a plurality of cam surfaces, a sensor is provided for detecting abutment between each of the cam surfaces and an operation shaft by the detector, a motor is provided for rotating by an input of the switch and for stopping if the sensor detects the position of the predetermined cam surface, and a gear train is provided for transmitting rotation of the motor to the rotating shaft of the cam.

An arrangement for limiting rotation, the arrangement including a base structure; a drive member rotatable relative to the base structure and having a drive feature; a stopping member having at least one driven feature, wherein the stopping member is arranged to be intermittently driven relative to the base structure between a plurality of discrete positions by a continuous rotation of the drive member and by cooperation between the drive feature and at least one driven feature, wherein the stopping member in a first end discrete position is arranged to limit rotation of the drive member in a first end position of a rotation range of the drive member; and a holding mechanism arranged to hold the stopping member in each discrete position, the holding mechanism being at least partly provided in the base structure.

A material vehicle, a traction apparatus and system, a method for controlling the bidirectional traveling of a material vehicle, and a storage medium. A material vehicle (10) comprises a vehicle body (101), an unlocking assembly (102), a plurality of front universal wheels (103) and a plurality of rear universal wheels (104), wherein the plurality of front universal wheels (103) and the plurality of rear universal wheels (104) are all in a locked state; the vehicle body (101) is used for placing a target article; the unlocking assembly (102) is used for releasing the plurality of front universal wheels (103) from the locked state when same are in a horizontal rotation direction, and controlling the material vehicle (10) to travel in a first direction by means of the plurality of front universal wheels (103); and the unlocking assembly (102) is further used for releasing the plurality of rear universal wheels (104) from the locked state when same are in the horizontal rotation direction, and controlling the material vehicle (10) to travel in a second direction by means of the plurality of rear universal wheels (104), the first direction and the second direction being opposite to each other. By means of the unlocking assembly, the plurality of front universal wheels or the plurality of rear universal wheels can be released from the locked state thereof, such that the material vehicle can change the positions of driving wheels, and bidirectional traveling can be realized without needing to turn the material vehicle around.

A patient transport apparatus including a support structure movable between a chair configuration for traversing floor surfaces and a stowed configuration for storage. A seat section is pivotably coupled to the support structure. A caster assembly includes a pin coupled to the support structure and defining a swivel axis, a caster frame arranged to pivot about the swivel axis between a plurality of caster orientations, a wheel coupled to the caster frame and arranged for engagement with the floor in the chair configuration, and a biasing mechanism interposed between the caster frame and the pin. The biasing mechanism urges the caster frame toward a stowed caster orientation in response to disengagement between the wheel and floor surfaces occurring as the support structure moves from the chair configuration to the stowed configuration.

A caster has a mount, a housing, a horn rotatable relative to the housing about a swivel axis, spaced apart forks on lateral sides of the horn, a wheel assembly disposed between the forks, a swivel locking ring disposed in the horn, and a braking member having a bridging portion and first and second plunger portions projecting away from the bridging portion. The bridging portion has a tooth rack extending outward. The first and second plunger portions project from the bridging portion in a direction opposite the tooth rack and have brake blocks. A brake lever arm is pivotally connected with the housing and movable between engaged and disengaged positions. An engagement pin extends through the housing and the interior of the horn and has first and second ends. The first end is connected with the brake lever arm, and the second end abuts the braking member bridging portion.

A patient transport apparatus including a support structure movable between a chair configuration for traversing floor surfaces and a stowed configuration for storage. A seat section is pivotably coupled to the support structure. A caster assembly includes a pin coupled to the support structure and defining a swivel axis, a caster frame arranged to pivot about the swivel axis between a plurality of caster orientations, a wheel coupled to the caster frame and arranged for engagement with the floor in the chair configuration, and a biasing mechanism interposed between the caster frame and the pin. The biasing mechanism urges the caster frame toward a stowed caster orientation in response to disengagement between the wheel and floor surfaces occurring as the support structure moves from the chair configuration to the stowed configuration.

A self-positioning swivel caster may include a swivel mechanism that defines a home position of the caster. The swivel mechanism may include a compression spring, an upper cam, and a lower cam that is coupled to the caster wheel, in which the upper and lower cams include mating surfaces that define the home position. A bias force applied by the compression spring to the upper cam may cause rotation of the lower cam to the home position. When coupled to mobile containers, self-positioning swivel casters in home positions may increase clearance under the mobile containers for robotic drive units or other material handling equipment used to move the mobile containers, and the self-positioning swivel casters in home positions may also prevent drift or rolling of the mobile containers away from current locations.

A patient transport apparatus comprises a support structure and at least one caster assembly coupled to the structure to facilitate movement of the structure along a floor. Each caster assembly comprises a wheel, an actuator moveable between three actuator positions, a steer lock assembly moveable by the actuator between a steer and non-steer locked state, and a brake assembly movable by the actuator between a braked and unbraked state. The brake assembly includes a plunger, a retainer coupled to the plunger, a brake pad for sliding movement along the retainer, and a brake biasing element disposed between the plunger and the brake pad to urge the brake pad away from the plunger such that movement of the actuator to place the brake assembly in the braked state simultaneously brings the brake pad into engagement with the wheel and slides the brake pad along the retainer to compress the biasing element.

The present disclosure relates to a wheel connecting structure and a baby carrier. The wheel connecting structure includes a fixed base, a rotatable base, a rotating shaft and an anti-swing member. The rotatable base is rotatably connected to the fixed base by the rotating shaft. The anti-swing member has an abutting portion. The anti-swing member is arranged on one of the fixed base and the rotatable base, and the abutting portion abuts against the other of the fixed base and the rotatable base. The abutting portion is provided with a lubricating structure.

A wheel locking apparatus for locking the movement of a wheel assembly, said apparatus including an actuating means and a locking assembly. The locking assembly can include at least one locking arm. The actuating means can be configured to extend a locking arm from a first position to a second position. The locking arm is actuated into the second position to engage an aperture of the wheel assembly thereby locking the wheel assemblies. A locking arm having a locking pin portion that can be located at the second end of the locking arm. The locking pin portion can have a cavity wherein a portion of the locking arm fits within the locking pin portion. A biasing means can be located within the cavity and allow the locking pin position to move along a linear axis when a compressive force is applied to the end of the locking pin portion.