Abstract: A golf cart system which can be installed on the fairway of a golf course. The cart system has improved power economy and anti-rolling and anti-pitching motions of the cart. The golf cart system includes a track embedded in the ground and a cart adapted to run on the track. According to the golf cart system, since the track exposed at the ground is very narrow, there is less chance of a golf ball hitting against the track. Even if a golf ball should happen to accidentally hit the exposed track portion, the ball will bounce similarly as when striking on natural grass if the exposed track portion is covered by elastic members such as artificial turf. This makes it possible to install the golf cart system on the fairway of a golf course. In addition, the rolling motion of the cart is effectively prevented by the first and second anti-rolling rollers.

Abstract: A golf cart system which can be installed on the fairway of a golf course and which is excellent in power economy and anti-overturn effect. The golf cart system includes a track embedded in the ground and a cart running on the track. According to the golf cart system, since the track width exposed at the ground is very narrow, there is little chance of a golf ball hitting against the track. Even if a golf ball should happen to accidentally hit the exposed track portion, the ball will bound similarly as when striking on natural grass if the exposed track portion is covered by elastic members such as artificial turf. This makes it possible to install the golf cart system on the fairway of a golf course. In addition, since the anti-overturn rollers are so arranged that they elastically press onto the side walls of the track, the load acting between the driving wheels and the track is only the dead weight of the cart itself and therefore no excessive frictional force acts therebetween.

Abstract: A conveyor for use in a room with a high degree of cleanness and which can convey wafers one by one stably, without generation of dust. The conveyor has vehicles having a slit in the surface on which a wafer can be placed, permanent magnets provided on the undersurface of the vehicle, and a magnetic fluid interposed between the permanent magnets and a transporting course for floating the vehicle. By moving the vehicle along the transporting course by linear motors or by driving devices of the rope trolley type, wafers are conveyed one by one on the vehicle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tamper resistant assembly of a roller or slider in a track that can be used advantageously in schools, public buildings, detention facilities and the like; wherever the potential for vandalism and mischief is likely. In the present device the track is provided with unique sloped ends which expel, up and out, any foreign material placed in the track as it is moved along by the roller or slider toward the end of the track where it would ordinarily jam.

Abstract: A conveyor system utilizing the linear motor, comprising a conveyor cart and a guide rail for movably supporting the conveyor cart. The guide rail includes primary coils, and the conveyor cart includes a flexible secondary conductor extending longitudinally of the cart so as to follow the guide rail. The primary coils comprise a station primary coil disposed at each loading and unloading station for stopping and starting the converyor cart, two primary coils adjacent opposite ends of the station primary coil for decelerating the conveyor cart that is to be stopped at the station by the station primary coil and for accelerating the conveyor cart having started from the station to a target running speed, and a plurality of intermediate accelerating primary coils disposed between two adjacent stations for accelerating the conveyor cart to maintain the latter at the target running speed.

Abstract: A golf cart system includes a longitudinal rail having a transverse cross section defined by spaced side walls joined at lower ends thereof by a bottom wall having an inner upper surface. The side walls have at upper ends thereof upper walls extending inwardly toward each other and having inner lower surfaces. The upper walls have spaced inner edges having extending upwardly therefrom mouth portions. The inner edges and the mouth portions define therebetween a longitudinal groove opening downwardly into the interior of the rail. The rail is embedded in the ground of a golf course with upper edges of the mouth portions substantially flush with the ground surface. A golf cart is movable along the rail and has support structure extending downwardly therefrom through the longitudinal groove of the rail. Wheels are mounted on the support structure within the rail interior and contact the inner upper surface of the rail bottom wall. The cart supports a drive to rotate the wheels to move the cart along the rail.

Abstract: Conveyor assemblies adapted for use in painting booths, embodying conveyor units having upper and lower frames spaced apart by post portions aligned in the direction of travel. A dust cover encloses the drive mechanism and has a top wall between the upper and lower frames. A slot is provided to permit passage of the aligned post portions, and the slot is covered by a resilient flexible flap which can be displaced by the post portions as they travel through the slot. The drive mechanism includes alternative drive chains, one of which has a pusher for effecting advance of the units, the other of which has a bifurcated coupling which may effect both advance and retraction of the units along their path of travel. The lower frame has swivelable wheels which may ride in the elevated wheel-guide tracks in the painting booth to provide stabilization of the frame against lateral sway.

Abstract: A motorless toy vehicle and propelling track. The toy vehicle includes a gear housing having a drive system, the drive system including a drive gear and a ratchet means for controlling the direction of rotation of the drive gear. The track is adapted to receive and laterally direct the toy vehicle as it passes there along and includes a rack coextensive with the track having upwardly disposed teeth there along which operably engage with the drive gear. A rack drive reciprocates the rack back and forth in the track interacting with the ratcheted drive gear to propel the toy vehicle in the direction determined by the position of the ratchet means. Hill and switch tracks are also provided.

Abstract: An improved motive structure for transporting workpieces (wafers, chip, packages, etc.) between processing stations or tools in a manufacturing operation. The structure includes a first circular crankshaft assembly connected to center axles disposed at right angles to the transport motion. A second such crankshaft assembly is located some distance along the path of motion. Three driverods are connected between the first and second crankshaft assemblies, each affixed 120.degree. apart on the circular crankshafts so that each driverod is moved upward, then forward along the transport direction, then downward and backward to its original position as the crankshafts go through a complete 360.degree. rotation. The structure is disposed beneath transport rails which hold movable containers for holding the workpieces. As a driverod moves up and forward, it contacts a spring-loaded element on the movable container and drives it forward by friction contact.

Abstract: Cargo and passenger vehicles are pneumatically propelled by a system comprising a bifurcated rail module assembled on a beam, for establishing two alternative routes for the rail network, according to a position adopted by line changing equipment. Switch points in the rails are synchronized by an actuator located below the beam, the motion of which is transmitted by torque tubes that drive the switch points. The control motion of the switch points is transmitted further by connecting rods located below the beam, to a torque tube that moves segments of articulated rail for clearing the passage of driving vanes connected to the vehicle through a longitudinal slot in the beam, in the same direction established by the position of the switch points of the line changing equipment. Stop valves for the module are provided in the two bifurcated ends of the duct for interrupting the flow in the portion of the line not selected by the line changing equipment.

Abstract: A conveyor system (28-30) includes a track (110) and a conveyor chain (70) for movement along the track. The conveyor chain comprises a plurality of identical links (72) each including a first connection member (74), spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending plates (76) and a second connection member (78). The plates are connected to the connection members for pivotal movement about vertical axes, and the connection member of adjacent links are connected to each other for pivotal movement about horizontal axes thereby accommodating horizontal and vertical flexure of the conveyor chain. The conveyor chain (70) is actuated by a drive mechanism (180) including a drive chain (198) and chain engaging members (206) carried thereby which engage the conveyor chain along an arc having a substantial radius, thereby propelling the conveyor chain through the track (110) without subjecting the conveyor chain to periods of high acceleration.

Abstract: A ski comprising a guide pipe (2) guiding a string of elements that transmit a towing force to any conventional towing device attached to the string at suitable intervals. Instead of being a tension element like a wire, a rope or the like, which is conventional in known ski tows, the string consists of separate pressure elements (7), each having at either end an end face contacting the opposed end face of an adjacent element, whereby the towing force is transmitted by pushing the string, which is accordingly subjected to a compression force.

Abstract: A conveyor system or plant has linked carriages including at least one driver carriage which has a motor unit for moving the linked carriages along a rail path. The rail path has a pair of side rails on which freely-rotatable wheels of the carriages run and a central rail upon which the motor unit of the drive carriage acts. Power for the motor unit is taken, through sliding contacts, from feed rods along the path.

Abstract: A floor conveyor eliminates inclination and rolling of a vehicular body during conveying. A pair of channel members having a substantially rectangular recess on one side are oppositely arranged just under a working floor with sufficiently large spacing defined therebetween to form a carrier track, and cylindrical travelling rollers arranged at front and rear portions of a carrier are inserted into the recess of the rails. Vertical shaft guide rollers are rotatably supported on the travelling roller shafts of the carrier. At a substantially central position just above the roller shafts the rollers have a width smaller than a spacing between the rails. The support legs are inserted through the guide channels, and comprise a C-shaped structure where a part of the support legs on the floor surface is recessed sidewardly with respect to a conveying direction.

Abstract: A golf cart propelling system includes a rail formed by a plurality of channel members, each having a U-shaped cross section defined by spaced side walls joined at lower ends thereof by a bottom wall. The side walls have at upper ends thereof flanges extending inwardly toward each other and defining therebetween a longitudinal groove. The channel members are buried in the ground to define a rail extending through selected locations of a golf course with portions of the flanges flush with the ground surface and with the longitudinal grooves of the channel members defining a continuous rail groove. A golf cart has front and rear wheel members running on the flange portions of the rail. Each wheel member has a width no greater than the width of the exposed flange portions. The golf cart is prevented from falling sideways from the rail by at least one vertical shaft attached to the golf cart and extending downwardly therefrom through the groove into the interior of the rail.

Abstract: A load handling trolley of the type that normally run in channels tracks comprises an elongate load engager raisable and lowerable relative to at least one bogie assembly via a ramp-and-roller when the engager and the bogie assembly are caused to move longitudinally relative to each other, and a positive retention mechanism positioned between the engager and bogie assembly.

Abstract: A two-tiered display rack merchandiser for gravity feeding two columns of products one after another to the front of the rack as the lead product in either column is successively removed by a customer, each column of which includes a roller-mounted tray which, when loaded with product, is operative to push products located in front of the tray forwardly over a slip surface over which the products would not slide in the absence of the roller-mounted tray pusher at the rear of the column. The rollers of each tray are entrapped within tracks which extend parallel to opposite sides of the slip surfaces such that the trays cannot easily be removed from the rack.

Abstract: Articles are transferred in a coverless casing while avoiding contamination. The casing is disposed in a first tunnel zone and attached to, but isolated with separator, from a driving assembly located in a second tunnel zone. Air openings exist between the separators through which a column connects the casing to the driving assembly. Blowers force air through a filter into the first tunnel zone, where it flows through the air openings into the second tunnel zone, then is withdrawn through an air outlet. This air flow keeps the first tunnel zone clean by not permitting contaminants from the second tunnel zone to enter the first tunnel zone.

Abstract: A small article moving system is disclosed, having an upper plate spaced from a lower plate. The upper and lower plates each have vertically aligned guide channels. An article support rod is inserted into the guide channels at either end and is powered by two pivoting drive arms, each having an elongated slot. The slots intersect at a common opening through which the support rod lies. The arms can be controlled to vary the direction and speed of the rod through the channels.

Abstract: An automatic transportation system and the vehicles thereof for use, for example, in transporting golf clubs and related equipment around a golf course. The system includes U-shaped channel members embedded end-to-end in the ground provided with pulleys therein for guiding a closed cable therealong in a predetermined path, and a cart having a truck, a grip extending from the truck clampable to the cable so that the cart is pulled by the cable when the cable is moved along the path, a main wheel rotatably mounted to the truck centrally thereof for supporting the cart on the channel members, and a guide device mounted to the truck and extendable into the channel members for engaging the interior surface of the channel members to prevent the cart from falling over and preventing contact between the grip and the pulleys.

Abstract: A drive platform assembly is provided for attachment to the carriage of an existing manually-operable fabric spreading machine to convert the machine to motorized operation. The drive platform is connected to the fabric spreading carriage of the fabric spreading machine and includes a drive motor which drives the drive platform in both a forward and reverse direction thereby enabling the carriage to spread successive layers of fabric onto a cutting table. This motion of the drive platform is guided by guide wheel assemblies which cooperate with a guide track mounted on the cutting table. This apparatus includes a speed control and a pair of cam assemblies which automatically reverse the direction of travel of the drive platform and the fabric spreading carriage at the end of each spreading stroke. The drive platform assembly includes a platform upon which an operator may stand to regulate the speed of the fabric spreading carriage, and also to observe and regulate the spreading operation.

Abstract: A truck conveyor for conveying an article along a selected conveyance path is provided. The truck conveyor includes a series of trolleys which are guided along a trolley rail. An article carrier for receiving articles is connected with the series of trolleys for conveying an article along the rail. A drive mechanism engageable with the trolleys is provided for conveying the trolleys and the article carrier along the rail. A device is provided at the rear of a stopped carrier to automatically disengage the drive mechanism from the trolleys of a trailing carrier when it is carried toward engagement with the stopped article carrier.

Abstract: A sorting and/or conveying system and relevant working plants wherein there are used a set of carriages preferably automatically tilting, dragged along a pre-determined path, there being provided a preferably tubular guide with a longitudinal opening, on the inside of which there glide a certain number of spindles or the like, worked, through proper openings made along the guide, by one or more driving wheels linked to the power plant, to some of these spindles there being fastened the supports of the carriages.

Abstract: A guideway system for cargo including vehicles is provided wherein a carriage glides on a rail mounted in a channel. The rail has compressed air discharge ports and vacuum intake ports positioned longitudinally therealong. The compressed air ports emit sufficient air to provide an air support cushion under the carriage and to impart positive air pressure behind it while the vacuum ports reduce the air pressure forward of the carriage to create an air pressure differential that propels the carriage along such rail. Vehicles drive onto a carriage, are secured in place and are conveyed to a desired station on such carriage. The vehicle then unloads from the carriage and drives off to its final destination. Similarly, other cargo is loaded onto a carriage and unloaded at its destination.

Abstract: A tow wheel attachment for an automobile and which is used in conjunction with an underground conveyor system comprising a tubular metal frame having a base, a pair of legs extending divergently outwardly from the base and a horizontal crossbeam interconnecting the legs intermediate their ends; a wheel rotatably mounted on the base; a pair of brake disks disposed on appropriate sides of the wheel; a pair of mounting brackets affixed to the outer ends of the legs for the purpose of attaching the frame to the lower surface of the automobile; and a hydraulic cylinder connected at one end to the frame and at its other end to the center of the crossbeam for the purpose of lowering and raising the frame.

Abstract: A towcart conveyor system comprising a conveyor movable below the floor surface and having a pusher, and a plurality of towcarts. Each towcart comprises a body movable along the floor surface and an upright member on the forward end of the body. A towpin support member is pivoted at its upper end adjacent the upper end of the upright member. A towpin is mounted on the support member and a combined spring and shock absorber assembly is interposed between the towpin support member and a portion of the body and is operable to absorb the shock of engagement of the pusher of the conveyor with the towpin and is operable to return the towpin support member and the towpin to its original position when the pusher becomes disengaged from the towpin.

Abstract: An electrical power supply conduit comprises an elongate electrical conductor located in the conduit, the latter preferably being pressurized with clean air or an inert gas and having an entry slot extending longitudinally, through which slot, in use, an electrical pick up e.g. a pantograph of an electrical machine may enter the conduit to gain access to the electrical conductor, with a flexible mechanical seal extending longitudinally of the conduit and normally closing the slot.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a dual-mode bus which is operable on a guideway under automatic control and also operable on ordinary surface streets or highways under the control by a bus driver. The dual-mode bus comprises a rear axle having at both ends thereof traction wheels, a frame supported on the axle and a current collector. A floating support is connected between a differential gear housing of the rear axle and the frame and has two spaced portions, first one of which is disposed nearer to the axle than second one of the two spaced portions thereof. An arm having two spaced portions is provided, first one and second one of which are connected to the first and second portions of the floating support, respectively. The arm carries the current collector at a third portion spaced on the same side as the first portion of the arm, from the second portion of the arm. The third portion is spaced, further than the first portion of said arm, from the second portion of the arm.