Coupling device for the coupling of transport trolleys

摘要

A coupling device for the coupling and uncoupling of transport trolleys to and from a trolley row is provided. According to the invention, of two separate coupling elements of the coupling device which can be activated in dependence on or independently of one another and in which one coupling element is aligned with the front and the other coupling element with the rear region of the transport trolley, only the coupling element located opposite the free, that is to say non-coupled coupling element can be activated when a release mechanism is actuated. Thus, only a transport trolley coupled at the end of a trolley row can be uncoupled forwards or rearwards, whilst a trolley properly coupled in an intermediate position cannot be uncoupled and therefore a stipulated row also cannot be separated. According to another embodiment, each coupling device can also have two appropriately aligned coupling elements connected rigidly to one another. In this case, the two coupling elements connected rigidly to one another can be activated only when one of the two coupling elements is not coupled, that is to say is free. As a result, only the last or the first trolley can be uncoupled from a properly parked trolley row.