CONTAINER VEHICLE AND CONTAINER VEHICLE CHANGING FACILITIES

摘要

A transport carriage adaptable for use in a transfer system having both rail-guided and railless conveying regions. The steering mechanism of this carriage has a yoke connected to another vehicular carriage or tractor for imparting a steering movement to the carriage when the carriage is in the railless conveying region and at least one guide roller for imparting a steering movement to the carriage when the roller is in contact with the rails of the rail-guided conveying region. A guiding arm which transmits steering movement to the wheels of the carriage through transmissions is selectively coupled to the yoke for receiving steering movement therefrom when the carriage is in the railless conveying region. The guide roller is mounted to the guiding arm to impart steering movement to the guiding arm when the arm is decoupled from the yoke and the roller contacts the rails of the rail-guided conveying region. The transfer system has control apparatus for selectively coupling and decoupling the guide arm to the yoke at transition points between the two conveying regions.