HK1226453B - Intersecting track and switching device - Google Patents

Description

Cross track and conversion device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a cross track for vehicles to travel between two main line tracks and a conversion device arranged on the cross track.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-036261, filed on February 27, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background Art

As a new mode of transportation besides buses and railways, rail transit systems are known that use running wheels made of rubber wheels on tracks. Such rail transit systems are generally called new transit systems, AGT (Automated Guideway Transit), and APM (Automated People Mover).

In such a rail transit system, guide wheels provided on a vehicle are caused to roll in contact with guide rails provided along the track, thereby enabling the vehicle to be guided on the track.

However, in the aforementioned rail transit system, two main lines are arranged side by side to form a double track in order to allow vehicles to travel in two different directions simultaneously. Furthermore, in some sections, a crossover track is provided to allow vehicles to travel back and forth between the two main lines, and a splitter is provided to allow vehicles to selectively travel between the crossover track and the main line.

Here, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a track provided with such a crossover track (transition travel path) and a branching device (switching mechanism).

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-64312

Summary of the Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

However, in branch sections using crossover rails, such as those described in Patent Document 1, vehicles can only move from one mainline track to another when traveling in one direction. Therefore, to allow vehicles to move between the mainline tracks when approaching from either direction on the mainline track, branch sections using crossover rails must be provided at two locations. This increases the length of the branch section, the area where vehicles move between the mainline tracks. Furthermore, a longer branch section increases the overall track area occupied, potentially causing inconvenience when introducing a new rail transit system in an urban area.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides an intersecting track capable of shortening a branch section with a simple structure, and a switching device provided on the intersecting track.

Technical solutions to technical problems

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

That is, as one form of the crossing track of the present invention, it includes: two main rails for vehicles to travel; a pair of first guide parts, which are provided on the two main rails and guide a pair of first guide wheels on both sides of the vehicle on the outside of the two main rails; a crossing track, which is provided in pair and intersects with each other between the two main rails, so that the vehicle can reciprocate between the two main rails; a second guide part, which is respectively provided on the inner side of the pair of crossing rails, and guides the second guide wheels provided at the lower part of the vehicle; a branch part, which is provided on the main rail and can branch the direction of the vehicle into a direction along the main rail and a direction along the crossing rail; a conversion device, which is provided in the intersection area of the second guide parts in the pair of crossing rails, selectively converts the direction along one second guide part and the direction along the other second guide part, and can guide the second guide wheel in either direction.

With this crossing track, a so-called side-guiding system, in which vehicles are guided by a first guide section, is employed on the mainline track, while a so-called center-guiding system, in which vehicles are guided by a second guide section, is employed on the crossover track. Therefore, unlike when side-guiding is also employed on the crossover track, the amount of overlap required to allow vehicles to transition from one first guide section to the other can be reduced.

Furthermore, by using lateral guidance on the main track, the vehicle can achieve stable and high-speed travel. To achieve stability during high-speed travel with center guidance, the guide section must be located at a high position. However, this makes the main track and vehicle structures more complex, inevitably increasing costs. The present invention, by using lateral guidance on the main track, achieves both high-speed stability and cost reduction.

Furthermore, a switching device is installed at the intersection of the second guide sections in the crossover track. Simply activating this switching device enables the vehicle to travel in a center-guided manner. In other words, even when employing an X-branch arrangement with the crossover track arranged in an intersecting pattern, there is no need to switch the entire crossover track to select the vehicle's travel direction. Therefore, there is no need for a large mechanism capable of supporting the vehicle's weight, as would be required when switching the entire crossover track. This minimizes the size of the equipment and reduces costs, while also shortening the branching section by employing an X-branch arrangement.

In addition, the above-mentioned conversion device may include: a rotating main body, which is arranged to have an axis passing through the center of the intersection area as a rotation center axis, can rotate along the upper surface of the crossover track to enable the second guide wheel to pass, and is formed with a guide groove portion for guiding the second guide wheel from both sides in the width direction of the crossover track; a driving portion, which drives the rotating main body to rotate it.

By installing this switching device, the vehicle's travel direction is selected by driving the rotating main body to rotate. Specifically, because the rotating main body operates on the crossover track's track surface, there's no need to locate switching device components below the crossover track. Consequently, there's no need to install the crossover track at a higher position, reducing the length of the crossover track's pillars and, consequently, the amount of materials (concrete, steel, etc.) required to construct the pillars, ultimately reducing costs.

Furthermore, since the guide groove portion for guiding the second guide wheel in the width direction is formed in the rotating body portion, the vehicle can be prevented from swinging in the width direction of the crossover track, thereby ensuring a smooth travel path and improving ride comfort.

In addition, in the above-mentioned conversion device, the driving part may include: a rod part, which is configured to be able to advance and retreat in a direction intersecting with the rotation center axis and is provided with a rack at one end; a connecting rod part, which has a pinion that meshes with the rack and rotates correspondingly to the advance and retreat of the rod part around an axis parallel to the rotation center axis, and the rotating main body part rotates as the pinion rotates.

By employing this type of drive unit in the conversion device, the rotating main body is rotated using the rod's linear motion mechanism. Consequently, a mechanism for advancing and retracting the rod can be installed on a plane along the crossover track's track surface. This eliminates the need for a mechanism for advancing and retracting the rod below the crossover track, eliminating the need to install the crossover track at a higher position. As a result, the length of the crossover track's pillars can be reduced, thereby reducing the amount of materials (concrete, steel, etc.) required to construct the pillars.

Furthermore, the main rotating unit rotates not directly but via the connecting rod. This allows for the absorption of positional deviations caused by backlash between the rack and pinion gears and thermal expansion and contraction of the rod. This improves the positioning accuracy of the main rotating unit without the use of additional stoppers, allowing the vehicle to travel smoothly on the crossover track.

Furthermore, by indirectly rotating the rotating main body portion using the link portion, a load is not directly applied from the vehicle to the mechanism for advancing and retracting the rod portion, thereby improving the durability of the drive portion.

In addition, a conversion device as one embodiment of the present invention is provided on a cross track, and the cross track includes: two main line rails for a vehicle to travel; a pair of first guide portions provided on the two main line rails for guiding first guide wheels of the vehicle; a pair of crossover rails provided so as to intersect each other between the two main line rails so as to enable the vehicle to reciprocate between the two main line rails; second guide portions provided on the inner sides of the pair of crossover rails for guiding second guide wheels provided on the lower part of the vehicle; and a branch portion provided on the main line rails for branching the direction of the vehicle into a direction along the main line rails and a direction along the crossover rails.

The conversion device is provided at an intersection area between the second guide portions in a pair of the crossover tracks, selectively converting a direction along one second guide portion and a direction along the other second guide portion, and can guide the second guide wheel in either direction.

With this conversion device, the conversion device is installed at the intersection of the second guide sections in the crossover track. Simply activating this intersection allows the vehicle to travel in a center-guided manner. This eliminates the need for a large mechanism capable of supporting the vehicle's weight, as would be required when converting the entire crossover track. This minimizes the size of the equipment and reduces costs.

Effects of the Invention

According to the above-described crossing track and switching device, by providing the switching device in the crossing area of the crossover track, it is possible to shorten the branch section with a simple structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a plan view showing a cross track according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG2 is a front view showing a vehicle running on the main track of the cross track according to the embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a plan view of the main track showing the position where the branch portion of the crossing track is provided according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view of the portion A of FIG. 1 .

Fig. 4A is a front view showing a state where the vehicle's travel direction is branched by a branching portion of the crossing track according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a cross section taken along line B-B in Fig. 3. The vehicle is shown traveling toward the main track.

Fig. 4B is a front view showing a state where the vehicle's travel direction is branched by the branching portion of the crossing track according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a cross section taken along line B-B in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the vehicle is shown traveling toward the crossover track.

FIG5A is a top view of the switching device for crossing tracks according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a situation where a vehicle is traveling on a crossover track.

FIG5B is a top view of the switching device for the crossing track according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a situation in which a vehicle is traveling on another crossover track.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the cross track 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As shown in Figure 1, the crossing track 1 includes two main rails 2 for the vehicle 100 to travel, a first guide portion 4 provided on these main rails 2 to guide the vehicle 100, a pair of crossover rails 3 provided between these main rails 2, a second guide portion 5 provided on the pair of crossover rails 3 to guide the vehicle 100, a branch portion 6 that guides the travel direction of the vehicle 100 to be along either the main rails 2 or the crossover rails 3, and a conversion device 7 provided on the crossover rails 3.

Here, the vehicle 100 running on the crossing track 1 of this embodiment includes: a vehicle body 101 that accommodates passengers, cargo, etc.; a traveling trolley 102 that is arranged at the lower part of the vehicle body 101 to support the vehicle body 101 and has rubber wheels 102a that can run on the main track 2 and the crossover track 3; a pair of first guide wheels 111 that are arranged on both sides of the traveling trolley 102; and second guide wheels 112 that are arranged at the lower part.

Furthermore, bifurcated wheels 113 are provided on both sides of the traveling carriage 102 . The bifurcated wheels 113 are provided below the first guide wheels 111 so as to correspond to the pair of first guide wheels 111 .

Here, the two side portions of the traveling vehicle 102 refer to the two side portions in the width direction intersecting the extending direction of the mainline rail 2 and the extending direction of the crossover rail 3 , that is, the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 .

The two main tracks 2 extend in parallel in the width direction, forming a so-called double-track structure in which the vehicle 100 can travel in different directions on each main track 2 .

Each main track 2 has a running path 2a erected from a track surface and on which the rubber wheels 102a roll.

The first guides 4 are guide rails provided on both sides of the width direction of each main rail 2 and on which the first guide wheels 111 contact and roll. The first guides 4 extend along the extending direction of the main rail 2 and are supported by support members (not shown) erected from the rail upper surface.

That is, in the main track 2 of the present embodiment, a so-called side guide type is adopted in which the vehicle 100 is guided at both sides in the width direction.

The crossover track 3 is provided between the two main tracks 2, sandwiched in the width direction of the main tracks 2. This allows the vehicle 100 to travel from one main track 2A (toward the upper side of the drawing in FIG1 ) to the other main track 2B (toward the lower side of the drawing in FIG1 ), and enables the vehicle 100 to travel back and forth between the main tracks 2A and 2B. Furthermore, the crossover track 3 includes a travel path 3a that branches from the travel path 2a of the main tracks 2 and is erected on the track surface of the crossover track 3, on which the rubber wheels 102a roll.

The crossover rails 3 are provided in a pair so as to intersect with each other, forming a so-called X-branch structure.

A crossover track guide 11 is provided between the intersection of the crossover track 3 and the portion connected to the mainline track 2, i.e., on one side of the crossover track 3 in the width direction (the side facing away from the mainline track 2). When the vehicle 100 travels on the crossover track 3, the branch wheels 113 of the traveling carriage 102 contact the crossover track guide 11 and roll thereon, thereby guiding the vehicle 100 along the crossover track 3.

The second guide portion 5 is provided at the center of the width inner side of each crossover rail 3 and is formed with a groove 5 a through which the second guide wheel 112 can pass and guides the second guide wheel 112 from both sides in the width direction of the crossover rail 3 .

That is, the crossover track 3 of the present embodiment adopts a so-called center guide type in which the vehicle 100 is guided at the center portion in the width direction.

The groove portion 5 a extends in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 to a position partially overlapping with a position where the crossover rail guide 11 is provided.

The branch portion 6 is provided on the main line track 2 just before the position where the crossover track 3 branches off from the main line track 2 .

The branch section 6 includes: a pair of branch guide sections 13 provided on the main line track 2, which are located below the guide rails of the first guide sections 4 provided on both sides (refer to FIG4A); and a branch switch 12 capable of branching the directions of the pair of branch guide sections 13.

4A and 4B , the branch guide 13 is a guide rail having substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the crossover rail guide 11. Specifically, it is an L-shaped member having an engaging surface for the branch wheel 113 to contact and roll on the inner side in the width direction.

The branch switch 12 includes: a rod 15, which is combined with a pair of branch guides 13 and moves forward and backward along the width direction of the main line track 2; a branch drive 16, which is arranged at a position sandwiched between the two main line tracks 2A and 2B, and supports the rod 15 so that it can move forward and backward.

The rod portion 15 is fixed to the end of the branch guide portion 13 on the side separated from the connection portion of the main line track 2 and the crossover track 3. With the end on the connection portion side of the main line track 2 and the crossover track 3 as a fulcrum, the pair of branch guide portions 13 can swing in the width direction of the main line track 2 to change the driving direction of the vehicle 100.

More specifically, as shown in the solid line in Figure 3 and Figure 4A, if the branch guide portion 13 is converted to the direction along the main line track 2, the branch wheel 113 of the vehicle 100 only contacts the branch guide portion 13 on one side of the width direction of the main line track 2 and rolls, and the vehicle 100 is pulled to the other side of the width direction of the main line track 2 and travels in the direction along the main line track 2.

On the other hand, as shown in the double-dotted line in Figure 3 and Figure 4B, if the branch guide portion 13 is converted to the direction along the crossover track 3, the branch wheel 113 of the vehicle 100 only contacts the branch guide portion 13 on the other side of the width direction of the main line track 2 (the side where the crossover track 3 is provided) and rolls, and the vehicle 100 is pulled to the other side of the width direction of the main line track 2 and travels in the direction along the crossover track 3.

Moreover, if the branch guide portion 13 is converted to be along the direction of the transfer track 3, the branch guide portion 13 on the other side of the width direction of the main line track 2 is continuously arranged with the transfer track guide portion 11, so that the branch wheel 113 of the vehicle 100 can smoothly transition from the branch guide portion 13 to the transfer track guide portion 11.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the switching device 7 is provided in an intersection region where the second guide portions 5 of the pair of crossover rails 3 intersect with each other.

As shown in FIG. 5A , the conversion device 7 includes a rotating body portion 21 provided in a region where the grooves 5 a formed in the second guide portion 5 intersect with each other, and a rotation drive portion 22 that drives and rotates the rotating body portion 21 .

Here, in the present embodiment, the second guide portion 5 is not provided in the center portion of the intersection region of the crossover rail 3 , and a space S exposed on the rail upper surface is formed in the center portion.

In addition, the region where the grooves 5 a intersect with each other in the present embodiment refers to a region where the extension lines of the grooves 5 a passing through the center of the intersection region intersect with each other.

The rotating body 21 is disposed in the space S and is supported by the crossover rail 3 so as to be rotatable along the rail upper surface about a rotation center axis O1 passing through the center of the intersection region.

The rotating body 21 has a guide groove 21 a extending in a direction intersecting the rotation center axis O1 . The second guide wheel 112 of the vehicle 100 can pass through the guide groove 21 a . The guide groove 21 a sandwiches the second guide wheel 112 so that the second guide wheel 112 contacts and rolls therethrough, thereby guiding the second guide wheel 112 .

Furthermore, a connecting rod groove portion 21 b is formed in the rotating body portion 21 and extends from the rotation center axis O1 toward the radially outer side of the rotation center axis O1 .

The rotation drive unit 22 includes: a rod portion 23, which is configured to be able to move forward and backward along the track surface in a direction intersecting the rotation center axis O1 of the rotation main body portion 21; an advance and retreat drive unit 25, which makes the rod portion 23 move forward and backward; and a connecting rod portion 24, which is interposed between the rod portion 23 and the rotation main body portion 21.

A rack 31 is provided at one end of the rod portion 23 .

In this embodiment, the forward/backward drive unit 25 is disposed in a region between the two crossover rails 3 and the other main rail 2B, and supports the other end of the rod 23 so that the rod 23 can advance and retreat.

The connecting rod portion 24 includes: a pinion 41, which is engaged with the rack 31 of the rod portion 23 and is rotatably arranged on the crossover track 3 along the upper surface of the track with the axis O2 parallel to the rotation center axis O1 as the center; a support portion 42, which is arranged in the connecting rod groove portion 21b of the rotating main body portion 21 and is configured to be movable in the radial direction of the rotation center axis O1 along the connecting rod groove portion 21b; and a connecting portion 43, which connects these pinions 41 and the support portion 42.

Here, the rotation drive part 22 of this embodiment is provided with a driven rod part 26, which is interposed between the rotating body part 21 and the advance and retreat drive part 25, and moves forward and backward and rotates corresponding to the advance and retreat of the rod part 23 and the rotation of the rotating body part 21, and suppresses the loosening of the rotating body part 21.

Next, the operation of the rotation drive unit 22 will be described.

As shown in FIG5A , the rod 23 is moved toward the rotation center axis O1 by the advance/retract drive unit 25, and the pinion 41 is rotated about the axis O2 by the rack 31. This causes the support 42 to move within the link groove 21b of the rotating body 21, and a force acts from the support 42 on the rotating body 21 in a direction that causes the link groove 21b to move away from the rack 31.

As a result, the rotating body 21 rotates about the rotation center axis O1, and the grooves 5a on one crossover rail 3 communicate with each other via the guide grooves 21a of the rotating body 21. In other words, the rotating body 21 is positioned so that the grooves 5a and the guide grooves 21a of the one crossover rail 3 can smoothly guide the second guide wheel 112.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG5B , if the rod 23 is moved away from the rotation center axis O1 by the advance/retract drive unit 25, the pinion 41 is rotated about the axis O2 by the rack 31. As a result, the support 42 moves within the link groove 21b of the rotating body 21, and a force acts from the support 42 on the rotating body 21 in a direction that causes the link groove 21b to approach the rack 31.

As a result, the rotating body 21 rotates about the rotation center axis O1, connecting the grooves 5a in the other crossover track 3 via the guide grooves 21a of the rotating body 21. In other words, the rotating body 21 is positioned so that the grooves 5a and the guide grooves 21a of the other crossover track 3 can smoothly guide the second guide wheel 112.

In this way, the switching device 7 selectively switches between the direction along one second guide portion 5 and the direction along the other second guide portion 5 , and can guide the second guide wheel 112 in either direction.

According to such a crossing track 1, a lateral guidance method is employed for guiding the vehicle 100 using the first guide section 4 on the mainline track 2, and a center guidance method is employed for guiding the vehicle 100 using the second guide section 5 on the crossover track 3. Therefore, unlike a case where a lateral guidance method is also employed on the crossover track 3, it is possible to reduce the overlapped sections provided for the vehicle 100 to transition from one first guide section 4 to the other first guide section 4.

Specifically, assuming a side-guided system is employed on the crossover track, in order for a vehicle 100 to travel from one mainline track 2 across the crossover track to the other mainline track 2, the vehicle 100 must be guided from a state where the guide wheels on one side of the vehicle 100 are guided by the guide rails on one side to a state where the guide wheels on the other side of the vehicle 100 are guided by the guide rails on the other side. In other words, the vehicle 100 remains guided by the guide rails while traveling on the crossover track. Therefore, in a portion of the crossover track, the guide rails on one side and the guide rails on the other side must overlap along the crossover track. Therefore, at the location where the crossover track is located, the overall track must include not only the width of the two mainline tracks 2 but also the width of the crossover track located between them.

In this regard, in the present embodiment, by adopting the center-guide type crossover track 3 as the crossover track, it is possible to reduce overlapping sections.

Furthermore, the vehicle 100 is guided on the main track 2 by a side guide method, and thus stable and high-speed travel can be achieved.

To achieve stability during high-speed travel using a center-guided system, the guide rails serving as the second guide section 5 must be positioned higher. This complicates the structure of the main track 2, inevitably increasing costs. To address this issue, the present embodiment employs a side-guided system for the main track 2, achieving both high-speed travel stability and cost reduction.

Furthermore, a switching device 7 is provided in the space S formed by the intersection of the second guide sections 5 on the crossover track 3. Simply by operating this switching device 7, the vehicle 100 can travel in a center-guided manner. Specifically, by employing this switching device 7, even when employing a so-called X-branch arrangement of the crossover track 3 in an intersecting manner, it is not necessary to switch the entire crossover track 3 to select the travel direction of the vehicle 100.

Therefore, there is no need to assume a large mechanism capable of supporting the weight of the vehicle 100, as would be required when the entire crossover track 3 is converted. The overall equipment size of the crossing track 1 can be minimized, and cost increases can be suppressed while shortening the branch section by adopting the X-branch.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is selected by driving and rotating the rotating main body 21 of the switching device 7. Specifically, since the rotating main body 21 operates on the track surface of the crossover track 3, it is not necessary to arrange the components of the switching device 7 below the crossover track 3. Therefore, it is not necessary to install the crossover track 3 at a higher position, which can reduce the length of the crossover track 3 support columns and, consequently, the amount of materials (concrete, steel, etc.) required to construct the columns.

If the crossover track 3 is positioned higher, the mainline track 2 must be positioned higher to match the crossover track 3. This significantly increases the cost of the entire crossover track 1. In this regard, the present embodiment avoids this problem by employing a switching device 7 equipped with a rotating main body 21.

Furthermore, the guide groove 21 a for guiding the second guide wheel 112 in the width direction is formed in the rotating body 21 , thereby suppressing the vehicle 100 from swinging in the width direction of the crossover track 3 , ensuring the forward path of the vehicle 100 and improving the riding comfort.

Furthermore, in the conversion device 7, the rotating body 21 is rotated by utilizing the linear motion mechanism of the rod 23. Therefore, the advance/retract drive unit 25 for advancing and retracting the rod 23 can be provided on a plane along the track surface of the crossover track 3. Therefore, there is no need to provide the advance/retract drive unit 25 below the crossover track 3. Consequently, there is no need to install the crossover track 3 at a higher position, which can reduce the length of the crossover track 3 support columns and, consequently, the amount of materials (concrete, steel, etc.) required to construct the columns.

Furthermore, in the conversion device 7, the rotating main body 21 rotates not directly but via the link portion 24. This allows for the absorption of positional deviations in the rotating main body 21 caused by backlash between the rack 31 and the pinion 41, as well as thermal expansion and contraction of the rod 23. Consequently, without the use of additional stoppers, the positioning accuracy of the rotating main body 21 is improved, enabling smooth guidance of the second guide wheel 112 and enabling the vehicle 100 to travel more smoothly on the crossover track 3.

Furthermore, in the conversion device 7 , the link portion 24 indirectly rotates the rotating body portion 21 , thereby preventing a load from the vehicle 100 from directly acting on the forward/reverse drive portion 25 , and improving the durability of the forward/reverse drive portion 25 .

According to the crossing track 1 of the present embodiment, by providing the switching device in the crossing region of the crossover track 3 , even if an X-branch structure is adopted, the structure can be simplified and the branch section can be shortened.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, various design changes can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

For example, in the conversion device 7, the rotating main body 21 is rotated by meshing the rack 31 provided on the rod portion 23 of the forward/backward driving portion 25 with the pinion 41. However, for example, a worm may be provided on the rod portion 23, and a worm wheel meshing with the worm may be provided on the connecting rod portion 24. Alternatively, a gear mechanism, a chain mechanism, or the like may be provided to directly rotate the rotating main body 21 without intervening through the connecting rod portion 24.

In addition, in the conversion device 7, the driving direction of the vehicle 100 is not limited to being selected by driving the rotating main body 21 to rotate, but the driving direction of the vehicle 100 can also be selected by a mechanism that pushes a component formed with the guide groove portion 21a on the track surface only when the vehicle 100 is traveling.

Alternatively, the second guide portion 5 may be made of a steel material with a C-shaped cross section, instead of the member having the groove 5a. In other words, any form is acceptable as long as the second guide wheel 112 can contact and roll. The same applies to the rotating body 21 provided on the conversion device 7.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the switching device 7 is applied to the crossing track 1 including the main track 2 with side guides has been described. However, the switching device 7 may be applied to a crossing track including a main track with a center guide type.

Industrial Applicability

According to the above-described crossing track and switching device, by providing the switching device in the crossing area of the crossover track, it is possible to shorten the branch section with a simple structure.

Description of Reference Numerals

1 Cross Track

2 (2A, 2B) mainline tracks

2a Driving Road

3 Crossover tracks

3a Driving Road

4 First guide part

5 Second guide section

5a Groove

6 branches

7 Conversion device

11 Crossover track guide

12 Branch switch machine

13 Branch guide

15 Rod

16 Branch drive unit

21 Rotating main body

21a Guide groove

21b Connecting rod groove

22 Rotation drive unit

23 Rod

24 Connecting rod

25 Advance and Retreat Drive Unit

26 Follower rod

31 rack

41 small gear

42 Support

43 Connection

O1 Rotation axis

O2 axis

100 vehicles

101 Carbody

102 Traveling Car

102a Rubber wheel

111 First guide wheel

112 Second guide wheel

113 branch wheel

S Space

Claims (5)

1. An intersecting track, characterized in that it comprises: Two main tracks for vehicles to travel on; A pair of first guides are disposed on the two main tracks and guide a pair of first guide wheels on both sides of the vehicle outside the two main tracks; Crossover tracks are provided in pairs that intersect each other between the two main tracks, allowing vehicles to move back and forth between the two main tracks; The second guide section is respectively disposed on the inner side of the pair of crossover tracks, and guides the second guide wheel disposed on the lower part of the vehicle; A branch section, provided on the main track, enables the vehicle's direction to branch into a direction along the main track and a direction along the crossover track; A switching device, disposed in the intersection area of the second guides in a pair of crossover tracks, selectively switches the direction along one second guide and the direction along the other second guide, and is capable of guiding the second guide wheel in either direction; The branch section includes: a pair of branch guides disposed below the pair of first guides disposed on both sides of the vehicle and disposed on the main track; a branch section switch machine capable of changing the orientation of the pair of branch guides; the pair of branch guides having engagement surfaces for a branch wheel disposed below the pair of first guide wheels to contact and roll in the width direction. 2. The intersecting track according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conversion device includes: The rotating main body is configured to rotate around an axis passing through the center of the intersection area, allowing the second guide wheel to pass through by rotating along the upper surface of the crossover track, and has guide grooves that guide the second guide wheel from both sides of the width direction of the crossover track. A drive unit that drives the rotating main body to rotate. 3. The intersecting track according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive unit has: The rod is configured to move forward and backward in a direction intersecting the rotation center axis, and has a rack at one end; The connecting rod has a pinion that meshes with the rack and rotates in response to the forward and backward movement of the rod about an axis parallel to the rotation center axis. The rotating main body rotates along with the rotation of the pinion. 4. A switching device, characterized in that it is disposed on an intersecting track, the intersecting track comprising: two main tracks for vehicles to travel on; a first guide portion disposed on the two main tracks and guiding a first guide wheel of the vehicle; a crossover track having a pair of crossover tracks intersecting each other between the two main tracks to allow the vehicle to reciprocate between the two main tracks; a second guide portion disposed on the inner side of the pair of crossover tracks respectively and guiding a second guide wheel disposed on the lower part of the vehicle; a branch portion disposed on the main tracks, capable of branching the direction of the vehicle into a direction along the main tracks and a direction along the crossover tracks, and having a pair of branch guide portions disposed on the main tracks below the pair of first guide portions disposed on both sides of the vehicle, and a branch switch capable of changing the orientation of the pair of branch guide portions, the pair of branch guide portions having engagement surfaces for a branch wheel disposed below the pair of first guide wheels to contact and roll in the width direction. The switching device is located in the intersection area of the second guides in a pair of crossover tracks, selectively switching the direction along one second guide and the direction along the other second guide, and can guide the second guide wheel in either direction. 5. The conversion device according to claim 4, characterized in that, have: The rotating main body is configured to rotate around an axis passing through the center of the intersection area, allowing the second guide wheel to pass through by rotating along the upper surface of the crossover track, and has guide grooves that guide the second guide wheel from both sides of the width direction of the crossover track. A drive unit that drives the rotating main body to rotate; The drive unit has: The rod is configured to move forward and backward in a direction intersecting the rotation center axis, and has a rack at one end; The connecting rod has a pinion that meshes with the rack and rotates in response to the forward and backward movement of the rod about an axis parallel to the rotation center axis. The rotating main body rotates along with the rotation of the pinion. The drive unit is provided with a driven rod that moves forward and backward and rotates in accordance with the forward and backward movement of the rod and the rotation of the rotating main body, and suppresses the loosening of the rotating main body.