The invention relates to a production line (1) for assembling and/or processing components (3) transported on workpiece holders (2), incorporating several conveyor sections (5, 6a, 6b, 6c) disposed one after the other, each of which has at least one separate forward feed mechanism (15; 51) which is independent of the adjacent conveyor sections (5, 6a, 6b, 6c) and at least one co-operating guide mechanism with two oppositely lying guide tracks (20), along which the workpiece holder (2) disposed between them, incorporating guide elements to provide a height and lateral guiding action, can be moved and positioned. The guide elements of the workpiece holder (2) have a groove-shaped recess for engaging in the guide tracks (20) spaced at a distance apart from one another transversely to the feed direction (16) and at least one guide track (20) is provided in at least one of the conveyor sections (6a; 6c) which can be raised by means of an adjusting mechanism from a non-operating position outside an obstruction gauge of the workpiece holder (2) into a position above the transport plane (19) and displaced into an engaged position locating with the recesses of the guide elements transversely to a longitudinal direction of the guide track (20).
This apparatus automatically lines up and forwards in a single line lengthwise objects supplied at random and in many lines and yet automatically returns objects overflowed from a line-up line to upstream. This apparatus includes: a cantilever type main conveying conveyor (A1) constructed from a plurality of conveying roller rollers of an oblique arrangement drivingly rotated by a non-contact transmission system, a return conveying conveyor (A2) having a conveying direction formed of drivingly opposite to the conveying direction of the main conveying-conveyor, and a delivery conveying conveyor (A3) for transferring objects conveyed by the return conveying conveyor to an upstream end of the main conveyor. The return conveying conveyor (A2) has been with an open end side of the conveying roller placed close to a side portion on the open side alongside a downstream side portion of the main conveying conveyor (A1).
An article transport apparatus has a path that has a first end and a second end and that extends along a plurality of article transferring locations, a plurality of article transporting vehicles that run on the path, and control means for controlling the plurality of article transporting vehicles. When the transport request data currently processed and the transport request data previously processed specify a same article transferring location for collecting, and the article transporting vehicle that was selected based on the transport request data previously processed is currently performing a transport operation, then the control means selects an article transporting vehicle that is not currently performing a transport operation as the article transporting vehicle for a transport operation.
