DRIVING MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING CARRIAGE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving mechanism for a traveling carriage for traveling on a track laid along a required carrying passage, which driving mechanism can reduce the number of its components, and can be small-sized, and can simplify the shape of the track, and can improve the flexibility for setting the carrying passage, and can prevent the generation of zigzag motion of the traveling carriage in running. SOLUTION: A track 130 is composed of a rack 130a arranged in the longitudinal direction and a guide rail 130b for supporting the load of the traveling carriage. A wheel 140 has a rolling wheel 140b to roll on the guide rail, and a large gear 140a which engages with the rack and converts the rotational torque of a driving source into the advancement force in the longitudinal direction of the track. The rotary shaft of the rolling wheel is concentric with the rotary shaft of the large gear, and the large gear engages with a pinion fixed to the output shaft of the driving source. As a result, the above-mentioned problem can be solved. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT