Caster wheel alignment system for conveyor system

A caster wheel alignment system for a conveyor having a frame defining a travel path and a transport vehicle having a plurality of caster wheels configured to travel along the travel path, said alignment system comprising:

• a support frame configured to couple to a portion of the frame of the conveyor;
• a horizontal cam coupled to said support frame and having an angled portion that is oblique to the travel path of a subject one of the plurality of caster wheels of the transport vehicle, said angled portion configured impede the travel of the caster wheel as it passes said wheel alignment system to urge the caster wheel to rotate about a swivel axis from an improper leading orientation in which the caster wheel is leading an axle of the transport vehicle to a proper trailing orientation in which the caster wheel is trailing the axle;
• and
• a bypass system configured to urge a moveable portion of said support frame to move in response to the transport vehicle passing through said alignment system to permit a properly aligned caster wheel of a transport vehicle to pass said wheel alignment system without contacting said horizontal cam.

A conveyor system having a caster wheel alignment system for aligning improperly oriented caster wheels on transport vehicles that are operable along a travel path of the conveyor system, said conveyor system comprising:

• a conveyor frame comprising a pair of parallel spaced apart guide rails;
• a transport vehicle having a pair of spaced apart caster wheels, each of said pair of caster wheels configured to travel along a respective one of the guide rails of said conveyor frame such that said transport vehicle is movable along said conveyor frame;
• and
• a wheel alignment system removably coupled to each of the guide rails of said conveyor frame, said wheel alignment system configured to automatically adjust the orientation of an improperly oriented caster wheel of said transport vehicle from an improper leading orientation in which the caster wheel is leading an axle of the transport vehicle to a proper trailing orientation in which the caster wheel is trailing the axle as the caster wheel passes said wheel alignment system.