Transport apparatus for pieces to be transported

A transport apparatus for a transported piece, the transport apparatus comprising:

• a main transport passage in which the transported piece is transported;
• a branching transport passage that connects to a branch point provided in the main transport passage, the branching transport passage extending in a direction different from the main transport passage;
• a main transport mechanism that transports the transported piece in the main transport passage;
• a branching transport mechanism that transports the transported piece in the branching transport passage;
• and
• a controller,
• wherein the main transport mechanism includes:
• a rail arranged along the main transport passage,
• a first holding shuttle and a second holding shuttle arranged on the rail,
• the first and second holding shuttles holding a rear face and a front face, respectively, of the transported piece in the transport direction, and
• a linear driver configured to drive the first and second holding shuttles independently,
• wherein, in a run-up region provided upstream, in a transport direction, of the branch point in the main transport passage, the main transport mechanism and the branching transport mechanism both transport the transported piece, and
• wherein the controller controls the linear driver to continuously move the first and second holding shuttles while also, when the transported piece is fed to the branching transport passage, in the run-up region, the linear driver accelerates the second holding shuttle such that a movement speed thereof is higher than a transport speed of the branching transport mechanism and, after the second holding shuttle moves away from the transported piece, the linear driver decelerates the first holding shuttle such that a movement speed thereof is lower than the transport speed of the branching transport mechanism, so as to move the first and second holding shuttles away from the transported piece before the transported piece reaches the branch point so that the main transport mechanism finishes transporting the transported piece before the transported piece reaches the branch point.