Linear motor type handling device including mobile elements travelling over a network

Handling device including a track (1) extending over a determined route and constituting a travel path for one or more mobile elements (30) disposed along it, the said track comprising guide means (58) for the mobile elements, the said mobile elements each comprising travelling means (53) for cooperating with the said travel path and drive means (40) for ensuring their individual movement along the track, the drive means including at least one linear electric motor each composed of an inductor (42, 43) borne by the mobile element and extending parallel to the track, including a plurality of magnetic (45) poles distributed along the inductor and between which are placed a plurality of coils of conducting wire (48), and of an armature (4, 5) borne by the track and extending along it so as to be able to cooperate with the inductor, a spark gap of predetermined width being interposed therebetween, characterized in that

• the said inductor (42, 43) and the said armature (4, 5) have, as viewed in cross section:
• the former, a rectangular shape defining three active faces and one inactive face, and
• the second, a U shape defining three active faces and adapted to house the inductor in such a way that the respective active Faces of the inductor and of the armature cooperate with one another, two by two;
• the said travel path of the track being constituted by one of the said active faces (8) of the armature, the travelling means (53) of each mobile element bearing upon the said face.