Personnel carrying vehicle

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for guiding a personnel carrying vehicle including a body with a pair of driven rear wheels and a pair of front caster wheels into a narrow aisle. A pair of guide rollers are mounted on each side of the vehicle and spaced between the front caster wheels and the driven rear wheels. A steering rail extends between the pair of guide rollers on each side of the vehicle and is curved inwardly towards the body. A guide rail is placed on each side of the narrow aisle for engaging the vehicle mounted rollers with the guide rails terminating in entry ends which engage the steering rails for entry of the vehicle into the narrow aisle. The vehicle is steered forward toward an aisle entrance to cause one of the forward guide rollers to engage one of the guide rails and one of the aisle entry ends to engage one of the steering rails. Continuing forward movement of the vehicle causes the vehicle to rotate about the engaged aisle entry end to align the vehicle within the aisle. Aisle rollers may be placed at the entry ends of the guide rails for engaging the vehicle mounted steering rails.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.