Material or article handling – Plural – static structures for supporting discrete loads and... – Load-underlying members
Patent
1985-12-04
1988-03-22
Spar, Robert J.
Material or article handling
Plural, static structures for supporting discrete loads and...
Load-underlying members
1984686, 414286, B65G 104
Patent
active
047325240
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention concerns a computer-controlled storage system.
Computer-controlled stores of prior art are based, for instance, on a stacking lifter moving between the store shelves, or on transport carriages moving along storage or transport lines, or on combinations thereof.
In the Finnish Pat. No. 47559 is disclosed a system in which transport carriages moving along storage lines transport goods items in the warehouse. The transport carriages comprise a power unit for moving the carriage and a power unit for lifting the item. The power units obtain their drive power by electric cables.
A drawback in this kind of system is the costly and complex design of the transport carriage and the complexity and susceptibility to faults of the entire system. The transport carriage comprises a lifting means with power unit and a transport means with power unit, whereby in a big, multi-line warehouse a great number of expensive transport carriage constructions are needed. A drawback is also the electric current required by the transport carriages, entailing long, flexible and complicated wirings. Since the cables connected to the carriages are mobile, the electric cables wear out rapidly, and the structures may become electrified.
In addition, in the event of fault, when the transport carriage is stalled on a storage line among the goods, trouble-shooting is difficult. Likewise, the numerous sensors required for locating the transport carriages and storage sites increase the construction and maintenance costs and the susceptibility to faults.
Owning to the use of sensors, the storage sites are predetermined as to their size and location, and therefore the system is not very flexible for storing different-sized batches of goods. Moreover, ample space is required on the ends of the storage lines for conveying the goods into and out of the warehouse.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned. In particular, the object of the invention is to introduce a new computer controlled storage system in which all electrical functions take place outside the storage lines, in locations with easy access for maintenance, whereby the system is non-costly and reliable in operation.
As to the characteristic features of the invention, reference is made to the claims following below.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, two or more transport carriages have been connected to a common power unit with the aid of a chain, rope or equivalent. Hereby, the mutually coupled carriages move simultaneously in parallel, but since the lifting function is independent in each carriage, fully the same functions are accomplished as in the case in which each track has its own power unit.
In an embodiment of the invention, on the ends of the transport lines located over each other are provided e.g. belt conveyors by which the goods packages can be transferred onto a vertical conveyor or a vertical transport line.
In an embodiment of the invention, for said belt conveyors have been substituted truck fork-type lifters with which the goods batches are lifted from horizontal storage or transport lines to be transported vertically.
An advantageous embodiment of the invention is that in which two independently operating transport carriages are placed on one transport or storage line. This implies more flexible and more rapid sorting and transporting of goods.
The advantages of the invention over the state of the transport carriage include placement of the various power units outside the storage lines, aggregated and with easy access for maintenance; absence of long electric leads moving on the storage lines; absence of sensors for indentifying the storage sites; and the possibility to vary the size and locations of the storage sites as need be.
The invention is described in the following in detail, reference being made to the drawings attached, wherein:
FIG. 1 presents a storage line according to the invention, upon which the goods items have been stored,
FIG. 2 shows the section along the line II--II in FIG. 1,
F
REFERENCES:
patent: 3182823 (1965-05-01), Chasar
patent: 3417879 (1968-12-01), Gough
patent: 3746148 (1973-07-01), Hilger et al.
patent: 3779395 (1973-12-01), Dykeman
patent: 3799057 (1974-03-01), Cassel
patent: 3809268 (1974-05-01), Lutz
Millman Stuart J.
Spar Robert J.
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