Material or article handling – Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into – within,... – Stack forming apparatus
Patent
1985-07-26
1989-07-11
Spar, Robert J.
Material or article handling
Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into, within,...
Stack forming apparatus
188 5, 188 19, 188 21, 280 7911, 16 35R, 414347, 414280, 414331, 414233, 414276, 414286, 414584, B65G 4700
Patent
active
048466271
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a storage and handling installation for palletised goods and to a method of operating the same.
Normally, in a palletised goods store, loaded pallets are arranged in side-by-side rows. Alleys are provided between at least some of the rows to enable access along the rows for fork lift trucks used to introduce and remove loaded pallets. These alleys are of substantial width since in order to introduce, or remove, a loaded pallet into a row space, the fork lift truck carrying the loaded pallet must effect a quarter turn (90.degree. turn) in the alley to change its movement direction from along to transverse the row. Thus, for example, with 4 ft square pallets (1.22 m square) the alley width typically has to be 12 ft (3.66 m) which is very inefficient on space even where each alley serves two rows of pallets.
In order to increase the efficiency of space utilisation in palletised goods stores, it is known to use racking systems enabling two or more loaded pallets to be stored one above another. However, such systems are expensive to install.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive way of enabling greater space utilisation efficiency in a storage and handling installation for palletised goods.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage and handling installation for palletised goods, said installation comprising a flat floor on which at least one row of loaded pallets
is supported, characterised in that each pallet rests on a respective wheeled trolley which can roll on the floor, the trolleys in the row being movable either all in the longitudinal or all in the transverse direction of said row, depending respectively on whether pallets are to be introduced and removed solely at the ends of the row or at will anywhere in the row.
Where it is required to introduce a loaded pallet into a space present anywhere along each row, the wheeled trolleys are arranged to move transversely of a row whereby the loaded pallet can first be transported by a fork lift truck down an alley to opposite said space, and then moved transversely on a wheeled trolley into said space. In this manner, it is unnecessary for the truck to effect a quarter-turn in the alley whereby the latter can be of a much smaller width than normal, for example, 6 ft (1.83 m) in width.
Where the loaded pallets are to be removed from a row in the order in which they were introduced (such as may be the case where the goods concerned have a limited life), then an even greater saving of space can be achieved by arranging for the wheeled trolleys to be movable longitudinally of the row. In this case, loaded pallets are introduced at one end of the row, are progressively physically moved along the row as new loaded pallets are introduced, and are subsequently removed at the other end of the row. Provided both ends of the row are otherwise accessible, there is no need to provide an access alley for the fork lift truck to pass down the row, although an inspection alley my be desirable.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage and handling installation for palletised goods, said installation comprising a plurality of side-by-side rows of loaded pallets with access along the rows being provided by alleys passing therebetween, each loaded pallet being carried on a respective wheeled trolley arranged to move transversely of the corresponding row, the installation further comprising a fork lift unit for transporting loaded pallets along said alleys, the wheeled trolleys being used to move the loaded pallets between their positions in the rows and the adjacent alleys whereby loaded pallets can be introduced and removed from said rows at desired positions without requiring the fork lift unit to effect a quarter turn in an alley, the width of said alleys being less than the width required for the fork lift unit to effect a quarter turn.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of introducing a loaded palle
REFERENCES:
patent: 2675134 (1954-04-01), Becker
patent: 2687538 (1954-08-01), Marzillier
patent: 2723770 (1955-11-01), Gretener
patent: 2827302 (1958-03-01), Skyrud
patent: 3021795 (1962-02-01), Hayba et al.
patent: 3240365 (1966-03-01), King
patent: 3409152 (1968-11-01), Edwards
patent: 3434604 (1969-03-01), Haldimann et al.
patent: 3465897 (1969-09-01), Schumann et al.
patent: 3514001 (1970-05-01), De Meritt et al.
patent: 3522954 (1970-08-01), Locke
patent: 3701396 (1972-10-01), House
patent: 3805974 (1974-04-01), Andersson et al.
patent: 3828392 (1974-08-01), Bolger
patent: 3927773 (1975-12-01), Bright
patent: 3934683 (1976-01-01), Walker
patent: 4023818 (1977-05-01), Troller
patent: 4033597 (1977-07-01), Boyer
patent: 4137984 (1979-02-01), Jennings et al.
patent: 4197047 (1980-04-01), Haldimann
patent: 4239436 (1980-12-01), Wildenaur
patent: 4349938 (1982-09-01), Fontana
patent: 4362459 (1982-12-01), Klausbruckner et al.
patent: 4470750 (1984-09-01), Vockinger
patent: 4527937 (1985-07-01), Tomasello, Jr.
Katz Robert S.
Spar Robert J.
LandOfFree
Storage and handling installation for palletized goods does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Storage and handling installation for palletized goods, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Storage and handling installation for palletized goods will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-432958