Material or article handling – Apparatus particularly adapted for charging or discharging a... – Including one or more movable sites
Patent
1984-09-14
1986-07-22
Werner, Frank E.
Material or article handling
Apparatus particularly adapted for charging or discharging a...
Including one or more movable sites
414243, 384461, 384572, 384574, 384578, E04H 616
Patent
active
046016287
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rotary storage structures. The invention may be used as a storage or parking structure for vehicles (e.g. automobiles, boats) or as a storage structure for containers, components, documents, files or other items.
(2) Prior Art
The storage and retrieval of items is a considerable problem and the storage facilitates which are required can often require large capital outlays which must be financed by a company's operations. The storage systems must be as space efficient as possible and allow simple and ready access and retrieval of the items stored therein.
The need for adequate parking facilities for motor vehicles is one problem which faces municipal authorities worldwide. Multi-storied car parks, both above and below ground are very expensive to construct on a dollar-per-vehicle basis and generally considerable space is required for the provision of ramps and driveways. Rotary parking structures, such as those disclosed in United Kingdom Pat. Nos. 2071630 (Tang Kunay Pai) and 2030550 (D. P-W. Chan et al ) have been proposed as possible solutions. However, these are limited in that they only allow two vehicles at best to be simultaneously loaded and unloaded as each loading bay must be brought to the required level for loading and unloading. In addition, the central axles and bearings must be extremely heavy to carry the fully-loaded structure.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage structure which is space efficient.
It is a preferred object which provides a structure with ready access for loading and retrieval of stored items.
It is a further preferred object to provide a structure where the items can be stored on self-righting platforms.
Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.
In one aspect the present invention resides in a rotary storage structure including:
a substantially circular main frame;
a plurality of storage zones or bays within the main frame to store items;
means to support at least a portion of the periphery of the main frame for rotation about an axis;
means to rotate the main frame; and
means to engage or support the items in the storage zones or bays as the main frame is rotated; the main frame being rotated to selectively bring the storage zones or bays to loading and unloading positions.
In a second aspect the present invention resides in a rotary storage structure including:
means to support at least a portion of the periphery of the main frame for rotation about an axis;
means to rotate the main frame;
a series of substantially cylindrical support frames between the substantially annular ends of the main frame each defining a storage zone or bay; and
a support platform, mounted in each support frame for rotation therein, adapted to horizontally support a item loaded on the support platform as the main frame is rotated,
the main frame being rotated to selectively bring each support platform to a loading and unloading position.
The support frames, defining the storage zones, may include a pair of coaxially aligned, substantially circular rings or rails in the main frame and aligned therewith, the support platforms being supported on the circular rings. Alternatively the storage zones may include a plurality of tubes or pipes, e.g. circular, square, rectangular, hexagonal or other geometrical shape in end profile and nested together. (The tubes may be welded or strapped together to form a structure with great lateral strength). Support platforms may be provided in the tubes or pipes to support the items in the tubes horizontally or clamping or locking means may be provided to secure the items as the main frame is rotated.
The main frame may be divided into a plurality of concentric sub-frames, one within the other, and independently rotatable, each sub-frame having one circle of loading zones rotatable about the axis of the structure.
Preferably the means to support the main frame includ
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patent: 3077994 (1963-02-01), Foster
patent: 4056293 (1977-11-01), Lobeck et al.
patent: 4133587 (1979-01-01), Kume
patent: 4364703 (1982-12-01), Pai
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