Pallet supply apparatus

A method of assembling a pallet supply apparatus, the pallet supply apparatus including:

• a pallet storage device having:
• a plurality of holding units holding pallets;
• and a frame supporting the plurality of holding units in a row;
• a conveyance device loading and unloading the pallets into and from the holding units and conveying the pallets to and from a predetermined place;
• and
• a controller controlling operation of the conveyance device,
• wherein the frame has under the holding units a space capable of receiving the controller therein and has a cover of a plate shape arranged such that the cover is located above the controller with the controller received in the space and is inclined downward toward a traveling base side, the cover is supported by the frame such that a lower end side of the cover can be flipped up, and the cover is configured such that the controller can pass under the cover when the lower end side of the cover is in a flipped-up state,
• the method comprising:
• first, arranging the conveyance device on a predetermined position, and then temporarily placing the controller near the conveyance device and connecting the controller to the conveyance device;
• subsequently, with the lower end side of the cover in the flipped-up state, bringing the frame close to the conveyance device from the controller side such that the controller relatively passes under the cover and arranging the frame parallel to the conveyance device;
• and
• subsequently, moving the controller to a normal position set under the holding units of the frame and installing the controller on the normal position, and then returning the cover to its original downward inclined state from the flipped-up state.

A pallet supply apparatus comprising:

• a pallet storage device having:
• a plurality of holding units holding pallets;
• and a frame supporting the plurality of holding units in a row;
• a conveyance device having:
• a traveling base arranged parallel to the pallet storage device and having a traveling path extending along the pallet storage device;
• and a conveyance unit traveling on the traveling path to load and unload the pallets into and from the holding units and to convey the pallets to and from a predetermined place;
• and
• a controller controlling operation of the conveyance device,
• wherein:
• the frame has under the holding units a space capable of receiving the controller therein and has a cover of a plate shape arranged such that the cover is located above the controller with the controller received in the space and is inclined downward toward the traveling base side;
• the cover is supported by the frame such that a lower end side of the cover can be flipped up;
• and
• the frame is configured such that, when the lower end side of the cover is in a flipped-up state, the controller can be positioned under the cover and can be moved under the cover.