System for receiving, loading, queuing, and delivery of goods

A method for loading, queueing, and delivery of orders using a system for loading, queueing, and delivery of orders, the method comprising:

• providing the system for loading, queueing, and delivery of orders, which comprises:
• a controller;
• a transport arrangement, including:
• a pathway defined by a track;
• a plurality of cars that move along the pathway, the cars being connected to a first drive, the first drive being connected to the controller to selectively activate the first drive to advance the cars along the pathway;
• at least some of the cars having a carrier rack pivotably connected thereto, the carrier rack being adapted to support a product to be transported as the carrier travels along the pathway, the carrier rack including a plurality of generally horizontally extending carrier rack fingers;
• a loading station including a loading platform at least at a first location along the pathway configured to receive one or more batches of product for each order, the loading platform comprises one or more, generally horizontal loading platform fingers, with the one or more loading platform fingers being adapted to pass between the carrier rack fingers when the loading platform is in the path of the carrier rack;
• at least one of a load switch or load station sensor configured to signal the controller after a first said batch of product for a first said order has been loaded on the loading platform, the controller being configured to activate the first drive to advance the cars such that the first batch of product is lifted by the carrier rack attached to a first said car to advance the first batch of product for the first order to an unloading station located remote from the loading station;
• the unloading station including one or more powered fingers at least at a second location along the pathway, the one or more powered fingers are arranged to be located between the carrier rack fingers when the carrier rack passes through the second location, and a second drive connected to the one or more powered fingers, the second drive being connected to the controller to selectively drive the one or more powered fingers;
• an offload and delivery sequencing arrangement including:
• at least one parking conveyor arranged to receive the batches of product from the one or more powered fingers;
• at least one sequential parking conveyor drive associated with the at least one sequential parking conveyor, the at least one sequential parking conveyor drive being connected to the controller to selectively drive the at least one sequential parking conveyor;
• and a present station configured to receive the batches of product from the at least one sequential parking conveyor and deliver the batches of product to a customer pick-up location;
• loading the first order or a first said batch of product for the first order on the loading platform at the loading station;
• signaling the controller with the load switch or load station sensor;
• the controller activating the first drive to advance the cars along the track such that a first one of the carrier racks passes with the carrier rack fingers between or around the one or more loading platform fingers to pick-up the first order or the first said batch of product for the first order;
• the controller continuing to activate the first drive at least until the first one of the carrier racks is transported to the unloading station, and the carrier rack fingers pass between or around the one or more powered fingers at the unloading station;
• and
• the controller activating the second drive such that the first order or the first said batch of product for the first order is transported by the one or more powered fingers to the at least one sequential parking conveyor at the offload and delivery sequencing arrangement.

A delivery bypass system for use with an order system for loading, queueing, and delivery of orders, the powered bypass system comprising:

• one or more powered bypass fingers configured to be located at a location along a pathway of the order system, the one or more powered bypass fingers extend generally horizontally and are configured to be located between carrier rack fingers of a carrier rack of the order system that pass the location on the pathway,
• a bypass drive connected to the one or more powered bypass fingers, the bypass drive being configured for connection to a controller of the order system to selectively drive the one or more powered bypass fingers,
• a movable bypass finger support drive configured to be connected to the controller to selectively move the one or more powered bypass fingers in a generally horizontal direction from a first, inactive position, adapted to be out of a path of the carriage rack, into a second, active position, adapted to be in the path of the carriage rack;
• a bypass offload conveyor located adjacent to the one or more powered bypass fingers in the second, active position, and a bypass offload conveyor drive connected to the controller to selectively drive the bypass offload conveyor;
• and
• a bypass delivery arrangement configured to move one of the batches of product from the bypass offload conveyor downstream of at least one sequential parking conveyor and/or to a present station of the delivery system.