Automated supply cart and system
OwnerAleks D. Nikolichinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The apparatus includes a storage cart in a storage area and supply carts in user areas at substantial distances from the storage area. The user carts are constantly open, and accessible to anyone, for a user to actuate to register on a computer unit the articles that are placed in and removed from the bins in the supply carts. The apparatus includes supplemental units detachably applied to the supply carts, having push-buttons corresponding to the bins in the supply carts. A running tally of the articles placed in and removed from the supply carts is maintained in a computer monitor by simple steps made by the user in so placing the articles in and removing them from the supply carts, without a separate operation for counting the articles.
Claims19
Apparatus for use in distributing a plurality of articles of different kinds throughout a facility that has a central storage area, and a plurality of user areas distributed in the facility at substantial distances from the storage area, comprising,
- a storage cart in the storage area having a plurality of storage bins for holding a corresponding number of said articles of different kinds,
- the storage cart having labels individually identifying articles in the storage bins,
- an open supply cart adjacent to each of the user areas and having supply bins for receiving said articles,
- supplemental means applicable to the supply cart and having control buttons respectively corresponding to and identifying said articles,
- means responsive to said control buttons for visually recording identification of the articles placed in and removed from the supply cart.
Apparatus for use in distributing a plurality of articles of different kinds throughout a facility that has a central storage area, and a plurality of user areas distributed in the facility at substantial distances from the storage area, comprising
- a storage cart in the storage area having a plurality of storage bins for holding a corresponding number of said articles of different kinds,
- the storage cart having labels individually identifying articles in the storage bins,
- an open supply cart adjacent to each of the user areas and having supply bins for receiving and holding said articles, and the supply cart having labels individually identifying articles in the supply bins,
- supplemental panels having push buttons operably associated with the storage bins, and the apparatus including a computer for registering signals from the push buttons.
A method for distributing a plurality of articles of different kinds, comprising the steps,
- providing a storage area and a storage cart in the storage area,
- the storage cart having a plurality of bins for supporting and identifying said articles,
- providing a plurality of receiver areas at substantial distances from the storage areas and the receiver areas being adapted to be occupied by receivers capable of receiving said articles,
- providing a plurality of supply carts at distributed locations, the supply carts having bins respectively identical with the bins in the storage cart and having indicia identifying said articles put therein,
- the supply carts being open and thereby enabling any person to withdraw articles therefrom and transport them to the receiver area,
- providing supplemental panels having manually actuated means for registering articles placed in and withdrawn from the bins,
- manually actuating the registering means, and
- utilizing the computer means to register the difference in numbers of articles in the storage cart and the supply cart.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.