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US 2013/0302097 A1Published application
Storage apparatus
AssigneeTTP Labtech Limited
InventorsPhilip Blenkinsop, Wayne Bennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A storage apparatus has an annular array of stacked item storage formations, and an epicyclic selector arrangement for extracting items from the array, with a temporary storage unit.
Claims20
A storage apparatus comprising:
- an array of item storage formations,
- a first member rotatable with respect to the array about a first axis,
- a selector mounted on the first member, the selector being rotatable with respect to the first member about a second axis, parallel to and offset from the first axis, the selector comprising an item transfer conduit offset from the second axis,
- in which the first member and the second member are configured for rotation about the first and second axes respectively to selectively align the item transfer conduit with one of the array of item storage formations to extract the item from the array.
1 more element
A method of extracting an item from a storage apparatus comprising the steps of:
- providing an array of items within a storage apparatus,
- providing a first member rotatable with respect to the array about a first axis,
- providing a selector rotatable with respect to the first member about a second axis, parallel to and offset from the first axis, the selector comprising an item transfer conduit,
- rotating the first member and the second member about the first and second axes respectively to align the item transfer conduit with an item to be extracted,
- using the selector to extract the item from the array.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.