Article Storage Facility

An article storage facility comprising:

• a first multilevel rack comprising first shelves on a plurality of levels, with the first shelves on the respective levels disposed along a first direction across a horizontal plane;
• a second multilevel rack comprising second shelves on a plurality of levels, with the second shelves on the respective levels disposed along the first direction and closer to one side in the first direction than the first multilevel rack;
• a standby station disposed between the first multilevel rack and the second multilevel rack in the first direction and comprising standby conveyors on a number of levels that is at least equal to whichever of the first shelves and the second shelves has a lower number of levels;
• a plurality of transfer shuttles disposed for respective levels of the standby conveyors or disposed for the standby conveyors on a plurality of levels, and configured to travel along the first direction and to transfer articles between the standby conveyors and the first shelves and the second shelves;
• a first raising and lowering apparatus comprising a first raising and lowering conveyor disposed between the first multilevel rack and the standby station in the first direction and configured to transfer the articles to and from the standby conveyors, and a first raising and lowering mechanism configured to raise and lower the first raising and lowering conveyor between every level of the standby conveyors;
• and
• a second raising and lowering apparatus comprising a second raising and lowering conveyor disposed between the second multilevel rack and the standby station in the first direction and configured to transfer the articles to and from the standby conveyors, and a second raising and lowering mechanism configured to raise and lower the second raising and lowering conveyor between every level of the standby conveyors.