A rail system, particularly for an automated storage and retrieval system for storage and retrieval of containers

A rail system comprising:

• a first beam comprising:
• a first upper surface configured to provide a first track,
• a pair of first sidewalls extending downwards from the first upper surface and defining a lateral extent of the first beam,
• a first cut-out extending through the pair of first sidewalls, defining a first cut-out volume extending through the lateral extent of the first beam, wherein the first cut-out volume extends upwards from a lowermost edge of the first beam,
• a second beam comprising:
• a second upper surface configured to provide a second track,
• a pair of second sidewalls extending downwards from the second upper surface and defining a lateral extent of the second beam,
• a second cut-out extending through the pair of second sidewalls, defining a second cut-out volume extending through the lateral extent of the second beam, wherein the second cut-out volume extends downwards from an uppermost edge of the second beam,
• wherein the first beam and the second beam are arranged perpendicular to one another, with the first beam uppermost and the second beam underneath, and with the first and second cut-outs aligned, such that part of the second beam is received within the first cut-out volume and part of the first beam is received within the second cut-out volume, such that the first beam and the second beam interlock and the first upper surface and second upper surface lie in a single plane, and wherein the rail system comprises a locking arrangement configured to lock the first beam and the second beam together to prevent relative movement between the first beam and the second beam in at least a vertical direction.

An automated storage and retrieval system for storage and retrieval of containers, comprising:

• a frame structure;
• a rail system comprising a plurality of first beams forming a first set of parallel rails, and a plurality of second beams forming a second set of parallel rails, the first set of parallel rails and the second set of parallel rails crossing each other and forming a rail grid;
• and
• a plurality of container handling vehicles, wherein the first set of parallel rails is arranged to guide movement of the container handling vehicles in a first direction (X) across the top of the frame structure, and the second set of parallel rails is arranged to guide movement of the container handling vehicles in a second direction (Y).