US 3,984,012 AGranted

Automatic storage and retrieval system for motor vehicles and the like

OwnerF. Lyman Ennis, Earl R. Collinsinventors

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Abstract

An automatic storage and retrieval system for motor vehicles has a plurality of elevators for conveying automobile support pallets to and from a plurality of tiers, the support pallets being moved off an elevator onto a cart by a transfer mechanism on the cart, and into storage stalls, under automatic sequence control by a programmable controller; the sequence of events being displayed on an interactive terminal together with storage location data, and recorded in programmable controller memory for later retrieval by automatic sequence upon command.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A storage system which comprises in combination:

a storage structure having a plurality of tiers and an entry/departure level;
a plurality of framed areas defining stalls on each tier, for storage;
at least a first pair of rails on each parking tier extending transversely of said stalls;
an elevator shaft extending through said parking tiers, an elevator having an elevator platform for movement in said shaft to a rest position at the entry/departure level and at each parking tier;
a transfer platform resiliently mounted in said elevator shaft under said elevator platform, adapted to move up and down a distance equal to the depth of said elevator platform, and adapted to be moved by said elevator platform when at said entry/departure level, and to provide a level surface replacing said elevator platform when moved from said entry/departure level;
a plurality of pallets provided with rollers for movement in either direction along one axis on said elevator, in said stalls, or on said transfer platform, and having an elongated sprocket mounted on the bottom along the axis;
a cart movable on said rails adjacent said elevator and said stalls, adapted to hold said pallets;
transfer means mounted on said cart adapted to engage said elongated sprocket on said pallets and to move said pallets onto and off of said cart;
a first motor means on said cart for moving said cart along said rails;
a second motor means for moving said elevator platform in said elevator shaft;
a first sensing means for sensing the position of said cart on said rails;
a second sensing means for detecting the position of said elevator platform;
a third sensing means for detecting the position of said pallets in said stalls;
a fourth sensing means for detecting the presence of a vehicle on said pallet;
and,
sequencing means electically connected to said four sensing means, to said two motor means, and to said transfer means for controlling the sequence of operation of said motor means upon the receipt of signals from said sensing means or an override signal manually entered into said sequencing means;
whereby a pallet carrying a vehicle is transferred onto said elevator and moved to one of said tiers by said elevator and transferred from said elevator to said cart by said transfer means and transported on said cart to one of said stalls and transferred by said transfer means from said cart into said stall, and vice versa, being monitored by said four sensing means and said sequencing means, and controlled by said sequencing means.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A storage system which comprises in combination:

a storage structure having a plurality of tiers and an entry/departure level;
a plurality of framed areas defining stalls on each tier, for storage;
at least a first pair of rails on each parking tier extending transversely of said stalls;
an elevator shaft extending through said parking tiers, an elevator having an elevator platform for movement in said shaft to a rest position at the entry/departure level and at each parking tier;
a transfer platform resiliently mounted in said elevator shaft under said elevator platform, adapted to move up and down a distance equal to the depth of said elevator platform, and adapted to be moved by said elevator platform when at said entry/departure level, and to provide a level surface replacing said elevator platform when moved from said entry/departure level;
a plurality of pallets provided with rollers for movement in either direction along one axis on said elevator, in said stalls, or on said transfer platform, and having an elongated sprocket mounted on the bottom along the axis;
a cart movable on said rails adjacent said elevator and said stalls, adapted to hold said pallets;
transfer means mounted on said cart adapted to engage said elongated sprocket on said pallets and to move said pallets onto and off of said cart;
a first motor means on said cart for moving said cart along said rails;
a second motor means for moving said elevator platform in said elevator shaft;
a first sensing means for sensing the position of said cart on said rails;
a second sensing means for detecting the position of said elevator platform;
a third sensing means for detecting the position of said pallets in said stalls;
a fourth sensing means for detecting the presence of a vehicle on said pallet;
and,
sequencing means electically connected to said four sensing means, to said two motor means, and to said transfer means for controlling the sequence of operation of said motor means upon the receipt of signals from said sensing means or an override signal manually entered into said sequencing means;
whereby a pallet carrying a vehicle is transferred onto said elevator and moved to one of said tiers by said elevator and transferred from said elevator to said cart by said transfer means and transported on said cart to one of said stalls and transferred by said transfer means from said cart into said stall, and vice versa, being monitored by said four sensing means and said sequencing means, and controlled by said sequencing means.

14 more elements