Document storage and retrieval apparatus and method

A method of minimizing the volume required to store an inventory of containers having articles therein which must be periodically retrieved from said inventory, said method including the steps of storing a plurality of containers each having at least one of said articles therein and each having container identifying indicia thereon in a storage structure having a plurality of locations with location identifying addresses, and periodically retrieving selected containers from said storage structure, wherein the improvement in said method comprises the steps of:

• a. prior to said storing step, placing a selected maximum number, in excess of one, of said containers on pallet means, said maximum number corresponding to the volume of said containers and pallet means which can be stored at each of said locations;
• b. correlating all of the container identifying indicia of said containers on said pallet means with a location identifying address for a selected location in the storage structure;
• c. during said storing step, storing said pallet means in said selected location;
• d. during said retrieving step, retrieving said pallet means having a selected container thereon;
• e. after said retrieving step, removing all of said containers from the retrieved pallet means;
• f. after said removing step, sorting said selected container from the remainder of said containers removed from said pallet means;
• and
• g. returning said remainder of said containers to said inventory by placing said remainder of said containers on a newly selected pallet means, adding containers to said newly selected pallet means until said maximum number of containers is placed on said pallet means, returning the newly selected pallet and containers to a new location in said storage structure, and correlating the container identifying with the address of said new location in said storage structure.