Apparatus and method for storing and retrieving articles

Article storage and transport means comprising:

• a storage means comprising a portion of the surface of a right cylinder, the storage means having a plurality of radially-spaced dividing walls extending parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the dividing walls having means for receiving therein a plurality of axially-spaced shelves arranged to lie substantially in axially-spaced planes perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, the walls and shelves defining discrete, identifiable storage locations therebetween, each storage location being definable by cylindrical coordinates,
• article transport means coaxial with the axis of the cylinder, said transport means including first means pivotable about the axis, second means pivotable with said first means and linearly movable along the axis, and third means linearly movable along the axis with the second means for reciprocal movement toward and away from the axis along a radial direction, said transport means having a home position to which it return after operation thereof, said article transport means having means for moving the first means, second means and third means to any of a plurality of locations definable by cylindrical coordinates, and
• means in operative association with said transport means for transporting an article to an available discrete, identifiable storage location in said storage means closest to the home position of said transport means.

Apparatus for selectively vending or renting articles to a customer, comprising:

• a cabinet,
• article storage means in the cabinet for storing a plurality of articles in discrete identifiable locations, each individual storage location being definable by cylindrical coordinates,
• customer identification means for receiving information about the customer,
• mode selection means for enabling the customer to select among a vend mode, a rend mode, and a return mode,
• article selection means for enabling the customer to select a desired article to be vended or rented,
• customer access means in the cabinet for dispensing the selected article to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the article from the customer in the return mode,
• article identification means adjacent the customer access means for receiving information representative of the identity of the article from the customer in the return mode,
• article identification means adjacent the customer access means for receiving information representative of the identity of the article being returned in the return mode,
• article transport means for transporting the selected article from the storage means to the customer access means in the vend and rent modes and transporting the article from the customer access means to an available empty discrete location in the storage means in the return mode, the article transport means having first means pivotable about an axis, second means pivotable with said first means and linearly moveable along the axis, and third means linearly moveably along the axis with the second means for reciprocal movement toward and away from the axis, and having means for moving the first means, second means and third means to any of a plurality of locations defined by cylindrical coordinates,
• memory means for storing information about the customer, the selected article, and the coordinates of articles and available empty discrete locations in the storage means,
• information receiving means for receiving information representative of the condition of an article being returned in the return mode, and means operatively associated with said information receiving means for preventing subsequent rental of an article not in condition to be rented.

Method of automatically selectably vending or renting articles to a customer, comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of articles in discrete, identifiable locations in a storage means,
• enabling the customer to select among a vend mode, a rent mode and a return mode,
• enabling the customer to select a desired article to be vended or rented,
• dispensing the selected article to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the article from the customer in the return mode,
• receiving information representative of the identity of the article being returned in the return mode,
• automatically transporting the selected article by a transport assembly from a storage location to a customer access means for dispensing the selected article in the vend and rent modes and automatically transporting the article in the return mode from the customer access means to an available empty storage location closest to said transport assembly, and
• storing information about the customer, the selected mode, the selected article, and the coordinates of article and available empty discrete locations in the storage means in a memory for later retrieval and processing.

Apparatus for selectably vending or renting articles to a customer, comprising:

• article storage means for storing a plurality of articles in discrete, identifiable locations,
• mode selection means for enabling the customer to select among a vent mode, a rent mode and a return mode,
• article selection means for enabling the customer to select a desired article to be vended or rented,
• customer access means for dispensing the selected article to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the article from the customer in the return mode,
• article identification means for receiving information representative of the identity of the article being returned in the return mode,
• article transport means for transporting the selected article from the storage means to the customer access means in the vend and rent modes and transporting the article from the customer access means to any available empty discrete location in the storage means in the return mode,
• memory means for storing information about the coordinates of stored articles and available empty discrete locations in the storage means,
• information receiving means for receiving information representative of the condition of an article being returned in the return mode, and
• means operatively associated with said information receiving means for preventing subsequent rental of an article not in condition to be rented.

Apparatus for selectably vending or renting articles to a customer, comprising:

• article storage means for storing a plurality of articles in discrete, identifiable locations,
• mode selection means for enabling the customer to select among a vend mode, a rent mode and a return mode,
• article selection means for enabling the customer to select a desired article to be vended or rented,
• customer access means for dispensing the selected article to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the article from the customer in the return mode,
• article identification means for receiving information representative of the identity of the article being returned in the return mode,
• article transport means for transporting the selected article from the storage means to the customer access means in the vend and rent modes and transporting the article from the customer access means to any available empty discrete location in the storage means in the return mode,
• memory means for storing information about the coordinates of stored articles and available empty discrete locations in the storage means, and
• means operatively associated with the article identification means in the return mode for causing articles unacceptable for return to be placed in a discrete location in the storage means and for causing the coordinates of the discrete location to be entered into the memory means along with information identifying that discrete location as containing an article not available for further vending or rental.

Apparatus for selectable vending or renting articles to a customer, comprising:

• article storage means for storing a plurality of articles in discrete, identifiable locations,
• mode selection means for enabling the customer to select among a vend mode, a rent mode and a return mode,
• article selection means for enabling the customer to select a desired article to be vended or rented,
• customer access means for dispensing the selected article to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the article from the customer in the return mode,
• article identification means for receiving information representative of the identity of the article being returned in the return mode,
• article transport means for transporting the selected article from the storage means to the customer access means in the vend and rent modes and transporting the article from the customer access means to any available empty discrete location in the storage means in the return mode,
• memory mean for storing information about the coordinates of stored articles and available empty discrete locations in the storage means,
• keying means associated with said article for uniquely physically keying the article to the apparatus in the return mode, and
• means operatively associated with the customer access means for physically mating with said keying means for permitting operation of the customer access means only when said keying means mates with the customer access means.

Apparatus for selectively vending or renting articles to a customer, comprising:

• a cabinet,
• article storage means in the cabinet for storing a plurality of articles in discrete identifiable locations, each individual storage location being definable by cylindrical coordinates,
• customer identification means for receiving information about the customer,
• mode selection means for enabling the customer to select among a vend mode, a rent mode, and a return mode,
• article selection means for enabling the customer to select a desired article to be vended or rented,
• customer access means in the cabinet for dispensing the selected article to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the article from the customer in the return mode,
• article identification means adjacent the customer access means for receiving information representative of the identity of the article being returned in the return mode,
• article transport means for transporting the selected article from the storage means to the customer access means in the vend and rent modes and transporting the article from the customer access means to an available empty discrete location in the storage means in the return mode, the article transport means having first means pivotable about an axis, second means pivotable with said first means and linearly moveable along the axis, and third means linearly moveable along the axis with the second means for reciprocal movement toward and away from the axis, and having means for moving the first means, second means and third means to any of a plurality of locations defined by cylindrical coordinates,
• memory means for storing information about the customer, the selected article, and the coordinates of articles and available empty discrete locations in the storage means, and
• means operatively associated with the article identification means in the return mode for causing articles unacceptable for return to be placed in a discrete location in the storage means and for causing the coordinates of that discrete location to be enter into the memory means along with information identifying that discrete location as containing an article not available for further vending or rental.