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US 6,842,665 B2Granted
Stowage and retrieval system
OwnerJames P. Karleninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A storage and retrieval system is provided that automates the process of handling a mixed inventory of palletized and containerized items. The invention is particularly useful in handling cargo and weapons within a ship's hold or magazine. When used on a ship, the invention provides for the stowing and unstowing of loads quickly and efficiently, to automatically secure such payloads for sea and to achieve high stowage density, while retaining the capability to select and retrieve any ordered payload, move it to and load it on elevator trays under computer control.
Claims19
An automated stowage and retrieval system for the selective loading or unloading of a payload comprising:
- a plurality of pallet carriers contained in a storage matrix, the matrix having a plurality of storage spaces and being defined by a plurality of horizontal axes, including a plurality of axes extending in a first direction and a plurality of axes extending in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of the plurality of pallet carriers being moveable into and out of the plurality of storage spaces within the matrix, each of the pallet carriers being capable of supporting and storing at least one payload and configured to slide bi-directionally along the plurality of horizontal axes in sequentially coordinated movement with stored payloads supported on other of the plurality of pallet carriers whereby stored payloads on the pallet carriers are moved between the plurality of storage spaces to permit movement of a stored payload on another pallet carrier;
- a plurality of driving mechanisms associated with the plurality of pallet carriers configured to slide each of the plurality of pallet carriers along the plurality of horizontal axes of the matrix;
- and
- a programmable controller capable of receiving input regarding a desired payload and configured to communicate with the plurality of driving mechanisms to operably coordinate sequential movement of a selected number of the plurality of pallet carriers along the plurality of horizontal axes to move a predetermined pallet carrier having the desired payload to a predetermined position.
1 more element
An automated stowage and retrieval system for the selective loading or unloading of a payload comprising:
- a plurality of pallet carriers contained in a matrix, the matrix being defined by a plurality of horizontal axes, including a plurality of axes extending in a first direction and a plurality of axes extending in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of the plurality of pallet carriers being capable of supporting at least one payload and configured to slide bi-directionally along the plurality of horizontal axes in sequentially coordinated movement with other of the plurality of pallet carriers, wherein each of the plurality of pallet carriers can substantially lock with each of the remaining of the plurality of pallet carriers, wherein two or more of the plurality of pallet carriers can support a common payload;
- a plurality of driving mechanisms associated with the plurality of pallet carriers configured to slide each of the plurality of pallet carriers alone the plurality of horizontal axes of the matrix;
- and
- a programmable controller capable of receiving input regarding a desired payload and configured to communicate with the plurality of driving mechanisms to operably coordinate sequential movement of a selected number of the plurality of pallet carriers along the plurality of horizontal axes to move a predetermined pallet carrier having the desired payload to a predetermined position.
1 more element
A method of stowing and retrieving a payload comprising:
- positioning a first pallet carrier at a predetermined position in a storage matrix to load or unload at least one payload associated with the first pallet carrier, the matrix having a plurality of storage spaces and being defined by a plurality of horizontal axes, including a plurality of axes extending in a first direction and a plurality of axes extending in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction, the matrix comprising a plurality of pallet carriers each being moveable into and out of the plurality of storage spaces within the matrix, each of the pallet carriers being capable of supporting and storing at least one payload and configured to slide bi-directionally along the plurality of horizontal axes in sequentially coordinated movement with stored payloads supported on other of the plurality of pallet carriers whereby stored payloads on the pallet carriers are moved between the plurality of stored spaces to permit movement of a stored payload on another pallet carrier;
- and
- sliding a selected number of the plurality of pallet carriers in coordinated sequential movement to move a second pallet carrier to the predetermined position to load or unload at least one payload associated with the second pallet carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.