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US 6,854,583 B1Granted
Conveyorized storage and transportation system
AssigneeMiddlesex General Industries, Inc.
InventorGeorge Horn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A configurable storage system particularly suited for use with clean environment conveyors is disclosed. The storage system includes modular conveyor track elements which may be provided as one way paths which, when provided with plural transfer elements with respect to a conveyor highway, enable the rotation of a workpiece from a storage matrix to a transfer path and back to the storage matrix.
Claims32
A system for storing and transporting work-pieces in a clean manufacturing environment, comprising:
- at least one storage matrix comprised of a plurality of buffer sections for storing and circulating said work-pieces;
- a transport path for transporting said work-pieces to and from said storage matrix;
- a plurality of sensors for sensing positional and identification information relating to said work-pieces within said system;
- a control processor operatively communicative with said sensors, said storage matrix and said transport path for configuring said storage matrix and for controlling storage, circulation and transport of the work-pieces in response to the positional and identification information received from said sensors;
- and
- a plurality of tool stations associated with said buffer sections for receiving said work-pieces therefrom, processing said work-pieces, and returning said work-pieces to said storage matrix or to said transport path in response to communication from said control processor,
- wherein said storage matrix and said transport path are comprised of modular conveyor elements.
4 more elements
A storage system for work-in-process material or carriers transporting said material comprising:
- a two-dimensional, aggregate storage matrix comprising
- plural, mutually-parallel linear conveyor elements for selectively, serially transporting said material or carriers, and
- plural pairs of junction elements, each pair of junction elements associated with a respective one of said linear conveyor elements for selectively transporting said material or carriers to an adjacent linear conveyor element or other junction element;
- a transport path in communication with said aggregate storage matrix for transporting said material or carriers to and from said aggregate storage matrix;
- and
- a tool buffer comprised of a linear conveyor element and a respective pair of junction elements, said tool buffer disposed proximate said transport path for selectively receiving said material or carriers therefrom and for selectively sending said material or carriers thereto.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.