Moving crank mechanism

A vertical lift mechanism comprising:

• a crank member having generally opposed first and second ends extending generally parallel to and offset from one another;
• a first carriage element mounted for movement around a generally vertically extending first endless loop;
• a second carriage element mounted for movement around a generally vertically extending second endless loop, said first and second endless loops being substantial duplicates mounted generally parallel to and offset from one another, said first end being pivotally mounted to and moveable with said first carriage element, and said second end being pivotally mounted to and moveable with said second carriage element, said first and second carriage elements being mounted for generally synchronous movement along said first and second endless loops, each of said first and second endless loops including a continuous gear chain having a plurality of pivotally connected rigid links, each of said pivotally connected rigid links including an externally projecting said carriage element;
• and
• a shelf member generally rigidly mounted to and moveable with said crank member.

A vertical lift mechanism comprising:

• a crank member having generally opposed first and second end members extending generally parallel to and offset from one another by an offset amount;
• a first endless loop;
• a second endless loop, said second endless loop extending generally parallel to, spaced from, and offset from said first endless loop, said second endless loop being offset from said first endless loop by about said offset amount, said first and second endless loops being substantial duplicates;
• a first carriage member mounted for movement along said first endless loop;
• a second carriage member mounted for movement along said second endless loop, each of said first and second endless loops including a continuous gear chain having a plurality of pivotally connected rigid links, each of said pivotally connected rigid links including an externally projecting said carriage member;
• a carriage member driving assembly drivingly associated with said first and second carriage members, said carriage member driving assembly being adapted to intermittently and reversibly driving said continuous gear chain around said endless loops;
• said first end member being mounted to and moveable with said first carriage member, and said second end member being mounted to and moveable with said second carriage member.

A closed loop vertical lift mechanism for use in an automated container storage system, said lift mechanism being adapted to carry objects continuously and indefinitely generally vertically about a closed loop, said lift mechanism comprising:

• a plurality of crank members, each of said crank members having first and second journal ends, each said first journal end establishing a first axis, each said second journal end establishing a second axis, said first and second axes of each said crank member extending substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart a predetermined distance from one another, said first and second axes of each said crank member defining a crank plane;
• a shelf member rigidly mounted to substantially each said crank member, each said shelf member having an object supporting surface, each said object supporting surface extending generally horizontally;
• a first carriage element pivotally attached to each said first journal end of each said crank member, each said first carriage element being adapted to be driven around a first endless loop;
• a second carriage element pivotally attached to each said second journal end of each said crank member, each said second carriage element being adapted to be driven around a second endless loop, each of said first and second endless loops including a continuous gear chain having a plurality of pivotally connected rigid links, each of said pivotally connected rigid links including an externally projecting said carriage element;
• said first and second carriage elements adapted to carry said crank members along said endless loops at a substantially constant rate, wherein each said object supporting surface remains generally horizontal.

A method of maintaining a moving crank member having offset first and second opposed ends substantially parallel to a fixed reference plane, comprising the steps of:

• pivotally mounting said moving crank member at said first opposed end along a first axis;
• pivotally mounting said moving crank member at said second opposed end along a second axis, said first and second axes extending substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance;
• said first and second axes together defining a crank plane;
• moving said moving crank member around a closed path by driving said first end of said crank member along a first endless loop at a predetermined rate, and driving said second end of said crank member along a second endless loop at about said predetermined rate, said first and second endless loops being substantial duplicates of one another positioned parallel to and offset and spaced apart from one another, wherein said crank plane remains substantially parallel to the fixed reference plane as said moving crank member moves along said closed path, each of said first and second loops including a continuous gear chain having a plurality of pivotally connected rigid links, each of said pivotally connected rigid links including internally facing linear gear teeth and an externally projecting carriage member, each said carriage member being adapted to pivotally engage a said opposed end;
• a drive mechanism drivingly associated with said first and second carriage members, said drive mechanism including at least one drive gear adapted to drivingly engage said internally facing linear gear teeth;
• and
• at least one carryover plate adapted to slidably support said pivotally connected rigid links as said pivotally connected rigid links transition from moving in one direction to moving in a generally opposed direction along said endless loops.

A moving crank member having offset first and second opposed ends, said moving crank member being moveable while maintaining a substantially parallel relationship to a fixed reference plane, said moving crank member comprising:

• said moving crank member being pivotally mounted at said first opposed end along a first axis;
• said moving crank member being pivotally mounted at said second opposed end along a second axis, said first and second axes extending substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance;
• said first and second axes together defining a crank plane;
• a driving assembly drivingly associated with said moving crank member, said driving assembly being mounted to drive said moving crank member around a substantially vertically oriented closed path with substantially straight reaches joined by arcuate transition portions while maintaining said crank plane substantially parallel to a fixed reference plane, said moving crank member being pivotally mounted to at least one continuous gear chain having a plurality of pivotally connected rigid links, said continuous gear chain including a carriage member integral with a said rigid link, said carriage member being pivotally associated with said moving crank member;
• a shelf member mounted to said moving crank member;
• and
• a shelf stabilizing mechanism, said shelf stabilizing mechanism including stabilizing elements positioned to stabilizingly inter engage on said straight reaches of said closed path, and to disengage on said arcuate transition portions of said closed path.