Multi-access storage system

Claim 2

A multi-access storage system comprising an endless conveyor (10) having a multiple number of stations (12) and material retention members for occupying stored positions at said stations (12), there being a transfer site (@ 15 or @ 16), adjacent the conveyor for transfer of said retention members (11) between positions on and off the conveyor (10), said stations (12) having a path of travel to and from said transfer site, conveyor attachment means (18) at said stations on the conveyor and retention member attachment means (17) on the retention members (11) and transfer means (@ Fig. 2 or Fig. 12) at said transfer site for shifting retention members between engaged and disengaged conditions of said attachment means (17 and 18) while said endless conveyor (10) continues in motion along said path of travel past said transfer site.

Claim 3

A multi-access storage system as in claim 1 wherein there is a motion coordinating means (37) having elements thereof in operating engagement with both the conveyor (10 @ 38) and the transfer means (16 @ 50) whereby the rate of operation of the conveyor and the rate of operation of the transfer means (@ 16) are in coordination throughout variations in said rate.

Claim 4

A multi-access storage system as in claim 1 wherein there are two transfer sites, one of said sites being an extraction site (@ 15) for extraction of retention members from the conveyor and the other of said sites being an insertion site (@ 16) for insertion of retention members onto the conveyor.

Claim 5

A multi-access storage system as in claim 3 wherein there is a motion coordinating means (37) having elements thereof in operating engagement with both the conveyor (@ 38) and the transfer means (@ Fig. 12) at said insertion site (@ 38) and the transfer menas (@ Fig. 12) at said insertion site (@ 16) whereby to coordinate the rate of travel of the station (12) past said insertion site (@ 16) with the rate of travel of the retention member (11) to said insertion site (50 @ 16).

Claim 6

A multi-access storage system as in claim 1 wherein there is an activating means (19 and 21) responsive to conveyor travel intermediate the conveyor and the transfer means (Fig. 2) at the transfer site (@ 15) for effecting a change in condition of said attachment means (17 and 18).

Claim 7

A multi-access storage system as in claim 1 wherein there is a drive means (19) intermediate the conveyor (10) and the retention member (11) operative at the transfer site (@ 15) to effect movement of said retention members (11) away from said conveyor (10) upon disengagement of said attachment means (17 and 18).

Claim 8

A multi-access storage system as in claim 1 wherein said transfer site is an extraction site and there is an extraction means (@ 15) comprising a diverting medium (21) at said extraction site having a first adjustment clear (Fig. 2) of said retention members (11) and a second adjustment (Fig. 2) wherein the diverting medium (21) is in potential engagement with said retention members during travel of said retention members on said conveyor and wherein said diverting medium (21) is adapted in response to continued travel of said conveyor to effect disengagement of said respective retention member (11) from the conveyor.

Claim 9

A multi-access storage system as in claim 7 wherein said diverting medium (21) includes a selectively acting power means (22) for changing the adjustment of said diverting medium between said first and second adjustments.

Claim 10

A multi-access storage system as in claim 7 wherein there is a drive means (19) intermediate the conveyor and the retention member (11) operative at the extraction site (@ 15) to effect movement of retention members to a position clear of said conveyor.

Claim 11

A multi-access storage system as in claim 7 wherein said diverting medium (21) comprises a contact member having a lower first position (Fig. 2) of adjustment in the path of travel of said stations (12) clear of engagement with said retention members (11) and a higher second position in lifting engagement with the retention members (11) in operative adjustment whereby to lift the retention member attachment means (17) out of engagement with the corresponding conveyor attachment means (18).

Claim 12

A multi-access storage system as in claim 10 wherein there is a power actuated lifting means (22) on the conveyor in lifting engagement with said contact member (21) for changing the vertical position of said retention member (11).

Claim 13

A multi-access storage system as in claim 10 wherein there is a power actuated lifting means (22) on the conveyor (10) having a progressive lifting engagement with said contact member (21) productive of a lifting of the leading side of the retention member (11) in advance of the trailing side whereby the attachment means (17 and 18) on the leading side are disengaged in advance of the attachment means (17 and 18) on the trailing side.

Claim 14

A multi-access storage system as in claim 1 wherein said transfer site is an insertion site (@ 16) and there is an insertion means comprising an approach (56,57) for directing retention members to the conveyor and placement means (77) for advancing the retention members (11) to an insertion location (Fig. 14) relative to an empty station at the insertion site and for moving the retention members (11) to a position wherein said retention member attachment means (17) engage the complementary conveyor attachment means (18) at said empty station on the conveyor.

Claim 15

A multi-access storage system as in claim 13 wherein said insertion means includes low friction means (57) on said approach and guide means (82) transversely disposed relative to said approach (56) at insertion position and motorized actuating means (78) acting between said insertion means and the conveyor (10) when the respective empty station is passing said insertion site whereby to load the corresponding retention member (11) on the corresponding station (12) of the conveyor.

Claim 16

A multi-access storage system as in claim 13 wherein said insertion means includes a power actuated impeller (58) for moving the retention means (11) along the approach (56), drive means (37) interconnecting said conveyor (10) and said impeller (58) and a clutch (55) in operative association with said drive means (37) and said impeller (58) whereby to selectively actuate the impeller when there is an empty station at the adjacent portion of said conveyor.

Claim 17

A multi-access storage system as in claim 1 wherein there are two transfer sites, one of said sites being an extraction site (@ 15) for extraction of material transfer members (11) from the conveyor and the other of said sites being an insertion site (@ 16) for insertion of material transfer members onto the conveyor, extraction means comprising a diverting medium (21) at said extraction site having a first adjustment (broken lines) clear of said retention members and a second adjustment (solid line) wherein the diverting medium (21) is in potential engagement with the retention members (11) during travel of the retention members on the conveyor and wherein said diverting medium (21) is adapted in response to continued travel of the conveyor to effect disengagement of the respective retention member from the conveyor, an insertion means at the insertion site (@ 16) comprising an approach (56) for directing retention members to an insertion location relative to an empty station at the insertion site and for moving retention members to a position (Fig. 14) wherein said retention member attachment means (17) engage complementary conveyor attachment means (18) at a corresponding empty station, and a common interconnecting means (37) between the conveyor, the extraction means and the insertion means whereby the rates of operation of the extraction means and the insertion means are responsive to the rate of operation of the conveyor throughout variations in the rate of operation of the conveyor.

Claim 20

A method as in claim 17 including performing inserting and retracting operations at corresponding ends of said path of travel.

Claim 21

A method as in claim 17 including forming the retention members in the shape of containers of uniform capacity for reception of variable quantities of a plurality of articles and inserting and extracting said containers of said variable quantities into and from said stations.

Claim 22

A method as in claim 19 including suspending containers by gravity action at their respective stations during inserting operations and disengaging containers by action counter to gravity during extracting operations.

Claim 23

A method as in claim 17 including making use of the momentum of the conveyor to effect the extracting of said retention members from said stations.