Storage conveyor system

Claim 1

IN A CONVEYOR SYSTEM COMPRISING AN INCOMING CONVEYOR HAVING ACCESS TO A PLURALITY OF STORAGE CONVEYORS AND AN OUTGOING CONVEYOR ACCESSIBLE FROM THE STORAGE CONVEYOR: FIRST CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING STORAGE OF ARTICLES FROM THE INCOMING CONVEYOR SELECTIVELY ONTO THE STORAGE CONVEYORS; AND SECOND CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING WITHDRAWAL OF ARTICLES FROM SELECTIVE ONES OF THE STORAGE CONVEYORS INTO THE OUTGOING CONVEYOR; SAID FIRST CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF MANUAL ENTRY CONTROL DEVICES INDICATIVE OF THE RESPECTIVE STORAGE CONVEYORS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO OPERATION OF SAID MANUAL ENTRY CONTROL DEVICES IN A SELECTED SEQUENCE FOR CONTROLLING STORAGE OF SUCCESSIVE ARTICLES FROM THE INCOMING CONVEYOR ONTO THE STORAGE CONVEYORS IN A CORRESPONDING SEQUENCE; SAID SECOND CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF MANUAL EXIT CONTROL DEVICES INDICATIVE OF THE RESPECTIVE STORAGE CONVEYORS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO OPERATION OF SAID MANUAL EXIT CONTROL DEVICES IN A GIVEN SELECTED SEQUENCE FOR CONTROLLING WITHDRAWAL OF ARTICLES FROM CORRESPONDING STORAGE CONVEYORS ONTO THE OUTGOING CONVEYOR IN A SEQUENCE SUCH THAT THE ARTICLES ARE ARRANGED IN SUCCESSION ON THE OUTGOING CONVEYOR IN SAID GIVEN SELECTED SEQUENCE; COUNTING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A REGISTRATION OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ARTICLES ON EACH STORAGE CONVEYOR; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID COUNTING MEANS WHEN THE LATTER HAS REGISTERED A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF ARTICLES FOR A GIVEN STORAGE CONVEYOR FOR PREVENTING THE INITIATION OF MOVEMENT OF FURTHER ARTICLES TO SUCH STORAGE CONVEYOR; AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID COUNTING MEANS WHEN THE LATTER HAS REGISTERED THE ABSENCE OF ANY ARTICLES ON A STORAGE CONVEYOR FOR PREVENTING THE INITIATION OF WITHDRAWAL OF AN ARTICLE FROM SUCH STORAGE CONVEYOR.