Mechanical load handling, transfer and storage equipment

Claim 1

A LOAD TRANSFER AND STORAGE APPARATUS COMPRISING A STORAGE FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF LOAD SUPPORT MEANS; A PICK-UP-AND-DISCHARGE STATION; A LOAD CARRIER MOVABLE FORWARDLY FROM SAID STATION TO ANY OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR DEPOSITING OR RETRIEVING A LOAD THREAT; POWER MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CARRIER; CONTROL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID CARRIER INCLUDING SELECTOR MEANS; SAID SELECTOR MEANS COMPRISING FIRST COMMAND SELECTIVE CONTROL ELEMENTS FOR CAUSING SAID CARRIER TO MOVE TO A FIRST SELECTED SUPPORT MEANS IN EXECUTION OF A FIRST COMMAND; SAID SELECTOR MEANS COMPRISING SECOND COMMAND SELECTIVE CONTROL ELEMENTS FOR CAUSING SAID CARRIER TO MOVE TO A SECOND SELECTED SUPPORT MEANS IN EXECUTION OF A SECOND COMMAND; SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING CYCLING MEANS FOR INITIATING CYCLING WHEREBY SAID CARRIER IS CAUSED TO MOVE FORWARDLY TO A SELECTED SUPPORT MEANS OF A COMMAND AND AUTOMATICALLY RETURN REARWARDLY TO SAID STATION AFTER EXECUTING A COMMAND; SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS AUTOMATICALLY DEACTIVATING SAID CYCLING MEANS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF SAID FIRST COMMAND AND MEANS AUTOMATICALLY REINITIATING SAID CYCLING MEANS IN A FORWARD DIRECTION AFTER SAID CYCLING MEANS HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED AND CAUSING SAID CARRIER TO EXECUTE SAID SECOND COMMAND BEFORE SAID CARRIER RETURNS TO SAID STATION; SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING REJECT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER AND RESPONSIVE TO A LOAD ON A SELECTED SUPPORT MEANS OF A COMMAND, WHEN SAID CARRIER IS LOADED, AND CAUSING SAID CARRIER TO RETURN DIRECTLY TO SAID STATION WHEREBY WHEN SAID REJECT MEANS IS ACTUATED DURING EXECUTION OF A FIRST COMMAND, BOTH COMMANDS ARE TERMINATED.