Automated storage systems

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATED STORAGE SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLUALITY OF STORAGE UNITS, MEANS MOUNTING AT LEAST CERTAIN ONES OF SAID STORAGE UNITS FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PATH TO FORM AN AISLE SPACE BETWEEN PREDETERMINED ADJACENT UNITS, MOTOR DRIVEN MEANS FOR MOVING THE MOVABLE UNITS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ALONG SAID PATH, COUPLING MEANS FOR COUPLING SELECTED UNITS TO SAID MOTOR DRIVEN MEANS FOR MOVEMENT IN A DESIRED DIRECTION, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR RENDERING OPERATIVE ONE OF SAID COUPLING AND MOTOR DRIVEN MEANS ONLY UPON ATTEMPTED COUPLING OF SELECTED UNITS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AN OPEN AISLE SPACE, SAID CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND RLAYS, CONDUCTOR MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID RELAYS, SWITCH MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF STORAGE UNITS WITH RESPECT TO AN OPEN AISLE AND TO ACTUATION OF SAID CONTROL MEANS TO CAUSE DE-ENERGIZATION OF SAID FIRST RELAY AND ENERGIZATION OF SAID SECOND RELAY; UPON ATTEMPED COUPLING OF A UNIT ON ONE SIDE OF AN AISLE, AND ENERGIZATION OF SAID FIRST RELAY AND DE-ENERGIZATION OF SAID SECOND RELAY, UPON ATTEMPED COUPLING OF A UNIT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AN AISLE, AND CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING CONTACTS OF SAID RELAYS FOR RENDERING SAID COUPLING MEANS AND MOTOR DRIVEN MEANS OPERATIVE SIMULTANEOUSLY UPON ATTEMPTED COUPLING OF A UNIT FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AN OPEN AISLE, SAID CIRCUIT MEANS RENDERING INOPERATIVE ONE OF SAID COUPLING AND MOTOR DRIVEN MEANS UPON ATTEMPTED COUPLING OF A UNIT FOR MOVEMENT AWAY FROM AN OPEN AISLE.