Suction lift for article distribution and storage system

Claim 1

IN AN ARTICLE DISTRIBUTING AND STORAGE SYSTEM, A SUCTION HIGT FOR TRANSFERRING AT LEAST ONE TIER FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF UNITS FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION COMPRISING: A HOLLOW, MOVABLE HEAD HAVING A RIGID TOP AND A DEPENDING FLEXIBLE CURTAIN ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE THE UNITS FORMING THE TIER AND TO ENGAGE THE SIDES OF THE UNITS FORMING THE PERIPHERY OF THE TIER IN SUBSTANTIALLY AIRTIGHT MANNER; AN OPEN GATE PERVIOUS TO THE PASSAGE OF AIR MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOLLOW, MOVABLE HEAD BELOW THE RIGID TOP AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE RIGID TOP; MEANS FOR SELECTING THE POSITION OF THE OPEN GATE WITH RESPECT TO THE HOLLOW, MOVABLE HEAD AND TO A STACK OF TIERS OF UNITS LOCATED AT THE FIRST POSITION SUCH THAT THE OPEN GATE RESTS ON THE TOPS OF THE UNITS FORMING THE UPPERMOST TIER OF THE STACK AND THE DEPENDING FLEXIBLE CURTAIN SURROUNDS THE PERIPHERY OF THE UNITS FORMING THE LOWERMOST TIER TO BE LIFTED BY THE LIFT; MEANS TO CREATE A PREDETERMINED SUCTION WITHIN THE HOLLOW, MOVABLE BEAD SUCH THAT THE DEPENDING FLEXIBLE CURTAIN ENGAGES THE UNITS OF THE LOWERMOST TIER TO BE LIFTED BY THE LIFT IN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT MANNER; MEANS FOR MOVING THE HOLLOW, MOVABLE HEAD, THE TIER OF UNITS ENGAGED IN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT MANNER AND THE TIER OF UNITS ABOVE SAID ENGAGED TIER OF UNITS FROM THE FIRST POSITION TO THE SECOND POSITION; AND MEANS TO RELEASE THE SUCTION TO THEREBY DEPOSIT THE ENGAGED TIER OF UNITS AND THE TIERS OF UNITS ABOVE SAID ENGAGED TIER OF UNITS IN THE SECOND POSITION.