Abstract Power-driven warehouse equipment facilitates accurate and rapid selection of articles of commerce for distribution to warehouse outlets. A mobile track-mounted order-selection vehicle under the control of a warehouseman moves along an aisle formed by storage racks arranged in rows. Each rack is divided into compartments or slots, each slot containing cases, cartons or containers of a designated article of commerce. As the vehicle moves along the slots, selection of type and quantity of containers is made in accordance with a predetermined program carried by the driver of the vehicle in accordance with order picking instructions displayed for him by a display unit on the vehicle. Following selection of the requisite type and quantity of containers, each container is automatically labeled with a label which indicates the type, quantity and destination information imprinted thereon according to a program, and the containers are mechanically transported to an area where they are automatically diverted to accomplish assembly of orders in accordance with their proper destination.
A warehouse system comprising: Means defining article storage compartments disposed side-by-side along an aisle and having openings in said compartments facing said aisle for the removal of articles from said compartments; a vehicle movable in said aisle past the opening in said compartments; an operator''s workdeck on said vehicle; means for supporting said vehicle for movement in said aisle; endless conveying means having a portion disposed in said aisle below the base of the vehicle and being disposed parallel to said means for supporting said vehicle; transfer means on said vehicle for receiving articles removed from selected compartments and directing them downward onto said endless conveying means for conveyance to a sorting area, said transfer means including an article receiving and support means mounted on said vehicle at a position above said workdeck and an inclined article transporter having an upper end adjacent said article receiving and support means and a lower end adjacent said endless conveyor means for delivering articles to said endless conveying means, antifriction means mounted on said article receiving and support means, a recess in said article receiving and support means defining an opening for receiving the upper end of said inclined article transporter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
A warehouse system comprising: Means defining article storage compartments disposed side-by-side along an aisle and having openings in said compartments facing said aisle for the removal of articles from said compartments; a vehicle movable in said aisle past the opening in said compartments; an operator''s workdeck on said vehicle; means for supporting said vehicle for movement in said aisle; endless conveying means having a portion disposed in said aisle below the base of the vehicle and being disposed parallel to said means for supporting said vehicle; transfer means on said vehicle for receiving articles removed from selected compartments and directing them downward onto said endless conveying means for conveyance to a sorting area, said transfer means including an article receiving and support means mounted on said vehicle at a position above said workdeck and an inclined article transporter having an upper end adjacent said article receiving and support means and a lower end adjacent said endless conveyor means for delivering articles to said endless conveying means, antifriction means mounted on said article receiving and support means, a recess in said article receiving and support means defining an opening for receiving the upper end of said inclined article transporter.