Load handling mechanism and automatic storage system

Claim 2

In a warehousing system including storage rack means having a plurality of storage locations therein opening onto a generally longitudinally extending travel zone and being adapted to store loads therein, and a stacker crane movable in said travel zone alongside said storage rack means for depositing loads into and removing loads from selected storage locations in said storage rack means, said stacker crane comprising a generally longitudinally movable portion adapted for movement lengthwise of said travel zone and a load handling generally horizontally oriented conveyor portion mounted on said longitudinally movable portion, power means coacting with said conveyor portion for driving the latter whereby a load can be moved from one end of said conveyor portion toward the other end thereof upon operation of said power means, and including load manipulator means mounted on said stacker crane for gripping a load and moving it bodily between said conveyor portion and said storage rack means.

Claim 3

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said stacker crane includes an elevator portion mounted on said longitudinally movable portion for vertical movement with respect thereto, said conveyor portion being supported by said elevator portion, power means for moving said elevator portion and supported conveyor portion vertically with respect to said longitudinally movable portion, and wherein said manipulator means is carried by said elevator portion for vertical movement therewith.

Claim 4

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said stacker crane includes an elevator portion mounted on said longitudinally movable portion for vertical movement with respect thereto, and means mounting said manipulator means thereon for selective movement of said manipulator means vertically and laterally relative to said elevator portion.

Claim 5

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said manipulator means comprises an extensible arm, means pivoting said arm to said Stacker crane for movement in a generally vertical plane, and gripping means disposed adjacent the distal end of said arm for gripping a load.

Claim 6

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said manipulator means comprises an elongated arm movably mounted on said stacker crane, and a head adjacent the distal end of said arm, said head including means for gripping a load, and means for moving said head with respect to said arm.

Claim 7

A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said gripping means comprises a suction gripper including means for selectively applying suction to and removing suction from said suction gripper.

Claim 8

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said manipulator means comprises an elongated arm, means pivotally mounting said arm to said stacker crane for movement in a generally vertical plane, said arm comprising a rearward section and a forward section, said forward section being pivoted to said rearward section for movement in a generally vertical plane with respect thereto, and said forward section including extensible means for selectively extending and retracting said forward section, and load gripper means mounted on the distal end of said forward section.

Claim 9

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least certain of the storage locations in said storage rack include load support means for supporting loads thereon and automatically moving the loads in a direction toward said travel zone, for handling by said stacker crane.

Claim 10

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least certain of said storage locations in said storage rack means include load support means for supporting loads thereon in tandem relation and automatically moving the loads in a direction toward said travel zone, for handling by said stacker crane, and movable load transfer means mounted on said storage rack and adapted when in predetermined operative position for coaction between said storage rack and said conveyor portion for providing support for moving a load from a selected one of said storage locations directly onto said conveyor portion.

Claim 11

A system in accordance with claim 5 including actuating means for movably actuating said transfer means to cause transfer of a load from the selected storage location in said storage rack onto said conveyor portion, and holding means coacting with said transfer means and actuated by said actuating means for preventing an upcoming load behind the handled load from interferring with movement of the handled load.

Claim 12

A storage rack for use in a warehousing system for storing a plurality of loads in a plurality of storage locations therein and adapted to be disposed along a travel zone in which a guided load handling mechanism is adapted for traveling for at least removing loads from the storage rack, said storage rack at at least certain of said storage locations including load support means for supporting loads thereon in tandem relation and automatically moving the loads in a direction toward the travel zone for handling of the loads by the load handling mechanism, and movable load transfer means mounted on said storage rack adjacent the discharge end of said load support means at each of said certain storage locations and operative in one position to retain the associated loads on said load support means and adapted for actuation to another position for providing a bridge for moving a load from the associated load support means onto the load handling mechanism, holding means coacting with said transfer means and actuatable to an active position during actuation of said transfer means to said other position wherein the holding means is adapted for holding coaction with an upcoming load behind the handled load on the associated load support means, for preventing the upcoming load from interferring with the movement of the handled load onto the load handling mechanism, said transfer means at each of said certain storage locations comprising a member pivotable about a generally horizontal axis and which when in sAid one position provides a generally vertically extending abutment to the confronting load and which when in said other position provides a substantially downwardly sloping connecting bridge between the respective load support means and the load handling mechanism.

Claim 13

A storage rack for use in a warehousing system for storing a plurality of loads in a plurality of storage locations therein and adapted to be disposed along a travel zone in which a guided load handling mechanism is adapted for traveling for at least removing loads from the storage rack, said storage rack at at least certain of said storage locations including load support means for supporting loads thereon in tandem relation and automatically moving the loads in a direction toward the travel zone for handling of the loads by the load handling mechanism, and movable load transfer means mounted on said storage rack adjacent the discharge end of said load support means at each of said certain storage locations and operative in one position to retain the associated loads on said load support means and adapted for actuation to another position for providing a bridge for moving a load from the associated load support means onto the load handling mechanism, holding means coacting with said transfer means and actuatable to an active position during actuation of said transfer means to said other position wherein the holding means is adapted for holding coaction with an upcoming load behind the handled load on the associated load support means, for preventing the upcoming load from interferring with the movement of the handled load onto the load handling mechanism, said transfer means at each of said certain storage locations comprising a member pivotable about a generally horizontal axis and which when in sAid one position provides a generally vertically extending abutment to the confronting load and which when in said other position provides a substantially downwardly sloping connecting bridge between the respective load support means and the load handling mechanism.

Claim 14

A storage rack in accordance with claim 11 wherein said transfer means at each of said certain storage locations comprises a plate-like member pivotal about a generally horizontal axis, gear means operatively coupled to said plate-like member for causing pivotal movement thereof upon rotation of said gear means, and said holding means comprising a retainer block mounted on a movable framework operatively coupled to said gear means for moving the retainer block into holding engagement with the upcoming load to thus hold the latter in arrested condition on said load support means when said plate-like member has been swung downwardly to bridge the space between the load support means of the respective storage location and the load handling mechanism.

Claim 15

A storage rack in accordance with claim 12 including means swingably mounting said frame to the respective storage location and including means for adjusting the positional relationship of said frame to said load support means.

Claim 16

In a stacker crane adapted for handling loads, said stacker crane comprising a generally longitudinally movable portion and a conveyor portion mounted on the first mentioned portion and extending in a direction generally transverse of the longitudinal direction of movement of the first mentioned portion, power means for actuating said conveyor portion in a direction lengthwise thereof whereby loads moved onto said conveyor portion can be power moved in a direction lengthwise of the conveyor portion for moving a load from one end of said conveyor portion toward the other end of conveyor portion, so as to provide for the first mentioned end of the conveyor portion to receive another load, load manipulator means supported by said stacker crane and coacting with said conveyor portion for gripping a load and moving it from a predetermined location onto said conveyor portion, and for taking a load from said conveyor portion and moving it to another location.

Claim 17

In a stacker crane adapted for handling loads, said stacker crane comprising a generally longitudinally movable portion and a conveyor portion mounted on the first mentioned portion and extending in a direction generally transverse of the longitudinal direction of movement of the first mentioned portion, power means for actuating said conveyor portion in a direction lengthwise thereof whereby loads moved onto said conveyor portion can be power moved in a direction lengthwise of the conveyor portion for moving a load from one end of said conveyor portion toward the other end of conveyor portion, so as to provide for the first mentioned end of the conveyor portion to receive another load, load manipulator means supported by said stacker crane and coacting with said conveyor portion for gripping a load and moving it from a predetermined location onto said conveyor portion, and for taking a load from said conveyor portion and moving it to another location.

Claim 18

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 14 including means for moving said conveyor portion vertically with respect to said first mentioned portion.

Claim 19

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 14 including power means for shifting said conveyor portion as a unit in a direction lengthwise thereof and in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of said first mentioned portion.

Claim 20

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 14 including means for rotating said stacker crane about a generally vertical axis and through a range of at least 180*.

Claim 21

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 14 wherein said manipulator means includes an extensible arm and load gripping means mounted on said arm adjacent the distal end thereof.

Claim 22

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 18 wherein said arm is articulated.

Claim 23

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 14 including an elevator portion mounted on said longitudinally movable portion for vertical movement with respect thereto, said conveyor portion being supported by said elevator portion, power means for moving said elevator portion and supported conveyor portion vertically with respect to said longitudinally movable portion, said manipulator means being carried by said elevator portion for vertical movement therewith.

Claim 24

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 14 including an elevator portion mounted on said longitudinally movable portion for vertical movement with respect thereto, said conveyor portion being mounted on said elevator portion, and means mounting said manipulator means for selective movement of said manipulator means vertically and laterally relative to said elevator portion.

Claim 25

In a stacker crane adapted for handling loads, said stacker crane comprising a generalLy longitudinally movable portion and a conveyor portion mounted on the first mentioned portion and extending in a direction generally transverse of the longitudinal direction of movement of the first mentioned portion, power means for actuating said conveyor portion whereby loads moved onto said conveyor portion can be moved in a direction lengthwise of the conveyor portion for moving a load from one end of said conveyor portion toward the other end of conveyor portion, so as to provide for the first mentioned end of the conveyor portion to receive another load, and load manipulator means supported by said stacker crane and coacting with said conveyor portion for handling a load.

Claim 26

In a stacker crane adapted for handling loads, said stacker crane comprising a generalLy longitudinally movable portion and a conveyor portion mounted on the first mentioned portion and extending in a direction generally transverse of the longitudinal direction of movement of the first mentioned portion, power means for actuating said conveyor portion whereby loads moved onto said conveyor portion can be moved in a direction lengthwise of the conveyor portion for moving a load from one end of said conveyor portion toward the other end of conveyor portion, so as to provide for the first mentioned end of the conveyor portion to receive another load, and load manipulator means supported by said stacker crane and coacting with said conveyor portion for handling a load.

Claim 27

In a stacker crane adapted for handling loads to and from a storage rack, said stacker crane comprising a vertically elongated generally longitudinally movable portion, an elevator portion mounted on said longitudinally movable portion for vertical movement with respect thereto, said elevator portion mounting a powered support portion thereon for receiving loads in carried relation, power means for actuating said longitudinally movable portion, said elevator portion and said support portion, said support portion being movable in a direction generally transverse to the direction of movement of said longitudinally movable portion, load manipulator means supported by said stacker crane above said load support portion, said manipulator means including means for gripping a load and laterally moving it bodily between said support portion and a predetermined location and vice versa, and means mounting said manipulator means for movement generally horizontally and in a direction generally transverse of the direction of movement of said support portion.

Claim 28

In a stacker crane adapted for handling loads to and from a storage rack, said stacker crane comprising a vertically elongated generally longitudinally movable portion, an elevator portion mounted on said longitudinally movable portion for vertical movement with respect thereto, said elevator portion mounting a powered support portion thereon for receiving loads in carried relation, power means for actuating said longitudinally movable portion, said elevator portion and said support portion, said support portion being movable in a direction generally transverse to the direction of movement of said longitudinally movable portion, load manipulator means supported by said stacker crane above said load support portion, said manipulator means including means for gripping a load and laterally moving it bodily between said support portion and a predetermined location and vice versa, and means mounting said manipulator means for movement generally horizontally and in a direction generally transverse of the direction of movement of said support portion.

Claim 29

A stacker crane in accordance with claim 23 wherein said manipulator means includes suction gripper means for gripping a load.