Position control system for a warehouse apparatus

Claim 2

In an automatic warehousing system having a plurality of load supports, a load carrier movable selectively into different transfer positions in which it registers with one of said supports, a transfer device on said carrier extensible selectively out of either side thereof to pick up a load from, or to deposit a load onto, the registering support, control apparatus comprising means remote from said carrier for developing control signals therefor, including a pair of address signals for selecting the transfer position of the carrier, and a third signal for selecting the direction in which the transfer device is to extend during a transfer operation, a first pair of conductors for transmitting said address signals from said remote means to said carrier, drive means on said carrier connected to said conductors and responsive to signals thereon to move said carrier to the transfer position represented by said address signals, a third conductor for transmitting said third signal to said carrier, said remote means including means for causing said third signal to have selectively one of two different polarities depending upon from which side of the carrier the transfer device is to be extended during a transfer operation, and means on said carrier connected to said third conductor and operative during each transfer operation to cause said transfer device to be extended from one side of said carrier, when said third signal is positive, and to be extended from the opposite side of said carrier, when said third signal is negative.

Claim 3

An automatic warehousing system as defined in claim 1, including a fourth conductor connecting said remote means to said carrier, means on said carrier for developing a cycle complete signal of predetermined polarity each time said transfer device moves from one to the other of its pick-up and deposit positions, respectively, means on said carrier operative, prior to movement of said transfer device from its pick-up to its deposit position, to test for the presence of a load on the registering load support, means to develop a reject signal having a polarity opposite to that of said cycle complete signal, when a load is detected on the last-named support by said testing means, and means for transmitting both said cycle complete and said reject signals to said remote means on said fourth conductor.

Claim 4

An automatic warehousing system as defined in claim 2, including means on said carrier for sensing the presence of a load on said transfer device, and operative to generate a load aboard signal of predetermined polarity, when a load is present on said device, a fifth conductor for transmitting said load aboard signal to said remote means, said remote means including means for applying to said fifth conductor a stacker travel signal having a polarity opposite to that of said load aboard signal, and means on said carrier for preventing transmission of said address signals to said carrier except when said stacker traveL signal is applied to said fifth conductor.

Claim 5

Automatic storage apparatus, comprising a plurality of load supports, a load carrier mounted to move selectively into different transfer positions in which it registers with one of said supports, means on said carrier for developing a pair of position signals corresponding to the actual position of said carrier relative to said supports, means remote from said carrier including signal storage means connected at one side to a computer intermittently to receive and store sets of coded command signals from the computer, a plurality of relays connected to the opposite side of said storage means selectively to be energized in accordance with command signals from said storage means upon receipt of cycle complete signals from said carrier, means controlled by said relays to convert said command signals into pairs of address signals, each pair of said address signals corresponding to a different desired position a pair of conductors for transmitting said address signals to said carrier, means on said carrier for comparing each pair of address signals with said position signals, drive means on said carrier operative, when the compared address and position signals disagree, to move said carrier toward said desired position until the compared address and position signals agree, means for stopping said drive means, when the compared address and position signals agree, and said carrier is in said desired position, a load transfer device on said carrier movable automatically between pick-up and deposit positions each time said carrier has reached the transfer position determined by the last-transmitted pair of address signals, to transfer a load between said carrier and the registering support, a third conductor connecting said carrier to said computer, means on said carrier operative, each time said transfer device is moved from one to the other of its pick-up and deposit positions, to apply a cycle complete signal of predetermined polarity to said third conductor for transmission thereby to said computer, thereby again to enable said relays selectively to be energized to produce the next pair of address signals corresponding to the next desired position of said carrier, and reject means on said carrier operative to apply to said third conductor a reject signal having a polarity opposite to that of said cycle complete signal, when the support onto which a load is to be deposited by said transfer device is already occupied by another load.

Claim 6

Automatic storage apparatus, comprising a plurality of load supports, a load carrier mounted to move selectively into different transfer positions in which it registers with one of said supports, means on said carrier for developing a pair of position signals corresponding to the actual position of said carrier relative to said supports, means remote from said carrier including signal storage means connected at one side to a computer intermittently to receive and store sets of coded command signals from the computer, a plurality of relays connected to the opposite side of said storage means selectively to be energized in accordance with command signals from said storage means upon receipt of cycle complete signals from said carrier, means controlled by said relays to convert said command signals into pairs of address signals, each pair of said address signals corresponding to a different desired position a pair of conductors for transmitting said address signals to said carrier, means on said carrier for comparing each pair of address signals with said position signals, drive means on said carrier operative, when the compared address and position signals disagree, to move said carrier toward said desired position until the compared address and position signals agree, means for stopping said drive means, when the compared address and position signals agree, and said carrier is in said desired position, a load transfer device on said carrier movable automatically between pick-up and deposit positions each time said carrier has reached the transfer position determined by the last-transmitted pair of address signals, to transfer a load between said carrier and the registering support, a third conductor connecting said carrier to said computer, means on said carrier operative, each time said transfer device is moved from one to the other of its pick-up and deposit positions, to apply a cycle complete signal of predetermined polarity to said third conductor for transmission thereby to said computer, thereby again to enable said relays selectively to be energized to produce the next pair of address signals corresponding to the next desired position of said carrier, and reject means on said carrier operative to apply to said third conductor a reject signal having a polarity opposite to that of said cycle complete signal, when the support onto which a load is to be deposited by said transfer device is already occupied by another load.

Claim 7

Automatic storage apparatus as defined in claim 4, including load sensing means on said carrier operative to transmit said reject signal on said third conductor to the computer, when said transfer device moves from its deposit to its pick-up position without picking up a load.

Claim 8

Automatic storage apparatus as defined in claim 5, including a fourth conductor connecting said carrier to said computer, said computer being operative to apply an enabling signal of one polarity to said fourth conductor during movement of said carrier from one transfer position to another, and means on said carrier for detecting the presence of a load on said transfer device, and for applying to said fourth conductor a load aboard signal having a polarity opposite to that of said enabling signal, when a load is present on said transfer device.

Claim 9

Automatic storage apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said means controlled by said relays comprises a first plurality of switches responsive to certain of said relays selectively to apply to one of said pair of conductors a first voltage corresponding to one address signal of a pair thereof, a second plurality of switches responsive to the remainder of said relays selectively to apply to the other of said pair of conductors a second voltage corresponding to the other of the last-named pair of address signals, each of said first and second pluralities of switches bEing divided into two equal groups, the switches of one group of each plurality being normally-closed normally to apply ground potential to said pair of conductors, and the switches of the other group of each plurality normally being open, and means operable upon selective energization of said relays and consequent selective changes in the positions of said switches to apply different voltages to said pair of conductors.

Claim 10

Automatic storage apparatus comprising a plurality of load supports, a movable load carrier, a load transfer device on said carrier movable selectively out of either side thereof between pick-up and deposit positions, respectively, to pick up a load from or to deposit a load onto a load support, signal-responsive drive means for moving said carrier selectively to different positions to register with different load supports, respectively, control means remote from said carrier for developing address signals to actuate said drive means to move said carrier selectively into registry with different load supports, means for actuating said load transfer device, when the carrier is in registry with a load support, to pick up a load from or to deposit a load onto the registering load support, a computer connected to said control means and capable of storing a plurality of different programs, so that said control means is actuated to cause said drive means to move said carrier into registry with different load supports on successive operations of said control means, means connecting said load transfer device to said computer to cause actuation of said control means after each pick-up and after each deposit operation of said load transfer device, a storage rack containing certain of said supports, means mounting said carrier for movement in an aisle adjacent said rack, and said control means including means for moving said carrier successively from registry with one to another of said supports in said rack in response to successive actuations of said control means, said control means further including means for applying, through said connecting means to said transfer device, a control signal having selectively different polarity, depending upon the side of the carrier from which the transfer device is to move to execute a pick-up or deposit operation, and said actuating means including means for moving said device out of one side of said carrier, when the last-named signal is of one polarity, and for moving said device out of the opposite side of the carrier when said last-named signal is of the opposite polarity.

Claim 11

Automatic storage apparatus comprising a plurality of load supports, a movable load carrier, a load transfer device on said carrier movable selectively out of either side thereof between pick-up and deposit positions, respectively, to pick up a load from or to deposit a load onto a load support, signal-responsive drive means for moving said carrier selectively to different positions to register with different load supports, respectively, control means remote from said carrier for developing address signals to actuate said drive means to move said carrier selectively into registry with different load supports, means for actuating said load transfer device, when the carrier is in registry with a load support, to pick up a load from or to deposit a load onto the registering load support, a computer connected to said control means and capable of storing a plurality of different programs, so that said control means is actuated to cause said drive means to move said carrier into registry with different load supports on successive operations of said control means, means connecting said load transfer device to said computer to cause actuation of said control means after each pick-up and after each deposit operation of said load transfer device, a storage rack containing certain of said supports, means mounting said carrier for movement in an aisle adjacent said rack, and said control means including means for moving said carrier successively from registry with one to another of said supports in said rack in response to successive actuations of said control means, said control means further including means for applying, through said connecting means to said transfer device, a control signal having selectively different polarity, depending upon the side of the carrier from which the transfer device is to move to execute a pick-up or deposit operation, and said actuating means including means for moving said device out of one side of said carrier, when the last-named signal is of one polarity, and for moving said device out of the opposite side of the carrier when said last-named signal is of the opposite polarity.

Claim 12

Automatic storage apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said connecting means comprises a plurality of stationary, electrical conductors extending down said aisle adjacent said rack, sliding electrical contacts on said carrier engaging said conductors, one of said conductors is used to transmit said last-named signal through one of said contacts to said transfer device, and other of said conductors are used to transmit between said control means and said carrier additional pairs of control signals, the pair of control signals on each of said certain other conductors being of opposite polarity.

Claim 13

In an automatic warehousing system having a plurality of load supports, a load carrier movable selectively into different transfer positions in which it registers with one of said supports, a transfer device on said carrier reciprocable from a retracted position on said carrier selectively out of either side thereof to pick up a load from, or to deposit a load onto, the registering support, control apparatus comprising means remote from said carrier for developing control signals therefor, including a first pair of signals for selecting the transfer position of the carrier, a first pair of conductors for transmitting said first pair of signals from said remote means to said carrier, drive means on said carrier connected to said first pair of conductors and responsive to signals thereon to move said carrier to the transfer position represented by said first pair of signals, a third conductor for transmitting from said remote means to said carrier a third signal having selectively one of two different polarities depending upon from which side of the carrier the transfer device is to be extended during a transfer operation, and means on said carrier connected to said third conductor and operative during each transfer operation to cause said transfer device to be extended from one side of said carrier, when said third signal is positive, and to be extended from the opposite side of said carrier, when said third signal is negative, and a fourth conductor for transmitting from said carrier to said remote means a fourth signal each time said transfer device returns to its retracted position on said carrier, said remote means including means operative to change said first pair of signals each time said fourth signal is applied to said fourth conductor.

Claim 14

In an automatic warehousing system having a plurality of load supports, a load carrier movable selectively into different transfer positions in which it registers with one of said supports, a transfer device on said carrier reciprocable from a retracted position on said carrier selectively out of either side thereof to pick up a load from, or to deposit a load onto, the registering support, control apparatus comprising means remote from said carrier for developing control signals therefor, including a first pair of signals for selecting the transfer position of the carrier, a first pair of conductors for transmitting said first pair of signals from said remote means to said carrier, drive means on said carrier connected to said first pair of conductors and responsive to signals thereon to move said carrier to the transfer position represented by said first pair of signals, a third conductor for transmitting from said remote means to said carrier a third signal having selectively one of two different polarities depending upon from which side of the carrier the transfer device is to be extended during a transfer operation, and means on said carrier connected to said third conductor and operative during each transfer operation to cause said transfer device to be extended from one side of said carrier, when said third signal is positive, and to be extended from the opposite side of said carrier, when said third signal is negative, and a fourth conductor for transmitting from said carrier to said remote means a fourth signal each time said transfer device returns to its retracted position on said carrier, said remote means including means operative to change said first pair of signals each time said fourth signal is applied to said fourth conductor.

Claim 15

An automatic warehousing system as defined in claim 10, including means mounting said transfer device for movement upwardly and downwardly on said carrier between pick-up and deposit modes during a transfer operation, respectively, to pick up a load from, or deposit a load onto, the registering support, a fifth conductor for transmitting from said carrier to said remote means a fifth signal whenever a load is present on said transfer device, and means operative, when said transfer device has returned to its retracted position in its pick-up mode, automatically to move said device down on said carrier to its deposit mode unless said fifth signal is present on said fifth conductor.

Claim 16

An automatic warehousing system as defined in claim 11, including means for transmitting a sixth signal on said fifth conductor from said remote means to said carrier to enable application of said first pair of signals to said drive means, means on said carrier for developing a reject signal, when said transfer device attempts to transfer a load to an already occupied load support, and means for transmitting said reject signal from said carrier to said remote means on said fourth conductor.