Automated storage and freight terminal apparatus

Claim 2

A freight handling terminal system comprising, in combination, at least one row of columns of vertically stacked staging compartments, each compartment including a conveyor means adapted to support and convey goods, a plurality of stacker cranes each being movable along a predetermined segment of a horizontal path extending alongside the compartment row, each stacker crane having an elevator thereon arranged for vertical travel, a conveyor means mounted on each elevator for supporting and conveying goods, a distribution conveyor comprised of a series of uniformly spaced interconnected carts movable along a path extending parallel to the paths of the cranes, each cart having a conveyor means thereon arranged to support and convey goods, means for intermittently moving said distribution conveyor through distances corresponding to said predetermined segment of said horizontal path through which each crane can be moved in order to move adjacent series of said carts from the operating area of one stacker crane to the operating area of the adjacent stacker crane, and means for positioning each crane elevator in alignment with any compartment or with any cart of said distribution conveyor which is in its operating area for effecting the transfer of loads therebetween.

Claim 3

The system set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said conveyor means comprises an endless belt conveyor.

Claim 4

The system set forth in claim 1 including means for sideshifting each of said conveyor means that is mounted on one of said elevators toward a compartment conveyor means or toward a cart conveyor means aligned therewith, and means for mechanically coupling the aligned conveyor means so that they can coact to effect transfer of a load from one conveyor means to the other.

Claim 5

The system set forth in claim 3 wherein each conveyor means that is mounted on one of said elevators includes a friction drive wheel, each cart supported conveyor means including an engagement wheel, and each compartment conveyor means including an engagement wheel, said sideshifting of each elevator supported conveyor means being effective to place its friction drive wheel into driving engagement with the engagement wheel of an aligned cart supported conveyor means or compartment conveyor means, and means for driving said elevator supported conveyor means and its associated friction drive wheel to simultaneously drive an aligned cart supported conveyor means or compartment conveyor means through its associated engagement wheel.

Claim 6

The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the carts are interconnected by a tow chain.

Claim 7

The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the distribution conveyor travels along a closed loop path.

Claim 8

The system set forth in claim 6 wherein a second row of columns of vertically stacked staging compartments is provided opposite said one row to form an aisle between the rows wherein said stacker cranes are situated, each compartment of the second row having a conveyor means adapted to support and convey goods and being arranged to be aligned with the conveyor means of one of said stacker cranes to effect the transfer of loads therebetween.

Claim 9

The system set forth in claim 1 wherein each elevator mounted conveyor means includes a drive means to drive said elevator mounted conveyor means and wherein the conveyor means of the staging compartments and the carts each include a drivable means that can be driven by the drive means of an elevator supported conveyor means when an elevator supported conveyor means is in alignment with one of said staging compartment or cart conveyor means.

Claim 10

A freight handling terminal system comprising, in combination, a row of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes movable in a path parallel to The compartment row, each stacker crane including an elevator, each elevator having a conveyor means supported thereon that is arranged to support and convey goods, each compartment having a conveyor means adapted to support and convey goods, a distribution conveyor of interconnected carts, means for moving said distribution conveyor along a conveyor path parallel to the stacker crane path, each cart having conveyor means thereon arranged to support and convey goods, the distribution conveyor being movable to index its carts along the conveyor path to bring different carts within the operating area of each of said stacker cranes so that loads can be transferred from one stacker crane to another, means for moving each of said elevator supported conveyor means into alignment with each of said cart conveyor means and compartment conveyor means within the operating area of its associated stacker crane, means for driving each of said elevator supported conveyor means, and means on each of said cart conveyor means and compartment conveyor means arranged to coact with said elevator supported conveyor means when said elevator supported conveyor means is aligned therewith for effecting the drive of said cart conveyor means or compartment conveyor means so that goods can be conveyed between the coacting conveyor means.

Claim 11

A freight handling terminal system comprising, in combination, a row of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes movable in a path parallel to The compartment row, each stacker crane including an elevator, each elevator having a conveyor means supported thereon that is arranged to support and convey goods, each compartment having a conveyor means adapted to support and convey goods, a distribution conveyor of interconnected carts, means for moving said distribution conveyor along a conveyor path parallel to the stacker crane path, each cart having conveyor means thereon arranged to support and convey goods, the distribution conveyor being movable to index its carts along the conveyor path to bring different carts within the operating area of each of said stacker cranes so that loads can be transferred from one stacker crane to another, means for moving each of said elevator supported conveyor means into alignment with each of said cart conveyor means and compartment conveyor means within the operating area of its associated stacker crane, means for driving each of said elevator supported conveyor means, and means on each of said cart conveyor means and compartment conveyor means arranged to coact with said elevator supported conveyor means when said elevator supported conveyor means is aligned therewith for effecting the drive of said cart conveyor means or compartment conveyor means so that goods can be conveyed between the coacting conveyor means.

Claim 12

The system set forth in claim 9 wherein the elevator supported conveyor means includes a friction drive wheel arranged to be driven by said elevator conveyor drive means, each of said compartment conveyor means including an engagement wheel affixed to a shaft that can be rotated to set the compartment conveyor means into motion, each of said cart conveyor means including an engagement wheel affixed to a shaft that can be rotated to set the cart conveyor means into motion, and means for sideshifting the elevator supported conveyor means to engage its friction drive wheel with the engagement wheel of a compartment conveyor means or of a cart conveyor means.

Claim 13

A freight handling terminal system comprising at least one row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes movable along a horizontal path adjacent to said staging compartment row, each of said stacker cranes being movable over an equal segment of said path whereby said row of staging compartments is comprised of a plurality of equal sections defined by the operating zone of an adjacent stacker crane, a distribution conveyor movable in a path adjacent to and parallel to said horizontal path of said stacker cranes, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of uniformly spaced interconnected carts, means for indexing said distribution conveyor along said path in increments corresponding to the segments of said stacker crane path whereby each time that said distribution conveyor is indexed a new set of carts will be brought into the operating zone of each stacker crane, and means for transferring loads between each of said stacker cranes and the distribution conveyor carts and staging compartments within its operating zone whereby a load can be transferred from one staging compartment section to another staging compartment section by means of transfers to and from said distribution conveyor by a pair of said stacker cranes.

Claim 14

A freight handling terminal system comprising at least one row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes movable along a horizontal path adjacent to said staging compartment row, each of said stacker cranes being movable over an equal segment of said path whereby said row of staging compartments is comprised of a plurality of equal sections defined by the operating zone of an adjacent stacker crane, a distribution conveyor movable in a path adjacent to and parallel to said horizontal path of said stacker cranes, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of uniformly spaced interconnected carts, means for indexing said distribution conveyor along said path in increments corresponding to the segments of said stacker crane path whereby each time that said distribution conveyor is indexed a new set of carts will be brought into the operating zone of each stacker crane, and means for transferring loads between each of said stacker cranes and the distribution conveyor carts and staging compartments within its operating zone whereby a load can be transferred from one staging compartment section to another staging compartment section by means of transfers to and from said distribution conveyor by a pair of said stacker cranes.

Claim 15

A freight handling terminal system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said distribution conveyor extends in a closed loop path.

Claim 16

A freight handling terminal system as set forth in claim 12 including a second row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments arranged adjacent to the path of said distribution conveyor and generally parallel to said one row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments.

Claim 17

A freight handling terminal as set forth in claim 11 wherein the distance between adjacent carts in said distribution conveyor corresponds to the distance between adjacent columns of staging compartments in said staging compartment row.

Claim 18

A freight handling terminal system comprising a plurality of stackEr cranes each having an elevator thereon for movement in a vertical plane, a row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments arranged adjacent to said stacker cranes, a distribution conveyor movable in a path adjacent to said row of staging compartments, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of interconnected carts, means for intermittently driving said distribution conveyor to bring said carts from the operating area of one stacker crane to the operating area of another stacker crane, each of said carts being provided with conveyor means, each elevator being provided with conveyor means, means for selectively moving the elevator conveying means into engagement with a cart conveying means to transfer loads therebetween, and means associated with each elevator conveying means for powering the cart conveying means when said two conveying means are brought into engagement whereby loads are arranged to be transferred in said terminal by said one stacker crane which takes a load from one staging compartment and moves it onto a cart which will then index the load to said other stacker crane which can remove the load from the cart and transfer it to another staging compartment.

Claim 19

A freight handling terminal system comprising a plurality of stackEr cranes each having an elevator thereon for movement in a vertical plane, a row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments arranged adjacent to said stacker cranes, a distribution conveyor movable in a path adjacent to said row of staging compartments, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of interconnected carts, means for intermittently driving said distribution conveyor to bring said carts from the operating area of one stacker crane to the operating area of another stacker crane, each of said carts being provided with conveyor means, each elevator being provided with conveyor means, means for selectively moving the elevator conveying means into engagement with a cart conveying means to transfer loads therebetween, and means associated with each elevator conveying means for powering the cart conveying means when said two conveying means are brought into engagement whereby loads are arranged to be transferred in said terminal by said one stacker crane which takes a load from one staging compartment and moves it onto a cart which will then index the load to said other stacker crane which can remove the load from the cart and transfer it to another staging compartment.

Claim 20

In a freight handling terminal for transferring freight to and from freight carriers wherein said terminal comprises a row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes operable along a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments, said path being comprised of a plurality of equal segments with each segment being defined by the operating zone of one of said stacker cranes, and a plurality of boom conveyors for transferring freight between said freight carriers and said stacker cranes, each of said stacker cranes being provided with means for selectively placing said freight into said staging compartments, the improvement comprising a distribution conveyor arranged to run in a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments and said stacker crane path, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of interconnected uniformly spaced carts, and means for indexing said distribution conveyor in increments corresponding to said segments of said stacker crane path whereby each indexing movement of said distribution conveyor brings a new set of carts to each of said stacker cranes so that freight can be transferred via said distribution conveyor from one stacker crane to another stacker crane.

Claim 21

In a freight handling terminal for transferring freight to and from freight carriers wherein said terminal comprises a row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes operable along a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments, said path being comprised of a plurality of equal segments with each segment being defined by the operating zone of one of said stacker cranes, and a plurality of boom conveyors for transferring freight between said freight carriers and said stacker cranes, each of said stacker cranes being provided with means for selectively placing said freight into said staging compartments, the improvement comprising a distribution conveyor arranged to run in a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments and said stacker crane path, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of interconnected uniformly spaced carts, and means for indexing said distribution conveyor in increments corresponding to said segments of said stacker crane path whereby each indexing movement of said distribution conveyor brings a new set of carts to each of said stacker cranes so that freight can be transferred via said distribution conveyor from one stacker crane to another stacker crane.

Claim 22

In a freight handling terminal for transferring freight to and from freight carriers wherein said terminal comprises a row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes operable along a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments, and a plurality of boom conveyors for transferring freight between said freight carriers and said stacker cranes, the improvement comprising a distribution conveyor arranged to run in a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments and said stacker crane path, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of interconnected carts, means for indexing said distribution conveyor for bringing a cart from the operating area of one stacker crane to the operating area of another stacker crane in order to transfer freight therebetween, each of said carts being provided with conveyor means, and each of said stacker cranes being provided with conveyor means for transferring freight to or from said staging compartments and for transferring freight to or from said conveyor means on said carts, each of said cart conveyor means being arranged to be powered by a stacker crane conveyor means in order to effect the transfer of freight therebetween.

Claim 23

In a freight handling terminal for transferring freight to and from freight carriers wherein said terminal comprises a row of adjacent stacked columns of staging compartments, a plurality of stacker cranes operable along a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments, and a plurality of boom conveyors for transferring freight between said freight carriers and said stacker cranes, the improvement comprising a distribution conveyor arranged to run in a path adjacent to and parallel to said row of staging compartments and said stacker crane path, said distribution conveyor being comprised of a plurality of interconnected carts, means for indexing said distribution conveyor for bringing a cart from the operating area of one stacker crane to the operating area of another stacker crane in order to transfer freight therebetween, each of said carts being provided with conveyor means, and each of said stacker cranes being provided with conveyor means for transferring freight to or from said staging compartments and for transferring freight to or from said conveyor means on said carts, each of said cart conveyor means being arranged to be powered by a stacker crane conveyor means in order to effect the transfer of freight therebetween.