US3866767A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mobile tier picking apparatus for a warehousing system
Assignee: Rapistan Inc
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Filing: 1973-02-15
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Granted: 1975-02-18
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Expires: 1993-02-15
Abstract
Abstract A warehousing system comprises an array of storage bins arranged in vertical tiers with the tiers arranged in rows having access aisles extending along the rows. A mobile vertical lift moves along the ends of the aisles and carries thereon a mobile transfer vehicle which can be elevated by the mobile vertical lift to any desired storage level and discharged therefrom onto rails extending along each storage level of each access aisle. The self-powered mobile transfer vehicle includes means for transferring loads between the vehicle and a storage bin. At least one of the transfer vehicles in the system is a tier picking vehicle including a vacuum operated picking head mounted to be lowered and raised between the picking vehicle and a second or make-up transfer vehicle positioned immediately below. In one embodiment, the vacuum picking head is mounted on extensible arms of the tier picking vehicle and can be extended into a storage bin such that the tiers of articles are picked directly from a palletized load in a storage location. The arms are then retracted whereupon the picked tier of articles is lowered onto the make-up transfer vehicle in the same aisle and positioned below and in alignment with the tier picking vehicle. In other embodiments, a retrieval and a make-up vehicle are positioned in the aisle below the tier picking vehicle which shuttles along the aisle to be alternately aligned with one or the other to transfer tiers or partial tiers from a pallet on the retrieval vehicle to the make-up vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Howard A Zollinger
- 👤 Le Roy Lubbers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 10:16
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G1/00; B65G1/02; B65G1/04; B65G1/0407; B65G1/0414
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
190 words
In a warehouse system comprising a mobile transfer vehicle, tiers of storage bin levels including access aisles with pairs of vertically spaced guide and support means extending along said aisles at each storage bin for carrying thereon in one said guide and support means of said pair, said mobile transfer vehicle which is adapted to travel within said aisles at a predetermined bin level, means on said mobile transfer vehicle for transferring unitized loads between a selected storage bin and said vehicle, said system including means movable across an end of said access aisles for transferring said mobile transfer vehicle between bin and aisle levels; the improvement comprising a mobile picking vehicle movable along the other one of said guide and support means of said pair at a predetermined bin and aisle level, said picking vehicle including picking means movably positioned thereon for picking an uppermost layer of articles of a unitized load removed from a storage bin and for transferring said layer of picked articles from said picking vehicle to a mobile transfer vehicle aligned with said picking vehicle at a selected storage bin level within an access aisle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
190 words
In a warehouse system comprising a mobile transfer vehicle, tiers of storage bin levels including access aisles with pairs of vertically spaced guide and support means extending along said aisles at each storage bin for carrying thereon in one said guide and support means of said pair, said mobile transfer vehicle which is adapted to travel within said aisles at a predetermined bin level, means on said mobile transfer vehicle for transferring unitized loads between a selected storage bin and said vehicle, said system including means movable across an end of said access aisles for transferring said mobile transfer vehicle between bin and aisle levels; the improvement comprising a mobile picking vehicle movable along the other one of said guide and support means of said pair at a predetermined bin and aisle level, said picking vehicle including picking means movably positioned thereon for picking an uppermost layer of articles of a unitized load removed from a storage bin and for transferring said layer of picked articles from said picking vehicle to a mobile transfer vehicle aligned with said picking vehicle at a selected storage bin level within an access aisle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said picking vehicle comprises a frame adapted to move along an aisle supported by said guide and support means; and said picking means comprises a vacuum head; and means coupling said vacuum head to said frame such that said head can be moved toward and away from said frame.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system as defined in claim 2 wherein said coupling means comprises mechanism coupled between said frame and said vacuum head for lowering said head to pick and deposit articles and raising said head adjacent said frame for carrying picked articles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system as defined in claim 3 wherein said lowering and raising mechanism is mounted on an extensible boom positioned on said frame to permit said vacuum head to be extended into a storage location for transferring tiers of articles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
259 words
In a warehousing system having a transverse aisle and a plurality of access aisles running along an array of storage bins for receiving and storing unitized loads, said access aisles including pairs of vertical spaced guide and support means therein associated with each discrete storage bin, materials handling apparatus comprising the combination of: a mobile transfer vehicle adapted to travel along one of said guide and support means of a pair at any preselected discrete storage level in an access aisle; vertically and horizontally movable load transferring means positioned on said mobile transfer vehicle for transferring unitized loads between a storage bin adjacent said access aisle and said mobile transfer vehicle; control means for actuating said load transfer means once the mobile transfer vehicle is aligned with a predetermined storage location to transfer a tiered unitized load from a storage location into an access aisle; a mobile picking vehicle movable along the other one of said pair of guide and support means of any preselected discrete storage level and an access aisle; means movable along sAid transverse aisle for dispatching said picking vehicle to an access aisle and storage bin level above and in alignment with said mobile transfer vehicle; a tier picking head positioned on said picking vehicle and movable between a lowered tier picking and releasing position and a raised tier transferring position; and means for controlling said picking head to lower same into contact with the uppermost tier of articles on a unitized load positioned on said mobile transfer vehicle thereby picking said uppermost tier therefrom.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
259 words
In a warehousing system having a transverse aisle and a plurality of access aisles running along an array of storage bins for receiving and storing unitized loads, said access aisles including pairs of vertical spaced guide and support means therein associated with each discrete storage bin, materials handling apparatus comprising the combination of: a mobile transfer vehicle adapted to travel along one of said guide and support means of a pair at any preselected discrete storage level in an access aisle; vertically and horizontally movable load transferring means positioned on said mobile transfer vehicle for transferring unitized loads between a storage bin adjacent said access aisle and said mobile transfer vehicle; control means for actuating said load transfer means once the mobile transfer vehicle is aligned with a predetermined storage location to transfer a tiered unitized load from a storage location into an access aisle; a mobile picking vehicle movable along the other one of said pair of guide and support means of any preselected discrete storage level and an access aisle; means movable along sAid transverse aisle for dispatching said picking vehicle to an access aisle and storage bin level above and in alignment with said mobile transfer vehicle; a tier picking head positioned on said picking vehicle and movable between a lowered tier picking and releasing position and a raised tier transferring position; and means for controlling said picking head to lower same into contact with the uppermost tier of articles on a unitized load positioned on said mobile transfer vehicle thereby picking said uppermost tier therefrom.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 5 and further including receiving means spaced from said mobile transfer vehicle for receiving a tier of articles picked therefrom, and means for transferring said mobile picking vehicle into alignment with said receiving means such that the picked tier of articles can be discharged thereon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said receiving means comprises a mobile make-up vehicle adapted to travel along said guide and support means of any preselected discrete storage level and an access aisle and said means for dispatching said picking vehicle being operative to dispatch said make-up vehicle to the storage bin and aisle level in which said mobile transfer vehicle is positioned and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 7 and further including means for controlling said picking vehicle to shuttle between aligned positions above said mobile transfer vehicle and said make-up vehicle to permit the transfer of tier picked articles from said mobile transfer vehicle onto said make-up vehicle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
70 words
The system as defined in claim 5 and including receiving means spaced from said mobile transfer vehicle for receiving tier picked articles and wherein said picking vehicle includes a frame having a carriage reciprocally movable therein and to which said tier picking head is coupled, and means for shifting the position of said carriage between positions alternately aligning said picking head with said mobile transfer vehicle or said receiving means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
88 words
The system as defined in claim 5 wherein said picking vehicle includes a frame having an extensible boom to which said tier picking head is coupled such that said movable tier picking head can be extended into a storage bin to retrieve a tier of articles therefrom, and means for controlling the extension and retraction of said boom in relationship with the operation of said tier picking head to retrieve tiers of articles from a storage bin and deposit the tier picked articles on said mobile transfer vehicle.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-17 | 1978-08-19 | 1979-02-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-17 | 1982-08-19 | 1983-02-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-17 | 1986-08-19 | 1987-02-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |