Automated multi-level vehicle parking system

Claim 1

A multi-level garage for parking automobiles or the like comprising: a multi-level structure including a plurality of parking levels, each level defining a plurality of adjacent rectangularly shaped parking stalls, the length of each stall extending along a longitudinal axis and the width along a transverse axis with all the stalls'' longitudinal axes being parallel to one another and their transverse axes being parallel to one another, each stall comprising four spaced apart units in the shape of multifinger combs with all the fingers of each stall being parallel to one another in a horizontal plane with fingers of opposite combs pointing toward one another with all the fingers of all the stalls at each parking level being in a common horizontal plane; a grid of stall rails extending along each parking level at a plane below the horizontal plane of said stalls'' fingers, with at least one pair of spaced apart parallel rails extending below the combs of each stall; potential means for applying an electrical potential difference to the pair of spaced apart rails extending below the combs of each stall; a plurality of rectangular elevators each movable vertically between said parking levels in a well thereof, each elevator comprising a top plate and a set of first and second pairs of elevator rails thereon; said two pairs of elevator rails including a pair of spaced apart elevator rails which extend along the elevator longitudinal axis and defining elevator longitudinal rails and a pair of spaced apart elevator rails which extend along the elevator transverse axis, and which define elevator transverse rails, whereby when an elevator is at a parking level its longitudinal rails are aligned and in contact with rails which extend along the longitudinal axes of the two stalls at opposite ends of the elevator, and the elevator''s transverse rails are aligned and in contact with rails extending across stalls on opposite sides of the elevator along the stalls'' transverse axes with the elevator rails being at the potentials of the stall rails with which they are in contact only when the elevator is at one of said parking levels; and a movable transfer cart supported on the elevator''s rails and including first energizable means in engagement with said rails and in electrical contact therewith and responsive to the potential difference between said rails for moving said cart between the elevator and any stall along the rails aligned with the elevator''s rails, said transfer cart including a top horizontal transfer plate defining four multifinger combs at the ends thereof, the fingers of each comb being adapted to support a wheel of an automobile supportable on said cart, the fingers of the combs of the transfer plate being parallel to one another pointing outwardly and in a common horizontal plane, said cart further including second energizable means for raising said transfer plate to a first position above the horizontal plane of the stalls'' fingers and for lowering said plate to a second position below the horizontal plane of the stalls'' fingers, with said transfer cart being movable to any stall with the transfer plate in either of said positions, with the fingers of the transfer plate and each stall being aligned whereby when a transfer cart is at any stall the fingers of the transfer plate and those of the stall intermesh freely to enable the transfer plate to be moved between said first and second positions.