Handling and dispensing system and apparatus for cylindrical objects

Claim 1

A space saving system for storing and handling cylindrical stock such as floor coverings and the like comprising a plurality of identical racks in rows so arranged as to define corridors between every two adjacent rows to admit an object carrying movable pallet to move between said rows along said corridor, said racks having a support structure sloping toward the working face of said rack facing said corridors for receiving and storing a plurality of pieces of cylindrical stock in serial order with the axes of the pieces parallel to each other and also to a plane passing through the working face of the rack, a first and second rotary retention means in the form of single thin blades radially extending from and fixed to a common rockable shaft and having their wide faces traversed to said cylindrical stock on said rack engaging and holding said lowermost cylinder in said rack, said second retention means being displaced angularly at 90° to said first means and positioned inwardly in the face of the rack a distance at least equal to the diameter of one cylindrical article engageable with the next succeeding piece of cylindrical stock of said cylindrically pieces thereof, a common drive means interconnecting said retention means to position said first retention means in an inoperative position to free said lowermost cylinder for discharge from said rack and simultaneously to position said retention means in operative position to hold the next succeeding piece of cylindrical stock in position in said rack and vice versa, said drive means mounted on said racks and positioned out of the path of movement of said pieces of cylindrical stock from the rack and also the path of movement of a pallet along said corridors; and a portable pallet means including a skeletal frame having means to receive the prongs of a fork lift truck moveable along said corridors between facing racks and of a width to receive a single piece of said cylindrical stock positioned adjacent the working face of the storage rack for receiving the lowermost piece of cylindrical stock by gravity discharge from said rack upon operation of said retention means to free same, said pallet means including stop means positioned in a plane parallel to the longer axis of said pallet means for holding said first piece of cylindrical stock on said pallet means for subsequent transport in a direction parallel to its axis when it is discharged onto said pallet means.