Warehouse system with pan transfer apparatus

Claim 1

In a warehouse system an operable shuttle, said shuttle having an elevatable platform and movable along an aisle with horizontal storage racks on each side thereof, said racks including a plurality of vertical storage compartments therealong comprising: a plurality of storage pans of unitized construction for containing storable material, each of said pans having an integrated base and side walls with an engagable lip formed on each of said side walls adjacent the aisles; means carried by said elevatable platform for engaging said lip for pulling one of said plurality of storage pans from a selected location on one side of said aisle toward and onto said elevatable platform and for engaging one of said side walls at a position below said lip for pushing said one of said plurality of storage pans to the center of said elevatable platform and for pushing said pan from said center of said elevatable platform to a selected location on either side of said aisle; and said means carried by said elevatable platform comprises a pair of side by side counter rotating chains movable in a common horizontal plane each having one lip engaging pin for pulling and two substantially shorter pins for pushing said pans from said elevatable platform, the axes of rotation of said chains being substantially parallel with said pins and vertical storage compartments, said elevatable platform including a pair of angle supports having their aisle ends downward sloping for supporting and guiding said one of said plurality of pans while on said shuttle and said pins movable in an endless horizontal path around said supports.