Warehousing apparatus for moving goods

Claim 1

Warehousing apparatus comprising a support rack, said rack comprising spaced vertical posts and horizontal beams supported on and extending between said posts, elongated shelves each having a first end and a second end spaced from the first end in the elongated direction of said shelves, said shelves supported on said horizontal beams at horizontally spaced positions, said shelves arranged for supporting and storing individual and separate items of goods, wherein the improvement comprises first means supported on said horizontal beams at the support positions for said shelves for supporting said shelves in a movable condition so that said shelves can be slidably displaced relative to said rack and to said first means while remaining in the supported condition, said first means comprises rollers mounted on said horizontal beams and supporting said shelves at positions spaced between the first and second ends of said shelves so that said shelves can be slidably moved relative to said rollers and to said rack, second means selectively displaceably positionable into operative engagement with at least certain ones of said shelves for moveably displacing the selected said shelf in the supported position in the elongated direction thereof in a reciprocating manner for moving items of goods located on the selected said shelf between the first and second ends thereof, said second means including a movable carriage for supplying items of goods to and removing items of goods from the first and second ends of said shelves, a vibrator, said moveable carriage supporting said vibrator for positioning said vibrator at one end of one of said shelves, said vibrator having a contact member displaceable into contact with the shelf for transmitting the vibratory movement to the shelf and displacing the items of goods thereon between the first and second ends thereof, a stabilizer member attached to said moveable carriage and moveable into engagement with said rack for securing said rack and moveable carriage together to limit the movement of said rack and carriage due to the vibratory action of said vibrator, said contact member of said vibrator comprising a piston assembly including a piston rod displaceable by fluid pressure into contact with the shelf to be vibrated, a shelf coupling attached to the end of said piston rod and arranged to engage said shelf to be vibrated, and said shelf having a downwardly extending projection at at least one of its first and second ends, and said shelf coupling comprising a fork-like member arranged to intermesh with said projection for transmitting the vibrating action to said shelf.