STORAGE MEANS AND LOAD-HANDLING EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

• US 3,608,750 A
• Filed: 03/03/1969
• Issued: 09/28/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert R. Young, Robert W. Medland
• Original Assignee: Robert R. Young, Robert W. Medland
• Inventors: Young, Robert R., Medland, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Forlenza, Gerald M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Raymond B.
• Application Number:
  US04/803,838
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 214/16.4,16.42,95,16.14,14A-E,16.16,16.16B,16.16C
• US Class Current: 414/277
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0414 provided with satellite cars adapted to travel in storage racks
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/002 Container cranes B66C19/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07 Floor-to-roof stacking devices, e.g. "stacker cranes", "retrievers"

Abstract

Equipment for transferring large heavy containers and similar loads among the compartments of a vertical array of compartments and a separate transfer station and more particularly to a crane for inserting such containers into the compartments and depositing the same therein or for picking up the containers within the compartments and removing the same therefrom.

Claims

1. A transfer and storage system for shipping containers comprising the combination of a horizontal array of open-ended compartments provided with container support means and openings leading into the compartments, a container handling crane provided with a cage mounted for horizontal and vertical movement adjacent to and for alignment with said compartment openings, said compartments each being provided with horizontal rail means disposed in spaced relation to and above the compartment container support means, substantially horizontal rail means carried by the crane cage and selectively alignable with the rail means of the various compartments upon predetermined movements of the cage relative to the compartments, a carriage mounted for travel on the rail means of the cage between a retracted position within the cage and an extended position within a given compartment, a transfer frame means associated with and drivingly connected to the carriage for moving the carriage between said retracted and extended positions, downwardly projecting container lift means on the carriage for releasably engaging a container and for gripping the container as the carriage and container are moved between said retracted and extended positions, means for adjusting the lift means to the size of container to be handled, said lift means also being adapted to raise and lower a container with respect to the carriage in order to lower a container from the carriage onto a compartment container support means or to lift a container from the compartment container support means into a carrying position on the carriage and drive means on the cage and connected to the transfer frame means for imparting movement to the frame means and coupling means connecting the transfer frame means and the carriage for telescoping the carriage relative to the frame means and the cage and moving the carriage into and out of a given compartment when the rail means of the compartment and the cage have been aligned.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the containers are provided with upwardly disposed pickUp means engageable with the downwardly projecting lift means on the carriage.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for adjusting the lift means are mounted on the carriage.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a drum and drive pulleys rotatably mounted on the cage.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a drum rotatably mounted on said cage;

main pulleys rotatably mounted on said cage on opposite sides of the drum;

main drive cables attached to the drum, extending around the pulleys and connected to said transfer frame means for imparting lengthwise movement of the frame means upon rotation of said drum, auxiliary pulleys rotatably mounted on the cage on opposite sides of the drum, transfer pulleys mounted on opposite ends of the transfer frame means and carriage drive cables trained about said auxiliary pulleys and said transfer pulleys and connected to the carriage for imparting movement to the carriage in response to movement of the transfer frame means but at an increased rate from that of the frame means.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1 including upper and lower guide means for said cage of nonuniform dimensions whereby the cage loosely fits within certain of said guide means and tightly within others of said guide means.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1 including upper and lower guide means for said cage of nonuniform dimensions whereby the cage loosely fits within certain of said guide means and tightly within others of said guide means.

8. A system as set forth in claim 6 wherein the cage fits loosely within said lower guide means.