CONVEYOR SYSTEM

• US 3,640,412 A
• Filed: 11/17/1969
• Issued: 02/08/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert J. Traube
• Original Assignee: Robert J. Traube
• Inventors: Traube, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Forlenza, Gerald M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham, George F.
• Application Number:
  US04/871,299
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 214/152,11,16B 198/75 186/1D,1R
• US Class Current: 414/800
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas

Abstract

A storage and retrieval system for goods has two power-operated conveyors movable in separate endless loops past two (or more) spaced-apart picking stations, each picking station common to both conveyors. Each conveyor has bins with compartments in which goods are stored. Although the bins on each conveyor remain in the same sequence, the bins are movable relative to each other on the conveyor to define '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'buffer'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' zones which permit simultaneous picking by two spaced-apart pickers. The control system for the conveyors includes a reader which receives digital data concerning a group of orders to be picked from a stack of cards, each card giving the identity, quantity, and distribution of one of the articles to be picked. The two conveyors are automatically stopped alternately with the bins containing ordered goods at the picking stations, and the operator at each picking station picks goods from the bins in accordance with a readout unit which displays the card data. A plurality of packing lanes originate at each picking station and terminate at a plurality of packing stations. Each picker distributes goods to the separate packing lanes in accordance with the readout unit at the picking station.

Claims

1. A method of filling orders from two live storage conveyors which move in paths past a plurality of spaced-apart picking stations adjacent the paths of both conveyors comprising the steps of selecting a plurality of groups of orders, each group having common requested articles, recording for each article of a group the total quantity of said article required for that group, arranging said recorded data on each article of the group in the same sequence the articles are stored on the conveyors with the articles from one conveyor alternated to the extent possible with articles from other conveyor, the articles in the respective groups being spaced on the conveyor a distance substantially equal to the distance between picking stations from the corresponding articles in the other groups, controlling the two conveyors in accordance with said recorded data, and picking articles from the conveyors simultaneously at each of said picking stations in accordance with said recorded data.

2. The method of claim 1 including the additional step of separating the articles picked at each picking station according to the quantity of articles required for each order of that group.

3. the method of coordinating the movement of two live storage conveyors relative to a picking station adjacent both conveyors comprising the steps of combining a plurality of orders for articles stored on the conveyors by recording data on the quantity of each article required for each order number, placing said data in the same article sequence the articles are stored on the conveyors, alternating in said sequence the articles stored on one conveyor with the articles stored on the other conveyor, and controlling the conveyors in accordance with the sequential recorded data.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step of displaying the recorded data in sequence at the picking station.

5. The method of claim 3 including the step of picking at the picking station the total number of each article required for said plurality of orders and separating the articles according to the respective quantity required for each order.