STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

• US 3,697,680 A
• Filed: 02/02/1970
• Issued: 10/10/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wayne D. Anstin
• Original Assignee: Wayne D. Anstin
• Inventors: Anstin, Wayne D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Forlenza, Gerald M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, R.
• Application Number:
  US05/007,884
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 214/16.4A,16.4R 178/6,6.8
• US Class Current: 348/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0009 with sequential access selection of a record carrier from the card-file, e.g. relative movement between selecting device and card-file

Abstract

Documents or information in the form of microfilm or other permanent form are mounted on rectangular frames or carriers which are edge coded by notching. A plurality of carriers are stored in one or more elongated storage bins with the bins arranged side-by-side. An electromechanical carriage is adapted to move to a selected bin and then to move over the selected bin to store or retrieve carriers. During retrieval, the coded edges are scanned and an electrical control starts a retrieval cycle to retrieve the carrier having the desired document. The carrier is transported to a display location where the document or information is read and made available for use as a display, hard copy, or video signal. The electrical control includes a memory which remembers the bin location of each carrier whereby the bin containing the desired carrier is selected and scanned to locate the desired carrier. In refiling, the bin from which the carriers were removed is selected and the carriers are filed sequentially in open locations.

Claims

1. A system of the character described for storing and retrieving carriers including at least one storage bin having means for receiving and holding a plurality of carriers in spaced relationship, a carriage adapted to be associated with said bin and including a portion adapted to move along said bin, ejector means on said carriage portion for ejecting selected carriers from said bin, means for selectively stopping said carriage portion along said bin whereby to position said ejector over a selected carrier so that it can be ejected from the bin, a viewing area for viewing said carriers, and means for receiving the ejected carriers and transporting same to the viewing area.

2. A system as in claim 1 including means on said carriage portion for receiving carriers from said viewing area, means for transporting carriers from said viewing area to said receiving means, means for selectively stopping said carriage in cooperative relationship with open bin positions, and means on said receiving means for inserting a carrier into said open bin position.

3. A system of the character described for storing and retrieving carriers including at least one storage bin having means for receiving and holding a plurality of carriers in spaced relationship, said carriers including an identifying code, a carriage adapted to be associated with said bin and including a portion moving along said bin, a head mounted on said carriage portion for movement therewith, said head including sensing means for sensing the identifying code, ejector means for ejecting selected carriers, means responsive to sensing of the identifying code of a selected carrier for stopping said carriage to position said ejector means over the selected carrier to eject the carrier from the bin.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein said identifying code comprises notches formed along at least one edge of said carriers, and said sensing means comprises a light adapted to project towards said slots and a photocell spaced from said light and adapted to receive light reflected from the edge of said carrier.

5. A system as in claim 3 wherein said head is movable with respect to the carriage portion whereby after said carriage portion has been stopped the head can be accurately positioned along the bin.

6. A system as in claim 3 wherein said bin includes a plurality of locating marks accurately located with respect to said carrier positions, said head includes means for viewing the locating marks on said bins and means are responsive to stoppage of said carriage portion for moving said head along said bin whereby said viewing means views said marks and generates a signal, and means responsive to a predetermined mark count for stopping said head to thereby accurately locate the ejector over the selected carrier.

7. A system as in claim 6 including means responsive to movement of the ejector for returning the ejector to its starting position.

8. A system as in claim 7 including means for returning the head to its starting position following ejection of a selected carrier.

9. A system as in claim 8 including means responsive to return of the head to the starting position for starting movement of the carriage portion along said bin.

10. A system as in claim 9 including means disposed at the end of said bin for sensing the movement of said carriage to the end of said bin, and means responsive to said sensing means for returning the carriage portion to its starting position.

11. A system of the character described for storing and retrieving carriers including a frame, a plurality of elongated storage bins located side-by-side and each having means for receiving and holding a plurality of carriers in spaced relationship mounted on said frame, a carriage adapted to move across sAid bins, means for stopping and locating said carriage in cooperative relationship with a selected bin, said carriage including a portion adapted to move along said bin, ejector means on said carriage portion for ejecting selected carriers from said bin, means for selectively stopping said carriage portion along said bin whereby to position said ejector over a selected carrier so that it can be ejected from the bin, a viewing area for viewing said carriers, and means for receiving rejected carriers and transporting same to the viewing area.

12. A system as in claim 11 including means on said carriage portion for receiving carriers from said viewing area, means for transporting carriers from said viewing area to said receiving means, means for selectively stopping said carriage in cooperative relationship with open bin positions, and means on said receiving means for inserting a carrier into said open bin position.

13. A system of the character described for storing and retrieving carriers including a plurality of elongated storage bins located side-by-side and each having means for receiving and holding a plurality of carriers in spaced relationship mounted on said frame, said carriers including an identifying code, a carriage mounted on said frame for movement across said bins, means for stopping and locating said carriage in cooperative relationship with a selected bin, said carriage including a portion adapted to move along said bin, a head mounted on said carriage portion for movement therewith, said head including sensing means for sensing the identifying code, ejector means for ejecting selected carriers, means responsive to sensing of the identifying code of a selected carrier for stopping said carriage to position said ejector means over the selected carrier to eject the carrier from the bin.

14. A system as in claim 13 wherein said identifying code comprises notches formed along at least one edge of said carrier, and said sensing means comprises a light adapted to project light towards said slots and a phototransducer spaced from said light source and adapted to receive light reflected from the edge of said carrier.

15. A system as in claim 13 wherein said head is movable with respect to the carriage portion whereby after said carriage portion has stopped the head can be accurately positioned along said bin.

16. A system as in claim 13 wherein each of said bins includes a plurality of locating marks accurately located with respect to said carrier positions, said head includes means for viewing the location marks on said bins, means responsive to stoppage of said carrier portion for moving said head along said bin whereby the viewing means views said marks and generates a signal for each mark, and means responsive to a predetermined mark count for stopping said head to thereby accurately locate the ejector over the selected carrier.

17. A system as in claim 16 including means responsive to movement of the ejector for returning same to its starting position.

18. A system as in claim 17 including means for returning the head to its starting position following ejection of a selected carrier.

19. A system as in claim 18 including means responsive to return of the head to the starting position for starting movement of the carriage portion along said bin.

20. A system as in claim 19 including means disposed at the end of each of said bins for sensing the movement of said carriage to the end of the selected bin, and means responsive to said sensing means for returning the carriage portion to its starting position.

21. A system as in claim 11 wherein said means for transporting said carriers to said viewing area comprises a conveyor belt disposed to move beneath said selected bin to transport the carriers to one end of said frame, and conveyor belt means for receiving said carrier and transporting same to the viewing area.

22. A system as in claim 21 wherein said conveyor belt means includes means for stopping and lifting said carriers as thEy are delivered to the viewing area, and means for selectively viewing said carriers.

23. A system as in claim 2 wherein said carrier receiving means is adapted to receive a plurality of carriers in stacked relationship, and to present said carriers sequentially to said means for inserting carriers into the open slots.