Warehousing system

• US 3,880,299 A
• Filed: 07/17/1972
• Issued: 04/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard A. Zollinger, Leroy Lubbers, William K. Stubbs
• Original Assignee: Howard A. Zollinger, Leroy Lubbers, William K. Stubbs
• Inventors: Zollinger, Howard A., Lubbers, Leroy, Stubbs, William K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, R. B.
• Application Number:
  US05/272,287
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 214/16.1E,16.1EA,16B,16.4B,16.4A,16.4C 104/48
• US Class Current: 414/273
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0414 provided with satellite cars adapted to travel in storage racks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A warehouse storage system comprises an array of storage bins arranged in vertical tiers with the tiers arranged in rows and having aisles between the rows. A mobile vertical lift moves across the ends of the aisles and carres thereon a mobile transfer vehicle which can be elevated by the mobile vertical lift to any desired storage level. The self-powered mobile transfer vehicle is adapted to be automatically dispatched from the mobile vertical lift at a predetermined aisle and level and is programmable to travel via tracks down the aisle to a predetermined bin location, extend retrieving mechanism from the vehicle under a pallet load in a bin, lift it and retract thereby transferring the pallet load onto the mobile transfer vehicle. The transfer vehicle then returns to the mobile vertical lift. The process can be reversed for transferring a pallet into storage. The mobile vertical lift travels between a home station which serves as an interface for the storage section of the system and various aisle positions to receive and discharge mobile transfer vehicles such that while one transfer vehicle is moving down an aisle to discharge or retrieve a palletized load from a bin, the mobile vertical lift can be transporting a different mobile transfer vehicle. The mobile vertical lift includes selfaligning means thereon such that the mobile vertical lift is accurately aligned with an aisle at the desired vertical and horizontal position to facilitate the dispatching of the mobile transfer vehicle along the aisle. The mobile transfer vehicle also includes self-aligning means to accurately position the transfer vehicle with a predetermined storage bin. In a broader aspect of the system, the mobile transfer vehicle serves as an interface between a storage facility and other facilities such as an assembly line or shipping area to automatically carry articles between the several facilities.

Claims

1. In a warehousing system having a transverse aisle and a plurality of access aisles, an array of storage bins for receiving and storing unit loads, the storage bins being located adjacent the access aisles which communicate with the transverse aisles;

materials-handing apparatus comprising;

a plurality of mobile transFer vehicles each including load transfer means thereon and further including control means thereon for controlling the motion of said vehicle in an access aisle and for controlling said load transfer means thereon in transferring unit loads into or out of preselected storage bins adjacent said access aisle, and a trans-aisle vehicle movable along the transverse aisle for carrying a mobile transfer vehicle thereon and for discharging said mobile transfer vehicle at any desired one of said access aisles, said trans-aisle vehicle including means thereon for programming said control means on said mobile transfer vehicle when said mobile transfer vehicle is positioned on said trans-aisle vehicle, and a storage magazine is provided for storing mobile transfer vehicles not in use.

2. In a warehousing system including an array of storage bins for receiving unit loads and positioned adjacent a plurality of horizontal access aisles at different vertical levels, apparatus for transferring unit loads into and out of any of said storage bins and between a remote location and said storage bins, said apparatus comprising:

at least one mobile transfer vehicle including means thereon for transferring unit loads between said storage bins and said vehicle, means extending along the horizontal access aisles for guiding and supporting said mobile transfer vehicle along said aisles, a mobile vertical lift adapted to travel across the ends of the access aisles to align with any desired aisle, said mobile vertical lift including a vertically movable lifting platform adapted to receive and discharge a mobile transfer vehicle at any desired aisle and storage bin level, said mobile vertical lift further adapted to transport said mobile transfer vehicle between a home station and said aisles, and second means mounted across said aisles at an end thereof for guiding said mobile vertical lift wherein said home station is positioned along said second means, said system further including a storage magazine adapted to store mobile transfer vehicles, said storage magazine being in communication with said mobile vertical lift such that said lift can pick up and discharge mobile transfer vehicles therebetween.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 and further including an output station adjacent said home station and including means for receiving a mobile transfer vehicle from said mobile vertical lift and means for transferring unit loads from a mobile transfer vehicle at said output station to a remote area.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 and further including an input station adjacent said home station and having means for receiving a mobile transfer vehicle, said input station communicant with input means such that unit loads can be transferred into the warehouse system by transferring said loads onto said mobile transfer vehicle.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said input and output stations are at a single location and said receiving and transfer means comprise input and output conveyors positioned opposite said location, and wherein said magazine storage area includes means communicating with said location to receive a mobile transfer vehicle.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 and further including a retractable bridge comprising guide and support means movable to communicate with said input station when said mobile vertical lift is not at the home station thereby allowing the transfer of a mobile transfer vehicle across said home station in the absence of said mobile vertical lift.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said input and output stations are located on opposite sides of said second means guiding said mobile vertical lift and wherein said retractable bridge joins said input and output stations when said mobile vertical lift is not between said stations.

8. In a materials handling system including a plurality of individual storage bins arranged in horizontal and vertical tiers separated by aisles to provide access to each storage bin, apparatus for transferring materials between an input station associated with the materials handling system and an output station also associated with the materials handling system comprising:

a mobile vertical lift movable only across the ends of the access aisles and including a lifting platform thereon which is vertically movable to any desired storage bin level, at least one mobile transfer vehicle adapted to ride on said lifting platform of said mobile vertical lift and be discharged from said mobile vertical lift along any desired aisle, guide rails adapted to carry the mobile transfer vehicle and extending along said aisles at vertically spaced intervals;

material transfer means on said mobile transfer vehicle for transferring materials to and from said vehicle; and

a home station communicant with the input and output stations and adapted to receive said mobile vertical lift such that a mobile transfer vehicle can be discharged from said mobile vertical lift to the input and output stations to transfer articles between said mobile transfer vehicle and input or output means associated with the input and output stations, respectively, said system further including a storage magazine for receiving and storing mobile transfer vehicles, said magazine being communicant with said mobile vertical lift to transfer mobile transfer vehicles therebetween.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 and further including a retractable bridge joining said input and output stations to allow a mobile transfer vehicle to travel therebetween when extended and permitting said mobile vertical lift to enter said home station when retracted.

10. A warehousing system comprising:

a plurality of individual storage locations formed by multi-tiered storage racks having a plurality of aisles therebetween which communicate with said storage locations at a plurality of vertical heights, said storage racks including horizontal guide rails extending along each of said aisles at vertical levels corresponding to said storage locations, a self-powered mobile transfer vehicle adapted to travel along said guide rails extending along said aisles and including means thereon for transferring unit loads between any of said storage locations and said mobile transfer vehicle, a mobile vertical lift adapted to travel across the ends of said aisles and including thereon a lifting platform adapted to move in a vertical direction and carry thereon a mobile transfer vehicle such that said mobile vertical lift can transport said mobile transfer vehicle to any desired aisle and storage level within the warehousing system, input and output means associated with the warehousing system and communicant with said mobile vertical lift such that a mobile transfer vehicle thereon can be transferred between either of said input or output stations and said mobile vertical lift, and control means for automatically dispatching said mobile vertical lift and said mobile transfer vehicle to transfer unit loads between said input station and a predetermined storage location and between a predetermined storage location and said output station, said system further including a mobile transfer vehicle storage magazine positioned to receive and discharge mobile transfer vehicles stored therein between said magazine and said mobile vertical lift.

11. In a warehousing system including:

a plurality of storage racks each having an array of vertically and horizontally aligned storage bins and wherein the storage racks are separated by a plurality of aisles extending along the storage bins, a materials handling system comprising;

an input conveyor adapted to transport materials to said warehousing area, at least one self-powered mobile transfer vehicle adapted to travel on guide rails and including load transferring forks thereon for transferring unit loads to and from said mobile transfer vehicle, an input station adjacent an end of said input conveyor and adapted to receive a mobile tRansfer vehicle thereon, a first pair of guide rails extending along the ends of said aisles within said warehousing system and positioned adjacent to said input station, a mobile vertical lift adapted to travel along said first guide rails and including thereon a lifting platform adapted to receive, discharge and carry a mobile transfer vehicle thereon, positioning means on said mobile vertical lift for positioning said lift at a desired aisle, aligning means on said lifting platform for accurately positioning said lifting platform at a desired storage bin level within said aisle, second guide rails extending along each storage bin level of each aisle and adapted to receive and carry said mobile transfer vehicle, locating means on said mobile transfer vehicle for accurately positioning said mobile transfer vehicle adjacent a desired bin such that said transfer forks can transfer a unit load between said storage bin and said mobile transfer vehicle, an output station including guide rails thereon adapted to receive said mobile transfer vehicle, said output station being located adjacent said first guide rails, a mobile vertical lift home station communicant with said input and output stations to permit the transfer of a mobile transfer vehicle between said lift and said stations when said lift is positioned at said home station, an output conveyor having an end adjacent said output station such that unit loads can be transferred from a mobile transfer vehicle located at said output station onto said output conveyor, and a mobile transfer vehicle storage magazine including guide rails thereon positioned adjacent said first guide rails so as to receive a mobile transfer vehicle from said mobile vertical lift and store said mobile transfer vehicle therein.

12. The materials handling system as defined in claim 11 wherein said mobile transfer vehicle storage magazine is communicant with said output station.

13. The materials handling system as defined in claim 11 wherein a bridge is retractably mounted across said home station, said bridge including a pair of guide rails which are extensible to allow the transfer of a mobile transfer vehicle from said input and output stations when said mobile vertical lift is not positioned at said home station, and retractable to permit the entry of said mobile vertical lift into said home station.

14. The materials handling system as defined in claim 13 and further including sensing means to detect the presence or absence of said mobile vertical lift at said home station, and control means coupled to said sensing means for automatically controlling said retractable bridge to extend said bridge when said mobile vertical lift is not positioned at said home station and to retract said bridge as said mobile vertical lift approaches said home station.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said lifting platform of said mobile vertical lift permits the discharge and entry of a mobile transfer vehicle from opposite sides thereof.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein input and output stations are provided along said transverse aisle and a home station for said trans-aisle vehicle is provided and is communicant with said input and output stations such that said mobile transfer vehicle can be discharged to said input and output stations from said trans-aisle vehicle when located at said home station.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said storage magazine is communicant with one of said input or output stations to transfer mobile transfer vehicles onto said trans-aisle vehicle when said trans-aisle vehicle is positioned at said home station.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 and further including a retractable bridge controlled to provide guide and support means for a mobile transfer vehicle across the transverse aisle when said trans-aisle vehicle is not positioned at said home station.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said transaisle vehicle includes a lifting plAtform for carrying a mobile transfer vehicle thereon said platform being vertically movable into registration with any desired storage bin level.