Container storage installation

• US 4,394,104 A
• Filed: 07/16/1980
• Issued: 07/19/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Giacomo Pizzi, Mario Camerini
• Original Assignee: Giacomo Pizzi, Mario Camerini
• Inventors: Pizzi, Giacomo, Camerini, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avila, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US06/169,245
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 414/276, 414/280, 414/282, 414/286, 414/621, 414/661
• US Class Current: 414/276
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0435 with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07 Floor-to-roof stacking devices, e.g. "stacker cranes", "retrievers"

Abstract

The installation is of the type comprising a warehouse providing rows and columns of container-receiving cells opening at one end into a passageway accommodating a horizontally and vertically displaceable loading- and unloading unit. The floor section of each cell comprises a pair of longitudinal rails (4) inclined towards the passageway at a slope of 2-4%. The container (C) is handled by devices engaging its four lower corner blocks (18) so as to minimize the effects of stresses on the container structure during handling and storage. One end of the container is deposited onto a trolly (31) freely rolling on the rails. The other end is manoeuvred by a power-actuated carriage (14) rolling on an elevator platform (5) and is deposited onto supports (30) projecting upwardly from the lower end portions of the rails. (FIG. 4).

Claims

1. In a container storage installation comprising:

a warehouse having a plurality of elongated, container-receiving cells arranged in an array of rows and columns, a servicing passageway common to said cells and into which each cell opens by one end, and a container loading- and unloading unit displaceable horizontally and vertically in the said passageway for loading and unloading a container lengthwise into and from a selected cell, each cell having floor members supporting a container in the cell, and wherein the container comprises a standard corner block at each of its four lower corners, the improvement wherein;

the said floor members in each cell comprise a pair of transversely spaced guide rails extending longitudinally of the cell throughout substantially the whole length of the latter, and a trolly bridging the rails and having a container-supporting upper surface providing a support for a restricted lower front-edge region only of the container substantially corresponding to the lower corner blocks at that end, said trolly being freely rollable on the rails under a thrust applied thereto by a container during loading and unloading into and from the cell;

the rails in each cell are sloping towards the passageway whereby, as the leading end of a container being pushed into a cell takes its support on the trolly, the latter is entrained by the container to climb along the rails thereby to gradually lift the said leading end of the container;

the said loading- and unloading unit comprises a horizontally elongated elevator platform capable of supporting a container on its upper face, and a carriage displaceable on said face from one end to the other end of the platform, said carriage having thereon first means for gripping a container on the platform by an end pair of the corner blocks at the lower rear-edge region of the container to push and pull the container lengthwise thereof for respectively loading and unloading a cell and second means engageable with said end pair of blocks at the lower rear-edge region of said container to raise and lower said rear-edge region relative to said carriage to assist in the transfer of said container; and

wherein the end section of the platform adjacent the warehouse comprises transfer means for delivering to the trolly the said lower front-edge region of a container supported by the platform as the container is pushed by the carriage, said transfer means comprising a power-actuated pad in the upper face of the platform arranged to reciprocate longitudinally of the platform while lifting the said end region of the container by engagement with a corner block in said region.

2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the slope of the rails is from 2 to 4%.

3. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the second means on the carriage capable of engaging the container comprises a pair of bolts protruding longitudinally from a front face of the carriage for engagement into the front eyes in corresponding end corner blocks of the container.

4. The improvement of claim 3, wherein the bolts are powered for displacement in their respective vertical planes thereby to provide means capable of lifting with respect to the platform the container end in which the bolts are engaged.

5. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the said first means comprises a pair of lateral jaws closable on the said corner blocks to embrace therebetween the respective end of the container, each of the jaws comprising a tooth engaging into the lateral eye of the respective corner block on closure of the jaw whereby the carriage may push and pull the container.

6. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the trolly further comprises an abutment member extending upwardly from the rear boundary of the container-supporting surface to provide an angle receiving a lower front-edge of the container.

7. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the the lower corner blocks of a container in a cell at the end opposite the trolly-supported end are individually supported each by a support box fixedly extending upwardly from the end section of the respective rail proximal to the passageway.