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Automated work center

  • US 5,593,269 A
  • Filed: 12/03/1993
  • Issued: 01/14/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1986
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A randomly accessible consolidation queue for presenting article containing means used in material handling operations to an operator, the consolidation queue comprising:

  • a frame;

    queue track means carried by the frame and forming a vertically oriented endless loop having a first travel reach and a second travel reach;

    a multiplicity of vertically spaced shelves carried by the queue track means for holding said article containing means, said shelves being pivotally coupled to said queue track means such that they remain substantially horizontal as they are carried between the first travel reach and the second travel reach;

    drive means for rotating the shelves about the endless loop;

    opening means for transferring said article containing means from a shelf on the first travel reach to a loading area to facilitate inserting articles into and removing articles from said article containing means;

    means for unloading an article containing means from the consolidation queue on a back side thereof by extracting said article containing means from a shelf located on the second travel reach;

    the opening means and the unloading means being arranged to allow simultaneous transfer of a container to said loading area from a shelf on the first travel reach and extraction of a container from a shelf on the second travel reach of the queue track means; and

    control means for directing the drive means to rotate the shelves and for actuating said opening and unloading means.

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