Material handling apparatus

• US 6,823,236 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: White Conveyors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: White Conveyors, Inc.
• Inventors: Tuttle, Daniel Graham, Flisfeder, Alexander, Atwan, Christopher Allan, Speckhart, B. Stephen, Hierrezuelo, Angel Francisco, Lopes, Jose Antonio, Stecher, David William
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/213,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 700/215, 700/213, 700/214, 700/232, 700/237, 198/358, 198/349.6, 198/465.4, 198/349, 186/52, 186/53, 209/937
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0229 Clothes, clothes hangers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/12 comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/937 Laundry sorting

Abstract

A material handling apparatus comprising a material delivery configuration configured with a first end and a second end, a transfer configuration connected to the first end of the garment delivery rail, a movable material handling arrangement configured to transfer at least one set of material on hangers supported by the arrangement, a computer, a user interface configured to accept, process and provide data to a user, the user interface connected to the computer to transfer and receive data, a clearing arrangement configured to remove material from the material delivery configuration; and an enclosure configured to separate a user from the movable material handling arrangement.

Claims

1. A material handling apparatus comprising:

a material delivery configuration configured to receive and transfer materials, the configuration having a first end and a second end;

a transfer configuration connected to the first end of the material delivery configuration configured to transfer materials;

a movable material handling arrangement configured to receive and transfer at least one piece of material supported by the arrangement to the material delivery configuration;

a computer configured to control apparatus functions;

a user interface configured to accept, process and provide data to a user, the user interface connected to the computer to transfer and receive data;

a clearing arrangement configured to remove material from the transfer configuration; and

an enclosure configured to separate the user from the movable material handling arrangement.

2. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a material depository box configured to accept materials inserted by the user.

3. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad and a card reader.

4. The material handling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the user interface further comprises a display configured to visually output data to the user.

5. The material handling apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a selection pad configured to activate the transfer configuration and the movable material handling arrangement.

6. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receipt dispensing arrangement, the receipt dispensing arrangement configured to produce and provide the receipt to a user.

7. The material handling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the receipt dispensing arrangement comprises a printer connected to the computer and a receipt slot configured to transfer a receipt produced by the printer to a user.

8. The material handling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the card reader is configured to read magnetic cards.

9. The material handling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display is a color display.

10. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is configured with a weight analyzer.

11. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is weather resistant to seal the transfer configuration from an outside environment.

12. The material handling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the enclosure is configured as a sliding door.

13. The material handling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the enclosure houses the user interface.

14. The material handling apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the enclosure comprises

a first panel configured to house the user interface and a second panel configured with a movable transparent door to seal the transfer configuration from an exterior environment.

15. The material handling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first panel and the second panel are made of weather resistant material.

16. The material handling apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the enclosure is configured with a light to allow identification of objects within the apparatus.

17. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface accepts debit cards.

18. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface accepts prepayment cards.

19. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer configuration and the movable material handling arrangement are configured to operate at approximately 1600 cycles per day.

20. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured as a touch screen.

21. The material handling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the printer is a thermal printer.

22. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable material handling arrangement is configured as an electric motor connected to a rail with an ADC chain, the electric motor configured to move the ADC chain to a desired configuration.

23. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a scanner configured to read information and interface with the computer.

24. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer configuration comprises a drive assembly, an idler take-up assembly and a connection between the transfer configuration and the idler take-up assembly.

25. The material handling apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the connection is a chain.

26. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable material handling arrangement further comprises:

a load station configured to load clothes onto the arrangement.

27. The material handling apparatus according the claim 26, wherein the load station is further configured with an emergency stop.

28. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an photo-eye configured to monitor movement of the movable material handling arrangement and provide data to the computer to allow indexing and

a photo-eye reflector configured to reflect a beam of energy from the photo-eye.

29. The material handling apparatus according the claim 1, further comprising:

a CCD camera configured to monitor movement of the movable material handling arrangement and provide data to the computer to allow indexing.

30. The material handling apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a configuration to lock the material depository box, the configuration connected to the computer to allow activation.

31. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the material delivery configuration is configured as a rail.

32. The material handling apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the rail is made of metal.

33. The material handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clearing arrangement is configured as an eccentric shaped lobed cam, wherein the lobe is configured to remove materials traveling on the transfer configuration in a single direction.

34. The material handling apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the eccentric shaped lobed cam is supported by the enclosure.