Beverage container handling and storage system

• US 9,981,833 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Half Barrel Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Half Barrel Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Carroll, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US15/029,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/16 Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 17/06 specially adapted for particular purposes, e.g. in foundries, forges; combined with auxiliary apparatus serving particular purposes B66C17/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 7/02 for underhung trolleys or cranes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/00 Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A system for handling and storage of beverage containers in a storage space includes a support structure, a hoist motor operably connected to the support structure and movable via the support structure along both a length of the storage space and a width of the storage space, and a lift member operably connected to the hoist motor to secure a first end of a beverage container in an upright position to the hoist motor to lift and move the beverage container from a first location to a second location via operation of the hoist motor and movement of the hoist motor along the support structure.

Claims

1. A beverage container storage and handling system for a storage space having a ceiling, comprising:

a support structure configured for attachment to the ceiling, comprising;

a bridge assembly configured to be disposed substantially horizontally in the storage space and fixed to the ceiling therein, the bridge assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart bridge members extending along a length of the storage space;

a cross member assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart cross members extending along a width of the storage space perpendicular to the bridge members, the cross member assembly configured to be operably connected to the bridge assembly and movable along a length of the bridge assembly; and

a motor support assembly that is configured to be operably connected to the cross members of the cross member assembly and movable along a length of the cross member assembly;

a hoist motor configured to be secured to the motor support assembly and operably connected to the support structure and movable via the support structure along both the length of the storage space and the width of the storage space; and

a lift member configured to be operably connected to the hoist motor to secure a first end of a beverage container in an upright position to the hoist motor to lift and move the beverage container from a first location to a second location via operation of the hoist motor and movement of the hoist motor along the support structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge assembly includes more than two bridge members extending along a length of the storage space.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cross member assembly is operably connected to the bridge assembly by one or more trolley assemblies.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each trolley assembly of the one or more trolley assemblies includes two or more trolleys spaced apart along a length of the trolley assembly.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cross member assembly includes more than two cross members extending along a width of the storage space.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the motor support assembly is operably connected to the cross member assembly via one or more motor support trolleys.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary bridge member connected to the bridge assembly via a secondary trolley, the motor support assembly and hoist motor connected to the secondary bridge member, thereby extending a range of motion of the hoist motor.

8. The system of a claim 1, further comprising a scale operably connected to the lift member to provide a measured weight of the beverage container.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the measured weight is utilized to determine a volume of beverage dispensed and compared to beverage sales records to determine a volume of beverage waste or spillage.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage space includes a refrigeration unit to cool the storage room.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one beverage container is connected to a remotely located beverage dispenser via a valve and tubing arrangement extending from the beverage dispenser into the storage space.

12. A method of moving a beverage container from a first location to a second location in a storage space having a ceiling using a beverage container storage and handling system comprising:

a support structure attached to the ceiling, the support structure comprising;

a bridge assembly disposed substantially horizontally in the storage space and fixed to the ceiling therein, the bridge assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart bridge members extending along a length of the storage space, a cross member assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart cross members extending along a width of the storage space perpendicular to the bridge members, the cross member assembly operably connected to the bridge assembly and movable along a length of the bridge assembly, and a motor support assembly that is operably connected to the cross members of the cross member assembly and movable along a length of the cross member assembly;

a hoist motor secured to the motor support assembly and operably connected to the support structure and movable via the support structure along both the length of the storage space and the width of the storage space; and

a lift member operably connected to the hoist motor, the method comprising;

traversing the hoist motor along the length and/or the width of the support structure;

moving the hoist motor to a position above a beverage container at the first location;

connecting a first end of the beverage container to the hoist motor via the lift member;

lifting the beverage container to a selected height via the hoist motor;

moving the beverage container to the second location by traversing the hoist motor along a length and/or width of the support structure; and

disconnecting the beverage container from the lift member.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein traversing the hoist motor along the length and/or the width of the support structure includes:

traversing the hoist motor along the length of the cross member assembly; and

traversing the cross member assembly along the length of the bridge assembly.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising disconnecting a valve and tubing arrangement from the beverage container before moving the beverage container to the second location, the valve and tubing arrangement extending from the storage space to a dispenser disposed remotely from the second location.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the hoist motor is moved along the length and/or width of the storage room via a trolley assembly.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein connecting the first end of the beverage container to the hoist motor via a lift member includes securing a closed loop strap to the hoist motor and to one or more openings in the first end of the beverage container.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising weighing the beverage container via a scale operably connected to the lift member.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising comparing the measured weight to a baseline weight to determine a volume of beverage dispensed from the beverage container.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising comparing the volume of beverage dispensed to beverage sales records to determine a volume of beverage waste or spillage.

20. A beverage container storage and handling system for a storage space having a ceiling, comprising:

a support structure configured for attachment to the ceiling, comprising;

a bridge assembly configured to be fixed to the ceiling, the bridge assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart bridge members extending along a length of the storage space, each bridge member comprising a bridge member channel;

a cross member assembly, the cross member assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart cross members extending across a width of the storage space perpendicular to the bridge members, each cross member comprising a cross member channel, the cross member assembly configured to be operably connected to each bridge member of the bridge assembly by a cross member trolley assembly comprising a trolley support that extends along the bridge members and is fixed to each of the cross members and a plurality of spaced apart rollers rollably disposed on the trolley support, the rollers configured to be disposed in the bridge member channel of the corresponding bridge member, the cross member assembly configured to be movable along the bridge members along the length of the storage space, and

a motor support assembly, the motor support assembly comprising a motor support plate that spans the cross member assembly, the motor support plate configured to be operably connected to each cross member by a plurality of spaced apart motor support trolleys comprising a plurality of rollers rollably disposed on the motor support plate, the rollers configured to be rollably disposed in the cross member channel of the corresponding cross member, the motor support assembly configured to be movable along a length of the cross member assembly across the width of the storage space;

a hoist motor configured to be secured to the motor support assembly and operably connected to the support structure and movable via the support structure along both the length of the storage space and the width of the storage space; and

a lift member configured to be operably connected to the hoist motor to secure a first end of a beverage container in an upright position to the hoist motor to lift and move the beverage container from a first location to a second location via operation of the hoist motor and movement of the hoist motor along the support structure.