Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Backqround of ~he lnv~ntlon
1. Fleld of the Invention
Th~s invention relates to a storage a~d retrieval apparatus for small
parts and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a storage
ar~d retrieval apparatus for articles such as small parts and the like that
is controlled from a remote station.
~ 2. Description of the ~rior Art
.
~ ystems of autoinatic storage and retrieval for inventory items to be
used in warehouse applications are numerous. All storage and retrieval syste~
attempt to reduce the time taken in placing inventory items ~n storage and
- ~ to reduce ~e time takeninre~rieving t~e invsntory items irom storage when
des~red. Small parts frequently can not be palletized and often must be stored
in bi~s or containers because of their size or ~eir delicate conslruction. ~,
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Conventional storage and retrieval systems utilize solid storage
shelves wh~3reby an extractor or picking mechanism must go to the shelf to
pick the desired inventory item. This limits the conventional system to
essentially one transaction each time the extractor is operated.
Therefore, it is a principal object and purpose of the p~esent invention
to provide a system whereby the desired inventory items are brought to the
extractor mechanism as opposed to having the solid shelves where the
extractor mechanism must go to the shelf. Combining a single extractor
mechanism with a number of independently operating systems to bring the
10 inventory items to the extractor will multiply the speed capabilities of the
system.
It is a further object and purpose of the p~esent invention to provide
an automatic storage and retrieval system whereby a vacuum pump is
utilized to insert containerized inventory items in storage or extract con-
tainerized inventory items from storage.
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Surnmarv of the Invention
The present invention is designed to place in storage, store~ and
retrieva small parts and the like automatically upon command fromarem~te
terminaL
A rigid, permanently mounted derrick includes a carriage or shuttle
which moves vertically inside the supporting derrick and can accomodate
two separate tote blns containing small parts s~multaneously. Turo sets
of carria~e roller shuttles are chain driven. Between the two shuttles, two
smaller sets of free-floating rollers are aligned. Between the two sets of
Iree rollers, two tracks contain a traveling arm. Vacuum pump suction
rings are mounted on the traveling arm. A tote bin that is positioned on
the ~ee rolIers can be maved onto either of the roller shuttles through
use of sets of chain conveyors on the carriage located between the indivi-
dual rollers.
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The storage and retrieval system includes at l;cast one carousel
having a top track and a bottom track. The tracks would be identical, and
continuous. The derrick is aligned ad~acent to the carousel.
Each carousel includes ammber of compartmented baskets that are
parallel to each other and are moved along the tracks by an electrically
or hydraulically operated motor.
The multi-faceted system is controlled from a remote digital key-
board operator's terminal. Normally, one tote bin would be taken from
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storage and another would be returned to storage during each vertical cycle
10 of the carriage. The placement of tote bins in the compartment levels i~
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- randomly done through use of a remote laser scanner. rrhe computer
memory in the operator's terminal remembers where ea~h tote bin is in
the systern and will retrieve the desired coded bin upon command.
Brief Description of the Drawinqs
Figure 1 is a plan view of a small parts $torage and retrieval system
constructed ln accordance with one embodiment of the present invention
showing a derrick aligned adjacent to two carousels;
Figure 2 is a top elevation view of a small parts storage and retrieval
system shown in Figure l;
20 ~ Figure 3 is a perspective view of a carrLage that would be within the
derrick of the small parts storage and retrieval system shown in Figure l;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the carriage shown in Figure 3 showing
part of the carriage cut-away for clarity;
Figure 5 is a top elevation view of a small parts storage and retrieval
system constructed in accordance wlth an alternate embodlment of the
present invention;
Figure 6 is a top elevation view of a traveling arm with suction rings
attached that would be located on the carriage shown in Figure 3; and
Figure 7 is a plan view of the traveling arm and suction rings shown
~n Figure 6.
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Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodlments
Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1 through 4 show a system
10 of automatic storage and retrieval for small parts and the like with
remote operatLon. The small parts could be stored in containers or tote bins
l~e system would be utilized for a multitude of different items, such as car
parts, aircraft parts and computer parts and could be used in both retail
and wholesale applications.
As best seen in Figure 1, a rigid, permanently mounted derrick 12
is designed for use with small parts storage carousels 14 and 16. A carriage
10 18 moves vertically inside the supporting derrick 12 and can accomodate two
separate containers or tote bins simultaneously. The carriage 18 i~cludes
sets of rollers aligned in a horizontal plane. Two vertical poles 2~1 support
the carriage and the carriage is slidably attached thereto. The carriage is
moved vertically by an electric motor and weights attached to chaln (not
shown) would be used as a counter-balance. The feeding of the carriage 18
would be from a waist-high work station or, alternatively, a conveyor 22.;
As best seen in ~igure 3, two sets of roller shuttles 24 and 26 are
attached to a chain drive 28 and remotely operated. Each set of roller
shuttles includes a plurality of Individual rollers 30. These two sets of
20 roller shuttles would be fed by the work station or the conveyor 22 located
near the base of the derrick. In one application of the ~nvention, one shuttle
24 would be used for incoming tote bins while the other shuttle 26 would be
used for outgoing tote bins. Guardrails 32 may surround part of the shuttles
24 and 26. Between the two shuttles 24 and 26, two small sets of free rollers
34 a~d 36 are aligned in the same horizontal plane. Each set of *ee rollers
Includes a plurality oI IndivIdual rollers ~8.
Between these sets of free rollers 34 and 36 is a pair of tracks 40
for a travel ing arm 42. As seen in Figures 6 and 7, vacuum pump suction
rings 43 are mounted on the traveling arm. The operation of the traveling
30 arm 42 is remotely controlled. As will be seen, when contact between the
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travellng arm and the deslred container or tote bSn has been detected, a
vacuum pump (not shown) connected to the rings 43 will be swltched on. A
tote bln that ~s positioned on the free-floatlng rollers 34 and 36 can be moved
onto either of the roller shuttles 24 and 26 through sets of chain conveyors
44 and 46. When not in useJ the chaln conveyors are positioned slightly
below the plane of the rollers on the carriage as best seen in ~igure 4.
IJpon commandJ the chain conveyors 44 and 46 are raised slightly throu(~h
use of inflatable rubber bladders 48 and 50 located beneath the conveyors.
The system includes at least one storage carousel however, in the
10 ~referred embodiment, the storage and retrieval system would include at
least two Independently operatlng carousels 14 and 16, mounted one above the
other. It is important to note that two independently o~erating carousels
aligned with a single derrick can greatly expedite the working of the system.
One carousel could be moving to bring another desired bin to the derrick
while the other carousel could be moving to bring another desired bin to the
derrick. Thus, as will be seen, the system can accomplish two transactions
with each vertical cycle of the carriage.
The structure of each carousel includes a top track 52 and a bottom
track 54. The tracks for each carousel ~ould be parallel and identical,
20 oval-like in shape with rounded ends and parallel sides as can be seen in
Figure 2. The derrick 12 is aligned adjacent to one of the rounded ends of
the carousels.
Each carousel includes a series of compartmented baskets 56, that
move along the oval tracks. The baskets 56 are parallel to each other and
would be generally perpendicular to the carriage roller sets. The baskets
would be llghtweight in constructlon, consistlng of wire caging for instance.
When in storage, the tote bins 11 would rest in the various compartment levels
58 of the baskets. The tote bins when in storage might protrude slightly
from the baskets. The baskets would be moved on the tracks by an elec-
30 trically or hydraulically operated motor 60 located on the top track. Thebaskets in any one carousel would operate independently of the baskets in any
other carousel. _ ~
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The system is multi-faceted and can be made to perform a va;riety
of work chores. The system may be used for "kitting" whereby a series
of parts are delivered to a waist-high station to be assembled.
Under normal operating conditions, one tote bSn will be taken from
storage and another will be returned to storage during each vertical cycle
of the carriage 18. The entlre operation of the system Ls controiled ~om
a remote digital keyboard operator's termlnal (not shown). This computer
terminal operates in conjunction with a remote laser scanner (not shown)
which is capable of detecting bar codes 61 entered on the outside of the
10 tote blns 11. The code number of the tote bin that is desired to be removed
from storage is entered into the terminal. Upon receiving the appropriate
command from the operator's terminal, the baskets 56 of one carousel will
be moved around the carousel tracks until the appropriate basket is aligned
facing the derr~ck 12. Meanwhile, the carriage will be moved up frorn the
waist-high work station or conveyor 22. When the carriage has been
elevated to the correct height, it will stop, and the traveling arm will move
from it~resting place until it comes in contact with the desired tote bin.
The desired tote bin will be extracted using the vacuum pump suction rings 43
on the traveling arm 42. The computer memory in the operator's terrninal
20 remembers where each tote bin is in the system and will retrieve the desired
coded bin upon command. Finally, the tote bin will be moved from the free
rollers 34 and 36 to the outgoing shuttle 26 through use of the chain conveyor
After a desired bin has been extracted, another tote bin that has been
brought from the work station or conveyor to be placed in storage can be
moved from the incomlng roller shuttle 24 to the free rollers 34 and 36.
The baskets 54 will be moved around the tracks and the carriage 18 will
simultaneously move vertically in order to locate an empty compartment.
The traveling arm 42 will then move the tote bin ~om the ~ee rollers 34
and .36 into the empty compartment. The placement of tote bins in the com-
30 partment levels is randomly done. The computer memory will "remember"where the tote b~ has been stored in the system.
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353
An advantage of the present invention lies In the improved inventory
control that is bullt Into the system. The computer at all times retains an
a utomatic record of the tote bins ln the system.
E parts were stored in different size tote bins, the system could be
programmed to deliver different size bins to different sized compartments
in the baskets.
An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 5.
A first derrick 62, oper~ting independently of a second derrick 64, would
be positioned at the opposite rounded ends. The first derricks 62 could
10 operate to insert bins Into the carouselswhile the second derricks 64 could
operate to extract desired bins from the carousels. Independent operation
of the derricks 62 and 64 would further increase the speed capabUities of the
invention.
- The conveyor 66 that feeds the inserter derricks would have a ~ue
- ` area 68 which allows incoming tote bins to line up to be inserted ln any
partictllar carousel. This would prevent the conveyor system 66 that feeds
the derricks 62 from being backed-up in the event thatmore than one tote
bin Ss to be inserted ~n the same carousel.
Whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation
20 to the drawings attached hereto it should be understood that other and further
modifications of the invention, apart from those shown or suggested herein,
may be made wlthtn the spirit and scope of thls Invention.
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