Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Folio No~ 230P43706 ~.
"A Continuo~s Rack Support Apparatus U-tilising a
Gravity Fe d Principle"
~his invention relates to continuous rack support
apparatus which utilise the gravity feed principle, and
on which goods -to be stored are suppor-ted on mobile
support and transport units. ~hese are known in a
variety of embodimentsO Ihese support and transport units
are pu-t into racks provided with rails and the individual
rack ch~nnels have a certain inclination of the rails.
lhere are basically two possibilities in this
respect:
Tn the first one, the stored goods are removed
from the lower end of the rack channel, while the rack
ch~nnels are loaded with the goods to be s-tored at the
higher end. In this case the mobile support and transport
units are conveyed further from the feed end of the rack
channel under the effect of gravity; this means that the
rack channel must be inclined so that the support and
transport units start to move automatically. On the
other hand, this construction necessitates the provision
of speed control means~ e.g. brakes, along the rack
cha~nel, to prevent any of the inserted support and
transport ~mits reaching an inadmissably high speed.
- Ihe second possibilit~ is characterised by the
loading and removing of the -transport units from -the same,
i.e. lower, rack endO In this case the support and
transport units to be inserted are driven upwards against
the effect of gravity and the load disposed at the lowest
point at the end abuts stop members in each case. lhe
inclination of the rails on which -the support and trans-
port units run must be relatively s-teep in -this case as
well, as it must be suf~icien-t to allow -the support and
-transport uni-ts to start from a standstill, even under
infavourable circumstances~ In this case, however, the
movement which has commenced leads to a considerable
acceleration of the support and transport units, as the
frictional forces are essentially smaller during their
movement than when they are stationary~
~he applicants have already proposed, e.g. in
Austrian patent 3~8,175, a construc-tion having the advantage
that no brakes or speed control devices are required, with-
out giving rise to the danger of the support and transport
units being accelerated -to inadmissibly high speeds. ~his
proposal by the applicants is based on the idea of making
the inclination of the rails within a rack channel so
slight that this prevents the support and transport units
~rom automatically starting to move, bu-t that, on the
other hand, a rolling vehicle is essentially neither
accelerated nor braked. ~ach time a rolling vehicle is
removed from the apparatus, each of the other vehicles
still in the rack channel receives a motional impulse
which causes the latter to move towards the removal end.
~hese motional impulses~ which are appropriately
triggered by a receiving device which removes a rolling
vehicle from the rack channel, suffice to move the in-
dividual rolling vehicles by several vehicle lengths,
and in practice a rolling vehicle comes slowly to a
standstill again wi-thout additional brake devices being
necessar~
A preferred embodimen-t o~ an apparatus of this
kind comprises a thrust rod which is displaceably moun-ted
between -the rails, for exa~ple, and which is subject to
the action of a spring which -tends to push the thrust rod
1Q towards the removal end. Ihe thrust rod has entrainment
means~ which can lie against a transverse bar of the
support and transport units. When the receiving device
comes to rest, the thrust rod is pushed back against the
action of the spring. ~s soon as the receiving device has
received a rolling vehicle disposed at the removal end of
the rack channel and moved awa~ from the rack again, the
thrust rod is moved under the action of the spring force
and imparts to the other rolling vehicles disposed in the
rack channel a motional impulse until the latter have
reached the removal end~
Although this construction has proved very success~
ful, it does9 however, entail several disadvantages. In
order to operate an apparatus of this kind according to the
second of the above-mentioned proposals, - i.e. removal
and loading of a rack channel takes place at the same, at
a lower end -, the pawls applied to the thrust rod should
not lie against the support and transport units while the
rack channel is loaded with support and transport units.
A further requisite is tha-t the pawls, which are subject
to a spring force, do not exert any force on the support
and transport units while the lat-ter are at a standstill,
i.e. tha-t -these do not permanently press against the end
stops. This permanent force represents a momen-t of danger
for the operators who, under certain circumstances, might
not recognise this force effect. In the case of projecting
loads and soft packaging, it may also cause damage to the
stored ma-terial.
~he object of the present inve~tion is to improve
a continuous rack support appa;^atus of the above-mentioned
t~pe so as to eliminate these disadvan-tages~ A particular
intention is to provide the possibility of inserting the
load which is to be newly introduced into the rack channel
against the action of the force of gravity without diffic-
ulties and of the stored rolling vehicle remaining s-tation~
ary in the rack channel without an external force effect
un-til it is removed.
In one aspect of the present invention there is
provided in a continuous shelf storage system in which
goods to ~e stored are placed in mobile storage and trans-
porting units on shelves, these units each provided a load
bearing pallet, a vehicle body and rollers which roll on
a pair of rails wh.-h are only slightly inclined,
8~
-4a-
a motion ~ impulse generator which is longitudinally
displaceable in the center of the spacing between the
pair of rails adapted to push one of the units for move-
ment along the pair of rails by a distance of at least
several vehicle lengths wi.thout requiring braking before
coming to a standstill, the generator comprising: a
thrust rod assembly formed of an elongated rod member hav-
ing a push engaging forward end for pushing engagement
against the rear of a vehicle and a spring at the end
remote from the push engaging forward end, the spring
urging said elongated rod member into a locked non-operative
position, a locking device at the push engaging forward end
of the thrust rod assembly to lock the assembly in a
posi.tion to avoid pushing the unit and thereby place the
thrust rod assembly in a non-operative position, pivotable
pawls connected to the forward end of the elongated rod
member which fit against the unit to adapt the rod member to
push the unit when the pawls are pivoted with one surface
engaging the unit and adapting the rod member to disengage
from the unit when moved away about the pivots of the pivot-
able pawls to release the as embly from the unit, wedge
shaped guide shoes, one for each pawl, guiding the surface
of each pawl in its pushing relation to the end of the
mobile unit' and the locking device being displaceable
- 4b -
from a lockin~ position to an open position by a first
rolling unit when the unit is removed9 the wedge shaped
gu.ide shoes guiding the pawls under spring action of the
thrust rod assembly to bring the guide shoes to a ready
position for pushing the next unit.
An embodiment of apparatus in accordance with
the invention is described in detail hereafter and is
schematically illustrated in the accompanying dràwings,
in which:
~ igure 1 is a schematic partial longitudinal
section through a support channel in the rest position,
without a receiving device in the rest position;
Figure 2 is a section corresponding to Figure 1,
but wi-th a receiving device in the res-t position;
~igure 3 is a plan view of the rod;
~ig~lre ~ is a section along line A-A of ~igure 1;
Fi~lre 5 is a section along line B-B o~ re 1;
Figure 6 is a variant of the locking device and
~igure 7 is a detail of ~igure 6.
According to ~igures 1 and 2, the apparatus
comprises a bearing support with rails 1, which are suppor-
ted on transverse bars 2. Support and transport units 3
ha~e wheels ~ which run on the rails 1 and bear loaded
pallets 5, for example. lhe rails 1 comprise end s-tops 6,
against which there strike -the front -transverse bars 7 of
the outermost support and transport unit 3, as the rails 6
are inclined somewhat in the direction of the arrow P.
~he inclination of the rails 1 is such tha-t the
support and transport units 3 can by no means start auto-
matically, but, when moving, are at mos-t moderately
retarded, as the accelerat]on caused by the inclination of
the rails is at most as great as the retardation determined
by the rolling resistance of the wheelsn
~ thrust rod, generally indicated by 8, is dis-
placeably mounted in the centre between one pair of rails.
lhis thrust rod 8 is subject to the action of springs 9
(figure 3), which tend to move the thrust rod in the
direction of the arrow P~ ~he thrust rod 8 has pivotably
6.
mounted pawls 10, which project beyond the surface of the
thrust rod 8 when in their swung-out rest position and
thus lie i.n the path of movement of the transverse bars 7
of the support and transport units 3. ~hese pawls 10 at
the front have a thrust face 11, which extends essentially
vertically and which is designed to res-t against the trans-
verse bars 7 while the advance impulse is being imparted.
~owever, the rear face 12 of the pawls is inclined, so that
a support and transport unit 3 moving over the pa~l can
pass over -the pawl 10, as this may dip on account of its
pivotable mounting about the axis 1~.
A butt plate 14 is arranged at the front end o~
the thrust rod 8 and a correspondingly arranged butt element
of the receiving vehicle, which is not shown, comes to rest
against this butt plate 14, when the said receiving vehicle
comes to rest at the remo-~al end of the rack ch~nnel~
~his butt elemen-t of the receiving device is indicated as
a roller 15 in ~igures 1 and 2.
The thrust rod 8 is displaceably guided on a guide
rod 16. The latter has wedges or guide shoes 17, which
have an inclined upper abutting surface 18. A guide shoe 17
is associated in sliding arrangment, the shoe being wedge
shaped to accommodate the surface of the pawl so that one
shoe 17 is combined with each pawl 10. As can clearly be
seen from Figure 1, the slide shoes 17 do not have any effect
when the thrust rod 8 is extended. However~ if the thrust
rod 8 is pushed back under the effect of the roller 15 of
the receiving device, the lower faces 19 of the pawls 10
3 ~
reach the range of effectiveness of the abutting surfaces
18 of the guide shoes 17 associated with those pawls 10,
so that -the latter are pivoted about their axis 1~ until
they are lowered in-to the thrust rod 8. As a result,
the thrust faces 11 of the pawls 10 are no longer in -the
area of movement of the transverse bars 7 of the support
and transport units 3, so that these can be moved against
the direction of the arrow P inside the rack ch~nnel.
Means are also provided to lock the thrust rod in
its retracted position shown in Figure 1. ~hese means
comprise a pivotable locking pawl 20, which is arranged in
the region of the front end of the rack channel, and wedge
shaped locking cam3 21, which are laterally arranged at the
front end 8a of the thrust rod. Further details will be
given in the following concerning the specific construction
of the locking pawl 20~
It is essential, when the thrust rod 8 is pushed
back, for the locking cam 21 to reach the range of effective-
ness of the locking pawl 20, which prevents the thrust rod
8 being moved back into its initial position (in the
direction of the arrow P). For this purpose the locking
pawl 20 has a stop pin 22, against which the locking cam
21 lies, as long as the pawl 20 is in its upright rest
position. ~wing to the fact that the receiving device,
which presses with its roller 15 against the face 14 of the
thrust rod 8, has come to rest, the thrust rod 8 is also
prevented from moving under the action of the spring 9`in
8.
the direction of the arrow P (cf~ Figure 2). ~he receiving
device then withdraws the foremost support and transport
unit from the rack channel; this does not entail any
difficulties, as the pawls 10 are lowered and the thrust
rod 8 is held in its rear end position.
While the foremost support and transport unit is
being withdrawn, the receiving device executes a so-cal].ed
partial withdrawal, so that the roller 15 no longer lies
against the face 14 of the thrust rod 8. ~he latter, how-
ever, is nevertheless held in its pushed back end position,
as the upright locking pawl 20 prevents the advance of the
rod 8, owing to the fact -that the lug cam 21 lies against
the stop pin 2~ of the pawl 20. Shortly before the support
and transport unit which is to be removed leaves the rack
channel, its rear transverse bar 7 reaches the region of
the release bar 23 of the locking pawl 20, swivels the
latter and the thrust rod 8 can thus move forwards in the
direction of the arrow P, as the stop pin 22 has been swung
out of the area of movement of the cam 21. As a result,
however, the pawls 10 also move out of the range of effect-
iveness of the guide shoes 17, so that the pawls 10 move
into an upright position under the effect of gravity and
their face 11 strikes against the transverse bars 7 of the
support and transport units which are still in the rack
channel. During the forward movement of the thrust rod 8,
the support and transport units 3 thus receive a motional
impulse, which is sufficient to overcome the static friction
9-
of the rollers 4 on the rails 1; the support and transport
units 3 move gently forwards un-til -the fron-t one is
arrested b~ the stop 6.
A constant pressure on the transverse bars 7 is
thus prevented in the case of upright suppor-t and transport
units, if the spacing and -the arrangement of the individual
pawls 10 is smaller than the spacing of the -transverse bars
7 of a single support and transport unit 3. It is thus
possible for the support and transport units 3 to receive
a true motional impulse, in order freely to roll. The
travel of -the thrust rod 8 is correspondingly essentially
less than the spacing of the front and rear transverse bars
7 of a support and transport unit 3, so as to ensure that
none of the faces 11 of the pawls 10 can permanently lie
against one of the transverse bars 7.
lhere are basically two possibilities in -the
following motion cycle:
1. A further support and transport unit is to be removed.
2~ A new support and transport unit is to be inserted
ir. the rack channelO
~5~:
Owing to the fact that the receiving device is coming
to rest, - the roller 15 comes to rest against the face 14 -,
the thrust rod 8 is locked once more against the action of
the spring 9 and the foremost support and transport unit
3 is removed in exactly the same manner as described above~
10~
During the par-tial withdrawal of the receiving device,
the thrust rod 8 is released and as soon as the rear
transverse bar 7 o~ the removed support and tra~sport
unit 3 has passed over the release bar 23 of the locking
pawl 20, the thrust rod is released so that the support and
transport units 3 which are to be advanced receive their
motional impulse and are thus conveyed to the end of the
rack channel.
econd possibilit~:
~he receiving device, which has a support and
transport uni-t 3 to be stored, comes to rest at the end of
the rack channel and the thrust rod 8 is pushed back under
the effect of the roller 15 against the action of the spring
9, so that the pawls 10 are pivoted under the effect of the
guid e shoes 17- When the support and transport unit 3 is
inserted, the release bar 23 of the locking pawl 20 is
passed over, so that the pawl 20 is swivelled and the locking
effect of the pin 22 and the lug cam 21 is thus discontinued~
Eowever, as the roller 15 continues -to press against the
face 14, the thrust rod 8 cannot move forwards. On the o-ther
hand, it is easily possible to insert the suppor-t and trans-
port lln;t 3 to be stored, as the pawls 10 are held in a
lowered state. ~he locking pawl 20 again moves automatic-
ally into an upright position under the effec-t of gravity
when the transverse bars have passed over the release bar 23,
so that the receiving device can move away without the
~8~
11 .
thrust rod 8 being moved in the direc-tion of -the arrow
P, since the cam 21 again rests against the stop pin 22
of the loc~ing pawl 20.
The -thrust rod is then in the locked state, as,
once a new suppor-t and transport uni-t 3 has been stored,
there is no reason to allow the advance of other support
and transport units 3 which are already in the rack
channel. lhe locking device is only released in the
manner described above if the foremost support and
transport units 3, which are now disposed in the rack
channel, are to be removed.
It should also be no-ted tha-t cther means for
moving the thrust rod can also be used instead of the
springs 9.
~he following possibilities are mentioned purely
b~ ~ay of example:
- Drive by pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder;
- Drive by an electromagnet;
- Gravity drive via a rope and pulley weight system.
In the latter case a plurality of thrust rods can
be operated by the same driving weight in a simple manner.
Figure 4 shows the construction of the locking
pawl 20 in greater detail. A retaining clip 25 is fastened
to one of the transverse bars 2 by screws. ~he two side
pieces of the retaining clip 25 receive a pin 24, which
projects on both sides and at the ends of which the pawl
~8~
12
body is pi.votabl~ mounted. ~he release bar 23, which
projects upwards is secured to the upper part of the
pin 24. Laterally arranged stop pins 22 are mounted on
the pawl bod~ and cooperate with the locking cams 21
of the thrust rod 8.
Figure 6 shows a varian-t of the locking device
which has just been described. ~he thrust rod 26, which
can be moved in the direction of the arrow P and has
an open-shaped cross section, is displaceably mounted
on a stationary bracing tube 27 b~ means of rollers 28
and 29 7 respectively, which engage at the top and at the
bottom. ~ocking members 309 evenly distributed in the
longitudinal direction, arç arranged in the centre of
the thrust rod 26 and consist in each case of an arm 31
and a locking hook 32. The latter is arranged at the
end of the arm 31 which is pivotably mounted about an
axis 33.
A catching member 34, which cooperates wi-th the
locking member 30, is also arranged on the bracing tube 27.
~he catching member 34 comprises an oblique abutting
surface 35 and a vertical stop surface 36, against which
the wall 37 of the locking hook comes to rest in the
locked position~ A control cam 38 is also displaceabl~
arranged in the region of the catching member 34. The two
positions of the control cam 38 are shown in Figs. 6 and 7,
respectively, Fig. 6 showing one position of the control
cam 38 while Fig. 7 shows both position of the control cam,
3 ~
- 12 a
one of both positions being in solid lines and the other
one being in phantom lines. Accordingly, the showing in
Fig. 6 is of one of two positions and the showing in
E'ig. 7 is of two positions. In the position according
to Fig. 6, which is one of the two positions and shown
in solid lines in Fig. 7, it can be seen that the control
cam 38 does not affect the action of the
~ 3~
locking member 30. ~owever, if the control cam is
moved into the position shown in Fi~lre 7, which is
shown in phantom lines in ~ig. 7, when-the thrust rod ~oves
~o ~he left the lockin~ hook comes into contact with the
c~n~rol cam 38 and slides over the catching member.
For this purpose -the con-trol cam ~8 is not
connec-ted to the movement of the -thrust rod 26 until
the la-tter has executed the norm~l stroke and is fur-ther
displaced. If the -thrust rod has only executed the
predetermined, normal stroke, the control cam remains in
its i operative position and the locking hook 32 engages
in the catching member 34. In order to release the
locking device, the thrust rod 26 is moved further
against the spring action, so that the control cam 38
is entrained, whereupon the locking hook 32 is raised
from the catching member 34.
~ he catching member therefore only e~gages if the
thrust rod is moved by a predetermined9 normal stroke.
If 7 however, this stroke is exceeded, the control cam 38
is moved towards the catching member 34, so that the
locking hook 32 c~nnot engage in the catching member.
~ he decision as whether or not the locking
procedure should be performed can therefore be affected
b~ the control of the transfer device. ~he catching
member is again released b~ a further displacement of
the thrust rod 26, which then entrains the control cam
38. The latter swivels the arm 31 in an anti-clockwise
direction, as a result of which the locking hook 32 is
disengaged.
