GB1317306A - Storage-arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

1317306 Storing articles LVP ELECTRONIC DEVELOPMENT CO Ltd 25 June 1971 [7 July 1970] 32999/70 Heading B8E [Also in Division G4] A storage arrangement, particularly intended for use with semi-automatic dry cleaning and cloakroom facilities, comprises a series of storage locations, e.g. 50, 52, a conveyer member 54 which may be selectively moved to a series of positions, each position corresponding to a respective storage location, and at least two series of indications e.g. 198, 298 that are sensed by means 60, 62 on the conveyer member 54 to identify each said position, the two series of indications being used to provide a check between the series. In the particular embodiment of dry cleaning system shown when the customer deposits coinage conveyer 54 is operated to pick up an empty garment bag 82 and deliver it through an access door (30), (32) (Fig. 4, not shown), each bag carrying a detachable identification tag which is removed and kept by the customer. After placing the clothes in the bag, which also includes a tag for subsequent identification of the clothes, the conveyer 54 carries the bag to a staff access opening 16, the clothes being removed, cleaned and subsequently placed at the particular storage location corresponding to the associated identification tag. On collection the customer inserts the detachable identification tag into a reader 76 which is coupled via electric control means 64 to the conveyer 54 and causes the conveyer to move to the required position with the aid of the indications sensed by photo detectors 60, 62. The conveyer 54 is driven by fast and slow motors 70 and 72 and may be arranged either to slightly overshoot the required position under the control of the fast motor and then be returned slowly or, to approach the required position quickly and finally be advanced slowly. When the required position is identified transfer means are operated to effect transfer-of a garment bag from either the right or left series of storage locations to the conveyer, this choice either being determined either with the aid of the respective indications 198, 298 or by a control signal from the control means 64, and the selected bag is then delivered to the customer. Other applications of the storage arrangement are in "collection only" dry cleaning and laundry systems, automatic or semi-automatic (i.e., with an attendant for issuing and receiving identification tags) cloakrooms and article dispensing apparatus. When used in a cloakroom system the received clothes are tr nsferred directly from the pick-up point to a storage location, and in these systems and also article dispensing apparatus control of the conveyer for collection of particular clothes or articles may be by a manually selected code. The storage locations may be arranged in two or more tiers, with either a single conveyer member for all the tiers or a conveyer member for each respective tier. Specification 1,107,988 is referred to.