GB1409913A - Article storage and diespensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

1409913 Storing and dispensing articles MASCHINENFABRIK WIESBADEN GmbH 10 Oct 1972 [26 Nov 1971] 46630/72 Heading T A storage and dispensing device for same size articles, e.g. tape cassettes, comprises a bank of compartments in vertical and horizontal rows, the gravity discharge of an article being controlled by two stops, one in a horizontal line and the other in a vertical line of connected stops. The compartments are formed by vertical rows of "combs" 4, 4a, Fig.2 inclined towards a vertical shoot 12 and cassettes 1 are held on surface 4 by a stop 6 connected to a vertically displaceable plate 10 guided by rods 25 and moved by shaft 21, each plate normally being supported on a pin 19 controlled by solenoid 23, and by a stop 5 slightly spaced from the cassette top and connected with a flap 11 to a shaft 9 rotatable by a magnet. When a cassette in a compartment having given vertical and horizontal co-ordinates is required, the appropriate plate 10 is released from its supporting pin 19 so, that all the vertical stops 6 fall below all the cassettes in the vertical column, but they are held in position by stops 5. The appropriate horizontal shaft 9 is rotated by its magnet and where the shaft crosses the released plate 10, stop 5 and flap 11 are moved to positions 5a, 11a so that cassette 1a slides into shoot 12 and falls on to conveyer 15 past braking flaps 11, 14 and resilient members 14a. To replace a cassette, plate 10 is lifted on to' its pin 19 by a motorized eccentric raising shaft 21 so that stops 6 are in their blocking position and the shaft 9 is rotated to bring stops 5 and flaps 11 into blocking position. Movable along the bank of compartments in front of their raised open ends 4a is a vertical shoot 33, 34, Fig.7, open fronted at 34a end containing motorized braking and ejection flaps 36, 35. Cassettes are placed on conveyer belt 17 and directed by guides 39, 38, 38a into the shoot, fall on to a selected horizontally positioned flap 35a where brake 36 is released and the flap tilted as at 35b so that the cassette slides into a selected compartment opposite which shoot 33 has been positioned. The insertion shoot 33 may be replaced by an endless vertical conveyer belt carrying sloping shelves which stop in front of a selected compartment so that a cassette can slide thereinto when a hinged flap is lowered. Various kinds of tiltable compartments and stops are disclosed and in another embodiment, Fig.9, the cassettes 1 are side by side without side partitions on horizontal shelves 55 tiltable at 54, each cassette being held on a sloping shelf by grippers, magnets or by suction applied via passages 56, 57, 57a until a selected cassette is released. To replace a cassette it is pushed into vertical side shaft 58 to rest on a carrier 59 for a selected shelf. The carrier is then moved into the shelf end to close any empty spaces and push the cassette on to the end of the shelf row.