GB2061860A

GB2061860A - Store

Info

Publication number: GB2061860A
Application number: GB8035361A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GISPEN AND STAALMEUBEL BV
Current assignee: GISPEN AND STAALMEUBEL BV
Priority date: 1979-11-07
Filing date: 1980-11-04
Publication date: 1981-05-20
Also published as: NL7908142A; GB2061860B

Abstract

A store for keeping objects comprises a frame 27, 28, an endless sequence of interconnected holders 4 such as casings or racks, guide means 8, 11 for guiding the endless sequence with respect to the frame along an endless track having two substantially parallel, straight trajectories and curved trajectories arranged between the former, said guide means comprising one guide rail 11 and guide rollers 8 connected with the holders, and driving means for displacing the holders along the track. For reducing the load on the frame the guide rail is disposed near the bottom of the holders and the sequence of holders has a first sequence of carrier rollers 8 guided by the guide rail and a second sequence of carrier rollers 6 bearing at the side of the guide rail on a flat roller track. The driving means 30 comprises an endless belt 34 with pushers 32 which engage in spaces in a chain 17, having mutually orthogonal rollers, 18, 19, and connected to the holders via hangers 24. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Store The invention relates to a store for keeping objects, at least comprising a frame, an endless sequence-of interconnected holders such as casings or racks, guide means for guiding the endless sequence with respect to the frame along an endless track having two substantially parallel, straight trajectories, and curved trajectories arranged between the former, said guide means comprising at least one guide rail and guide rollers connected with the holders and comprising driving means for displacing the holders along the track.

Such a store is known from Dutch patent application No. 7413170 laid up for public inspection. Herein the holders with guide rollers are suspended to a guide rail extending above the holders. The frame has to be sturdy in order to be able to carry the filled holders.

The invention has for its object to reduce the load on the frame. For this purpose the guide rail is disposed near the bottom of the holders and the sequence of holders has a first sequence of carrier rollers guided by the guide rail and a second sequence of carrier rollers bearing at the side of the guide rail on a flat roller track.

The above mentioned and further features of the invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to a preferred embodiment of a store in accordance with the invention shown in the drawing.

The drawing shows in: Figure 1 a plan view, partly broken away, of a building comprising a battery of stores in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 a perspective view, partly broken away, of detail ll of Fig. 1, that is to say, a store in accordance with the invention, Figure 3 an enlarged, perspective view of detail Ill of Fig. 2 and Figure 4 an enlarged perspective view of the frame.

Fig. 1 shows a building 1, in which a battery of stores 2 according to the invention is arranged.

Each store 2 for keeping objects comprises a frame 3 and an endless sequence of interconnected holders 4, which may be formed by closed or open casings or racks. Each holder 4 is carried by only one carrier roller 8 of a first sequence of fixed carrier rollers 8 and by two carrier rollers of a second sequence of carrier rollers constructed in the form of castor wheels 6. Each carrier roller 8 is journalled around a mixed axis 9 with respect to the superjacent bottom 10 of a holder 4 and bears on and is guided by means of its flanges 1 3 by a guide rail 11 arranged beneath the bottom 10 and extending along a track 12, which guide rail may consist of round rod welded to a flat ground plate 5.Each castor wheel 6 rolls along and bears at the side of the guide rail 11 on the flat plate 5 and is pivotable about a vertical axis 7 with respect to the holder 4. The track 1 2 has two substantially parallel, straight trajectories 14 and curved trajectories 1 5 arranged between the former.

For driving the sequence of holders 4 the store 2 comprises driving means comprising a chain 1 7 arranged above the sequence of holders 4 and guided by a top rail 1 6 and having alternately orthogonal rollers 18, 1 9 and links 20 with bearing ears 21 and 22 located in orthogonal planes for holding the rollers 18 and 1 9 respectively The chain 1 7 has links 20a having each a hanger 24 extending downwards through the slot 23 of the C-shaped profile of the top rail 16, which is open on the bottom side. The hangers 24 engage by bolts 26 catches 25 rigidly secured to the holders 4.

The chain 1 7 and the hangers 24 not only serve to couple the holders 4 with the chain 1 7 for their drive along the track 1 2 but also to guide the top ends of the holders 4 with respect to the top rail 1 6 in order to prevent the holders 4 from toppling over even if they are high and shallow and even if they are charged with top-heavy load.

The frame 3 comprises a framework standing between the trajectories 14 and mainly comprising posts 28 connecting said ground plate 5 with the framework and the guide rail 11 and a plurality of extension arms 27 connecting the top rail 1 6 with the framework. This frame 3 is preferably divided into a plurality of sections, that is to say, two curve sections 29, a driving section 30 and two simple, straight sections 31. In accordance with the available width tfor arranging a battery of stores 2 in the building 1 the number of sections 31 may be higher or lower.

The driving section 30 comprises, as further driving means, an endless driving member 34, whose equally spaced extensions 32 engage the chain 1 7 and a part 33 of which extends parallel to a part 35 of the chain 1 7.

In the area of the driving member 34 the top rail 1 6 has on its top side a slot 37 for allowing the extensions 32 to pass. The endless member 34 is driven by an electric motor 36 having a built-in reduction driving gear.

Each motor 36 is controlled by means of a control-circuit (not shown) including, for example, a computer so that when calling a given object or a given holder 4 the motor 36 of the store 2 concerned, can be actuated to an extent such that said holder 4 and the accessible head end of the store 2 will arrive opposite the passage 38.

1. A store for keeping objects at least

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Store The invention relates to a store for keeping objects, at least comprising a frame, an endless sequence-of interconnected holders such as casings or racks, guide means for guiding the endless sequence with respect to the frame along an endless track having two substantially parallel, straight trajectories, and curved trajectories arranged between the former, said guide means comprising at least one guide rail and guide rollers connected with the holders and comprising driving means for displacing the holders along the track. Such a store is known from Dutch patent application No. 7413170 laid up for public inspection. Herein the holders with guide rollers are suspended to a guide rail extending above the holders. The frame has to be sturdy in order to be able to carry the filled holders. The invention has for its object to reduce the load on the frame. For this purpose the guide rail is disposed near the bottom of the holders and the sequence of holders has a first sequence of carrier rollers guided by the guide rail and a second sequence of carrier rollers bearing at the side of the guide rail on a flat roller track. The above mentioned and further features of the invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to a preferred embodiment of a store in accordance with the invention shown in the drawing. The drawing shows in: Figure 1 a plan view, partly broken away, of a building comprising a battery of stores in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 a perspective view, partly broken away, of detail ll of Fig. 1, that is to say, a store in accordance with the invention, Figure 3 an enlarged, perspective view of detail Ill of Fig. 2 and Figure 4 an enlarged perspective view of the frame. Fig. 1 shows a building 1, in which a battery of stores 2 according to the invention is arranged. Each store 2 for keeping objects comprises a frame 3 and an endless sequence of interconnected holders 4, which may be formed by closed or open casings or racks. Each holder 4 is carried by only one carrier roller 8 of a first sequence of fixed carrier rollers 8 and by two carrier rollers of a second sequence of carrier rollers constructed in the form of castor wheels 6. Each carrier roller 8 is journalled around a mixed axis 9 with respect to the superjacent bottom 10 of a holder 4 and bears on and is guided by means of its flanges 1 3 by a guide rail 11 arranged beneath the bottom 10 and extending along a track 12, which guide rail may consist of round rod welded to a flat ground plate 5.Each castor wheel 6 rolls along and bears at the side of the guide rail 11 on the flat plate 5 and is pivotable about a vertical axis 7 with respect to the holder 4. The track 1 2 has two substantially parallel, straight trajectories 14 and curved trajectories 1 5 arranged between the former. For driving the sequence of holders 4 the store 2 comprises driving means comprising a chain 1 7 arranged above the sequence of holders 4 and guided by a top rail 1 6 and having alternately orthogonal rollers 18, 1 9 and links 20 with bearing ears 21 and 22 located in orthogonal planes for holding the rollers 18 and 1 9 respectively The chain 1 7 has links 20a having each a hanger 24 extending downwards through the slot 23 of the C-shaped profile of the top rail 16, which is open on the bottom side. The hangers 24 engage by bolts 26 catches 25 rigidly secured to the holders 4. The chain 1 7 and the hangers 24 not only serve to couple the holders 4 with the chain 1 7 for their drive along the track 1 2 but also to guide the top ends of the holders 4 with respect to the top rail 1 6 in order to prevent the holders 4 from toppling over even if they are high and shallow and even if they are charged with top-heavy load. The frame 3 comprises a framework standing between the trajectories 14 and mainly comprising posts 28 connecting said ground plate 5 with the framework and the guide rail 11 and a plurality of extension arms 27 connecting the top rail 1 6 with the framework. This frame 3 is preferably divided into a plurality of sections, that is to say, two curve sections 29, a driving section 30 and two simple, straight sections 31. In accordance with the available width tfor arranging a battery of stores 2 in the building 1 the number of sections 31 may be higher or lower. The driving section 30 comprises, as further driving means, an endless driving member 34, whose equally spaced extensions 32 engage the chain 1 7 and a part 33 of which extends parallel to a part 35 of the chain 1 7. In the area of the driving member 34 the top rail 1 6 has on its top side a slot 37 for allowing the extensions 32 to pass. The endless member 34 is driven by an electric motor 36 having a built-in reduction driving gear. Each motor 36 is controlled by means of a control-circuit (not shown) including, for example, a computer so that when calling a given object or a given holder 4 the motor 36 of the store 2 concerned, can be actuated to an extent such that said holder 4 and the accessible head end of the store 2 will arrive opposite the passage 38. CLAIMS

1. A store for keeping objects at least comprising a frame, an endless sequence of interconnected holders such as casings or racks, guide means for guiding the endless sequence with respect to the frame along an endless track having two substantially parallel, straight trajectories, and curved trajectories arranged between the former, said guide means comprising at least one guide rail and guide rollers connected with the holders and comprising driving means for displacing the holders along the track, characterized in that the guide rail is disposed near the bottom of the holders and in that the sequence of holders has a first sequence of carrier rollers guided by the guide rail and a second sequence of carrier rollers bearing at the side of the guide rail on a flat roller track.

2. A store as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that guide rollers bearing on the guide rail are journalled around rotary axes, having fixed positions relative to the holders concerned, whereas the carrier rollers of the second sequence are formed by castor wheels, which are pivotable with respect to the associated holders

3. A store as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that for each holder one carrier roller bearing on the guide rail and having a fixed rotary axis and two castor wheels are provided.

4. A store as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driving means comprise a chain arranged above the sequence of holders and guided by a top rail, said chain engaging catches rigidly secured to the holders.

5. A store as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the top rail has a C-shaped profile.

6. A store as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the chain comprises alternately orthogonal rollers.

7. A store as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a frame comprising a framework standing between the straight trajectories, a ground plate rigidly connecting said framework with the guide rail and extension arms rigidly connecting the top rail with the framework, said frame being built up of at least two frame sections divided in a transverse direction.

8. A store as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driving meahs comp?ise anendless driving- - member, the extensions of which engage a chain connected with the sequence of holders and a part of which extends parallel to a part of the endless driving member.

9. A store for keeping objects, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.