GB2063838A - Apparatus for loading goods into storage racks and for unloading goods therefrom - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for loading goods into storage racks and for unloading goods therefrom comprises a powered lift truck (15) and a storage member (27), which can be releasably connected together to move together in narrow gangways between rows of storage racks. The truck (15) has load lifting means which can be raised or lowered by way of a mast (20) and directed to either side of the truck, or to the front thereof. The storage member (27) is a tower structure having a plurality of vertically spaced apart locations dimensioned to receive, for example, loaded pallets transferred from the storage racks by the load lifting means of the truck (15). The provision of the storage member with the lift truck enables the truck continually to transfer loaded pallets between the storage racks and said locations as it moves along a gangway. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for loading goods into storage racks and for unloading goods therefrom This invention relates to apparatus for loading goods into storage racks and for unloading goods therefrom and is particularly, though not exclusively, concerned with such apparatus for use in narrow gangways between rows of multi-tier racking. Such apparatus will hereinafter be referred to as being of the kind specified.

Storage systems are known in which goods, usually but not necessarily pre-loaded onto pallets, are stored in rows of multi-tier racking separated by narrow gangways. Goods are usually moved into and out of storage positions in the racking by using narrow gangway fork lift trucks. Such a fork lift truck is narrower than and has a taller mast than a conventional fork lift truck, thereby enabling it to be driven along the gangways and goods to be inserted into or removed from upper tiers of the racking, which would be inaccessible to a conventional fork lift truck. The tines of the truck must be capable of being raised to the levels of the appropriate tiers when goods are to be inserted into or removed from different positions in the racking or transferred from one position in the racking to another.

At present such a lift truck operating in such a gangway firstly travels along the gangway from one end thereof to a position where the goods it is to pick up are situated. The load lifting device of the truck is then raised to the required level, if necessary, and actuated to move to engage the pallet carrying the goods required. The pallet is then withdrawn from the rack and carried by the load lifting device of the lift truck to an end of the gangway, or to another position along the gangway where it is discharged at a desired location. The operation can then be repeated in respect of further goods.

As the load lifting device of the truck cannot handle a second pallet until it has discharged the first pallet, it will be appreciated that much time is lost in the lift truck repeatedly travelling along the gangway in respect of only one pallet each time.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide apparatus of the kind specified which enables the travel of the lift truck to be better utilized.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus of the kind specified, comprising a lift truck and a storage member in combination, the lift truck comprising load lifting means, a mastfor raising and lowering said load lifting means, and operating means for directing said load lifting means to either side of the truck or to the front thereof, the storage member defining a plurality of vertically spaced apart locations to receive loads from said load lifting means, there being means for propelling the truck and/or the storage member, and the lift truck and the storage member having respective inter-engageable coupling means for releasably connecting them together, the arrangement being such that, in use, said storage member is connected to said truck by said coupling means so that they move together and said storage member can receive in its plurality of locations loads from said load lifting means.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a perspective view of apparatus of the invention adjacent a series of rows of racks, the apparatus comprising a lift truck and a storage member, shown unconnected from one another.

The drawing shows adjacent rows 10, 11 of conventional multi-tier racking, there being for each row a plurality of open racks extending longitudinally and also a plurality of extending vertically. In this example, the goods would be stored on pallets, which can be engaged by the tines of the fork of a narrow-gangway lift truck, as will described. The drawing shows a further row of racking 12, parallel to but spaced from the row 11 to define a narrow gangway 13 therebetween. In a similar manner a further row of racking (not shown) is disposed parallel to but spaced from the row 10 to define another narrow gangway 14, in which a narrow gangway industrial lift truck 15 is shown. The truck can move in either direction along the gangway but the width of the gangway is not sufficient to allow the truck to turn.

The truck 15 comprises a chassis 16 with wheels 17 at its four corners respectively. Extending outwardly at the sides of the chassis are resilient cushions 18 for co-operation, in use, with guiding means for steering the truck down the gangway. In this example of lift truck, either of the pair of wheels 17 can be driven from a power source in a superstructure 19 on said chassis, or alternatively a drive and steering wheel, larger than the wheels 17, can be provided under the rear of the chassis midway between the sides thereof. Such a drive and steering wheel could be swivelable about a vertical axis by means of steering gear controlled by an operator's hand wheel.

The chassis 16 is of rectangular form and the superstructure 19 is located at one end of the chassis. At the end of the superstructure remote from said one end of the chassis there is provided a mast 20, of conventional form, for raising and lowering load lifting means of the truck. An operator's seat 21 may be provided within the area of the mast. The mast has a height greater than the level of the uppermost tier of the racking.

The load lifting means are of known form and comprise a load lifting arm 22 which can be raised or lowered on the mast. At its underside, the load lifting arm provides a rotation axis for a slide 23, so that the slide can be rotated through 360 . Mounted on the slide 23 for linear movement therealong is a depending frame 24 which fixedly carries lifting tines 25. By virtue of the raising and lowering of the arm 22, the rotation of the slide 23 and the linear movement of the frame 24, it is possible to raise the load lifting device to a chosen height and then to orientate it so that the tines thereof are directed to the side of the truck at which a selected load is stored. The tines can then be moved to engage the pallet carrying the selected load and thereafter withdrawn to remove the pallet from the racking.The load lifting device can then be raised or lowered as required and re-directed to lie parallel to the gangway to discharge the pallet in a manner to be described.

In combination with the lift truck 15, there is provided a storage chamber 27 in the form of a generally square section tower comprising a base 28 having at opposite sides resilient cushions 29 in a similar manner to the cush 18 on the truck 15. If required, wheels can be provided at the corners of the underside of the base 28. At the four corners of the base 28, are disposed upright columns, and these are interconnected at equally spaced heights upwardly of the columns, by transverse members 30. These members 30 thus define a plurality of vertically spaced apart locations of the storage member, each location being so dimensioned to receive a pallet. The tower can be provided with strengthening members 31 is required.

The mast of the truck 15 and the height of the tower would be substantially the same, so that goods could be removed by the load lifting device from the uppermost tier of the racking and if desired, discharged onto the uppermost location of the storage member.

Instead of the locations merely being formed by the members 30, they could be defined by a plurality of sheif-like members arranged one above the other at the levels of the members 30. Moreover the storage member could be self-powered instead of, or in addition to, the truck.

The truck 15 and the storage member 17 are provided with respective inter-engageable coupling means for releasably connecting them together. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, these coupling means are in the form of mating knife blades 32,33 respectively. The knife blade 32 extends along the front of the truck 15 remote from the superstructure 19, whilst the knife blade 33 extends across a surface of the base 28 of the support member 27. In use, the knife blade 33 is matingly hooked over the knife blade 32 to form a connection therebetween, and this connection can be so arranged that the base 28 is thereby lifted off the ground. In such a case therefore, the base 28 need not be provided with ground engaging wheels.

However, in an alternative construction, such wheels could be provided so that the knife blade connection need not lift the base 28 off the ground.

With the arrangement thus described with reference to the drawing, the truck is moved to, for example, the end of the gangway 14 and a storage member 27, which for example is empty, is engaged with the truck by way of the knife blades 32 and 33.

The truck then travels along the gangway to where particular goods are stored, and the load lifting device is then actuated to remove these goods from the racking. The tines 25 are operated so that they face in the required direction, and after raising the load lifting device in the conventional manner to the required tier height, the load lifting device is then actuated so that the tines move sidewardly of the truck to engage the pallet carrying the required goods. Thereafter, the load lifting device is actuated to withdraw the pallet from the racking and the load lifting device is then actuated to redirect the tines into a direction parallel to the gangway 14.The load lifting device is then again raised or lowered, if required, to the height of the required location of the storage member to which the pallet is to be discharged, and finally the tines 25 are moved towards the storage member 27 to deposit the pallet at the required location thereof. The load lifting device can be withdrawn, leaving a first one of the locations of the storage member filled.

This process can then be repeated as the truck moves down the gangway, until all or as many of the locations of the storage member required are filled.

Furthermore, if required, one or more locations of the storage member could be emptied as the truck moves down the gangway, with the goods being transferred to an empty tier of the racking.

If however goods are required to be removed from the racks, the storage member 27 can be filled in the manner described and the truck can then move the storage member to a chosen one of the ends of the gangway 14 where the storage member can be disengaged from the truck and reconnected to a further narrow-gangway truck moving, for example, along a further gangway 34 perpendicular to the gangways 13 and 14. With the filled storage member removed, a further, empty storage member can then be provided for connection to the truck 15 either at the same gangway 14 or at another gangway.

It will be appreciated that by this arrangement the movement of a truck along a gangway is better utilized in that instead of the truck moving backwards and then forwards along a gangway to pick up only one pallet, the same movement can be utilized to pick up a plurality of pallets and also, for example, to discharge at a particular tier of the racking, pallets collected from a different tier. This results in a worthwhile saving of time, since the storage member can be of considerable height, so that it can provide a great many locations. Moreover it might also be possible to provide for the reception of more than one pallet at a particular location, in some instances.

The releasable connection between the truck and the storage member can be of any convenient form and need not thus necessarily be in the form illustrated. For example the connection could be made by way of respective flanges on the truck and the storage member respectively being bolted together, or alternatively the connection could be merely by way of cords or ropes between the two members. However the storage member must be connected to the truck in such a way that the load lifting device of the truck can reach the storage member to deposit its load at the locations thereof.

The truck and its load lifting device can, moreover be of any convenient form and again need not necessarily be in the form illustrated. For example the base of the storage member could be rectangular. In particular an alternative form of load lifting device can be used, in which a plurality of platens disposed one on top of the other are provided, the platens being inter-connected by slides so that they can extend laterally or forwardly to receive loads from the racking and deposit them, when redirected, at the various locations of the storage member.

The increased storage space allows the truck to move at a slower speed than a conventional truck without an associated storage member, whilst still carrying out at least the same amount of useful work at the same time. This ability of the truck to be equally efficient at a lower speed is important since it allows automation of the apparatus, such automa tion not being possible at high operating speeds.

Precise automated control of the apparatus, such as stopping at a required position, is difficult at high speeds. Such automation could include the means for propelling the truck and/or storage member and could also include operation of the load lifting device.

Claims (11)

1. Apparatus of this kind specified, comprising a lift truck and storage member in combination, the lift truck comprising load lifting means, a mast for raising and lowering said load lifting means, and operating means for directing said load lifting means to either side of the truck or to the front thereof, the storage member defining a plurality of vertically spaced apart locations to receive loads from said load lifting means, there being means for propelling the truck and/or the storage member, and the lift truck and the storage member having respective inter-engageable coupling means for releasably con necting them together, the arrangement being such that, in use, said storage member is connected to said truck by said coupling means so that they move together and said storage member can receive in its plurality of locations loads from said load lifting means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage member is in the form of a tower, a base of which is provided with said coupling means for inter-engaging the storage member with the lift truck.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said locations is defined buy a number of trans verse structural members of the tower.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tower has a square or rectangular base, from the corners of which upright columns extend, said columns being interconnected by said transverse structural members at vertically spaced apart heights, thereby to define said locations which are .dimensioned to receive a pallet from said storage racks.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said locations are defined by a plurality of vertically spaced apart shelf-like members of the tower.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said inter-engageable coupling means are mating knife blades on the lift truck and storage member respectively.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said inter-engageable coupling means are respective flanges on the lift truck and the storage member.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said inter-engageable coupling means is one or more cords or ropes connectible between the lift truck and the storage member.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said load lifting means inciudes a plurality of platens disposed one over another and interconnected by slides, so that they can be extended laterally and forwardly of the truck, in use, into said storage racks.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the truck has a wheeled chassis, and either at ieast a pair of the chassis wheels or an additional drive wheel is driven from a power source of the truck.

11. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.