GB2128969A - Movable supports for, e.g. racks - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to movable supports for, e.g. racks, which each consist of two separate modules which are connected, but which are capable of movement relative to one another. Each module is provided with at least one, preferably two gas cushions to raise the module from the ground. A train of modules of this type are thus able to move across an uneven surface without undue difficulty. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A support apparatus This invention relates to a support apparatus.

Many systems have been developed in recent years for the efficient storage and retrieval of articles. Originally, the articles, either directly or via a pallet, were stored on static racks in, for example, a warehouse.

However, such a system results in a waste of space, since there is always an aisle between adjacent racks. In an improved system, each rack is movable so that, when access to a particular side of a given rack is not desired, an adjacent rack can be brought right up against that rack in order to save space. Then, when access is required to that side of the said rack, the adjacent rack is moved, usually in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the parallel racks, in order to allow such access. In one known such system, the racks are movable on rails embedded in, or secured to, the ground.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved support apparatus for use with a storage system.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a support apparatus comprising at least two support modules connected, directly or indirectly, for movement relative to one another, each module comprising at least one gas cushion adapted, when supplied with gas, to raise the module from the ground to allow sideways movement of the module relative to the ground.

A second aspect of the invention provides a support module for supporting a frame or the like for pallets or the like, the module comprising at least one gas cushion adapted, when supplied with gas, to raise the module from the ground to allow sideways movement of the module relative to the ground, and means for connecting flexibly the said module to another such module.

A third aspect of the invention provides a support and storage system comprising a plurality of support apparatuses in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8, each said support apparatus comprising a plurality of support modules in accordance with claim 9 connected end-to-end to form an elongate array, there being a guide means to allow each support apparatus to be moved in a direction generally perpendicular to the length of the said array.

A fourth aspect of the invention provides a method of storing articles comprising the step of placing the articles, directly or indirectly, on a support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or in a support system accord ing to any one of claims 9 to 1 3.

So that the present invention may be more readily understood and so that further features may be appreciated, embodiments of the invention will now be described way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a plan view of a storage system, showing one static storage rack, two movable racks and, in phantom, a position to which one of the movable racks may be moved; Figure 2 is an elevation of the system of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow A; Figure 3 is a third angle projection of a module forming part of an apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 is a third angle projection of one of the side beams forming part of the module of Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a third angle projection of one of the end beams forming part of the module of Fig. 3;; Figure 6 is a schematic side elevation of two modules joined to one another in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 is a third angle projection of a cleat housing member and cleats suitable for attachment to the module of Fig. 3; Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the cleats of Fig. 7; and Figure 9 is a third angle projection of a joint member used to join the modules in Fig. 6.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a storage system of the type discussed in general terms in the opening paragraphs of this specification, but incorporating support apparatus in accordance with the invention. The support system is accommodated within a warehouse, the walls of which are designated by reference numeral 1. Within the warehouse, there is a static storage rack 2, one end of the static rack 2 being spaced by approximately 0.9 metres from the adjacent wall of the warehouse. A plurality of movable racks 3 are also present, there being two such movable racks illustrated in Fig. 1. The movable racks 3 all lie with their respective long dimensions generally parallel to one another and generally parallel to the long dimension of the static rack 2.In order to gain access to the articles stored at the right-hand side (in Fig. 1) of the movable rack 3 which is next to the static rack 2, it is necessary to move the right-hand movable rack 3 in the direction of arrow X to a position such as that indicated in phantom at 3a and.

to achieve this, a plurality of support apparatuses in accordance with the invention are used in a manner to be described in more detail hereinafter. Also visible in Fig. 1 is a schematic indication of means 4, 5 for supply ing electricity and compressed air to the mov able racks 3.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the movable storage racks 3 shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow A. The storage rack 3 shown in Fig. 2 comprises two groups 6, each group comprising two support modules 7 adapted to lie immediately above the ground.

Each support module 7 is provided with two air cushions 8 (only one of which, for each module, is visible in Fig. 2), the function of which is described in more detail later. The two groups 6 are joined to one another by a flexible connection 9, which is described in more detail later.

Fig. 3 is a third angle projection of one of the support modules 7 shown in Fig. 2. The module 7 comprises a rectangular frame formed by two side beams 10 and two end beams 11, the end beams being somewhat shorter than the side beams. The positions of the two air cushions 8 are illustrated in phantom in the plan portion of Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 illustrates, to an enlarged scale, one of the side beams 10 forming the frame of the support module 7. It can be seen that the side beam is formed as a channel member having a relatively wide upright web 1 Oa and narrower inwardly-projecting top and bottom horizontal webs lOb, 1 Oc.

Fig. 5 illustrates, to an enlarged scale, one of the end beams 11. The end beam 11 comprises a relatively wide upright web 11 a and narrower inwardly-projecting top and bottom webs 11 b, 11 C. In the exact centre of the upright web 11 a, a 25mm diameter hole 11 d is provided for the passage of an electrical supply cable (not shown). Equidistant on each side of the said hole 11 d, there is a respective 50mm diameter hole 11 e for the passage of respective compressed air supply hoses.

Fig. 6 illustrates, to a larger scale than Figs.

4 and 5, the region encircled at B in Fig. 2, namely the articulated connection 9 between two adjacent modules 7. A cleat housing member 1 2 is secured to the outer face of the upright web 11 a of the end beam 11 of the module 7, the cleat housing 1 2 comprising an upright web 1 2a lying parallel to the upright web 11 a of the end beam member 11 and a top horizontal web 1 2b which is coplanar with the top horizontal web 11 b of the end beam 11. The cleat housing member 1 2 is illustrated in more detail in Fig. 7. Four cleats 1 3 are attached to the outer face of the upright web 1 2a of the cleat housing 12, the arrangement of the cleats 1 3 being illustrated in more detail in Fig. 7 and the form of each cleat itself being shown in Fig. 8.It can be seen from Fig. 9 that each cleat comprises an angle member having a short web 1 3a and a larger web 1 3b at right angles to one another.

The larger web 1 3b is provided with a 25mm diameter hole 1 3c. The four cleats 1 3 which are secured (for example by welding) to each cleat housing 1 2 are arranged as two pairs, the cleats 1 3 of each pair being arranged with their respective small webs 1 3a lying parallel with the upright web 1 2a of the cleat housing 1 2 and extending away from one another, and the two larger, vertical, webs 1 3b extending parallel to one another perpendicularly away from the said upright web 1 2a of the cleat housing 1 2. The arrangement of cleats 1 3 on the cleat housing 1 2 of the right hand module 7 in Fig. 7 is a mirror image of the arrangement of the left hand module 7.

The two modules 7 are articulated to one another by the provision of two joint members 14, illustrated in more detail in Fig. 9, a respective such joint member 14 being at tached to each pair of cleats of the left hand module 7 in Fig. 7 and extending towards, and being connected to, the corresponding pair of cleats on the right hand module 7.

From Fig: 9, it can be seen that each joint member comprises a channel section member having a generally horizontal web 1 4a and two downwardly depending narrower side webs 1 4b. Each side web 1 4b of the joint member 14 is provided with two 25mm dia meter holes 14c, each hole being spaced from an adjacent end of the joint member 1 4 by approximately one-sixth of the length of the joint member 1 4.

The articulated connection between the two modules 7 is achieved by passing suitable pins (not shown) through the holes 1 3c in the cleats and the holes 1 4c in the joint members 1 4 to provide a double hinge action, that is to say the two modules are hinged to one another for rotation about two mutually paral lel generally horizontal axes, this rotation be ing illustrated by arrows C in Fig. 7.

Finally, mention must be made of the air bearings or air cushions 8 provided on the bottom surfaces of the modules 7 and illus trated in Figs. 2 and 6. These air cushions 8 are commercially available and thus will not be described in detail. Briefly, each cushion comprises a generally annular skirt of a resili ent material such as rubber or Neoprene (Re gistered Trade Mark) adapted to be fed (by a means which is not shown) with a supply of compressed air. The air cushion works on the well-known hovercraft principle in which the action of the air which is allowed to escape around the bottom edge of the skirt acts to raise from the ground, by a small extent, the article to which the skirt is attached.

The overall assembly and use of the appara tus as described above wilt now be explained.

Referring back to Fig. 1, it can be seen that in a system of this type it is necessary to move the storage racks 3 in the direction of arrow X to allow access to certain articles stored in the storage system. In prior systems, the movable racks 3 have been supported on wheels which travel along rails embedded in, or secured to, the floor of the warehouse. With the appara tus in accordance with the invention described above, however, the movable racks 3 are supported by means of the air cushions 8 instead of on wheels and rails. It has been found that a system which relies upon wheels and rails is unsuitable for very low tempera ture cold stores, since the rails tend to distort as a result of the great difference between the temperature at which the rails are installed and the temperature at which the system is used.In addition, the. metal of the wheels and rails can become brittle at such low temperatures.

The air cushions 8 act to raise the modules by only a very small amount when compressed air is supplied to them. Because of this, it would not be practicable for each storage rack 3 to be made as a single rigid unit, since the small undulations which would inevitably be present in the concrete floor of the warehouse would be sufficiently significant for, for example, one portion of the hypothetical rigid rack to be "grounded' on a relatively high portion of the floor, whilst another portion of the rack was clear of the ground.However, in an apparatus in accordance with the invention, a plurality of modules 7 are articulated to one another, and by this means it has been found possible to provide a movable storage rack which can move smoothly across the sorts of floors which are enountered in such warehouses, the articulated connections 9 allowing adjacent modules 7 to move vertically with respect to one another (typically by up to about 3cm) in accordance with the contour of the ground encountered.

In order to guide the movable storage racks 3 across the floor of the warehouse, it is convenient to provide a guide rail 1 5 (see Fig.

1), which may for example consist of a rolled steel joist "I" beam lying parallel to a wall of the warehouse. Conveniently, each movable rack 3 is provided with its own drive means, which may comprise a wheel engaging the guide rail 1 5. These guide and drive means may be standard and are not shown in detail.

Of course, supplies of electrical power and of compressed air must be provided for each movable rack 3, and these are illustrated schematically at 4 and 5 in Fig. 1. Finally, it is advisable for a safety device of the "cowcatcher" type to be provided, whereby an obstruction (such as a person) can be ciently significant for, for example, one portion of the hypothetical rigid rack to be "grounded" on a relatively high portion of the floor, whilst another portion of the rack was clear of the ground.However, in an apparatus in accordance with the invention, a plurality of modules 7 are related to one another, and by this means it has been found possible to provide a movable storage rack which can move smoothly across the sorts of floors which are enountered in such warehouses, the articulated connections 9 allowing adjacent modules 7 to move vertical with respect to one another in accordance with the contour of the ground encountered.

In order to guide the movable storage racks 3 across the floor of the warehouse, it is convenient to provide a guide rail 1 5 (see Fig.

1), which may for example consist of a rolled steel joist "I" beam lying parallel to a wall of the warehouse. Conveniently, each movable rack 3 is provided with its own drive means, which may comprise a wheel engaging the guide rail 1 5. These guide and drive means may be standard and are not shown in detail.

Of course, supplies of electrical power and of compressed air must be provided for each movable rack 3, and these are illustrated schematically at 4 and 5 in Fig. 1. Finally, it is advisable for a safety device of the "cowcatcher" type to be provided, whereby an obstruction (such as a person) can be detected during movement of a movable rack 3, the safety device acting, when an obstruction is detected, to shut off the drive motor and, optionally, also to shut off the supply of compressed air so that the rack rests directly on the ground.

The dimensions of the modules, the number of air cushions on each module, and the number of modules in each group and the number of groups in each rack may be varied according to the particular requirements of the situation. However, it has been found that racks of approximately six metres in length can be provided, with two groups of two modules and one articulated joint 9, the rack supporting a load of approximately 50 tonnes.

The storage system can be computerised in a manner which is becoming standard, so that when a given code indicating a particular article is fed into the computer, the storage racks will move so that access to that article can be gained. Such a computer can also, of course, maintain a required mechanical performance of the storage system, by, for example, monitoring the air pressure at the various air cushions 8. Further advantages of preferred storage systems in accordance with the invention include the following: the air cushions 8 allow the load to be distributed more evenly over the floor of the warehouse than is commonly the case when wheels and rails are used; and each storage rack, because of its modular construction, can be shortened or lengthened merely by the removal or addition of further modules, either secured rigidly to the end module so as to increase the number of modules in the end group, or articulated to the end module to form the start of another group.

Claims (19)

1. A support apparatus comprising at least two support modules connected, directly or indirectly, for movement relative to one another, each module comprising at least one gas cushion adapted, when supplied with gas, to raise the module from the ground to allow sideways movement of the module relative to the ground.

2. A support apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the said connection substantially prevents rotation of one module relative to the other module about a vertical axis.

3. A support apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the said connection, during use, maintains the two modules at substantially the same horizontal separation from one another.

4. A support apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the said connection comprises first and second cleat members, respectively substantially immovable with respect to the two modules, and a joint member connecting the said two cleat members and adapted to rotate with respect to the two cleat members about respective substantially horizontal axes.

5. A support apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims adapted to support a frame for storing pallets.

6. A support apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each said module comprises two said gas cushions.

7. A support apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims comprising at least one further said support module connected rigidly to one of the said at least two support modules.

8. A support apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims comprising at least one further support module connected by a said flexible connection to one of the said support modules.

9. A support module for supporting a frame or the like for pallets or the like, the module comprising at least one gas cushion adapted, when supplied with gas, to raise the module from the ground to allow sideways movement of the module relative to the ground, and means for connecting flexibly the said module to another such module.

10. A storage system comprising a plurality of support apparatuses in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8, each said support apparatus comprising a plurality of support modules in accordance with claim 9 connected end-to-end to form an elongate array, there being a guide means to allow each support apparatus to be moved in a direction generally perpendicular to the length of the said array.

11. A support system according to claim 10 wherein each said support apparatus is provided with a respective drive means adapted to engage a member which is substantially immovable with respect to the ground, in order to propel the support apparatus relative to the ground.

1 2. A support system according to claim 10 or 11 wherein each support apparatus comprises a safety means adapted, when the support apparatus is in motion, to detect the presence of an obstruction and to arrest the motion of the support apparatus when an obstruction is detected.

1 3. A support system according to claim 1 2 wherein the said safety means is additionally adapted, when an obstruction is detected, to deactivate the said gas cushions so that the support apparatus rests directly on the ground.

14. A method of storing articles comprising the step of placing the articles, directly or indirectly, on a support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or in a support system according to any one of claims 9 to 13.

1 5. A support apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

16. A support module substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A support system substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

1 8. A method of storing articles substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.