GB2280408A

GB2280408A - Adjustable track assemblies

Info

Publication number: GB2280408A
Application number: GB9315833A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Arthur John Owers
Original assignee: STELSTOR SYSTEMS Ltd
Current assignee: STELSTOR SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 1993-07-30
Filing date: 1993-07-30
Publication date: 1995-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2013-07-30
Also published as: GB2280408B; GB9315833D0

Abstract

A track assembly for wheeled storage units includes a pair of rails 10 and 11 along which the storage unit runs. Each rail is supported by a plurality of separate and independently adjustable mountings 12. Each mounting 12 has a pedestal 20 and a screw-threaded adjuster 27 threaded into the pedestal 20, the adjuster 27 being rotatably mounted in and supporting a part of the track assembly immediately below the upper surface 13 of the rail. There is an opening 34 in the upper surface 13 of the rail to give access to the adjuster 27 after installation of the track assembly. At least one of rails 10 and 11 may have an upstanding bead 14 for locating a grooved wheel of the storage unit. The rails 10 and 11 have flanges 16 and 17 for supporting floor panels 18. <IMAGE>

Description

TRACK ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to a track assembly for wheeled storage units, along which those units may run.

In order to increase the amount of storage space available within a given area, it is known to provide a plurality of similar wheeled storage units in a side by side relationship, the units being movable so as to open up a gap between any two given units so as thereby to give access to the contents of those units. In effect, such a system utilises all but one of the gaps which have to be left between conventional static storage units, to give access to the contents of all of the static units.

In a storage system utilising movable storage units, it is a requirement that any one unit, or a collection of units, may be moved relatively easily, even though each storage unit may itself carry a relatively large weight. To achieve this, it is the usual practice to provide a high-quality track along which wheels provided on the storage units may run. As each unit must be freely movable, it is important that the track be accurately set exactly horizontal, else the units will tend to roll by themselves under the influence of gravity.

The floors in a building are rarely constructed with a sufficient degree of accuracy to permit a track assembly for a movable storage system to be fitted directly to the floor. It is usual therefore to mount the track assembly on a floor by means of suitable adjusters which allow the track to be set exactly horizontal, notwithstanding any variations in the floor. In addition, such adjusters allow the track to be set horizontal after allowing for the loading of the shelves, to compensate for any deflection in the track or floor which may result from such loading.

A design of storage system employing movable storage units is described in British Patent Specification No. 2,031,860 (Supreme Equipment & BR< Systems Corporation), which system employs a plurality of screw-threaded adjusters at spaced locations along the length of the track. Another similar system is described in European Patent Specification No. 0,353,019-A1 (Bruynzeel). The disadvantage of both of these systems is however that access to the adjusters can be had only after lifting floor panels disposed between the actual rails along which the storage units run. Consequently, the adjustment of the track assembly is a tedious and time-consuming task, in effect requiring the removal of an entire false floor provided between the rails on which the storage units run, before the actual levelling operation may be commenced.Of course, the floor panels have to be replaced before the storage system may be put into operation once more.

In an attempt to overcome the above-stated disadvantage of the known track levelling system, the present invention provides a track assembly for wheeled storage units and including at least one rail having an upper surface along which a wheel of a storage unit may run, the track assembly being supported by a plurality of separate and independently adjustable mountings, each said mounting including a base portion and at least one screw-threaded adjuster threaded into said base portion which adjuster is rotatably mounted in and supports a part of the track assembly immediately below said upper surface of the rail, there being an opening in the upper surface of the rail giving access through that upper surface to the adjuster to permit the rotational adjustment thereof.

It will be appreciated that in a storage system utilising a track assembly of this invention, final levelling of the track assembly may be performed after the installation has otherwise been completed, and may further be performed at any time subsequently, whilst the system remains in full use, without the need to perform any partial dismantling of the system. Access to the adjusters is gained through the openings in the rails themselves, which rails are at all times exposed so that the wheels of the storage units may run therealong. Thus, levelling may be performed in a rapid and simple manner, as and when required.

Preferably, each said mounting of the track assembly has two screw-threaded adjusters arranged side-by-side, but both within the width of the rail supported thereby. In this case, each adjuster preferably has an individual opening in the upper surface of the rail, so that the free-running of a wheel along the rail will not unduly be influenced by the presence of the openings.

Each adjuster advantageously has a non-circular socket formed in its upper end, to permit the turning thereof by means of a suitable key passed through the opening in the rail and engaged in that socket. A counterbore may be formed in that socket, for receiving a locking screw extending through said opening in the rail. In this case, the opening in the rail may itself be counterbored so that the upper surface of the head of such a locking screw may lie flush with the upper surface of the rail. In this way, the presence of the opening may largely be masked and so not interfere with the free-running of storage units along the track.

If such a locking screw is provided, it is preferred for its thread to be of the opposite hand of the principal thread of the adjuster. In this way, the likelihood of unwanted loosening of the adjuster can be minimised.

A preferred form of track assembly of this invention has a rail of an elongate box-section, the upper surface thereof or of a running strip attached thereto forming the rail along which a wheel of a movable storage unit runs. At least one laterallyprojecting flange may be provided on the box section, to support a false floor panel used to fill in the space between adjacent rails. However, such floor panels will not need to be removed or otherwise affect the adjustment of the track assembly.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of a part of a track assembly of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section through said part of the track assembly which includes two horizontal and parallel rails, the mounting of the left hand rail being shown in section.

The part of the track assembly shown in the drawing comprises a pair of rails 10 and 11 each supported at several positions along its length by individual but similar mountings 12 each bearing on a floor (not shown) and independently adjustable to allow the associated rail 10 or 11 to be set precisely horizontal. Each rail has an upper running surface 13 for a wheel of a mobile storage unit (not shown) and at least one rail of the track assembly may have an upstanding bead 14 received in a corresponding groove formed in the storage unit running wheels to give directional stability to the storage unit during the movement thereof.

The running surface 13 is provided on a boxsection rail member 15 having a pair of flanges 16 and 17 attached thereto, along the length thereof.

Flooring panels 18 are supported on these flanges, each flooring panel having spaced reinforcing webs 19 to give adequate strength to the panel. The upper surface of each flooring panel when supported on the flanges 16 and 17 is substantially in the same plane as the running surface 13.

Each mounting 12 comprises a pedestal 20 having a base plate 21, grouted or otherwise affixed to the floor on which the track assembly is supported. A top plate 22 lies parallel to the base plate 21, at the upper end of the pedestal 20, and carries an adjuster unit 23 which, in turn, supports the rail itself.

Each adjuster unit 23 has a lower plate 24 on which is a body 25 having a pair of parallel threaded bores 26. A pair of adjusters 27, each having a lower externally threaded section 28, is engaged in the respective bores 26, each adjuster having an upper section 29 of circular cross-sectional shape and a flange 30 between the threaded section 28 and upper section 29 thereof. The upper section 29 of each adjuster is received in a respective bore in the lower web of the box-section rail member 15, so that the lower web is supported by the flanges 30.

A hexagonal socket 32 is formed in the upper section 29 of each adjuster 27, which socket is counterbored at 33, the counterbore being threaded with a left hand thread.

The upper part of the rail member 15 is formed with a pair of bores 34 aligned with the adjusters 27, which bores 34 are counterbored at 35. Screws 36 extend through these bores 34, each screw being threaded into engagement with the counterbore 33 of the respective adjuster therebeneath, the head 37 of each screw being received in the corresponding counterbore 35 such that the upper surface of the head of the screw lies flush with the running surface 13 of the rail.

In order to adjust the track assembly described above, the screws 36 are removed, so permitting a key having a suitable hexagonal head to be inserted through each bore 36 and engaged with the hexagonal socket 32 of the adjuster 27 therebelow. The adjuster may thus be rotated to raise or lower the rail member at that mounting until the rail has been set precisely horizontally by appropriate adjustment of all of the adjusters at each mounting supporting the rail. Once done, all of the screws 36 are replaced and tightened down; in view of the fact that the screws 36 are left handed whereas the adjusters 27 are right handed, this serves to lock the adjusters as well as to give a flush running surface for the wheel of a movable storage unit. It will be appreciated that there is no need to disturb the flooring panels 18 during this adjustment, which may be performed at any time during the life of the storage system.

Claims

1. A track assembly for wheeled storage units and including at least one rail having an upper surface along which a wheel of a storage unit may run, the track assembly being supported by a plurality of separate and independently adjustable mountings, each said mounting including a base portion and at least one screw-threaded adjuster threaded into said base portion which adjuster is rotatably mounted in and supports a part of the track assembly immediately below said upper surface of the rail, there being an opening in the upper surface of the rail giving access through that upper surface to the adjuster to permit the rotational adjustment thereof.

2. A track assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each said mounting has two screw threaded adjusters arranged side-by-side but both within the width of the rail.

3. A track assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each screw threaded adjuster of each mounting has an individual opening in the upper surface of the rail to allow access separately to the adjusters from above the rail.

4. A track assembly as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein each screw threaded adjuster has an externally threaded first section adjustably screwed into a correspondingly-threaded bore in the base portion, a plain second portion rotatably received in a corresponding bore in the track, and a flange disposed between the first and second portions on which flange the track bears so as to be supported thereby.

5. A track assembly as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein a non-circular socket is formed in the upper end of each adjuster to permit the turning thereof by means of a suitable key engaged in said socket.

6. A track assembly as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein a screwed counterbore is formed in the upper end of each adjuster, a locking screw extending through said opening and being received in the counterbore, the head of said screw bearing on the rail.

7. A track assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the opening in the rail is counterbored so that the upper surface of the head of said screw may lie flush with the upper surface of the rail.

8. A track assembly as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein the counterbore is threaded with a thread of the opposite hand to that of the principal thread of the adjuster.

9. A track assembly as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein each rail of the track assembly comprises an elongate box-section member provided with a wheel running surface on its upper side and arranged to receive said screw threaded adjusters in bores formed in its lower surface.

10. A track assembly as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the box-section member has at least one laterallyprojecting flange arranged to carry a floor plate.

11. A track assembly as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein each base portion comprises a pedestal adapted to bear on a supporting surface and being provided with means defining screwed bores in which are received the adjusters to permit the adjustment of the height of the track above the surface supporting the pedestal.

12. A track assembly as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.