Storage rack with overhead loading and unloading
US5848867A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 15, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF27D5/0006
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A storage rack is loaded and unloaded from the top with pallets carrying articles to be stored in and retrieved from the rack. The rack consists of a series of spaced columns arranged in parallel rows defining wells accessible from the top; the columns have vertically spaced, upwardly facing sets of steps protruding to an equal extent towards the centre of the wells. A crane is horizontally movable over the rack and stoppable above a selected well; it has a hoisting block which can be lowered between and guided by the columns of the selected well; a pair of hooks are pivoted to the hoisting block for movement towards and away from each other between opened and closed position; a pair of Z-shaped pallet holding beams adapted to carry a series of pallets aligned in end to end relation are suspended from the hooks and clear the steps when in closed position. When the desired set of steps is reached, the hooks are opened causing spreading apart of the top portion of the Z beams to allow their hooking unto these steps. The reverse operation is effected for unloading. The hooks can handle the Z beams to pick up the aligned pallets from and deposit them onto a supporting surface. The syst…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.