CPC B65G 1/1375 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1687 (2013.01); B65G 1/0471 (2013.01); B65G 1/0492 (2013.01); B65G 1/065 (2013.01); B65G 1/10 (2013.01); B65G 1/1371 (2013.01); B65G 1/1373 (2013.01); B65G 1/1376 (2013.01); B65G 1/1378 (2013.01); G05D 1/0027 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
1. A material handling apparatus for storing or retrieving a plurality of items, comprising:
a plurality of storage racks spaced apart from one another forming an elongated aisle wherein each storage rack comprises a plurality of storage locations for storing containers containing items;
a plurality of delivery vehicles wherein each vehicle comprises:
a horizontal drive system operable to drive the vehicle along a horizontal surface,
a vertical drive operable to drive the vehicle vertically; and
a transfer mechanism operable to transfer an item between the vehicle and one of the storage locations;
a conveyor spaced apart from the plurality of storage racks and having a generally horizontal conveyor surface configured to receive a container from one of the delivery vehicles and convey the container in a forward direction toward a workstation where an operator can remove one of the items from the container or in a reverse direction to convey the container away from the workstation and back toward the one delivery vehicle;
a guide adjacent the conveyor configured to guide the delivery vehicles vertically upwardly to an upper position adjacent the conveyor surface;
a central controller comprising a microprocessor programmed to provide control signals to control the delivery vehicles to perform the steps of:
driving a first one of the vehicles on a horizontal surface toward a first of the storage racks;
driving the first vehicle vertically upwardly to a first storage location in the first storage rack;
transferring a first container from the first storage location onto the first delivery vehicle;
driving the first vehicle downwardly with the first container to the horizontal surface;
driving the first vehicle with the first container along the horizontal surface to the guide;
operating the vertical drive to move the first delivery vehicle with the first container vertically upwardly along the guide to the upper position;
transferring the first container onto the conveyor surface; and
actuating the conveyor to convey the first container away from the first vehicle and toward the workstation.
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