Patent ID: 6687568
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A transportation system for transporting articles between inter-floor locations on different floors of plurality of floors and between intra-floor locations on any one of the floors, the transportation system comprising:a plurality of lifts, each lift carrying articles between inter-floor locations floors on different floors of a plurality floors; respective carrier carts on respective floors for carrying articles between intra-floor locations within any one of the respective floors; respective transit stockers on respective floors for receiving articles from and delivering articles to a carrier cart on the respective floor and for delivering articles to and receiving articles from any of the plurality of lifts when stopped at the respective floor; and a central control controlling operation of the plurality of lifts, the respective carrier carts, and the respective transit stockers, the central control monitoring, as operating parameters of the transportation system, which lifts are operating and which lifts are out of service, operating rates of each of the lifts, degree of fullness of each transit stocker, and queues of articles waiting for carriage by respective lifts, wherein the central control selects a lift from the plurality of lifts for transporting each lot of articles between floors based upon at least one of the operating parameters.