Storage and display elevator

The storage and display elevator includes a series of movable shelves or platforms suspended from a pair of continuous chains, with the chains extending about upper and lower pairs of sprocket wheels. At least one upper guide sprocket is rotatably supported beneath one of the upper sprocket wheels, and a similar lower guide sprocket is rotatably supported beneath one of the lower sprocket wheels, and a lower portion of each storage and display platform engages the teeth of the guide sprockets as the platforms move about the peripheries of the sprocket wheels, from the front to the rear, or from the rear to the front of the flights of the chains. Vertical cam tracks extend parallel to the flights of the chains, and cam followers engage the vertical cam tracks during vertical movement and engage the teeth of the guide sprockets during arcuate movement from a front to a rear flight or from a rear to a front flight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a storage and display elevator of the type which 
includes a series of platforms suspended on conveyor chains, with the 
conveyor chains extending about upper and lower pairs of rotatable 
sprockets, whereupon the platforms can be moved vertically and articles 
placed on the platforms can be stored and/or displayed in various 
positions about the elevator. 
In certain fields of merchandising, a large stock of goods must be 
maintained in order to supply prospective customers with the various 
sizes, styles and colors available for each product. For example, a 
typical retail shoe store must stock shoes in multiple sizes and colors 
for each style shoe. This requirement is burdensome to the store 
proprietor in that a substantial amount of space is required to store the 
merchandise, and the merchandise is not immediately accessible to the 
customer or to the clerk serving a customer. Usually, one shoe of a pair 
of shoes is placed on display in a customer area, and the customer must 
ask a clerk to bring out the proper size and color of a particular style 
shoe. The clerk is required to leave the presence of the customer to 
search for the particular requested style, size and color, and during the 
absence of the clerk, the customer and all other customers in the store 
are not in the presence of the clerk, and the clerk cannot continue with 
his attempt to sell to the customer or to tend to other business in the 
customer area. Thus, a relatively small amount of service and sales 
contact in available from each clerk, and a relatively large number of 
clerks are required to tend to the retail business. 
Various storage and display elevators have been developed in the past 
wherein articles are stored and displayed to retail customers. The prior 
art storage and display elevators usually comprise a pair of conveyor 
chains extending about pairs of vertically spaced sprockets, and a series 
of platforms suspended at their ends from the conveyor chains. When the 
platforms are moved laterally about the upper and lower sprockets, the 
lateral movement usually results in the platforms swinging back and forth 
like pendulums as the platforms are moved along their vertical paths. 
Usually, the articles most suitable for placement in a vertical storage 
and display elevator are small and light weight, such as jewelry, and the 
vertical storage and display elevator is also of a relatively small size 
and light in weight, with the vertical paths of the shelves being spread 
apart a substantial distance. The light weight platforms and articles 
minimize the tendency of the platforms to swing. When larger, heavier 
articles are placed on the storage and display platforms, the platforms 
tend to swing with greater amplitude as they are moved through the 
elevator system, creating a hazard of a clash between platforms moving in 
opposite directions on different flights of the conveyor chains of the 
system, and a hazard of damage to the articles stored and displayed in the 
vertical elevator. 
In order to reduce the swinging of the storage and display platforms and 
the articles placed thereon, it has been found necessary to either slow 
down the movement of the platforms so as to reduce the tendency of the 
platforms and articles to swing as they are moved, or to positively guide 
the platform as they move through the elevator system. Of course, slowing 
the movement of the storage and display platforms is detrimental to the 
effect of the elevator system in that it requires more time to retrieve or 
otherwise handle the articles in the system. Also, when articles are 
placed on a storage and display platform, the articles may have their 
center of gravity off-set from the center of gravity of the shelf, causing 
the shelf to tilt in the elevator system. The tilting of one shelf may 
cause the tilted shelf to clash with another shelf as the shelves move 
with respect to one another. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Briefly described, the present invention comprises a storage and display 
elevator wherein various articles of commerce can be safely stored on 
vertically movable platforms, and the platforms can be moved to an area of 
display where the articles can be observed, retrieved or otherwise 
handled, and to a position vertically displaced from the display and 
retrieval area where the articles can be stored. The storage and display 
platforms are each suspended at their ends on a pair of continuous 
conveyor chains, and the conveyor chains are extended about upper and 
lower pairs of rotatable sprocket wheels. Guide sprockets are placed 
beneath at least one of each of the upper and lower sprocket wheels, and 
vertically extending cam tracks extend in vertical tangential alignment 
between the peripheries of the guide sprockets. Cam followers on each 
storage and display platform engage the cam tracks during vertical 
movement between the upper and lower sprocket wheels and engage the guide 
sprockets during arcuate movement between the upper and lower paths of 
movement, so that the shelves are positively retarded from any swinging 
movements during the normal up, down and arcuate movements of the 
platforms in the elevator system. 
The upper and lower guide sprockets are rotated in unison with the upper 
and lower pairs of sprockets wheels so as to positively engage and move 
the cam followers of each storage and display platform as the platforms 
move with the conveyor chains about the sprocket wheels. 
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a storage and display 
elevator which can be used by a retail merchant for efficiently storing 
and displaying articles, so that some of the articles can be displayed at 
a suitable level for a customer to observe and to handle the articles 
while others of the articles can be displaced vertically for storage. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a storage and display 
elevator which is inexpensive to construct and maintain, which is simple 
to operate, and which is effective to expediently display or to store 
various items which are offered for sale in a retail store, or the like. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a means for storing and 
displaying a large stock of retail merchandise in a small floor area. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in 
conjunction with accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals 
indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the 
storage and display elevator 10 which includes a substantially rectangular 
support frame 11. Support frame 11 is illustrated as being fabricated of 
sheet material, but it will be understood that the support frame can be 
formed of various beams in a skeletal form or can be formed in a 
decorative manner with internal skeletal members covered by outer sheet 
material, etc. In general, the support frame includes sidewall sections 14 
and 15, botton section 16 and top section 17. If desired, back and front 
walls (not shown) can be mounted to the sidewall sections 14 and 15 to 
enclose the support frame. Moreover, various openings can be formed in the 
front and back walls, and doors such as opaque or transparent doors can be 
mounted to selectively open and close the openings. These features usually 
will be determined by the particular environment in which the storage and 
display elevator 10 is to be used. 
For example, if the storage and display elevator is to be used in an adult 
retail shoe store, the support frame may be mounted adjacent a wall so 
that its rear portion does not require a back wall, and the front portion 
of the elevator may be fitted with upper and lower front wall sections 
which leave an access opening from waist to shoulder height that enables a 
customer or clerk to reach into the support frame and to retrieve 
merchandise therefrom. 
A plurality of storage and display platforms or shelves 20 are positioned 
in support frame 11. Each platform 20 is mounted at its opposite ends to a 
continuous chain 21 and 22, and the chains 21 and 22 are extended about 
lower and upper pairs of sprocket wheels 24, 25 and 26, 27. The sprocket 
wheels 24-27 are each rotatably supported by support frame 11, with 
sprocket wheels 24, 25 being coaxial and mounted on a common axle, and 
with sprocket wheels 26, 27 being coaxial and mounted on stub shafts, and 
with sprocket wheels 24, 26 being located in the same plane, and with 
sprocket wheels 25, 27 being located in the same plane. Thus, chains 21, 
22 extend in parallel planes. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, each storage and display platform 20 
includes vertical side walls 28, 29 that are spaced from each other and 
which are parallel with respect to each other and horizontal shelves such 
as lower shelf 30, intermediate shelf 31 and upper shelf 32. The number 
and positions of the horizontal shelves 30-32 can be modified, as may be 
desired for the particular goods to be stored and displayed. An upper 
connecting rod 34 extends horizontally across the upper portion of each 
platform 20, through the upper portion of the side walls 28, 29, and the 
end portions of the connecting rods 34 are connected to a link of each 
chain 21, 22. Thus, each storage and display platform 20 is suspended in 
an upright attitude at its opposite ends from chains 21, 22, so that the 
lower portion of each storage and display platform 20 tends to swing like 
a pendulum about its connecting rod 34. 
Vertically extending cam tracks 35, 36 are mounted to one side wall of 
support frame 11, and cam track 35 extends tangentially between the 
peripherial portions of the lower guide sprocket 41 and the upper guide 
sprocket 42, and cam track 36 is positioned on the opposite side of the 
guide sprockets and also extends tangentially between the peripheral 
portions of the lower and upper guide sprockets. The cam tracks 35, 36 are 
positioned outside chain 21, immediately adjacent the vertical paths of 
the chain. A pair of guide means 38, 39 in the form of rollers or the like 
are mounted to side wall 29 of each storage and display platform 20, and 
the space 40 between the guide rollers 38 and 39 is sized to closely fit 
about cam tracks 35, 36. Thus, the guide rollers 38, 39 are normally 
positioned on opposite sides of cam track 35 during vertical movement of 
the storage and display platforms 20, thus functioning as guide means to 
guide the lower portions of the platforms 20 during vertical movement of 
the platforms, so as to retard any tendency of the platforms to swing 
about their respective connecting rods 34. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, lower and upper guide sprockets 41 and 42 
are rotatably mounted in support frame 11 on side wall section 15 at 
positions beneath lower and upper sprocket wheels 24, 26. Each guide 
sprocket 41, 42 includes a series of widely spaced teeth 44 and 
intervening recesses 45, with the recesses 45 being large enough to 
accommodate both guide rollers 38, 39 of each storage and display platform 
20. 
Timing sprockets 46, 47 are rigidly connected to lower guide sprocket 41 
and lower sprocket wheel 24, respectively, while timing sprockets 48, 49 
are rigidly connected to upper guide sprocket 42 and upper sprocket wheel 
26. Timing chains 51 and 52 extend about timing sprockets 46, 47 and 48, 
49 respectively, so that guide sprockets 41, 42 are driven in unison with 
lower and upper sprocket wheels 24, 26. Axle 54 is rigidly connected at 
its ends to lower sprocket wheels 24, 25. Thus, both chains 21, 22 are 
driven in unison. Drive motor 55 is mounted in support frame 11, and its 
driven sprocket 56 drives chain 58, and chain 58 extends about and drives 
sprocket 59 of lower sprocket wheel 25. Since lower guide sprocket 41 is 
connected by timing chain 51 of lower sprocket wheel 24, motor 55 
functions as means for rotating the various sprocket wheels and for moving 
the conveyor chains. 
Each storage and display platform 20 includes three cam followers 60, 61 
and 62. Cam followers 60 are positioned at the lower central portion of 
each platform while the second two cam followers 61, 62 are positioned on 
opposite sides of and above the lower cam follower 60, in a triangular 
relationship. Arcuate cam tracks 64 are supported by side wall section 15 
in the area generally between upper sprocket wheel 26 and upper guide 
sprocket 42. Arcuate cam tracks 64 comprise a pair of arcuate entry cams 
65 and 66 and a pair of holding cams 68, 69. Cams 65, 66, 68 and 69 are 
all formed with a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of 
curvature of upper sprocket wheel 26. The center of curvature of each of 
the arcuate entry cams 65, 66 is off-set from the axis of rotation of 
upper sprocket wheel 26 a direction and distance equal to the off-set of 
cam followers 61, 62 from connecting rod 34. Thus, as each storage and 
display platform 20 moves on its chains 21, 22 about the upper arcuate 
portion of upper sprocket wheel 26, the cam followers 61, 62 will move 
into contact with the concave surfaces of the arcuate entry cams 65, 66. 
In the meantime, the guide rollers 38, 39 at the lower portion of the 
storage and display platform will have moved off the upper end of a cam 
track 35, 36. Thus, just as the storage and display platform 20 loses its 
stability by virtue of the guide rollers 38, 39 leaving a cam track 35 or 
36, one of the arcuate entry cams 65 or 66 will engage a cam follower 61 
or 62 to cause the guide rollers 38, 39 to be urged into a space 45 
between the teeth 44 of guide sprocket 42. In this manner, the guide 
rollers 38, 39 are positively urged by guide sprocket 42 to move in an 
arcuate path identical to but spaced vertically below the arcuate path 
formed by the upper portion of sprocket wheel 26. 
Both arcuate entry cams 65 and 66 are broken at 70, 71, so as to permit the 
chain 21 to move connecting rod 34 through the cam tracks. Thus, the 
arcuate entry cams 65, 66 lose control of cam followers 61, 62 as the cam 
followers move past the flights of the chain 21; however, holding cams 68, 
69 are located at the path of lower cam follower 60 and engage lower cam 
follower 60 during the time when the cam followers 61 or 62 move past the 
gaps 70 or 71 of the entry cams 65, 66, thus holding the guide rollers 38, 
39 in a recess 45 of the guide sprocket 42. The gap 72 between holding 
cams 68, 69 and entry cams 65, 66 permits the passage therebetween of cam 
followers 61, 62. 
The movements of cam followers 60, 61 and 62 are indicated by the dash 
lines 73, 74 and 75, respectively. Exit cams 76 and 77 are located in 
inwardly spaced relationship with respect to entry cams 65, 66, and tend 
to stabilize the lower portions of the storage and display platforms 20 as 
the guide rollers 38, 39 move onto the upper ends of cam tracks 35, 36. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower ends of cam tracks 35, 36 extend 
tangentially to the peripherial portion of lower guide sprocket 41 and 
lower cam track 79 extends about the lower peripherial arcuate portion of 
lower guide sprocket 41, to urge the guide rollers 38, 39 into the 
recesses 45 between the teeth 44. It will be noted from FIGS. 2 and 4 that 
the guide rollers 38, 39 maintain their horizontal attitude as they travel 
about the arcuate portions of guide sprocket 41 and 42, but that the 
recesses 45 of the guide sprockets progressively change their attitudes as 
the guide sprockets rotate, thus causing a progressive change in 
relationship of the guide rollers 38, 39 with respect to the recesses 45. 
Should there be any lateral forces applied to the storage and display 
platform 20 moving about lower guide sprocket 41 that would tend to move 
the guide rollers 38, 39 out of their recesses 45, the lower cam track 79 
tends to retard any such movement and the lower guide sprocket 41 will 
positively engage and move the guide rollers 38, 39. 
From the preceeding description, it will be understood that the guide 
sprockets, tracks and cams of the storage and display elevator maintain 
the storage and display platforms 20 in their proper upright attitudes 
during movement in the elevator, without regard to abrupt acceleration or 
deceleration of the platforms. 
While this invention has been disclosed for the express purpose of storing 
and displaying articles of commerce such as shoes, it will be understood 
by those skilled in the art that the invention can be utilized for storing 
and displaying various other articles, and the invention can be used for 
storing without display, if desired. Moreover, the storage and display 
elevator has been illustrated as being formed in certain proportions, but 
it will be understood that the proportions and dimensions are not to be 
limited to the disclosed embodiment, and that, for example, the height of 
the elevator can be shortened or extended as may be desired without 
changing the other structural components or the operation of the elevator. 
While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference 
to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that variations 
and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the 
invention as described hereinbefore and as defined in the appended claims.