Article dispensing apparatus

An article dispensing apparatus is disclosed having a horizontally disposed conveyor mounted on a support for vertical movement so that the conveyor may receive articles from each of a plurality of superimposed storage shelves. A picking head for causing articles to be transferred from a shelf to the conveyor is mounted for vertical movement with the conveyor and is also supported for movement along the conveyor.

BACKGROUND 
The apparatus of the present invention is an improvement over the apparatus 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,732. In that patent, a picking head and 
receptacle are movable as a unit. Hence, it is impractical in the context 
of said patent to discharge items in the same order that they were picked 
off shelves. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of horizontally 
disposed shelves with dividers on each shelf thereby defining a plurality 
of lanes. A discrete pusher is associated with each lane for pushing 
articles toward the front edge of its associated shelf. A discrete 
actuator is provided for each pusher. 
A conveyor is supported along a front edge of the shelves for receiving 
articles from said lanes. A motor means is provided for selectively 
elevating the conveyor so that it may receive articles from each of the 
shelves. A picking head is provided for controlling each pusher actuator. 
The picking head is supported for vertical movement with the conveyor for 
independent movement horizontally along the conveyor. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an article dispensing 
apparatus for automatically picking and dispensing articles from shelves 
with the conveyor for receiving and transporting the articles as they are 
picked whereby the articles may be packed or otherwise processed in the 
order in which they are picked. 
Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like 
elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 apparatus in accordance with the 
present invention designated generally as 10. The apparatus 10 includes a 
housing 13 shown in part in FIG. 2 for supporting shelves which are 
disposed one above the other and horizontally arranged. In FIG. 1, there 
is illustrated a portion of shelves 12, 14 and 16 and the front edge 
thereof. 
A plurality of dividers 18 are attached to each of the shelves 12-16 at 
spaced points therealong. Adjacent dividers 18 cooperate to define 
therebetween a lane 20. Articles to be dispensed are supported by the 
shelves in the lanes 20. A pusher 22 is provided for each lane and adapted 
to contact the last item in a lane and push the items forwardly so that 
the first item in a lane falls off the front edge of its associated shelf. 
A frame 24 is provided in front of the shelves 12-16. The shelves 12-16 are 
of the same length. The frame 24 is of sufficient length so that an 
endless conveyor 26 supported thereby may receive articles from each lane 
20 on each of the shelves 12-16. Hence, the endless conveyor 26 has a 
length which is at least as long as each of the shelves 12-16. 
A picking head 28 is supported by the frame 24 for vertical movement 
therewith as the frame 24 and endless conveyor 26 move vertically to the 
elevation of the various shelves 12-16. Also, the picking head 28 is 
supported for horizontal movement along the conveyor 26 whereby the 
picking head 28 may be directed to each of the lanes 20 on each of the 
shelves 12-16. Any one of a variety of different mechanisms may be 
utilized to selectively cause the picking head 28 to move horizontally 
along the frame 24. As shown, the picking head 28 has a threaded nut 
coupled to a threaded shaft 30 and is quided for movement by a channel 32. 
Shaft 30 is preferably driven by a reversible pulse motor whereby a 
predetermined number of pulses will position the picking head 28 at 
preselected positions along the frame 24 so that it can be directed to any 
particular one of the lanes 20. 
Frame 24 is guided for vertical movement at its ends and is adapted to be 
elevated in any convenient manner. As illustrated, vertically disposed 
threaded shafts 34 are coupled to the ends of the frame 24. A pulse motor 
35 is provided for each of the shafts 34 so that the frame 24 may be moved 
vertically to preselected elevations whereby the picker head will be at a 
proper elevation with the conveyor 26 slightly below the elevation of the 
preselected shelf. 
The divider 18 on each of the shelves includes an actuator for causing the 
associated pusher 22 to move toward the front edge of the associated 
shelf. The actuator for the pushers may be in accordance with the 
teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,633. As illustrated in FIG. 2, each 
pusher 22 is connected to an endless cable 36. Cable 36 extends around 
gears 40 at each end of the divider 18. Each gear 40 projects beyond the 
front edge of its associated divider. That is, each gear 40 has an exposed 
portion as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
The picking head 28 has a gear 41 adapted to mesh with and drive gear 40 in 
a direction so as to cause the associated pusher 22 to move toward the 
front edge of the shelf. Gear 41 is supported by a plate 46. The plate 46 
is supported from the picking head frame 47 by pin 44 whereby plate 46 and 
its associated gear 41 may pivot through an arc in the direction of arrow 
42 toward and away from the gear 40. 
A rotary solenoid 48 is supported by the frame 47. A cam segment 50 is 
connected to the output of solenoid 48 and adapted to be caused to rotate 
in the direction of the arrow superimposed thereover in FIG. 2. A cam 
follower 52, spring biased into contact with cam 50, is supported by plate 
46. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, a motor 54 is supported by plate 46. 
for movement therewith. Motor 54 is a variable speed motor which drives 
gear 56 which in turn is meshed with gear 58. Gear 58 and gear 41 are 
pinned or otherwise secured to the same shaft. 
The picking head frame 47 supports a sloping panel 60. The upper edge of 
panel 60 is at the elevation of shelf 14 while the lower edge of panel 60 
is slightly above the elevation of the top run of conveyor 26. The upper 
and lower edges of the panel 60 are parallel to the front edge of the 
shelves 12-16. An angled back-up panel 62 is supported by the picking head 
frame 47 at a location spaced from the lower edge of the panel 60. The 
back-up panel 62 is angled with respect to a vertical plane containing the 
front edge of the shelves 12-16 and is tilted so as to slope toward the 
panel 60. See FIG. 1. The lower edge of panels 60 and 62 define an acute 
angle of approximately 65 degrees. 
The lefthand end of conveyor 26 is pivotably coupled to one end of an 
endless conveyor 64. The other end of endless conveyor 64 is coupled to 
and associated with a delivery conveyor 66. As articles are picked by the 
picking head 28, they are continuously and sequentially moved to a packing 
area by way of conveyors 26, 64 and 66 in the same order that they were 
picked. In this manner, checking of the articles against an invoice or 
list is more rapidly accomplished as compared with simultaneous delivery 
of all picked articles. 
The apparatus is used as follows. Each of the lanes 20 is provided with 
articles to be dispensed. For example, one of the lanes 20 may contain a 
plurality of boxes of oatmeal disposed one behind the other. Another lane 
20 would have articles such as cartons of cigarettes disposed one behind 
the other. Each lane 20 is identified. 
Input instructions to cause the picking head to sequentially move to a 
predetermined position whereby its gear 41 will be opposite a gear 40 on a 
predetermined divider may be accomplished manually with teletype inputs, 
semi-automatically with a numerically punched system, or automatically 
with a computer hook-up. Picker head 28 may be moving horizontally along 
the length of the conveyor 26 while the entire frame 24 is being moved 
vertically by motor 35. When the gear 41 of the picking head 28 is 
opposite the preselected divider 18, solenoid 48 rotates cam 50 to pivot 
plate 46 about pin 44 until gear 41 meshes with gear 40. Gear 41 is driven 
by motor 54. Rotation of gear 40 moves the associated pusher 22 forwardly 
toward the front edge of its associated shelf. As soon as solenoid 48 is 
de-activated, plate 46 pivots to its normal position whereby gears 40 and 
41 are spaced from one another. As soon as gear 41 is no longer meshed 
with gear 40, the pusher 22 stops. 
The article pushed off the front edge of the shelf 14 slides down the panel 
60 onto the conveyor belt of conveyor 26. If the article being dispensed 
is elongated, it will contact the panel 62 and the conveyor 26 will pivot 
the same whereby the long sides of the article will be parallel to the 
side edges of the conveyor 26. Conveyor 26 transports the articles in the 
order in which they are picked to conveyor 66 by way of conveyor 64. After 
one article is picked, and is being transported along conveyor 26, the 
picking head 28 is moved horizontally and/or vertically to the next lane 
from which it is desired to pick one or more articles. 
If two or more articles are picked from a lane, and the articles are 
fragile such as glass bottles, breakage is minimized. Thus, the first 
bottle will be quickly moved by conveyor 26 before the second bottle is 
received on the conveyor 26. Hence, the apparatus 10 precludes damage 
which can occur when one glass bottle collides with another. The variable 
speed of motor 54 is used to attain a substantially constant picking speed 
even though some articles are small and others are large. Small articles 
are arranged in predetermined lanes. Whenever the picking head 28 is 
positioned opposite a small article lane, the voltage in the motor drive 
circuit is automatically decreased to slow down motor 54 so that pusher 22 
moves slower as compared with its speed when dispensing large articles. 
Thus, a substantially uniform picking speed, i.e., number of articles per 
unit time, is attained. 
Each of the dividers 18 is removably and adjustably connected to its 
associated shelf so that lanes 20 may be provided with different widths 
depending upon the size of the articles to be stored thereon. If the 
articles for a predetermined lane 20 are bars of soap, the adjacent 
dividers 18 may be only 4 inches from one another but will be spaced apart 
for a distance of about 10 inches in the next adjacent lane 20 if it is 
desired to have boxes of cereal therein. The panel 60 has a length which 
exceeds the widest of the lanes 20. Motor 54 drives gear 41 at all times. 
De-activation of the rotary solenoid 48 is preferably controlled by a 
photocell. Each article is counted as it leaves a particular lane 20 and 
after the required number of articles has been dispensed, the solenoid is 
deactivated. 
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without 
departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, 
accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than 
to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.