Patent GB-1050381-A (GB)
IPC: E04H6/24
Filed: 1964-01-14
Abstract: 1,050,381. Vehicle automatic couplings. NEW ERA MULTI PARK HOLDINGS Ltd. Jan. 12, 1965 [Jan. 14, 1964], No. 1575/64. Heading B7T. [Also in Division B8] A mechanical storage plant, e.g. a garage, comprises a plurality of superimposed storage containers 22, Fig. 1 (not shown), arranged in columns and adapted to be moved vertically in the columns and horizontally between the columns in a circulatory path to different levels, storage spaces 41 at the different levels, conveyers 42 for receiving articles, e.g. cars V, to be stored and movable between the containers and the spaces, and selectively operable means 81 for transferring selected conveyers between the containers and the spaces at any of the levels. As described with reference to the drawings an automatic garage comprises two columns 23L, 23R, of containers 22, the latter being transferred between the columns, at the top and bottom thereof, by a trolley 29 and a carriage 27 which are connected to an endless chain 26 driven by an hydraulic motor 24, Fig. 2 (not shown). The trolley has hook members 31, as described in Specification 898,952, for engaging tranverse members 32 on the containers and operated through arms 33 by the vertical movement of the containers. The latter are moved by hydraulic rams 35L, 35R, pivotally movable supports 36 being provided to support the columns at a level immediately above that at which a container is moved by the carriage 27. The garage has 44 locations L1-L44, two of which are used for movement of the containers and one, L1, for an entrance, and to allow for any selected car to be retrieved a further location, either a container or a storage space, is left unoccupied thus giving a maximum storage of forty cars. The conveyers 42 run on wheels 44 and each has a chocking device 47, Fig. 3 (not shown). similar to that described in Specification 996,452, and comprising a slider plate 49 which is pushed forward by the front wheel of an oncoming car to raise a rear flap 52. The plate 49 is supported on wheels 43 and guided by rollers 50. The flap 52 has a cam 57 which is moved to a position to operate fixed occupation switches 58. The conveyers have cams 61, 62 for operating fixed code switches 63, 64, the cams on each conveyer having a different number of teeth; the switches 63, 64 transmit tens and units signals, respectively. Inward and outward movement of the conveyer is sensed by fixed switches 69, 71, operated by a switch arm 67. The slider plate 49 is held in the chocking position by a spring-loaded plunger 72 when the conveyer is other than in the entrance L1. The transfer means 81 are formed by pushers one in each storage space 41. Each pusher, except that in entrance L1, is locked in its normally inoperative position by a pivoted spring-loaded hook 82, Figs. 4 and 5 (not shown), which releasably engages a fixed pin 83. The hook 82 is connected to a slider 87 which is attached to a driven chain 89, the latter when driven to move the pusher towards a container first disengaging the hook 82 by motion of the slider 87. The pusher in entrance L1 is locked by an hydraulically-operated pivoted arm 93 engaging a pin 100 on the pusher, Fig. 6 (not shown). Each chain 89 is connected through a selectively operable electromagnetic clutch 96 to a shaft 95, Fig. 7 (not shown), the shafts 95 being simultaneously driven through chains 99 by hydraulic motors 98, Fig. 1. The speed and direction of the latter are controlled by switches S1-S4, Figs. 3 and 8 (not shown), which co-operate with cams 105 on the conveyers, the speed of the pushers being slower at the beginning and end of their travel than during mid-travel and their direction of movement reversed by operation of the switches S4. Coupling between the conveyers 42 and the pushers 81, Figs. 9 and 10, is provided by a pivoted spring-loaded hook 114 on each pusher releasably engaging a pin 115 on each cooperating conveyer. Each end of each container 22 has a locking unit 106 comprising a pivoted, spring-loaded segmental locking plate 107, a curved portion 110 of which co-operates with a pin 111 on the conveyer, to releasably lock the latter in the container. Each pusher 81 has a spring-pressed ram 116 adapted to engage a roller 117 on a pivoted, spring-loaded release cam 118 which has a surface 121 for engaging a pin 122 on the locking plate 107. The hook 114 has fixed thereto an arm 124 having a surface 125 adapted to co-operate with a roller 127 on one arm of a pivoted, spring-loaded bell-crank 128, the other arm of the bell-crank carrying a pivoted, spring-loaded latch 131. The bell-crank spring tends to move the bellcrank clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 9 to a position in which the roller 127 overlaps the roller 117. When a conveyer 42 is located in the container 22 a pin 134 on the conveyer engages the latch 131 having moved the bell-crank 128 to the position shown in Fig. 9. In operation, to move the conveyer from the container to the associated parking space the pusher 81 is moved towards the container. The ram 116 moves the cam 118 and so the plate 107 out of its locking position relative to the pin 111 and the hook 114 engages the pin 115. In operation, to insert a conveyer into the container the pusher 81 is moved to push the conveyer into the container. As the conveyer approaches its final position the pin 134 strikes the latch plate 131 and the roller 127 engages the surface 125 on the arm 124 so that on continued movement of the conveyer the bell-crank 128 is moved to disengage the hook 114 from the pin 115. Simultaneously, the pin 111 moves past the locking plate 107 which has been moved by the ram 116. The latch plate 131 permits the pin 134 at the opposite end of the conveyer to pass over the bell-crank 128 without moving the latter when the conveyer is moved out of the container. An automatic electrical control system is described for the parking and retrieval of cars, Figs. 8 and 11 to 18 (not shown). Fig. 8 shows the location of control switches including photoelectric devices 158 for ensuring correct placing of a car on a conveyer in the entrance L1. The system includes a register unit 141, Fig. 11 (not shown), comprising registers R1-R44, Fig. 14 (not shown), which indicate the locations of the conveyers 42 and whether or not these are occupied; the code switches 63, 64 and the occupation switches 58 provide data for the registers, each of which comprises rotary switches 171, 172 for the tens and units identification of the conveyers and relays RG for indicating occupation or not of the conveyers. The register unit 141 feeds signals to a programme control unit 151 which controls automatic movement of the apparatus to park or retrieve a car. A keyboard panel 137, Figs. 12 and 16 (not shown), is provided and comprises keyoperated switches 138 and indicator lamps 139. The switches 138 have an " off "-position and " park " and " delivery " positions. The lamps 139 indicate which conveyer is in the entrance L1. The unit 151 may include a master switch operated by a time clock or manually to adjust the apparatus for receiving or retrieving cars; the entrance L1 has an empty conveyer therein or is vacant. When a car is to be parked or retrieved the registers R1 . . . R44 are searched by rotary switches PS1 or D51, D53, Figs. 16, 17 and 18 (not shown), of the unit 151 which operates the apparatus accordingly.