Patent GB-1465945-A (GB)
Title: Handle engaging tote pan retractor
IPC: B65G1/04
Filed: 1974-02-20
Abstract: 1465945 Storage systems EATON CORP 20 Feb 1974 [26 Feb 1973] 7739/74 Heading A4T [Also in Division B8]  A tote pan retractor, which in use is mounted on a stacker/retriever vehicle (22) which moves along an aisle between storage racks, Fig. 1 (not shown), comprises a rectangular frame on which a pair of parallel bottom 42 and side 44 tote pan guides are mounted, a pair of fingers 280, 300 being provided for engagement with a handle on the end of a tote pan, the latter resting on the bottom guides 42 between the side guides 44 when mounted on the retractor. Each of the fingers 280, 300 is movable under the action of a reversible motor M whose output shaft 72 is connected to a shaft 80 on which two sprockets 86, 88 are mounted for driving respective endless chains 90, 92 which in turn transmit drive to respective endless drive chains 120, 126 by means of respective clutches 104, 106, the finger 280, 300 being connected for movement to the chains 126, 120 respectively. The mode of connection of the fingers 280, 300 to the chains 126, 120 respectively is as follows The finger 280 is mounted on a dove tail slider 232 which in turn is mounted on a slide block 180 for vertical movement relative to the latter, the slider 232 being normally biased to a raised position by a spring 244, Fig. 5, and the slide block 180 is movable along a guide rod 150, the slide block 180 being connected by a rotor arm 202 to a link of the chain 126. The finger 300 is similarly mounted on a dove tail slider 234 which is vertically movable relative to a slide block 182 which is movable along a guide rod 160, a rotor arm 204 connecting a link of the chain 120 to the block 182. Each rotor arm 202, 204 is non-rotatably connected to a shaft 208 which carries a cam 210 from which a cam pin 212 extends. During movement of the slide block 180 (to the right) to move the finger 280 to its position shown in phantom in Fig. 3, the associated rotor arm 202 is directed downwardly, as is shown for the rotor arm 204 on the right of Fig. 5, and the associated cam pin 212 engages a surface 240 of the associated dove tail slider, thus keeping the finger 280 in a "cammed-down" position. As the finger 280 reaches its said phantom position the rotor arm 202 moves about the sprocket 110 of the chain 126 through 180 degrees thereby releasing the finger 280 for upward movement, under the bias of its associated spring 242, into engagement with a handle of the tote pan, the finger 280 then, due to the continued motion of the chain 126, drawing the tote pan leftwards on to the guides 42. As the finger 280 approaches its leftward position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 an extension 304 thereof engages with an extension 302 of the finger 300, which is in "cammed-down" position at the centre of the retractor's rectangular frame, and pushes the latter, a pin 250 on the dove tail slider 234 of the finger 300 moves progressively up a cam surface 260 of a cam plate (264), Fig. 4 (not shown) whereby the extension 302 elevates in relation to the extension 304, and when the pin 250 clears the cam plate the finger 300 elevates into the tote pan handle, and after a short time interval the finger 280 is withdrawn from the tote pan handle by the engagement of a pin on its associated dove tail slider 232 with the cam surface 260, the finger 300 continuing the movement of the tote pan on to the guides 42. When the tote pan is completely located on the retractor it is located between stop fingers 320, 322, and reset levers 370, 380 may be individually operated to engage with the pins 250 to cause retraction of whichever of the fingers 280, 300 is in engagement with the tote pan handle. The operation of the retractor is automated, a timing and calculating unit (21) which contains a computing system controlling both the retractor and the supporting vehicle (22) under the control of a console (23), Fig. 11 (not shown).