Patent GB-474455-A (GB)
Title: Improved arrangement to facilitate storage of motor or other wheeled vehicles
IPC: E04H6/36
Filed: 1936-05-06
Abstract: 474,455. Handling vehicles in garages; railway &c. systems. LESLIE, D. S. May 6, 1936, No. 12748. [Classes 78 (iv) and 104 (ii)] [Also in Group X] An arrangement for the storage of vehicles comprises any number of independent wheeled trucks, each adapted to receive a vehicle, arranged in rank-and-file order and capable of movement upon or in parallel sets of rails or guides in a direction parallel to the axles of the stored vehicles, i.e., along the ranks, the trucks being normally free but each being provided with means whereby it may be individually coupled to a system of cables, rods or chains situate beneath the trucks and adapted to be driven with a continuous or reciprocating motion by mechanical power. The number of trucks in each rank is one less than the number capable of being accommodated on the rails thus by shifting the trucks a gap may be formed in one or more ranks at any point to provide a lane for access to any truck in a rear rank or to a storage space behind the ranks. The operation is effected by coupling the truck situated at the point where the gap is required to the propelling system which then shifts the coupled truck in the direction of the pre-existing gap, any intervening trucks being pushed along thereby. In the arrangements shown, the rails are formed by the edges of sunk channel members e, Fig. 2, each truck comprising a pair of channel or trough shaped girders g, Figs. 2 and 3, on to which a vehicle is run, connected by transverse girders f, which lie within the channel rails e and carry brackets in which transverse flanged wheels b riding on the rail edges are mounted, the construction being devised to keep the troughs g at a minimum height above the floor surface. Between each pair of rails is a sunk channel J accommodating the propelling mechanism to which any individual truck is adapted to be coupled at will. In one form the propelling means comprises, for each rank, the forward and return runs of a cable j, Figs. 2 and 5, the ends of which are attached to a power driven drum so as to be wound thereon in opposite directions, the cable passing over a return pulley at the remote end of the rails and over guide pulleys &c., intermediately. Each truck carries cable gripping means comprising a cam k<1> on a vertical spindle adapted to be rotated by a detachable handle or key carried by the operator, the cam being adapted to nip either run of the cable against a plate or abutment n<1> whilst an arm o<1> on the spindle, when turned, operates a relay switch w<1> to start the propelling motor of the main winding drum. Switches w<1> are provided at intervals in the channel walls so that, as a truck is carried along, contact with the next switch stops the motor. In an alternative arrangement, Fig. 6, the cable is replaced by a pair of rods j<1>, simultaneously reciprocable in opposite directions by flexible connections to a winding drum or by rack-and-pinion mechanism &c., each rod being provided with lugs or projections k corresponding to each truck position, adapted for co-operation with a pair of oppositely acting pivoted hooks l, l<1> on each truck. The four hooks on each truck are normally held raised, out of engagement by a spring actuated stirrup member q. Surrounding the hooks is a slidable yoke or frame n with spring pressed catches o arranged, according to the displacement of the yoke, to engage and hold up one or the other hook of each pair, when the stirrup q is depressed by the operator. Successive movements of any individual truck being necessarily in opposite directions, this is provided for by connecting the yoke n by a link r to a slotted arm s on the spindle of which is a Maltese-cross gear adapted to engage pins projecting from the wall of the channel to reverse the yoke at the end of each truck movement. The propelling motor is started by closure of a contact in the channel on depressing the stirrup q and automatically stopped on completion of the truck movement by engagementwith the next contact. The contacts may act through a solenoid operating a ratchet switch working through a cycle giving " forward," stop " " reverse," " stop," connections to the motor in succession. A third arrangement consists in substituting chains for the rods j<1>, the hooks l, l<1> being adapted to engage either the chain links or blocks &c., attached thereto at intervals.