Source: http://www.google.com/patents?pg=PA5&dq=6,044,471&id=aoghAAAAEBAJ&output=text
Timestamp: 2013-12-20 05:44:25
Document Index: 262590091

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'arts 55', 'arts 1', 'art 1', 'arts 1', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'arts 5', 'arts 2', 'art 3']

Patent US5025140 - Apparatus for receiving articles, storing them after processing and ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn apparatus for receiving articles to be processed, for storing the articles, and subsequently reissuing processed articles to appropriate customers in response to customer-supplied information includes a plurality of first and second article carriers for receiving articles to be processed and for carrying...http://www.google.com/patents/US5025140?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5025140 - Apparatus for receiving articles, storing them after processing and subsequently re-issuing themAdvanced Patent SearchPage imagesApparatus for receiving articles, storing them after processing and ... Clement VarleyOverviewAbstractDrawingsDescriptionClaims Patent number: 5025140Filing date: Jul 5, 1988Issue date: Jun 18, 1991 Page imagesPDF
APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING ARTICLES, STORING THEM AFTER PROCESSING AND SUBSEQUENTLY RE-ISSUING THEM
It is already known to provide apparatus for use in conjunction with processing establishment, such as laundries and dry-cleaning works, or in conjunction with collection and distribution centres for such establishments, whereby a customer can deposit articles to be 10 processed, for example garments to be laundered, at a time when the processing establishment or collection and distribution centre is closed and no attendant is present, and can later collect the articles after processing of them, again when the processing establishment or 15 collection and distribution centre is closed and no attendant is present; for example see United Kingdom Patent Specifications Nos. 1107988, 1317306, 1423135, 1604040 and 2080264. It is common for there to be N article-storage locations in the apparatus to receive articles from N 20 or fewer customers, so that each customer has allocated to him one or more specific article-storage locations, to receive carriers destined to receive articles to be processed from that customer only and later to receive processed articles awaiting collection by that customer 25 only. The result is that, at any one time, at many of the article-storage locations there are merely carriers awaiting use and, for dealing with a certain number of customers, there must be more storage locations, and the apparatus must in consequence be larger and more ex- 30 pensive, than is necessitated by the number of articles received for processing. It is also common for there to be N article carriers to receive articles from N or fewer customers, so that each customer has allocated to him one or more specific article carriers, to receive articles 35 to be processed from that customer only, before transfer of the articles with the carrier or carriers to the processing point, and/or to receive processed articles awaiting collection by that customer only before transfer of the articles with the article carrier or carriers to a re-issue 40 location. The result is that at any one time many of the article carriers are not in use and in consequence more of them must be provided than is necessitated by the number of articles received for processing.
It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus in 45 which a storage location is not specifically and for a long time (e.g. a month or months) allocated to a specific customer, so that any one storage location may within a month, for example, store the articles of a number of different customers in succession and the 50 apparatus can serve a large number of customers with a smaller number of storage locations and/or to provide apparatus in which an article carrier is not specifically and for a long time (e.g. a month or months) allocated to a specific customer, so that any one article carrier may 55 within a month, for example, carry the articles of a number of different customers in succession and the apparatus can serve a large number of customers with a smaller number of article carriers.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is 60 provided apparatus in which articles are received, stored after processing and subsequently reissued, the apparatus comprising a reception location, a reissue location which may be the reception location or another location, a number of unloaded-carrier storage 65 locations, a number of article carriers, a number of processed-article storage locations, transport means for transporting the articles and control means whereby
when a customer presents a suitable information-bearing device this is automatically scanned and a suitable unloaded article carrier is automatically taken from an unloaded-carrier storage location by the transport means and delivered to the reception location at which the customer may arrange for his article or articles to be carried by the article carrier before it is automatically carried away by the transport means, and information relating his information-bearing device to the article carrier is automatically stored, and, after his article or articles has or have been processed and when it or they is or are delivered to a selected one or plurality of the processed-article storage locations, information concerning a newly created, i.e. not previously existing, relationship between the customer's information-bearing device and the selected processed-article storage location or locations is stored, and the article or articles is or are later automatically delivered by the transport means to the re-issue location, at which the customer may retrieve it or them, when a suitable informationbearing device is presented.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus in which articles are received, stored after processing and subsequently reissued, the apparatus comprising a number of processed-article storage locations, a reception location, a reissue location which may be the reception location or another location, a number of unloaded-carrier storage locations, each with its own identification means, a greater number of article carriers, each with its own identification means bearing no permanent relationship with the identification means of any specific one of the unloadedcarrier storage locations, transport means for transporting the articles and control means whereby, before receipt of an article or articles for processing, the identification means of an unloaded article carrier may be scanned and the identification means of a selected unloaded-carrier storage location at which the article carrier has just been stored or is about to be stored may also be scanned, there being no correlation prior to this scanning between the article carrier and the specific unloaded-carrier storage location which is selected, and information resulting from the two scannings and representing a temporary relationship between the article carrier and the selected unloaded-carrier storage location is stored and this process may be repeated for other unloaded article carriers and other unloaded-carrier storage locations and the control means being such that when a customer presents a suitable information-bearing device this is automatically scanned and a suitable unloaded article carrier is automatically taken from its unloaded-carrier storage location by the transport means and delivered to the reception location at which the customer may arrange for his article or articles to be carried by the article carrier before it is automatically carried away by the transport means and information relating his information-bearing device to the article carrier is automatically stored, and his article or articles, after processing and subsequently being delivered to a selected one or more of the processed-article storage locations, is or are later automatically delivered by the transport means to the re-issue location, at which the customer may retrieve it or them, when a suitable information-bearing device is presented.
The apparatus may be constructed to receive, for example, articles, for example garments, for dry-cleaning and/or articles for laundering and/or articles, for example shoes, for repair or other processing, for exampie films for developing and printing. The re-issue location may be also the reception location and the information-bearing device which is used to retrieve the processed article or articles may be the same informationbearing device as is used to obtain the unloaded article 5 carrier and it may be scanned for retrieval of the article or articles by the same scanning means as is used to scan it on initially depositing the article or articles for processing. Preferably, the apparatus is constructed to respond to any one of a range of information-bearing 10 devices including credit cards such as "Access", "Visa", "American Express", etc., and preferably also including credit cards or tokens issued by the owners of the apparatus or by the dry-cleaners and/or launderers or other processors of the articles. 15
FIGS. 1A, IB, 1C and ID show diagrammatic plan 20 views of four possible arrangements of part of an apparatus for receiving from a customer articles for processing, storing them after processing and returning them from store to the customer,
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of storage means in 25 the apparatus,
FIG. 3 shows a view of part of the storage means, as seen when looking in the direction of the arrow HI in FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 shows a detail of FIG. 3, and 30 FIG. 5 shows another part of the storage means, as
seen when looking in the direction of the arrow V in
Each of the arrangements shown in FIGS. 1A, IB, 1C and ID includes a part 1 containing control equip- 35 ment to which a service engineer has access when a door 2 is opened. On the side of the part 1 at which the door 2 is situated there is a slot into which a customer can insert an information-bearing device which identifies him, prior to depositing at part 3 of the apparatus, at 40 its front, i.e. at the side thereof which is shown lowermost in each of FIGS. 1A, IB, 1C and ID, articles to be processed, for example garments to be dry-cleaned. Subsequently, after processing of the articles, he may insert the same information-bearing device or another 45 information-bearing device in the same or another slot at the part 1 and retrieve his articles from the front of the same part 3 of the apparatus. The part 3 of the apparatus has a door 3A which automatically slides to the left, as indicated by the arrows, to permit articles to be 50 inserted into or taken from the part 3 and which automatically slides to the right subsequently. The part 3 has doors 4 communicating with a storage zone 5 in which there are two parallel rails 6 from which cleaned articles 7 are suspended. FIGS. 1A and IB show these parts 55 1 to 6 on the left side and on the right side, respectively, of a wall 8, with the door 2 in each case near the wall 8, whereas FIGS. 1C and ID show the parts 1 to 6 on opposite sides of a wall 8 but here the part 1 is brought forward with respect to the remainder of the apparatus 60 and its door 2 is on its side which is furthest from the wall 8. The parts 1 and 3 are two separate metal-framed compartments which can be installed in a variety of relative positions to best suit the requirements at the site. 65
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, each rail 6 provides a number of storage locations for cleaned articles. Each storage location is afforded by a ring 10 supported by a
carrier 9, made of wire, which is received in a respective slot in the rail, the rings 10 being capable of receiving the hooks on conventional wire clothes hangers 11, as shown in FIG. 4 of United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 2080264. Beside each storage location is a unique bar code identifying that storage location. Above one of the rails 6 there are a number of tubes 13 arranged in three rows for receiving rolled-up empty bags (referred to below as "deposit bags") with devices 14, e.g. handles, shown in FIG. 4, on the bags which are engaged by a pick-off device when bags are to be withdrawn from the tubes. The tubes rest on shelves 13A on which there are bar codes 13B designating the different storage locations for empty bags. Above the other rail 6 there are rows of parcel bags or boxes 15 on shelves 15C, the bags or boxes having handles 15A, to be engaged by a pick-off device, when the bags or boxes are to be removed from compartments 15B formed by the shelves 15C and partitions 15D. The shelves 15C are formed with notches 15E which receive the handles 15A and the shelves have bar codes 15F in the notches to identify the storage locations for the bags or boxes 15.
1. Before a customer arrives an operative has already put empty deposit bags, with bar-coded tags on them, at randomly chosen vacant bag storage locations, i.e. in empty tubes 13, and on each occasion he has scanned a bar code on or beside the tube in question and the bar code of the bag tag and the computer has recorded the signal so obtained so that it "knows" which bag tag is at
which storage location and which storage locations are about the bag tag number is erased from the computer
vacant. so that it therefore only records the credit card number
2. A customer arrives and inserts a credit card, a card in relation to the cleaned article storage location, reader in the apparatus inspects it and, if it finds it satis- 8. Upon re-presentation of the credit card, the factory, instructs the customer to key in his telephone 5 cleaned article or articles is or are picked off from the number, at a first keypad at the front of the part 1, near appropriate one of the rails 6 and returned by the gantry the above-mentioned slot, which he does, and then he to the part 3 of the apparatus, where the customer can presses an "enter" button. On a second keypad, he in- receive it or them and take it or them away. This is the serts, when instructed by the apparatus, details of arti- end of METHOD A.
cles being deposited for dry-cleaning. This may, for 10 When the empty bags, with bag tags attached to
example, involve pressing twice a button marked "trou- them, are inserted in vacant tubes 13, the operator
sers" and once a button marked "dress", if he has two could, on each occasion, scan the tube number and then
pairs of trousers and one dress to be cleaned. He also the bag tag number, using a pen-type bar code scanner
looks at a display of individual prices charged and of the linked directly or indirectly to the memory of the com
total charge and presses a "total" button if satisfied or a 15 puter. A similar scanner is used for each scanning opera
"cancel" button if not. The computer prepares a printed tion. The computer is programmed to reject signals
record of the transaction, which is issued to the cus- resulting from incomplete codes,
tomer, and determines from the list of articles an appro- If the articles originally deposited by the customer
priate bag size. A suitable bag is pulled out of its tube 13 are too numerous to be accommodated at a single
and delivered to the customer by the gantry at part 3 of 20 cleaned-article storage location, they may be stored at
the apparatus. two or more such locations, in which case by appropri
3. The computer records the credit card number, the ate scanning of the storage location numbers and of the number of the empty bag storage location (tube 13) bag tag numbers on the bag tags, there will be provided from which the bag was taken and the (different) bag for the computer an indication of the appropriate stortag number. An operative can now immediately put 25 age location numbers.
another empty bag, with another bag tag on it, in the The computer has at all times a record of what tubes
same storage location, ready to be used by another 13 are vacant and at what cleaned-article storage loca
customer. tions there are cleaned articles awaiting collection, also
4. When the first bag arrives at the part 3 of the appa- the numbers of the credit cards of their owners. If a ratus, the door 3A opens and the first customer puts the 30 customer comes for his articles before they are ready articles to be cleaned into the bag and closes the bag for collection, the computer can at once inform him that with the zip fastener and the door 3A closes and the bag they are not ready, without instructing the pick-off is automatically taken away by the gantry to a soiled mechanism to try to remove the cleaned articles from articles storage area, for example the floor of the stor- the rails 6.
age zone 5. The printed record is issued to the customer 35 METHOD B
before the door 3A closes. Empty deposit bags are bar-coded, either directly or
5. Each article is then marked to identify it with the by having bar-coded tags attached to them, or code number of the bar-coded tag on the bag from which it transmitters are attached to them. When they are inwas taken and the bag tag is detached from the bag. The serted in the tubes 13 they are not scanned but informabag then has a fresh tag applied to it and it is rolled up 40 tion about which tubes 13 contain bags is given to and and inserted in an empty tube 13. recorded at the computer. The steps of METHOD A,
6. The marked articles taken from the bags are peri- part 2 are performed, the bag called for by the customer odically taken away manually, cleaned and then re- being taken from the next tube in a pre-set sequence of turned to the illustrated apparatus, with the bag tag the tubes. The steps of METHOD A, part 4 are pernumbers still on them and the bag tags themselves travel 45 formed. Each bag on its way to, at, or on its way from with them, since each of them is attached after the the part 3 of the apparatus is automatically scanned by cleaning process to the article or one of the articles a scanner, or the customer uses a pen-type bar scanner associated with that bag tag. to scan it, and in either case there are transmitted to the
7. The articles are checked against a printed record of computer the bag number and the number of the custhe contents of the bags both before cleaning them and 50 tomer's credit card, which are correlated at the comafter their return to the illustrated apparatus after clean- puter. After arrival of the bag in the storage zone 5, the ing. An operative decides which of a number of vacant steps of METHOD A, parts 5 to 8 are performed if bag cleaned-article storage locations (on the rails 6) is to tags are employed and analogous steps are performed if receive the article or articles bearing one bag tag num- bag tags are not employed.
ber, the choice of storage location being to some extent 55 METHOD C
random but always to best suit the articles to be stored, Bags are taken from the tubes 13, which do not have
and he uses a sensor to scan the bag tag number on the to be numbered, in predetermined sequence and at that
bag tag and the bar code associated with the selected stage the bags are not numbered, although they do bear
cleaned-article storage location and the computer then an indication of the identity of the apparatus from
"knows" that the article or articles has or have been 60 which they come. The steps of METHOD A, parts 2
returned and it stores the information relating the bag and 4 are performed and shortly before an empty bag
tag number to the storage location bar code. The bar arrives at the part 3 of the apparatus, or whilst the bag
coded bag tag is then no longer needed for the transac- is there, the computer assigns a bag number to it. The
tion in question and it is eventually used again for an- computer records the bag number and the credit card
other customer or the same customer. The computer 65 number and prints and issues to the customer not the
records the cleaned-article storage location in associa- printed record mentioned above but a receipt, in dupli
tion with the bag tag number and credit card number cate, for the articles recorded by the customer as having
and this information is printed. Then the information been put in the bag, the receipt bearing the assigned bag