Patent ID: 7168905

Claim:
A storage system, comprising: a continuous track comprised of generally parallel tracks each having generally parallel upper and lower rails, wherein the track comprises a dual track, including a first set and second set of tracks positioned generally parallel to one another, the first and second sets of tracks each comprise a first rail in a first plane, and a second rail in a second plane and in overlapping arrangement with the first rail; a plurality of individual storage units stacked in multiple columns, each storage unit including wheels extending from a top portion thereof and configured to engage the upper or lower rails so as to suspend the storage unit from the rails when disposed at an uppermost or lowermost position in the column and permit selective movement along the track; a first vertical actuator having an arm selectively movable under a bottom storage unit of a first end column, and adapted to lift the first end column of storage units; a first horizontal actuator for moving a storage unit from a top position in the first end column to a top position in an adjacent column; a second vertical actuator having an arm selectively movable under a storage unit, and adapted to support all but a bottom storage unit of a second end column of storage units; and a second horizontal actuator for moving the bottom storage unit from a bottom position in the second end column to a bottom position of an adjacent column.