Patent ID: 7686560

Claim:
A rack and conveyor shuttle system for placing and retrieving articles of various sizes comprising: (a) a constantly stationary multi-level rack system having a constantly stationary, substantially horizontal shelving framework of at least two support members spaced apart from one another at a distance, wherein the distance between the at least two support members is sufficient to support the articles in a single stack, said shelving framework comprised of at least two rack sections; and (b) a motorized, conveyor shuttle system having two narrow conveyors, each narrow conveyor having a narrow conveyor belt spanning a distance between two rack sections on either side of the conveyor, and a series of grooved pulleys wherein the grooved pulleys drive the conveyor belt and grab the articles and each narrow conveyor is spaced apart from one another at a distance, wherein: (i) in retrieving articles from the multi-level rack system, the conveyors are configured to move in between at least two support members of the constantly stationary shelving framework, in a substantially horizontal direction only, so as to engage an article and transfer the article from the at least two support members to the conveyor shuttle system without substantially changing the level of the article; and (ii) in placing articles onto the multi-level rack system, the conveyors are configured to move in between the at least two support members of the constantly stationary shelving framework, in a substantially horizontal direction only, so as to transfer an article from the conveyor shuttle system to the at least two support members without substantially changing the level of the article, such that the conveyors do not contact the at least two support members while transferring articles.