Patent ID: 7708514

Claim:
An automated material handling and storage system for storage and shipping containers, the system comprising, a structure defining a plurality of vertical cells, each cell having a plurality of tier levels and being of a size to cooperatively receive a storage and shipping container at each tier level, a grid track system mounted in spaced relationship above said plurality of vertical cells and having a plurality of first pairs of parallel tracks extending transversely with respect to and intersecting with a plurality of second pairs of parallel tracks in an X-Y pattern and which first and second tracks define openings at each intersection thereof, at least one transfer unit moveably mounted in suspended relationship from the said grid track system, said at least one transfer unit including a plurality of carriage means for suspending said at least one transfer unit from said grid track system so as to be selectively moveable along a pair of said plurality of first pairs of parallel tracks for movement in a first direction directly above each of said plurality of said vertical cells and being selectively moveable along a pair of said plurality of second pairs of parallel tracks for movement in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction directly above each of said plurality of vertical cells, an arrangement of said grid track system being such that said at least one transfer unit is centered over a vertical cell when adjacent the intersections of said pairs of first and second parallel tracks and such that said at least one transfer unit is centered by being movable in either said first or second direction, said at least one transfer unit including drive means for moving said at least one transfer unit along said grid track system so as to be moveable in a horizontal plane in both forward to back and side to side motions within the horizontal plane directly above each of said plurality of vertical cells, a spreader beam, hoist means carried by said at least one transfer unit for raising and lowering said spreader beam, said spreader beam being of a size to cooperatively engage a storage and shipping container within one of said cells, at least one guide member extending between said spreader beam and said at least one transfer unit to stabilize said spreader beam with respect to said transfer unit to thereby control movement of a storage and shipping container carried by said spreader beam when the storage and shipping container is elevated above said plurality of cells, and means for providing power to said drive means of said at least one transfer unit.