Patent ID: 8579574

Claim:
A modular storage rack comprising: (a) a plurality of rack units disposed side-by-side in a row; (b) each of the rack units comprising a stack of interspaced supporting mounts arranged paired at opposing sidewalls of each of the rack units to form a plurality of vertically arranged storage locations for a tote; (c) the number of rack units in the row being adjustable for varying the number of storage locations in the storage rack; (d) an automated transfer apparatus for selectively storing and retrieving the tote in/from the storage locations, the automated transfer apparatus comprising a modular transfer assembly that travels in a first, vertical direction and a carriage disposed on the modular transfer assembly and that travels along the modular transfer assembly in a second, horizontal direction parallel to the row of rack units; (e) the modular transfer assembly including at least one supporting member assembled from a plurality of releasably interconnected supporting modules that are connected to one another in a series for extending the at least one supporting member in the second, horizontal direction parallel to the row of rack units so that the carriage is supported for traveling along the modular transfer assembly into a series of positions for accessing the storage locations along the row of rack units; and (f) the number of supporting modules being variable depending upon the adjustable number of the rack units in the row.