AU737426B2 - A device for the passage of pallets in a shelf store - Google Patents

Description

P:\OPER\AI\2159686 M 169.do.-2I/01601 -1- A device for the passage of pallets in a shelf store The invention relates to a device for the passage of pallets in a shelf store. A shelf store is a special shelf form for commissioning the goods to be stored. The commissioning personnel may on the removal side remove storage goods from the commissioning station and for example lead these to a conveyor belt. The emptied pallet, by pivoting down the commissioning station, is subsequently led to a return station, where from the loading side it can again be removed with a shelf operating apparatus.

By way of EP-A-692 439 and JP-A-06/219511, comparable devices of this type have been proposed. These known 15 devices are however relatively complicated in design and liable to break down. In particular the return stations are .:ee.i rigidly assembled in a cartain oblique position, by which means the automatic removal with a shelf operating apparatus is made considerably more difficult. For the pivoting of 20 the commissioning station for some part pressure cylinders o are applied, which with regard to the large number of individual stations with larger shelf systems entails a high expense with regard to control technology.

The invention provides a device for the passage of pallets, in a shelf store, with at least one passage channel which comprises a storage station operable from an equipping side, a commissioning station operable from a removal side as well as a return station arranged under the storage station, wherein the commissioning station is pivotably mounted in a manner such that in a lifted receiving position Sa pallet is displaceable from the storage station to the P:\OPERAI2 15966 169.doc.21/06OI -2commissioning station and that in a lowered dispensing position the emptied pallet is displaceable from the commissioning station onto the return station, wherein the return station is pivotably mounted such that on actuating the commissioning station the return station is pivotable from a roughly horizontal rest position into an oblique position in which it connects to the commissioning station in the dispensing position, whereby the commissioning station and the return station are coupled by a gear member in a manner such that the stations are pivotable simultaneously and in opposite directions.

The pivotable mounting of the return station permits that the return station receives an empty pallet upon 15 displacement into the oblique position, while in the rest position the return station is arranged roughly horizontally. In this manner the empty pallets may be removed without trouble. The transfer of an empty pallet from the commissioning station to the return station is at the same time effortlessly possible. Preferably, the return station in the oblique position may roughly have the same inclination angle as the commissioning station in the dispensing position.

A particularly simple actuation of the return station is made possible in that between the commissioning station and the return station there is arranged at least one twoarmed lever and the pivotable end regions of these stations are connected in each case to one lever arm via joint members, such that the stations are simultaneously and mutually pivotable. Of course a coupling of the two stations however via other gear members is also possible.

P:\OPER\ArI2159686 (s 169.do-2/06/01

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-3- A high operational safety may be achieved when the commissioning station in the dispensing position bears on an abutment on the return station and when on the abutment there is arranged a locking means which, on displacing a pallet to the return station, locks the commissioning station on the abutment. In this manner the commissioning station may not be pivoted back as long as an empty pallet has not reached its end position on the return station. The locking means may be an angular lever, whose one lever arm protrudes into the advance path of a pallet and can be kept down by the pallet and whose other lever arm forms a detent pawl. A long as the lever arm is pressed down by an empty pallet, the detent pawl remains locked and the commissioning station may not be released from the abutment. The angular lever is at the same time arranged in a manner such that the detent pawl is released as soon as the empty pallet rests on the return station up to a predetermined abutment. Of course also other locking means such as e.g.

electromagnetically actuatable bars or likewise could also be applied.

A further safety measure is achieved in that the commissioning station is held in the receiving position by at least one locking bar and that the locking bar is engageable with the commissioning station in a manner such that on exceeding a nominal load on the commissioning station the locking bar can not be unlocked. By way of this design measure it is ensured that the commissioning station is not unintentionally lowered as long as a pallet filled with loading goods still rests thereon.

P:\OPER\Ar \2 59686 res 169.do-21106101 -4- The locking bar may be activated via an actuation lever which is directly or indirectly connected to the locknig bar via a rod. Such lever mechanics are less prone to breakdown and may be simply operated.

Advantageous advantages may be achieved when the locking bar is pivotably linked to the commissioning station and in the receiving position thereof bears on an abutment, and when between the locking bar and the actuating lever there is arranged an overload safety device which prevents the locking bar pivoting away from the abutment when the commissioning station is overloaded. In this way it is impossible for the locking bar to be released as long as a oeeoo S"loaded pallet rests on the commissioning station. The 15 overload safety device may at the same time be adjusted in a manner such that it responds when the inherent weight of a oeooo pallet plus approx. 20 kg is exceeded. Up to a total weight of approx. 70 kg thus a lowering is not possible. Only when this load is fallen short of can the locking bar be unlocked.

:0• The actuating lever is at the same time pivotable into the release position against the force of a spring device.

The spring device on the one hand acts such that the actuating lever always returns into the initial position.

On the other hand the spring device may also be an element of the overload safety device in order to prevent an excessive force being exerted for a forced release of the locking bar.

The push or pull rod may be directly or indirectly P44/ connected to the locking bar by way of a spring. The spring P:\OPER Arl215966 res 169.do-2 1/0&01 characteristics are at the same time selected such that a release of the locking lever is only possible when the forces acting at the abutment do not exceed a predetermined measure. This is then the case when the pallet is unloaded.

With a loaded pallet the forces are so high that only the spring is tensioned.

The locking bar itself is advantageously pretensioned in the locking position, wherein on the commissioning station pivoting back from the dispensing position into the receiving position it automatically locks into the locking position.

S" The storage station and the commissioning station are preferably formed as inclined roller conveyors. A loaded pallet with these conveyors rolls under the effect of o o S"gravity from the storage station onto the commissioning station. In order to secure a filled pallet in the storage "station, it is particularly advantageous when between the storage station and the commissioning station there is arranged a release lever projecting into the advance path, S"the lever being movable between a release position and a locking position and being engageable with a load-dependent securing element on the commissioning station, which depends on the presence of a pallet on the commissioning station to retain the release lever in the locking position or frees it from a retained position.

The release lever protruding between the storage station and the commissioning station into the advance path of a pallet holds back the pallet in a locking position. In a the release position the pllet is freed and under the -1 the release position the pallet is freed and under the P:'OPER\Arl'2159686 r 169.do.-2I/0610 -6effect of gravity rolls onto the commissioning station. The actuation of the release lever is however dependent on the operating conditions at the commissioning station. The load-dependent securing element is in engagement with the release lever. According to whether a pallet lies on the commissioning station or not, the release lever is or remains retained in the locking position, or it is freed from a retained position so that is may travel into the release position. The coupling of these functions prevents erroneous manipulation in the simplest manner. Such a release mechanism may also be realised on a shelf store according to the state of the art with a pivotable return station.

5 Particularly advantageously the release lever is directly or indirectly coupled to a detent pawl which in the S"locking position bears on a rigid abutment, wherein the securing element is a clearing lever under spring tension, the clearing lever being under load of a pallet in an idle 20 position against the spring pretension. In the absence of the load of pallet the clearing lever frees the detent pawl from the abutment. In this manner the release lever remains continuously in the locking position as long as the commissioning station is occupied with a pallet. On the other hand however no further manipulation is required so that the empty commissioning station is equipped with a new pallet. Rather the transfer is effected automatically as soon as the empty commissioning station returns from the dispensing position into the receiving position. By way of this a considerable rationalisation effect is achieved since no storage stations are unnecessarily occupied.

P:AOPER/ArI\2 159686 r 169.do-2 1/06/01 -7- One advantageous design formation may be achieved in that the release lever is pivotable about an axis lying below the advance path, and is linkedly connected to the detent pawl, the release lever in the locking position extends roughly parallel to the advance path, and with its free end can be released out of the abutment towards the advance path. By way of this arrangement the release lever is pivoted out and traversed the effect of gravity on the pallet as soon as the detent pawl is freed. The detent pawl for its part must merely be lifted against its gravitational force or where appropriate against an additional spring .pretension.

S•A high degree of operational safety with this arrangement may be still achieved in that the detent pawl has a securing bar, which after the freeing by the release ooeo• lever, is slidable into the pivoting region of the oo commissioning station, locking the commissioning station into the receiving position. By way of this function the •gee 20 commissioning station is prevented from being lowered by way e of erroneous manipulation after freeing the detent pawl and S* thus on transfer of a pallet from the storage station to the commissioning station.

The clearing lever is advantageously pivotable about an axle lying below the advance path, and it includes a guiding connecting member protruding into the advance path, wherein the free end of the clearing lever is pivotable in the acting region of the detent pawl. On receiving a pallet on the commissioning station, the guiding connecting member is pressed downwards against the spring pretension. The -41 guiding connecting member for the reduction of friction may P.OPER\A 2159686 rs 169.do-2106/01 -7aalso be formed as a roller. The free end of the clearing lever rests below the detent pawl in a pretensioned position and raises the detent pawl as soon as the guiding connecting member is unloaded.

In certain cases it may be useful for the empty commissioning station not to be automatically equipped, but only when this is desired by the operating person. At the same time it is useful when the release lever is activatable via an actuating lever pivotably mounted on the commissioning station and by way of a push or pull rod is S- engageable with the release lever. In such a case the S..securing element is preferably a locking mechanism which •under the load of a pallet retains the push or pull rod.

In order to minimise the force effort for the pivoting back of the commissioning station into the receiving station it is particularly advantageous when on the commissioning station and/or on the return station there engages at least 20 one force storer, preferably a gas compression spring.

It is the object of the preferred embodiments of the invention to provide a device, whose design is simply constructed and which functions exclusively with a mechanical means without drive. The device according to the preferred embodiments has a high degree of operating safety, where in particular an easy removal of the empty pallets on the loading side is achieved.

P:\OPER\Arl\2159686 rs 169doc-21/061OI -7b- A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, of which: Figure 1 Figure 2 a a a.

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Figure 3 a lateral view of a shelf system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention with two levels, a plan view of a passage device in Figure 1, a lateral view of the device according to Figure 2 with the commissioning station in the receiving position, a lateral view of the device according to Figure 2 with the commissioning station in the dispensing station, a lateral view of the components allocated to the release lever, in the locking position, a lateral view of the arrangement according to Figure 5 in the release position, Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 -8 Figure 7 a plan view of the arrangement according to Figure Figure 8 a lateral view of the lokking bar on the commissioning station, Figure 9 a lateral view of the fastening of the actuating lever on the commissioning station, and Figure 10 a view of the end face of the commissioning station seen from the removal side.

9 Figure 1 shows a cutout of a shelf system 2 with two levels, on which there are arranged passage devices according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. From an equipping side 4, with the help of a shelf operating apparatus 29, pallets 1 loaded *9oo with storing goods 33 may be placed onto the storage stations The shelf operating apparatus 29 may have a column 32 in the known manner, which is traversably supported on a floor rail 30. On the column the forks 31 may be displaced, with which on the one hand filled pallets may be deposited and on the other hand empty pallets may be removed.

The filled pallets roll in a passage channel 3 from the storage station 5 onto a commissioning station 7 where from a commissioning path 34 they may be unloaded. The passage channel formed as a roller conveyor has for example a gradient of approx. In certain cases it would however also be conceivable to arrange the passage channel 3 horizontally, which however requires a motoric drive of the roller conveyors.

-9 So that the empty pallets 1 do not have to be removed from the commissioning station on the removal side 6, these may be transferred to a return station 8 below the storage station 5 by pivoting the commissioning station. Figure 1 shows on the upper level a filled pallet on the commissioning station 7 in the receiving position 9 and on the lower level an empty pallet on reaching its end position on the return station 8. The commissioning station is at the same time still located in the locked dispensing position In the plan view according to Figure 2 it is to be recognised that the passage channel 3 is formed as a roller conveyor with laterally arranged carrier rollers 35. The whole passage station is formed by a stand, which includes continuous carrier spars 40, 40'. In the region of the bearing station 5 the carrier rollers 35 are directly mounted to S these carrier spars. In the passage direction at the end of the storage station 5 the carrier rollers 35 cooperate with braking rollers 36 in order to brake the passage of the Spallets. The surface between the two roller conveyors in the region of the storage station 5 is occluded with a protective ooo• grid 37 for safety reasons.

In the region of the commissioning station 7 the carrier rollers 35 are fastened onto a tilt frame 41 (Figure 4), which is pivotably mounted about a pivoting axle 42 between the carrier spars 40, 40'. The area between the roller conveyors for safety reasons is closed with footboards. A first footboard 38 directly arranged next to the commissioning path is at the same time arranged rigidly. A second footboard 39 is movably mounted and is formed as an emergency release. As soon as a person steps on the footboard 39 between the roller conveyers, it sinks by a small distance of e.g. 2-4 cm and at the same time releases via a pull lead, a sensor or another suitable device, the emergency switch-off on the shelf operating apparatus. Thus, a person can PFMF001au/22.03.99 reach the equipping side whilst the shelf operating apparatus is in action.

Figure 2 also yet shows the arrangement, described in yet further detail, of the release lever 26 between the storage station 5 and the commissioning station 7. With the position 85 furthermore yet a return locking device is indicated. This consists of a pawl linked on the transverse spar 67, which similar to the release lever 26 protrudes into the advance path, and which may be traversed by a pallet only in the forward direction. As soon as a pallet has reached the end position on the commissioning station 7, the detent pawl pivots back again, wherein it bears with one arm on the transverse spar 67. With this, for example on stepping on an empty pallet on the commissioning station, this is prevented from being able to be displaced back onto the storage station with which there would entail a considerable risk of accident.

Further details of the passage station are visible from the Figures 3 and 4. Below the storage station 5 the return station for the empty pallets is pivotably suspended about a pivoting axle 86. At the freely pivotable end region 15 of the return station this is mechanically coupled to the freely pivotable end 14 of the commissioning station. For this purpose between these end regions there is arranged a twoarmed lever 13 with a short lever arm 16 and a long lever arm 17. Via joint members 18 the end region 15 is connected to the short lever arm 16 and the end region 14 to the long lever arm 17. As can be seen from Figure 3, the length of the lever arms and their relative position is selected such that the return station 8 is arranged roughly horizontally in a rest position 11, whilst the commissioning station 7 is located in a receiving position 9 in which it is flush with the storage station PFMFOO1au/22.03.99 -11 At the end region 15 of the return station 8 there is arranged an abutment on which in an oblique position 12 there bears the end region 14 of the commissioning station 7 in a dispensing position 10. An angular lever 20 is pivotably and resiliently mounted on the abutment in a manner such that a feeler lever 21 protrudes into the advance path of a pallet, whilst a detent pawl in the rest position bears on the abutment. On traversing a pallet from the commissioning station onto the return station the feeler lever 21 is pressed down, wherein the detent pawl 22 moves into the locking position and locks the end region 14 of the commissioning station 7 on the abutment.

On the end region 15 of the return station 8 there also engages a gas compression spring 28 which presses back the return station 8 into the horizontal rest position 11 and thus supports the lifting up of the tilt frame 41. The end regions 14 and 15 of the two stations by way of the mechanical coupling via the lever arm 13 always move simultaneously and oppositely, i.e. the one end region is lowered, whilst the other is lifted up and vice-versa.

By way of the Figures 5 to 7 firstly the function of the release lever 26 is described in more detail. This is pivotably arranged below the advance path about a pivoting axle The pivoting axle 60 is mounted between the two carrier plates 65, 65' which for their part are welded on the transverse spar. On the pivoting axle 60 in a rotationally rigid manner there is arranged a lever arm 61 in a manner such that in the locking position of the release lever 26 it projects slightly obliquely upwards. On the lever arm 61 on a joint 62 there is linked a detent pawl 57 which extends roughly horizontally below the advance path.

The detent pawl 57 bears on an abutment 58 which may be formed as a roller bearing. This roller bearing is mounted -12 between the guiding cheeks 66, 66' which simultaneously laterally guide the detent pawl 57. By way of a tension spring 63 the detent pawl is furthermore pretensioned in a manner such it not only bears on the abutment 58 with its own weight but also further under spring pretension.

The free end of the detent pawl is designed as a securing bar 64 which on the one hand serves to release the detent pawl and which on the other hand may lock the commissioning station.

leve The detent pawl is engageable with a clearing lever 59 which is pivotably arranged on the commissioning station about a pivoting axle 68. The clearing lever 59 is by way of a tension spring 72 pretensioned upwardly towards the advance path. With this a guiding connecting member 69 protrudes into the advance path or is pressed below the level of the advance path under the load of a present pallet 1. The free end 70 of the clearing lever 59, which is provided with a transverse bolt is arranged below the detent pawl 57 or below the securing bar 64 thereof.

The tilt frame 41 of the commissioning station at its end face neighbouring the transverse spar 67 is occluded with Sa U-section 71. The arms of the U-section are at the same time arranged below and above the securing bar 64 in a manner such that with a latched detent pawl 57 the tilt frame can just still be lowered. The lower arm of the U-section is somewhat elongated and bears on the transverse spar 67 below an abutment. This abutment limits the movement of the tilt frame on pivoting back.

Figure 6 shows the condition of the arrangement according to Figure 5 on rolling a filled pallet from the storage station onto the commissioning station. The guiding connec- Nting member which is unloaded on emptying the commissioning PFMFOO1au/22.03.99 -13 station effects the pivoting up of the clearing lever 59 by way of the tension spring 72, so that the free end 70 assumes another relative position. On pivoting back the tilt frame into the receiving position now the free end 70 effects a lifting of the detent pawl 57 out of the abutment 58.

The load of a pallet bearing on the release lever 26 effects a torque which in the Figures 5 and 6 acts in the clockwise direction and which presses the release lever 26 below the level of the advance path. Simultaneously also the detent pawl 57 lying on the abutment 58 displaces to the right and specifically so far until the securing bar 64 engages into the U-section 71, and by way of this temporarily locks the tilt frame 41. In this position the guiding connecting member 69 protrudes beyond the level of the advance path.

As soon as the rolling on pallet reaches the guiding connecting member 69, the clearing lever 59 is again pretensioned into the position according to Figure 5, in which the free end 70 no longer touches the detent pawl 57. As soon as the pallet has also completely traversed the pressed down release lever 26 and thus also approximately has reached its end position on the commissioning station, the detent pawl under the force of the tension spring is again retracted and by way of this the locking of the tilt frame 41 is again released. With this it is yet to be noted that this locking may only come to fruition when with a rolling of a pallet the otherwise continuously locked tilt frame 41 is inadvertently released. The tension spring 63 retracts the detent pawl 57 so far until it again latches on the abutment 58 and the release lever has thus again reached its locking position.

The locking of the tilt frame 41 in the receiving position is subsequently described in more detail by way of the Figures 8 to 10. As can already be seen from Figures 2 to 4 PFMF001au/22.03.99 -14 on the operator side there is arranged an actuating lever 24.

This is pivotably linked between the two holding plates 83, 83' about a pivoting axle 82. On the load arm or the actuating lever there is welded a tension plate which is connected to a pull rod 25. The end of the pull rod is formed as a threaded bolt 57 which protrudes beyond the tension plate 84.

By way of a nut 88 the pull rod may be tensioned against the force of a compression spring 81. On actuating the actuating lever 24 in the direction of the arrow a evidently the pull rod 25 is moved in the direction of the arrow b. Subsequently it returns again into its rest position under the force effect of the compression spring.

The free end of the pull rod 25 is linked via a joint onto a double lever 78 which for its part is pivotably fastened on the inner side of the tilt frame about a pivoting axle 79.

Parallel to the transverse spar 67 a pivoting axle 74 is arranged on the tilt frame 41. On this pivoting axle there are seated two locking bars 23' 23' (Figure 2) which in the receiving position lie on an abutment 73. The locking bars are at the same time slighly inclined to the vertical so that the tendency for self-locking increases with an increasing loading. The locking bar 23 in the plane of the pull rod is connected to an actuating plate 75. This actuating plate is connected via two tension springs 76 and 77 to the double lever 78, wherein the stronger tension spring 76 and 77 engages below the pivoting axle 74 and the somewhat weaker tension spring 77 above the pivoting axle 74.

With a movement of the pull rod 25 in the direction of the arrow b evidently the double lever 78 is rotated in the anti-clockwise direction and the tension spring 776 is tensioned. As soon as the tension force is sufficient to overcome the load-dependent forces on the locking bar 23, the locking bar is pulled away from the abutment 73 and the tilt frame 41 may be lowered about the pivoting axle 42 into the dispensing position. If however the pallet lying on the commissioning station is still loaded on the locking bar 23 such a high torque must be exerted that only the tension spring is tensioned, the bar however remains in its locking position.

The tension spring 76 pretensions the locking bar 23 into its locking position, so that with the pivoting back of the tilt frame the locking bar automatically latches behind the abutment 73.

Of course also other locking bar functions would be conceivable. In particular in the sense of a kinematic reversal the pivotable locking levers may be linked on the stand and bear on the tilt frame. It would also be conceivable that with the actuating lever 24 also further the release lever 26 is unlocked, wherein to the release lever and the locking bar there are allocated separate gear members movable by the actuating lever in each case in one pivoting direction. The actuating lever 24 could for example also be formed as a foot pedal.

So

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This robust and useful control of the operating procedures via the actuating lever 24 ensures a high operational safety and may also be applied to devices in which the return station 8 is not necessarily lifted, but remains in a fixedly adjusted oblique position.

With the passage of a pallet through the passage station the following procedure is played out: As soon as a commniissioning station 7 has dispensed its empty pallet to the return station 8 and is pivoted back, the already described mechanics releases the release lever 26 and a loaded pallet s Z rolls on the carrier rollers 35 braked by the regulatably- -16 braking braking rollers 36 or where appropriate by the release lever itself, from the storage station 5 onto the commissioning station 7. Here the pallet may be emptied from the commissioning path 34 (Figure In the meantime the shelf operating apparatus 29 has already again lowered a loaded pallet onto the storage station 5. As soon as the pallet on the commissioning station 7 is emptied the actuating lever 24 is pivoted in the direction of the arrow a, wherein the locking bars 23, 23' are unlocked. The commissioning station 7 is now lowered, wherein the movement may be supported by actuating the lever in the direction of the arrow a.

:On reaching the dispensing position 10 the empty pallet rolls onto the return station 8 which in the meantime has been lifted and with this locks the tilt frame 41 on the abutment 19. On reaching an end position on the return station the detent pawl on the abutment is released and the tilt frame may pivot back again supported by the gas compression spring 28 and where appropriate by pulling on the actuating lever 24.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

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Claims (3)

17- THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A device for the passage of pallets, in a shelf store, with at least one passage channel which comprises a storage station operable from an equipping side, a commissioning station operable from a removal side as well as a return station arranged under the storage station, wherein the commissioning station is pivotably mounted in a manner such that in a lifted receiving position a pallet is displaceable from the storage station to the commissioning station and that in a :lowered dispensing position the emptied pallet is displaceable from the commissioning station onto the return station, wherein the return station is pivotably •mounted such that on actuating the commissioning station ~the return station is pivotable from a roughly horizontal rest position into an oblique position in oooo• S• which it connects to the commissioning station in the eo.. dispensing position, whereby the commissioning station and the return station are coupled by a gear member in a ••go manner such that the stations are pivotable simultaneously and in opposite directions. 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein between the commissioning station and the return station there is arranged at least one two-armed lever and that the pivotable end regions of these stations in each case via a joint member are connected in each case to a lever arm. 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the return station in the oblique position roughly has the same PAOPERArlI\2159686 r- 169.do-21/06101 -18- angle of inclination as the commissioning station in the dispensing position. 4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the commissioning station in the dispensing position bears on an abutment on the return station and on the abutment there is arranged a locking means, which on displacing a pallet on to the return station, locks the commissioning station on the abutment. A device according to claim 4, wherein the locking means is an angular lever whose one lever arm protrudes into the advance path of a pallet and can be held down by the pallet and whose other lever arm forms a detent pawl. •oee• 6. A device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the commissioning station has at least one locking bar and .eeooi S•is held in the receiving position so that the locking bar is engageable with the commissioning station in a :..manner such that on exceeding a nominal load on the commissioning station, the locking bar cannot be unlocked. 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the locking bar is activatable via an actuating lever which is directly or indirectly connected to the locking bar via a rod. 8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the locking bar is pivotably linked on the commissioning station and in the receiving position thereof bears on a second abutment, and that between the locking bar and the Aactuating lever there is arranged an overload safety P.\OPER\ArI\2159686 169.do-21/06/01 -19- device which prevents the locking bar pivoting away from the abutment when the commissioning station is overloaded. 9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the actuating lever is pivotable into the release position against the force of a spring device. A device according to claim 9, wherein the rod is directly or indirectly connected to the locking bar by way of a spring. 11. A device according to one of the claims 6 to 10, wherein the locking bar under spring pretension is pretensioned S•into the locking position, and on the commissioning station pivoting back from the dispensing position into the receiving position the locking bar latches into the locking position. 12. A device according to one of the claims 1 to 11, wherein ooo* on the commissioning station and/or on the return •i station there engages at least one force storer, S. •preferably a gas compression spring. 13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the storage station and the commissioning station are formed as inclined roller conveyors, and between the storage station and the commissioning station there is arranged a release lever protruding into the advance path of a pallet, which is movable between a release position and a locking position and which is engageable with a load- dependent securing element on the commissioning station, P:\OPER\ArV 159686 169.d~.-21/0601 said securing element either retaining the release lever in the locking position or frees the release lever out of the retained position, depending on the presence of a pallet on the commissioning station. 14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the release lever is directly or indirectly connected to a detent pawl which in the locking position bears on a rigid abutment and that the securing element is a clearing lever under spring tension, in which under the load of a pallet said clearing lever is held against the spring tension in a rest position and which without the load of i a pallet frees the detent pawl from the abutment. 15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the release lever s pivotable about an axle lying below the advance path and is linkedly connected to the detent pawl, the S"release lever in the locking position extends roughly parallel to the advance path and with its free end can be disengaged towards the advance path out of the abutment. 16. A device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the detent pawl has a securing bar which after freeing by the release lever can be displaced into pivoting region of the commissioning station, locking the commissioning station in the receiving position. 17. A device according to one of the claims 14 to 16, wherein the clearing lever is pivotable about an axle lying below the advance path, and includes a guiding Sconnecting member protruding into the advance path, the P.OPERArl\2159686 res 169doc-21/06/01 -21- free end of the cleaning lever being pivotable in the acting region of the detent pawl.

18. A device according to claim 13, wherein the release lever is activatable via an actuating lever pivotably mounted on the commissioning station, which by way of a push or pull rod is engageable with the release lever, and the securing element is a locking mechanism, which retains the push or pull rod under the load of a pallet.

19. A device for the passage of pallets in a shelf store, substantially as described with reference to the drawings and/or examples. DATED this 21st day of June, 2001 FMG Forderanlagen AG By DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant 6 Se a o