GB2040269A - Improvements in or relating to storage towers - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage tower for components and/or boxes of components comprises a series of flat trays 12...16 movable up and down guide surfaces (6,7) of the vertical struts (1...4) of a tower (Figure 3, not shown). Adjacent trays 12...16 are interconnected by brackets 19, 20 pivotally connected together and to the trays. The trays are moveable past a loading and unloading point 29 in the tower and as they move downwardly beyond the loading point, strips 30 cause the pivotal connections between the brackets to move inwardly allowing the trays to move into closely adjacent positions in a stacking location. On movement up from the stacking location, the trays move to spaced-apart positions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to storage towers This invention relates to storage structures which are structures intended to provide temporary storage capacity for components, parts or other items of equipment.

In assembly or production lines in factories, component parts are fed into the line by conveyors, for example bowl feeders, where the nature of the line or of the component permits this. Other components are supplied in containers from which they have to be extracted by an operative working on the line. The containers are usually placed on the factory floor as close to the operative as possible. The container thus takes up valuable floor space and may present a hazard to the operative and to other personnel.

According to the present invention a storage structure includes a series of guide surfaces, a plurality of support members movable along the guide surfaces passed a loading position, a mechanism for moving the support members along the guide surfaces, the structure including, to one side of the loading position, a stacking location in which the support members are maintained in closely adjacent positions, and, to the other side of the loading position, a storage location in which the support members are maintained in spaced relationship, the arrangement being such that adjacent support members are movable towards one another in moving from the loading position to the stacking location and away from each other when moving from the loading position to the storage location.

The guide surfaces may be vertical or horizontal.

Further, according to the present invention, a storage tower comprises a structure including a series of vertical guide surfaces, a plurality of support members movable along the guide surfaces, adjacent support members being joined together by flexible connecting members, and a mechanism for moving the support members along the guide surfaces passed a loading position in the structure, the connecting members being such that the support members are maintained in constant spaced relationship when moving upwards from the loading position or downwards to the loading position and that the connecting members permit movement of adjacent support members towards each other when moving downwards from the loading position and away from each other when moving upwards to the loading position.

The connecting members may be flexible or jointed connecting members.

There is provided in the structure beneath the loading position a storage section in which support members can be located in close proximity to each other.

The mechanism for moving the support members along the guide surfaces may comprise a cable or cables operativeiy connected to the uppermost support member and extending from a driving drum conveniently located on the top of the structure. The drum may be rotated by one electric motor also located on the top of the structure. Control switches for the motor are located at or adjacent the loading position.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figure lisa front elevation of the structure, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure, Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a plan view of a part of the structure, Figure 5 is a side view partly in section of the part of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a side view of another part of the structure, Figure 7 is a front elevation on a larger scale of two parts of the structure, Figure 8 is a side view of the parts of Figure 7, and, Figure 9 is a side view of other parts.

The embodiment now to be described is suitable for use as a storage tower for the temporary storage of components required for a production or assem blyline.

The structure comprises four upright struts 1...4 arranged at the corners of a rectangle when seen in plan and secured together by cross struts 5. The struts 1...4 are hollow box members as can be seen from Figure 3 and the cross struts are so located that they do not obstruct guide surfaces 6,7 on each upright strut.

The lower ends of the upright struts are secured together by side members 8 whilst the upper ends carry a platform 9 on which is mounted a driving drum 10 and an electric motor 11 for rotating the drum.

Movable along the guide surfaces 6,7 is a series of five support members 12,13,14, 15 and 16 in the form of flat trays. Each tray carries brackets 17 located close to each corner so providing guide surfaces adapted to co-act with the surfaces 6,7 to guide the tray as it moves up and down the structure in a manner to be described below. The trays are built up from lengths of angle iron secured together to form a rectangular framework to which expanded metal mesh 18 is secured to form a floor.

Immediately adjacent trays are secured together by two sets of interconnecting brackets 19, 20. Each bracket has diverging limbs 21,22 pivotally connected at their outer ends to a tray and, at their inner ends, joined together by a cross member 23. The cross members are themselves pivotally connected together. The sets are secured to the trays at opposite sides thereof.

The uppermost tray 16 is linked by brackets 24,25 identical with brackets 19,20 to another tray 26. The trays 12 and 26 are maintained in a fixed spaced relationship by struts 27 secured between the trays.

Tray 26 is not a load carrying tray and serves merely to facilitate the connection of a driving cable 28.

Referring now to Figure 7, it will be seen that each bracket member 19,20 comprises limbs 21,22 which diverge from cross members 23 joining the inner ends of the limbs.

Each limb consists of a length of angle iron welded or otherwise secured at one end to the cross members 23, one of the flanges of the angle iron being cut-away to facilitate the securing operation.

The adjacent part 51 of the other flange is bent back.

In the case of bracket member 19, the cross member is a tube 50 and the parts 51 of the flanges fit over the end faces of the tube 50. The parts 51 are apertured at 52, the centre of each aperture lying on the longitudinal axis of the tube 50.

In the case of the bracket member 20, the cross member is a flat strip 53 welded or otherwise secured to the inner ends of the limbs 21,22. The parts 51 of the limbs extend away from the junction piece as shown and have apertures 54 of the same diameter as the apertures 52. The length of the strip 53 exceeds that of the tube 50 so that these components can be nested together with the parts 51 at the ends of the cross members in close contact.

A rod (not shown) is passed through the apertures 52,54 and the tube 50 to form the pivotal connection.

The outer ends of the limbs 21, 22 of both bracket members are identical. The end of one flange of the angle iron is removed to provide a part 55 which is inturned to form, with a plate 56 welded or otherwise secured adjacent the outer end of the limbs, parallel supports for a spindle (not shown) which is passed through holes 57 in the parallel supports and by means of which the members are pivotally con nected to a tray. The tray carries a tubular link which fits between the parallel supports.

Except at one point, access to the trays is pre vented by expanded metal guards fixed to the struts of the structure. A gap 29 in the guard is provided at a convenient level above ground, for example bench height to enable components and containers to be loaded on to, and unloaded off, the trays as will be described below.

Beneath the gap 29, are located metal strips 30 each with an angled portion 32 which extends into the path of movement of the pivotal connection between the brackets 19, 20 but otherwise with clearance from the trays. Each metal strip 30 is pivotally secured at 33 to a support bracket 34 by means of which the strips 30 are mounted in position on opposite sides of the tower. Helical springs 35 urge the lower ends of the strips away from the brackets 34.

Limit switches 36,37 are provided adjacent the upper end of the structure and the gap 29 and are connected in the control circuit of the motor 11. The motor control circuit for the motor is contained in a control box 38 secured to the structure at some convenient point. Stop and start switches are pro vided in boxes 39,40 mounted upon the structure at each side of the gap 29. Two such boxes each having a stop and a start switch are provided.

It will usually be found to be desirable to provide a protective movable grille over the gap 29, the grille being associated with a safety switch which prevents energisation of the motor 11 unless the grille is in a guarding position over the gap. The grille is not shown in the drawings.

In use, and starting with the trays empty and in the positions shown in Fig. 2, an operator first operates the start buttons to energise the motor 11 and cause the cable to unwind from the drum and lower the trays. As the trays move downwardly, tray 12 moves passed the gap 29 and in due course the pivotal connections between the cross member 23 of the brackets interconnecting tray 12 with tray 13 comes into contact with the angled portions 32 of the strips 30 and this causes the pivotal connections 23 to move inwardly and trays 12 and 13 move towards each other.

That process is repeated for each tray until the trays 12....16 lie superimposed upon one another in close proximity within the tower beneath the loading gap 29. The operator operates the stop buttons when tray 16 is level with the lower edge of the loading gap 29.

A component or a container loaded with components can now be placed upon the tray 16. The start buttons are then pressed to elevate the tray 16 and bring tray 15 level with the lower edge of the loading gap 29. Tray 15 can now be loaded. This process is repeated until all the trays are loaded and the loaded trays are in the positions shown in Figure 2.

It will be appreciated that upward movement of the cable 28 to elevate the trays causes the brackets interconnecting adjacent trays to move to the positions shown in Figure 2 as adjacent trays move away from each other.

Unloading of the tower is effected in the reverse manner. A component or container on tray 12 is first removed and then the start buttons are operated to lower tray 12 below the loading gap and bring tray 13 into line with the loading gap so that the item on this tray can be removed and so on.

It will be appreciated that the tower shown in the drawings provides storage for five components or containers within a floor area only very slightly larger than that which a single component or container would occupy. There is thus a considerable saving in floor space. Moreover, because loading and unloading of trays is effected at bench height movement of components or containers from trays is made easierfor operatives on the assembly or production line. The operative does not have to lift the component or container from the floor and it may be possible for movement of the component or container from the tray to the operative to be along a roller or similar conveyor.

It will be understood that the limit switches 36 and 37 ensure that the uppermost tray cannot be moved beyond predetermined upper and lower positions.

The switches also determine the direction of movement of the trays once one of the switches has been operated.

The remainder of the motor control circuit follows conventional lines and will not be further described.

In addition to its use in conjunction with a production or assembly line, the storage tower may be used simply as a store. Because the loading point can be at any desired height above ground or even at ground level, it is not necessary to lift components or containers to great heights before loading them on the trays and thus loading can be effected without the use of conventional fork lift trucks, thereby eliminating the hazards associated with the use of such trucks.

It is thus not necessary to provide between adjacent rows of towers gangways wide enough to accommodate the conventional fork lift trucks. This means that it may be possible to accommodate the same number of storage towers in a smallerfloor area or a larger number of storage towers in the same floor area.

The controis of the tower can be operated by operatives who do not need the skill of a fork truck driver, in fact, unskilled labour can be used.

The tower structure is of a strength consistent with the size and weight of the components it is to handle, and, being a fixed structure, is completely stable.

The tower can be constructed to any desired height, and because it is loaded from a convenient level there is no need of the specially adapted fork lift trucks normally required to lift loads to abnormal heights.

The dimensions of the trays and the corresponding dimensions of the tower will depend upon the maximum size of component or container to be accommodated whilst the height of the tower depends upon the ceiling height of the building in which the tower is to be situated. If necessary, that part of the tower below the loading gap may be below ground level.

The tower may be driven by means other than an electric motor. For example, an hydraulic, a pneumatic or a mechanical drive could be used.

The connection between adjacent trays may take forms other than that described above. For example, brackets with a doubly-pivotable connection between them could be used. The connection is so designed as to allow a greater number of trays to be housed in the storage part of the tower.

Claims (7)

1. A storage structure including a series of guide surfaces, a plurality of suport members movable along the guide surfaces passed a loading position, a mechanism for moving the support members along the guide surfaces, the structure including, to one side of the loading position, a stacking location in which the support members are maintained in closely adjacent positions, and, to the other side of the loading position, a storage location in which the support members are maintained in spaced relationship, the arrangement being such that adjacent support members are movable towards one another in moving from the loading position to the stacking position and away from one another when moving from the loading position to the storage location.

2. A structure as claimed in claim 1 in which the guide surfaces are vertical and in which adjacent support members are joined together by flexible connecting members.

3. A structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which each support member comprises a tray formed or provided with guide means in co-operating relationship with the guide surfaces for guiding the tray for movement along the guide surfaces.

4. A structure as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 in which adjacent support members are joined together by brackets pivotally connected to the support members and to each other, and in which means are provided in the stacking position for collapsing the interconnecting brackets.

5. A structure as claimed in claim 4 and in which the mechanism includes a first member maintained in a fixed spaced relationship with a first immediately adjacent support member.

6. A structure as claimed in claim 4 and in which each bracket has two arms which diverge outwardly from a cross member to which one end of each arm is fixed, the cross members being pivotally connected together, the other ends of the arms being pivotally connected to a support member.

7. A structure substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.