Description of Invention

This invention is concerned with improvements relating to transportation, in particular to the transportation of articles from a storage facility such as a warehouse to an area at which they are to be handled or otherwise utilised.

Conventionally articles are transported from a warehouse to a department store by loading a box with a range of needed articles, and transporting the box to a vehicle, conveniently by the use of a conveyor mechanism, at which the articles are unloaded into the vehicle.

According to this invention there is provided a transport system comprising a) a conveyor comprising a plurality of lifting heads at spaced intervals; b) a plurality of storage units movable by the conveyor, each storage unit being adapted to carry a plurality of articles, each storage unit comprising a connection device adapted to be engaged with one of the lifting heads in the transportation of the storage unit by the conveyor; and c) a wheeled transport unit to which a storage unit may be transferred from the conveyor to permit articles carried thereby to be transported from the conveyor, characterised in that the transport unit comprises operating means to disengage a storage unit from the conveyor and to transfer the storage unit to the transport unit.

By the placing of the operating means on the transport unit, storage units may conveniently be transported on the transport units into the vicinity of the conveyor and manipulated (conveniently lifted) to facilitate transfer from the transport unit onto the conveyor.

Advantageously the operating means is manually operable, but may be automatically operable.

Preferably the operating means comprises an operating member movable into engagement with the connection device to transfer the storage unit to the transport unit, and by virtue of such movement to cause the connection device to disengage from the conveyor.

The storage unit may comprise a conventional box-like structure into which articles may be stacked, the connection device being mounted on an upper part of the box. In such circumstances, conveniently the box comprises a collapsible frame, with fabric stretched between the members of the frame, conveniently a fabric such as netting, which has the advantage of maintaining the articles within the box at least partially visible, whilst keeping the articles free of detritus.

Preferably in such circumstances the box is collapsible to some extent at least in the vertical direction, conveniently the connection device being capable of being moved into a position centrally of the box, when not in use.

Alternatively the storage unit may comprise a hanging assembly or carousel comprising one or more hanging rails on which articles may be hung, the connection device being located above the hanging rails.

Preferably the storage units comprise both of these, in each case the connection device being of the same general construction and operation.

If desired the storage units may comprise other designs, similarly comprising a connection device of the same general construction.

In this way storage units of both kinds may be intermixed, and one design of transport unit may be utilised to transport both types of storage unit.

Preferably the transport unit is adapted for wheeled floor travel, and advantageously comprises wheeled means such as castors. Preferably in addition the transport unit comprises means to enable it to be engaged by a conveyor.

In this manner the transport units together with storage units may be transferred from a desired position such as in a warehouse at least semi-automatically. For example the combined transport and storage units may

be transferred into the interior of a transport vehicle by the use of conveyor mechanism thereof. Alternatively or in addition the combined transport and storage units may be transferred to (for example) the vicinity of the final destination of a large department store by the use of internal conveyor mechanism.

Preferably the transport unit comprises a frame of open construction, preferably so arranged as to enable a plurality of such units to be at least partially nested horizontally when not in use.

According to this invention there is also provided a method of transportation in which a) a plurality of articles for the same destination are loaded into a storage unit; b) the storage unit is conveyed by a conveyor to a distribution station; c) at the distribution station the storage unit is transferred from the conveyor to a wheeled transport unit; d) the storage unit is transferred to a transport vehicle; and e) the storage unit is delivered to a final location on the or a similar transport unit.

Thus the wheeled transport unit carrying the storage unit may be loaded into the transport vehicle for transportation to the destination and the transport unit with the storage unit may be wheeled to the final destination.

Alternatively the wheeled transport unit may be transferred to the vicinity of the transport vehicle at which the storage unit is transferred to the vehicle separately, the storage unit being transferred from the vehicle to a transport unit of similar design at the destination of the vehicle, for conveyance to the final destination.

If desired the storage unit may be transferred to a second conveyor mechanism for conveying the storage unit into the vehicle, and preferably from the vehicle to a transport unit at the destination.

According to this invention there is also provided, in combination, a connection device for securing to a storage unit, the connection device comprising means engageable with a conveyor mechanism in the automatic transportation of the storage unit, and a transport unit comprising operating means engageable with the connection device in the transfer of the storage unit from the conveyor to the transport unit.

There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a transport system which is a preferred embodiment of this invention, having been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a transport unit used in the illustrative method of this invention, which is itself illustrative of certain aspects of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the transport unit in a position alongside a conveyor mechanism, juxtaposed with storage units being conveyed by the conveyor mechanism;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing one type of storage unit carried by the transport unit;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an alternative design of storage unit;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a connection device of the storage unit engaged with a lifting head of the conveyor;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the connection device; and

Figure 7 is a view of a modified construction of storage unit and transport unit.

The conveyor system which is the preferred embodiment of this invention is for use in the conveying of articles from a warehouse to a department store, involving the use of a number of different types of unit (herein referred to as being the storage unit) onto which a variety of items are loaded, and which are

conveyed by means of a conveyor to a transport unit, to which the storage unit is transferred.

The transport unit comprises a metal tubular framework 6 of open construction, comprising spaced side frames 7a, 7b_ between which is located a supporting structure comprising hollow vertical tubes 8a, 8b _. and a cross brace 10. Legs 12 of the side frames each support a wheeled castor 14.

The transport unit comprises operating means comprising an operating member afforded by a cross bar 20 secured to support rods 19a, 19b slidably mounted in the tubular members 8a, 8b, An operating lever 24 conveniently pivotally mounted on a lower part of the frame 6 for foot operation, is connected to the support rods such that by depression of the operating lever, the cross bar 20 is raised a short distance to an operative position and similarly on release of the operating lever, the cross bar may be lowered to an inoperative position.

Although the operating lever is designed for foot operation, if desired the operating means may comprise an alternative operating member such as that indicated by the numeral 26 in Figure 1, which may be conveniently located for hand operation.

The transport system which is the preferred embodiment of this invention also comprises a conveyor comprising an elongate belt 30 driven by suitable means around the area to be served, the belt 30 being provided at spaced locations with lifting heads 32. Each lifting head is in the form of a bobbin, conveniently moulded from plastics material, having tapered outer discs 34, 36 and a spindle 38.

The transportation system which is the preferred embodiment of this invention also comprises a plurality of storage units, into which selected items are loaded in the warehouse, which may be boxed items, or hanging items.

The storage unit comprise storage units of the first kind, illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings and indicated by the numeral 50, comprising a collapsible frame over which a convenient fabric-like material such as netting is

secured, providing a convenient internal compartment which may be shelved, into which articles to be transported may be located.

The transport system also comprises storage units of a second type shown in Figure 4, in the form of a carousel 60 comprising a plurality of hanging rails 62, 64 upon which hangers may be hung, for the carrying of articles of clothing.

If desired the transport system may comprise storage units of further different kinds.

All of the storage units used in the transport system comprise a connection device 70 secured to an upper end portion of the storage unit, said connection device comprising a mounting bracket 71, and a conveyor engagement formation 72 at an upper end thereof, the formation 72 being in the form of a pair of bifurcated, divergent arms 73a, 73b,

Mounted below the formation 72 is a transport unit engagement formation 75, provided by a concave-curved portion at the upper end of the mounting bracket 71.

As will be seen, each storage unit 50, 60 comprises a mounting plate 80, with which a mounting bracket 71 may releasably be connected.

In the use of the storage units, the bifurcated arms 73a, 73b_ extend around the spindle 38 of a lifting head 32, between the discs 34, 36 thereof, the connection device and the storage unit secured thereto being supported by the conveyor belt 30 whilst conveying the storage unit and the articles carried thereby around the warehouse, whilst articles which are required are loaded onto the storage unit, being either located within the box-like structure 50 or being hung from the carousel unit 60.

At a distribution station where, typically, the conveyor belt is stationary or moving only slowly each storage unit is transferred from the conveyor belt to a transport unit by a process involving the wheeling of the transport unit beneath the conveyor belt 30, moving the cross brace 10 into a position generally beneath the engagement formation 75, depressing the operating lever 24 and causing the

operating member 20 to be raised to its operative position engaging within the formation 75 and lifting the storage unit from the conveyor. The transport unit may be wheeled away from the lifting head, prior to the operating means being allowed to lower.

The transport unit may then be wheeled to an alternative conveyor system, at which the storage unit may be transferred automatically or semi- automatically into the transport vehicle. Conveniently however the transport units are themselves loaded inside the transport vehicle, to be conveyed to the department store destination, at which the transport units together with the storage units thereon are wheeled to the final destination.

Alternatively if desired the transport unit may be wheeled into the transport vehicle, and the storage unit transferred conveniently by an operation similar to that by which it was disengaged from the conveyor, into engagement with the static rail, whereupon empty transport units may be returned to the warehouse, the storage units being picked up from the static rail by similar transport units at the department storage destination.

When not in use the transport units may conveniently be at least partially nested.

In a modified construction of the storage and transport units, shown in Fig 7 in which similar numerals used in the construction shown in Fig 3 have been utilised, with an apostrophe( * ) the operating means comprises two operating members operative on opposite sides of the storage unit 50 ', the storage unit comprising side arms 92, 94 each provided on an underside thereof with a transport unit engagement formation 75 ', said formation being rotated through 90° as compared with the construction shown in Fig 3.

By operation of the lever 24 ', the two operating members 20a _. ' and 20b _. ' may be raised to engage with the formations 75, to lift the storage unit 50 ' and the connection device 70 ' into a position in which the conveyor engagement formation 72 ' is in alignment with the lifting heads 32 ' of the conveyor.

By such a construction the wheeled transport unit 6 ' may, with the operating member in its inoperative or lowered position, be wheeled to a position adjacent to the conveyor 30, and the operating members 20a. ', 20b. ¹ operated to lift the formation 72 ^• in to the path of travel of a lifting held whilst the conveyor is moving, the engagement formation engaging with the formation 72 ' and carrying the container from the transport unit 6 '.