High density storage facility

Abstract

A high density storage facility including a storage area is described. Storage racks may be provided in the storage facility, and may be divided from top to bottom into slots. The slots may extend the width of the racks and be accessible for inserting and removing objects into and from the racks. The racks may be disposed in rows within the storage area and include a mechanism for rolling the racks along the storage area. The storage area may include a wall disposed substantially parallel to a widthwise side of the storage area. Doors may be disposed along the length of the wall, for providing access to the width ends of the racks. The racks may be installed upon rollably movable carriages along the width of the storage area for providing access to the width ends of the carriage racks from the doors.

1 . A high density storage facility comprising:
 a floor area of a certain length and width;   a plurality of rollably movable storage racks of certain height divided from top to bottom into storage slots, the slots extending the length of the carriage racks and being open and accessible for inserting and removing objects into and from the width ends of the carriage racks, the carriage racks being disposed within the floor area and including means for moving the carriage racks along the floor in a direction consistent with the width of the floor area, said carriage racks arranged in rows within the floor area with the lengthwise sides of the carriage racks being arranged substantially parallel to the lengthwise sides of the floor area, said rows comprising a plurality of side by side carriage racks which collectively fit within and across the width of the floor area.   
   
   
       2 . The facility of  claim 1  further comprising motor means for drivably moving the carriage racks across the width of the floor area. 
   
   
       3 . The facility of  claim 1  wherein the floor area is enclosed. 
   
   
       4 . The facility of  claim 1  further comprising a wall disposed substantially parallel to a widthwise side of the floor area, the wall including door means selectively disposed along the length of the wall for providing access to the width ends of all of the carriage racks, the carriage racks being moveable along the width of the enclosed floor area for providing access to the width ends of the racks from the door means. 
   
   
       5 . The facility of  claim 1  further comprising a row of stationary racks arranged along the widthwise side of the floor area, the stationary racks having a certain length, width and height and being divided from top to bottom into storage slots, the slots extending the length of the racks and being open and accessible from one width end for inserting and removing objects into and from the width ends of the stationary racks, the width ends of the racks facing the floor area. 
   
   
       6 . The facility of  claim 1 , wherein the carriage racks are uncoupably coupled along the width of the floor area for providing access to the width ends of the carriage racks. 
   
   
       7 . The facility of  claim 5  wherein at least two rows of carriage racks are disposed within the floor area and wherein as many rows of carriage racks are disposed within the floor area as will fit along the width of the floor area and leave a portion of the floor area unoccupied which is of a size at least sufficient to provide access to the width ends of the carriage racks upon selective movement of carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the width of the floor. 
   
   
       8 . The facility of  claim 7  wherein door means are selectively disposed along a widthwise wall of the facility so as to provide access to the unoccupied floor area upon selective movement of one or more of the carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the length of the floor area 
   
   
       9 . The facility of  claim 7  wherein the unoccupied floor area is further selected to be of such a size as to accommodate manipulation of the objects within the unoccupied floor area for insertion into the slots. 
   
   
       10 . The facility of  claim 1  wherein the carriage racks are mounted on tracks for widthwise movement within the floor area, the tracks extending the width of the floor area in a direction substantially parallel to the widthwise side of the floor area. 
   
   
       11 . The facility of  claim 5  further comprising motor means for drivably moving the carriage racks across the width of the floor area. 
   
   
       12 . The facility of  claim 5  wherein at least two rows of carriage racks are disposed within the floor area and wherein as many rows of carriage racks are disposed within the floor area as will fit along the width of the floor area and leave a portion of the floor area unoccupied which is of a size at least sufficient to provide access to the width ends of the carriage racks upon selective movement of the carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the width of the floor. 
   
   
       13 . The facility of  claim 9  wherein door means are selectively disposed along the widthwise wall of the building so as to provide access to the unoccupied floor area upon selective movement of one or more of the carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the width of the floor. 
   
   
       14 . The facility of  claim 9  wherein the unoccupied floor area is further selected to be of such a size as to be accessible upon movement of one or more of the carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the width of the floor area. 
   
   
       15 . The facility of  claim 1  wherein the carriage racks comprising a row are connected electromagnetically along their lengthwise sides forming rows which are movable and selectively disconnected or uncoupled in a widthwise direction along the floor area 
   
   
       16 . The facility of  claim 4  further comprising motor means for drivably moving the carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks across the width of the floor area. 
   
   
       17 . The facility of  claim 4  further comprising a row of stationary racks arranged along the widthwise side of the floor area, the stationary racks having a certain length, width and height and being divided from top to bottom into storage slots, the slots extending the length of the racks and being open and accessible from one width end for inserting and removing objects into and from the width ends of the stationary racks, the width ends of the racks facing the floor area. 
   
   
       18 . The facility of  claim 4  wherein a rack in a row of racks comprises a series of spaced vertical supports interconnected by a series of spaced horizontal supports. 
   
   
       19 . The facility of  claim 15  wherein the carriage racks in a row of carriage racks are mounted on tracks for widthwise movement within the floor area, the tracks extending the width of the floor area in a direction substantially parallel to the widthwise side of the floor area. 
   
   
       20 . The facility of  claim 6  wherein a carriage rack in a row of carriage racks comprises a series of spaced vertical supports interconnected by a series of horizontal supports. 
   
   
       21 . The facility of  claim 4  wherein at least two rows of carriage racks are disposed within the floor area and wherein as many rows of carriage racks are disposed within the floor area as will fit along the width of the floor area and leave a portion of the floor area unoccupied which is of a size at least sufficient to provide access from the door means to the width ends of the carriage racks upon selective movement of the carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the width of the floor. 
   
   
       22 . The facility of  claim 8  wherein door means are selectively disposed along the wall of the building so as to provide access to the unoccupied floor area upon selective movement of one or more carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the length of the floor area. 
   
   
       23 . The facility of  claim 8  wherein the carriage racks in a row of carriage racks comprises a series of spaced vertical supports interconnected by a series of spaced horizontal supports. 
   
   
       24 . The facility of  claim 8  wherein the unoccupied floor area is further selected to be of such a size as to be accessible upon movement of one or more of the carriage racks in the rows of carriage racks along the width of the floor area. 
   
   
       25 . The facility of  claim 14  further comprising motor means for drivably moving the carriage racks across the width of the floor area. 
   
   
       26 . The facility of  claim 14  wherein a carriage rack in a row of carriage racks comprises a series of spaced vertical supports interconnected by a series of spaced horizontal supports. 
   
   
       27 . The facility of  claim 14  further comprising a row of stationary racks arranged along one or both of the lengthwise sides of the floor area, the stationary racks having a certain length, wherein objects can be placed into and taken from the width ends of the stationary racks, the width ends of the racks facing the floor area. 
   
   
       28 . The facility of  claim 24  wherein a carriage rack in a row of carriage racks comprises a series of spaced vertical supports interconnected by a series of spaced horizontal supports. 
   
   
       29 . A high density boat storage facility comprising:
 a floor area of certain length and width;   a plurality of rollable movable storage racks of certain height divided from top to bottom into storage slots, the slots extending the length of the racks and being open and accessible for inserting and removing boats into and from the width ends of the carriage racks, the carriage racks being disposed in rows within the enclosed floor area and including means for rolling the carriage racks along the widthwise direction of the floor area.   
   
   
       30 . The facility of  claim 29 , wherein the floor area is enclosed. 
   
   
       31 . The facility of  claim 29 , further comprising a wall disposed substantially parallel to a widthwise side of the floor area, the wall including door means selectively disposed along a widthwise wall for providing access to the width ends of the carriage racks, the carriage racks being rollably moveable along the width of the enclosed floor area for providing access to the width ends of the carriage racks from the door means.