Carousel material handling apparatus

Abstract

The material handling apparatus is disclosed comprising a plurality of storage bins and a continuous pathway. The pathway includes spaced apart linear pathway segments joined by arcuate end segments. The bins are supported on the pathway to move about the pathway in a predetermined desired direction. Each of the bins is hingedly connected to one another to define a continuous chain of hingedly connected bins. A drive mechanism is provided to independently drive each of the bins with the drive means operable only when the hinge connector members of the bins are disposed in a linear pathway segement.

I claim: 
     
       1. A carousel material handling apparatus comprising: a plurality of storage bins;   a first and second generally linear spaced apart pathway segment each extending between first and second ends, first and second arcuate pathway segments, said first arcuate pathway segment joining first ends of said linear pathway segments and said second arcuate pathway segment joining second ends of said linear pathway segments, said first and second linear pathway segments and said first and second arcuate pathway segments cooperating to define a continuous pathway;   bin support means for supporting each of said bins to move about said continuous pathway with said bins disposed in side-by-side relation to define contiguous bins;   connecting means for hingedly connecting contiguous bins to define a continuous chain of hingedly connected bins disposed on said pathway;   drive means associated with a plurality of said bins to independently urge each one of said plurality of bins to move in a predetermined common direction around said continuous pathway; and   drive engagement means for operating said drive means by any one of said plurality of bins to urge said any one of said plurality of bins to move in said predetermined common direction when said any one of said plurality of bins is disposed on one of said linear pathway segments and said drive engagement means further selected for said drive means not to be urging said any one of said plurality of bins to move in said predetermined common direction when said any one of plurality of bins is disposed on one of said arcuate pathway segments.   
     
     
       2. A carousel material handling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive engagement means is selected to operate said drive means of said any one of said plurality of bins when said connecting means of said any one of said plurality of bins is disposed on one of said linear pathway segments. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a motor associated with each one of said plurality of said bins; said drive engagement means comprising a wheel and cooperating rail, said wheel driven by said motor, said rail disposed adjacent a linear pathway segment and dimensioned for a wheel of a bin to engage said rail when connecting means of said bin are disposed on said linear pathway segment. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said arcuate segment includes an inner track, said inner track comprising a segment of an ellipse. 
     
     
       5. A carousel material handling apparatus comprising: a plurality of storage bins;   first and second generally linear spaced apart pathway segments each extending between first and second ends, first and second arcuate pathway segments, said first arcuate pathway segment joining first ends of said linear pathway segments and said second arcuate pathway segment joining second ends of said linear pathway segments, said first and second linear pathway segments and said first and second arcuate pathway segments cooperating to define a continuous pathway;   bin support means for supporting each of said bins to move about said continuous pathway with said bins disposed in side-by-side relation to define contiguous bins;   connecting means for hingedly connecting contiguous bins to define a continuous chain of hingedly connected bins disposed on said pathway; and   drive motors disposed associated with each of said bins with means for each of said motors to be independently operated to urge any one of said bins to move in a predetermined desired direction when said any one of said bins is disposed on a linear pathway segment and said means further selected for each of said motors not to urge said any one of said bins in said predetermined desired direction when said any of said bins is disposed on an arcuate pathway segment.   
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said connecting means comprises a plurality of hinge points connecting contiguous bins with a distance between hinge points being equal for all bins. 
     
     
       7. A carousel material handling apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said means for each of said motors to be independently operated is selected to urge said any one of said bins to move in said predetermined desired direction when connecting means of said bin is disposed on a linear pathway segment. .Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  A carrousel material handling apparatus comprising: a plurality of storage bins;   first and second generally linear spaced apart pathway segments each extending between first and second ends, first and second arcuate pathway segments, said first arcuate pathway segment joining said first ends of said linear pathway segments and said second arcuate pathway segment joining said second ends of said linear pathway segments, said first and second linear pathway segments and said first and second arcuate pathway segments cooperating to define a continuous inner pathway, said arcuate pathway segments being segments of a non-circular ellipse;   an outer pathway surrounding said inner pathway with said outer pathway defined by a line traced by a point on a bin as said bin moves about said inner pathway; and   bin support means for supporting each of said bins to move about said inner pathway and said outer pathway. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said bin support means includes at least first and second attachment means for attaching a bin to said inner pathway, said outer pathway defined by a line traced by said point with said point disposed along a bisecting line extending between said first and second points of attachment, third attachment means disposed at said point for attaching said bin to said outer pathway. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said arcuate pathway segments are half segments of said ellipse divided along a major axis of said ellipse. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A carrousel material handling apparatus comprising:   a plurality of storage bins;   first and second generally linear spaced apart pathway segments each extending between first and second ends, first and second arcuate pathway segments, said first arcuate pathway segment joining said first ends of said linear pathway segments and said second arcuate pathway segment joining said second ends of said linear pathway segments, said first and second linear pathway segments and said first and second arcuate pathway segments cooperation to define a continuous pathway, said arcuate pathway segments being half segments of a non-circular ellipse divided along a major axis of said ellipse; and   bin support means for supporting each of said bins to move about said continuous pathway, said bin support means including at least first and second attachment means for attaching a bin to said pathway, said first and second attachment means including first and second attachment points each defined by a point where each of said first and second attachment means attaches said bin to said pathway with a distance between said first and second attachment points being equal for all bins and being equal to said major axis of said ellipse. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. An apparatus to claim 11 wherein said continuous pathway is an inner pathway, said apparatus further including an outer pathway surrounding said inner pathway with said outer pathway defined by a line traced by a point on a bin as said bin moves about said inner pathway, said bin support means further including third attachment means disposed at said point for attaching said bin to said outer pathway. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said outer pathway is defined by a line traced by said point with said point disposed along a bisecting line extending between said first and second points of attachment. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. An apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising connecting means for hingedly connecting contiguous bins to define a continuous chain of hingedly connected bins disposed on said pathway, said connecting means including a plurality of hinge points connecting contiguous bins with a distance between hinge point being equal for all bins and being equal to said major axis of said ellipse, each of said hinge points defining a rotation axis passing through one of said first and second attachment points. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A carrousel material handling apparatus comprising:   a plurality of storage bins;   first and second generally linear spaced apart pathway segments each extending between first and second ends, first and second arcuate pathway segments, said first arcuate pathway segment joining said first ends of said linear pathway segments and said second arcuate pathway segment joining said second ends of said linear pathway segments, said first and second linear pathway segments and said first and second arcuate pathway segments cooperating to define a continuous inner pathway, said arcuate pathway segments being half segments of an non-circular ellipse divided along a major axis of said ellipse;   an outer pathway including separate first and second arcuate outer segments with each of said first and second arcuate outer segments adjacent one of said first and second arcuate pathway segments of said inner pathway, and each of said first and second arcuate outer segments defined by a arcuate line traced by a point on a bin as said bin moves about each of said first and second arcuate pathway segments of said inner pathway; and   bin support means for supporting each of said bins to move about said inner pathway, said bin support means including first and second caster wheels in rolling engagement with said inner pathway to move a bin about said inner pathway, with said first and second caster wheels located on said bin at a spaced apart distance equal to said major axis of said ellipse, said bin support means further including a third caster wheel in rolling engagement with said outer pathway, said third caster wheel cooperating with said first and second caster wheels to move said bin about said arcuate pathway segments of said inner pathway. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said outer pathway includes first and second linear outer segments, with each of said first and second linear outer segments defined by a line traced by a point of a bin as said bin moves about each of said first and second linear pathway segments of said inner pathway, said first and second linear outer segments joining said first and second arcuate outer segments to define a continuous outer pathway surrounding said inner pathway, said third caster wheel engageable with said first and second linear outer segments of said outer pathway. .Iaddend.