Swisslog Logistics, Inc.

California Natural Products

Other

Fruitsource Associates

Pat R Mitchell

Cheryl R Mitchell

Mohan Ramankutty

Christopher Brumm

Rodney Tipton

William A Mitchell

Robert Nissenbaum

William R Tipton

Thomas R Myers

Charles E Mitchell

Robert J Lynch, Iii

Mike Terrill

Frederick A Greenland

Kevin A Haslebasher

Kevin A Haslebacher

A multi-level rail for a storage structure may comprise an upper horizontal portion configured to support a load and a lower horizontal portion configured to support a row vehicle. An upper support portion extends downward diagonally from the upper horizontal portion toward the lower horizontal portion, and a lower support extends downward diagonally from the lower horizontal portion. This rail is configured to connect to at least one vertical post of the storage structure. Support beams for a railed storage structure are also disclosed with an elongated body having a terminal end portion configured to attach to a vertical column of a storage support structure and an upper support surface configured to support a horizontal support rail. A wing portion is secured to the terminal end portion and configured to attach to the horizontal support rail by extending lateral to the elongated body and above the upper support surface.

Structure for automated pallet storage and retrieval

An apparatus for lifting a load on an automated lifting cart, including a lifting surface vertically movable relative to the lifting cart, two pairs of cams positioned underneath the lifting surface having cam profiles shaped to lift the lifting surface upon rotation of the cams, a pair of encoders reading a rotation property of each pair of cams, and a controller configured to control movement of the pairs of cams by synchronizing the rotation properties of the pairs of cams by matching output from the encoders. Additionally, methods of lifting a load using an automated lifting cart including cams with a movement profile and a load profile, and methods of synchronizing drive shafts in a lifting cart using torque current measurements sent from a lead motor to a lag motor.

Automated lifting storage cart

A multi-level storage structure includes a plurality of vertical supports, a plurality of row spacing members connecting vertical posts positioned laterally relative to each other, a plurality of row rails connecting vertical posts positioned longitudinally relative to each other and configured to support at least one row cart, a plurality of aisle rails extending perpendicular to the plurality of row rails and configured to support at least one aisle cart, and a plurality of pre-formed holes formed in at least one of the vertical supports, row spacing members, row rails, and aisle rails to mount at least one of a lighting system, a fire suppression system, a mobile safety tie off carriage, and at least one support brace to the storage structure. The plurality of pre-formed holes are formed prior to assembly of the storage structure.

Automated pallet storage and retrieval system

A system for positioning a lifting cart in an automated storage facility is described. In one example, the system includes a motorized lifting cart configured to move about a railway of a storage area. An encoder on the cart reads a property of rotation of a rotating element on the cart, and a controller may receive the property of rotation from the encoder and convert it to a rotation count of the rotating element. The rotating element may be an encoder shaft, drive shaft, and like elements. Some systems include a signal emitter or photo sensor to position the lifting cart and to facilitate providing instructions to the cart.

Apparatus for positioning an automated lifting storage cart and related methods

An automated warehouse system row cart includes a lifter that uses cams to raise and lower pallets. Three symmetrical cam lobes are cut into a hollow cylinder. Three matching cam lifters ride these lobes and are attached to an elevator plate. A stepper motor running in one direction is used to raise and lower the elevator plate by virtue of the action between the cam lobes and lifters.

Automated warehouse row cart and lift

An automated warehouse system for a building has elevators for automatically accepting incoming material on pallets. A rotating forklift mounted inside the elevator extends its forks to reach out and bring in the pallets. Once inside, the rotating forklift spins around to face inside warehouse doors. When the elevator car arrives at a designated level, the rotating forklift deposits the material on the pallet on a temporary shelf just outside the elevator. Each level has an aisle cart that moves along an aisleway for both a loading elevator and an unloading elevator. Each aisleway is intersected by several row rails that are right angles to the aisleway. The aisle cart carries a battery powered row cart that can run back and forth along the rows. The aisle cart is positioned at the appropriate row along the aisleway, and the row cart carries, deposits, and picks up material on pallets. Storage positions are provided along each row, front to rear. The palleted items are shuffled on a carousel between walking conveyors and elevators. Conveyor carts ride the carousel on parallel adjacent tracks and transfer track.

Automated warehousing system and method

A process for manufacturing a treated polyuronic acid. The process involves heating an aqueous dispersion of a polyuronic acid, such as a pectin, at a temperature above about 100.degree. C. for an amount of time sufficient to obtain a hydrolyzed, or treated, polyuronic acid mixture which separates upon standing and cooling into a clear solution, which is the hydrolyzed polyuronic acid phase, and a precipitate. The hydrolyzed polyuronic acid phase includes at least 25% of the polyuronic acid substance polymers having a degree of polymerization (DP) in the range of about DP1 to about DP20. The hydrolyzed polyuronic acid, or the treated polyuronic acid, then is recovered for use in a food product.

Treated pectinic acid process and product

A fruit concentrate composition is blended from a hydrolyzed starch of at least 40 D.E., preferably about 50-70 D.E., more preferably about 55-65 D.E. and a fruit concentrate having about 0% insoluble solids, the blended composition having at least about 70%, preferably about 80-95%, more preferably about 90-95% simple carbohydrates, and about 3-20%, preferably about 3-10%, more preferably about 6% complex carbohydrates, on a dry weight basis, with a resulting dual functionality in food formulations for achieving both nutritive sweetening and fat substitution as well as a number of other benefits. The composition is preferably formed by hydrolyzing a starch source to the above D.E. value, blending it with a fruit juice concentrate to form a fruit concentration composition having the above components and reducing water content of the blend to at least about 77%, preferably to about 77-80% soluble solids, the composition having substantially 0% insoluble solids. The simple carbohydrates in the composition are preferably selected from the class consisting of glucose, maltose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, sorbitol and combinations thereof, the complex carbohydrates comprising one or more dextrins, the simple carbohydrates preferably including at least one component exhibiting humectancy or hygroscopicity. Food/beverage products are formed with the composition to take advantage of its multi-functionality, the composition preferably simultaneously sweetening the products and replacing some or at least about 25% or 50% or even substantially all normal fat components in the products.

Dual function fruit concentrate sweetener and fat substitute and method

A process for producing a pressed juice containing an inulin polymer mixture in a stable polymorphic form having cold water solubility according to the present invention includes the steps of pressing juice from inulin containing plants, preferably of the Compositae family and more preferably from dahlia tubers, assaying the juice to determine its initial range and distribution and processing the pressed juice under selected conditions to convert the inulin polymers of the assayed juice to an inulin polymer mixture having greater than 50% of the polymers in the range of about DP 10 to DP 45, more preferably about DP 16 to DP 40, the process including hydrolyzing inulin polymers of greater than about DP 45 into the range of about DP 10 to DP 45 to enhance permeability and unique metabolic value of the mixture as well as selectively promoting Bifidus growth in the gut. An inulin juice polymer mixture formed according to the above process is administered to individuals in selected amounts for various advantageous metabolic purposes.

Instant dried dahlia inulin juice and its method of production and usage

The method of the invention comprises selection of whole grain rice, either white or brown rice, which is liquefied, preferably with alpha-amylase enzymes, and then treated with relatively high levels of a glucosidase enzyme and/or a beta-amylase enzyme in a saccharifying step. The total enzymatic reaction time in both the liquefaction and saccharification steps is limited to prevent development of undesirable off-flavors to yield a non-allergenic rice milk produce having surprising milk-like texture and functionality, the rice milk product being characterized by the absence of a rice-like flavor and having a preferred composition defined as follows:

Nutritional rice milk product

Whole grain rice, either white or brown rice, is liquefied and treated with high levels of a glucosidase enzyme and/or a combination with beta-amylase enzyme in a saccharification step. Total enzymatic reaction time is limited to about four hours for both the liquefaction and saccharification steps combined to prevent the development of undesirable off-flavors. The product of the saccharification step is partially clarified to remove substantially all rice fiber, but not other nutritional values and then concentrated to produce a preferred rice syrup sweetener which is cloudy in character and has a solids composition defined as follows:

Rice syrup sweetener

A fruit concentrate sweetener and process of manufacture are disclosed wherein the sweetener is formed from a hydrolyzed starch having a dextrose equivalent of about 5 to 25 and a clear fruit concentrate of at least about 40% soluble solids and about 0% insoluble solids to have about 40 to 65% complex carbohydrates, about 35 to 55% simple sugars from the fruit origin and about 0 to 5% nutritional components. The sweetener may be partially or substantially completely deflavorized and may be dried up to about 96 to 99% soluble solids. Further preferred steps of the process facilitate both deflavorization and drying while also yielding a sweetness level generally similar to sucrose with only about 50% simple sugars, the remainder being nutritionally desirable complex carbohydrates. The sweetener may be included in a variety of sweetened food and beverage products. The sweetener of the invention consists essentially of about 40 to 65% complex carbohydrates, about 35 to 55% simple sugars of a fruit origin, about 0% insoluble solids, about 0 to 5% nutritional components and about 0 to 3% of a sweetness potentiator, balance essentially water.

Growing community of inventors

Manteca, CA, United States of America

Pat R Mitchell