Spacesaver Corporation

Robert J Peterman

Dale Krasemann

A mobile storage system is provided with safety devices that increase the stability of the movable carriages. The safety devices includes shoe plates mounted to the carriages proximate each carriage wheel and above the rails. A nylon shoe is attached to the bottom of each shoe plate near the rail. The shoe plates are adjustable to position the shoe with minimum running clearances with the rails. Only a small amount of initial tipping causes the shoes to contact the rails and support a carriage against further tipping. The increased spread between the anti tip shoes compared with the spread between the wheels provides increased resistance to overturning forces by the square of the ratio of the spreads.

Anti tip shoe

A safety floor for a mobile storage system includes one or more flat panels having end brackets that overlie horizontal support surfaces on the system rails. The brackets define longitudinal troughs, in which are mounted leaf springs and safety switches. The leaf springs have lifting pins that extend through holes in the brackets to contact the rail support surfaces and resiliently supported by the panel. The safety switches also have lifter pins that extend through the bracket and that are spaced a predetermined distance above the rail support surfaces. When a person steps on the panel, the panel deflects towards the rail support surface so that a safety switch lifter pin contacts and is actuated by the rail support surface to control the mobile storage system electrical circuitry. The springs are adjustable to accommodate different panel sizes and weights while maintaining the desired distance between the safety switch lifter pins and the rail support surfaces.

Safety floor

A mobile storage system has improved safety features on the movable carriages. The safety features include an anti tip mechanism having dual plate for cooperating with respective channels fastened to the rails. The dual plates and channel design prevents disengagement of the plates from the channels if a carriage should lurch to one side. An adjustable safety stop limits carriage end travel to selected locations along the rails. A locking mechanism temporarily locks the carriages in desired locations. The locking mechanism includes a rack that is adjustably positionable along the rails and that is also reversible to meet any locking requirement.

Anti tip system

A modular floor for manual storage systems consists of floor modules joined to create a longitudinal path of any desired length for supporting a wheeled carriage for movement therealong. Each floor module comprises a pair of parallel rails that are independently vertically adjustable by means of leveling screws in transverse rail supporting beams. The ends of the rails are notched and tongue and grooved to provide vertical and horizontal alignment of the ends of adjoining rails. The modular floor includes sturdy and neat ramps extending transversely on each side thereof. The invention further includes an anti-tip device composed of plates secured to the carriages and having lips that slide along and cooperate with a member fixed to the modular floor to prevent the carriages from tipping in the direction of longitudinal movement.

Modular floor

A low profile safety floor for electrically powered mobile storage systems includes one or more elongated panels that span the building floor between the system rails. To each end of the panels are mounted a pair of leaf springs and a safety switch. The panels are supported above the rails by means of the leaf springs. When a person steps onto the safety floor, the panel is deflected downwardly so that a safety switch is actuated. Positive stops limit the approach of the panel toward the rails. Switch actuation deenergizes the electric motor drive powering the carriages. To prevent panel sag, the panels are manufactured as wood and steel laminates. To further inhibit sagging, the panels are forced into a permanently upwardly convex shape at manufacture.

An anti-tip device is useful for preventing a mobile storage system movable carriage from tipping. The anti-tip device includes an arm pivotable between inoperative and operative modes. In the inoperative mode, the arm hangs in an open position to permit the carriage to be placed on the system rails. With the carriage on the rails, the arm is pivotable to the operative mode wherein a hook on the arm slidingly engages an undercut surface of a longitudinal groove in the rail. The arm is pinned to the carriage when in the operative mode. A tipping force is resisted by contact between the pinned arm hook and the rail undercut surface.

Anti-tip device

A mobile storage system includes an anti-roll safety brake for preventing undesired rolling of a movable carriage. The anti-roll brake is engaged continuously so that a portion of the power required to move a carriage is expended in overcoming the friction force of the brake. Upon removal of the power source, such as de-energizing an electric drive motor, the anti-roll brake prevents all unpowered rolling of the carriage, and it continues to hold the carriage in place until the drive motor is again energized. The anti-roll brake is particularly useful in mobile storage systems in which the guide rails cannot be installed in a level attitude.

Anti-roll brake for mobile storage system

A mobile storage system includes a safety brake for smoothly stopping a moving carriage. The brake is operated from readily assessible positions in the aisles between carriages, thus minimizing the risk of injury to persons in the aisles if another person starts a carriage. The brake includes a notched plate which normally rotates with a carriage axle. Upon actuation of a safety switch, a toothed lever mounted to the carriage frame engages the plate, thereby preventing it from rotating. Friction discs on either side of the plate dissipate the carriage kinetic energy into heat and thereby stop the carriage. The control circuit includes a timer so that the person may safely leave the aisle before the carriage can again be moved.

Safety brake for mobile storage apparatus

A locking mechanism for a mobile storage system comprises a reciprocable lock bar selectively engageable with a rack fastened to a system track. The lock bar is moved into and out of engagement with the rack by a push-pull cable actuated by a conventional key and lock device. The lock bar is urged into engagement with the rack by a spring. Each rack tooth is formed with a vertical and a sloping surface, and the lock bar has cooperating surfaces. When the mobile storage unit is moved in one direction the lock bar ratchets over the teeth sloping surfaces against the spring bias, but movement is prevented in the opposite direction because the spring urges the lock bar vertical surface into cooperating engagement with a rack tooth vertical surface.

Lock for mobile storage apparatus

A locking device for a mobile filing and storage system comprises a reciprocable pin disposed in a rotatable handwheel. The pin is adapted to selectively engage or disengage locking apertures in a stationary plate mounted to the storage frame. The pin is formed with a pair of symmetrical frusto-conical surfaces having apexes that blend into concave surfaces that receive biasing means to retain the pin in the selected engaged or disengaged position against accidental reciprocation of the pin and to provide a tactile feel of proper location in and displacement from the engaged or disengaged position.

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Hartland, WI, United States of America

Robert J Peterman