Method of storing articles in a warehouse to form an imaginary link of

Abstract

A method of storing articles in a warehouse having a plurality of storage blocks arranged adjacent each other with each of the storage blocks having a plurality of spaced racks for storing articles and linearly extending aisles between the racks. The warehouse also includes article transfer apparatus arranged for movement in respective aisles to transfer articles relative to a given location within a respective storage block and a control arrangement for operating the article transfer apparatus in accordance with a predetermined mode to transfer articles relative to said storage blocks. The method of storing includes the steps of storing a plurality of different articles in the storage blocks with at least two different articles in each storage block, storing in a first storage block at least one and another different articles, storing in a second storage block at least one article common to the one different article in the first storage block and at least one additional different article, storing in a third and any succeeding storage block at least one article common to the at least one additional different article of the immediately preceding storage block and at least one further different article, and storing in the last storage block as the at least one further different article an article common to the another different article of the first storage block to form an imaginary loop of articles in the warehouse.