The present invention describes a bulk fluid (wet or dry) cargo distribution terminal (10). The distribution terminal has a silo storage area (10A), a compartmentalized area (10B) which has designated inspecting, refilling and delivering/stacking stations (10C-10E). These storage and compartment areas are protected by fortified walls (11a-11e). Adjacent to the inspecting, refilling and delivering stations is a driveway (14). Trailers and prime movers carry IMO tanks and/or freight containers (22) for refilling or delivering. Located at entry and exit points of the driveway are guard-houses (72a,72b) to ensure safe operation at the distribution terminal. Overhead cranes (41a-41c) serve mechanical handling at the various stations and driveway.

A conveying and sorting apparatus has a plurality of tilting conveyor units in the conveying direction. Each tilting conveyor unit is able to swing to the left and right about a support shaft, between a horizontal conveying orientation and a tilted orientation for ejecting objects being conveyed by means of gravity. Both side edges in the left and right swinging direction are provided with side guides which restrict the width of the conveying path, and at least the side guide on the side to which the conveyor unit swings in the tilted orientation, is supported so as to be able to open in the swinging direction towards the tilted orientation with respect to the structure of the tilting conveyor unit, and is held in a standing orientation by the orientation holding means until a certain load or more is applied in to said side guide in the opening direction.

A conveyance robot system according to the present disclosure includes an intrusion detection sensor that detects an intrusion of an object into an arm opening, and a distance sensor that measures a clearance distance indicating a distance between an arm entry/exit surface and a shelf, the arm entry/exit surface being a surface of a conveyance robot in which the arm opening is provided from among surfaces of the conveyance robot constituting a safety cover, and an object being stored in the shelf. The robot control unit disables the intrusion detection sensor to allow a robot arm to perform a work by protruding from the shelf when the clearance distance becomes less than or equal to a present high-speed work allowance threshold.

A conveyance robot system according to the present disclosure includes a conveyance robot, and a robot control unit configured to control an operation of picking up an object performed by the conveyance robot, wherein the robot control unit determines that a movable range area, which is an area outside a safety cover where a robot arm is operated, satisfies a safety ensuring condition that can regard safety of the movable range area as equivalent to the safety inside the safety cover and allow the robot arm to perform a work while projecting toward the shelf.

A method and a system for transporting inventory in a storage facility is provided. The system includes an inventory storage unit (ISU) and a transport vehicle. The ISU includes a base shelf, and a plurality of support plates mounted below the base shelf. The transport vehicle includes a top plate and a control device that controls movement of the top plate. Upon actuation of an interlocking mechanism of the transport vehicle that is aligned beneath the ISU, the top plate is lifted to a first height and then rotated for engaging the top plate with the support plates of the ISU. The engaged top plate is further lifted to a second height to lift the ISU off the work floor of a storage facility. Upon lifting the ISU, the transport vehicle transports the ISU to another location in the storage facility.

A towable conveyor for transporting and elevating articles and a method and system for towing a conveyor and conveying articles up inclines is provided. The conveyor system has an elevating carriage and a plurality of support elements for conveying articles up the conveyor. Specifically, the towable conveyor system comprises a conveyor having a support frame, a plurality of support elements, a drive end with a motor, and an idle end; an elevating carriage having a first end interconnected to the support frame of the conveyor, a second with two or more wheels, and a support member extending upwardly from the elevating carriage; a cable system for raising the conveyor into a position of use and for lowering the conveyor into a towing position; one or more locking mechanisms; and a hitch for connecting the conveyor to a rear end of a towing vehicle.

An impact barrier for a storage rack support structure includes an arcuate outer wall having opposed first and second ends, the first and second ends being spaced apart to form a gap therebetween. The impact barrier further includes a first deflection element, a second deflection element, and a third deflection element, wherein the third deflection element is positioned between the first and second deflection elements. The first deflection element extends from the first end to a first medial position on the outer wall between the first end and the third deflection element, and the second deflection element extends from the second end to a second medial position on the outer wall between the second end and the third deflection element. Upon impact, the first, second and third deflection elements deform to dissipate the energy generated by the impact.

A method and apparatus are provided for delivering items to a plurality of storage locations is provided. The system includes a plurality of storage locations. The storage locations may be positioned to provide an aisle and a delivery mechanism may be operable within the aisle to deliver items to the storage locations. A displaceable safety mechanism may be provided to impede access to the aisle from the storage location.

A system for removing, storing and precisely re-installing removable automobile doors. This system includes a mobile base for positioning near the vehicle and moving stored doors to their storage location. The base of this system provides mounting positions for 2 or more lifting/storing/re-installation devices, accommodating full service (removal, storage and re-installation) of up to 4 doors at once. The lifting/storage/re-installation devices contain full 3 axis precise adjustment and rigid coupling to each of the vehicle's doors. Without this precision, the weight and non-balance of removing/re-installing the doors can cause the door to tilt into or away from the vehicle, possibly crushing a human body part (finger, hand) and/or damaging the vehicle or door. By rigidly coupling the door to the precisely adjusted device, precise vertical lifting and lowering may be used to remove and re-install the doors, including accommodating surface variations encountered from removal to re-installation time.

A maintenance access system for a storage and retrieval system having a storage and retrieval space and automated transport vehicles disposed in the space. The system includes at least one maintenance access control unit associated with a portion of the space, at least one barrier in the space and defining a boundary of the portion of the space and configured to substantially prevent the passage of the vehicles past the at least one barrier, and a controller connected to the control unit, the controller being configured to receive a signal from the at least one control unit for isolating the portion of the space associated with the at least one control unit, where the controller in response to the signal closes the at least one barrier isolating the portion of the space and effects the removal from or shutting down of vehicles within the portion of the space.