In the method of the present invention, first and second motorized endless belt conveyor assemblies are provided, one for placement in a package distribution center and the other for placement in the box of a delivery truck or van. Personnel at the distribution center load the conveyor of the first conveyor assembly with packages in a predetermined order corresponding to stops on a route. Subsequently, a delivery driver will back his vehicle up to the first conveyor assembly and activate the motorized conveyors of the two conveyor assemblies such that products on the first conveyor assembly will be transferred onto the conveyor assembly located in the vehicle in the stated predetermined order.

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 loading aid is for temporary intermediate storage of transport containers which are at least partially open to the top, are exclusively empty and are standing ready in a stack during filling with live poultry animals. The aid includes a rack having, on a front side facing the stack, at least two spaced apart vertical support struts and at least two insertion openings for containers arranged above one another between the struts. The rack has, on a rear side, at least two spaced apart vertical support struts. Slide rails extend on both sides of the rack from the struts on the front to struts on the rear to form a receptacle for a container. The rack has at least two receptacles arranged above each other, which is distinguished in that the slide rails on the front side protrude beyond the vertical support struts. A method is also provided.

A maintenance system is disclosed for assisting in maintaining an automated carrier system for moving objects to be processed. The maintenance system includes a plurality of automated carriers that are adapted to move on an array of discontinuous standard track sections, each said automated carrier including a carrier body that is no larger in either a length or width direction that a standard track section, and an automated maintenance carrier that is adapted to move on the array of discontinuous track sections, said automated maintenance system including a maintenance body that is larger in at least one of a length or width direction than the standard track section.

An automated warehouse includes a placement section module that is slidably supported by a frame member via a slide mechanism. The slide mechanism supports the placement section module in such a manner that the placement section module is slidable relative to the frame member between a reference position and a protruding position. A cover member covers a face of the placement section module on a back face side in a depth direction. When the placement section module is at the protruding position, an upper side of storage regions is exposed.

A storage grid for storing storage containers includes a plurality of horizontal container supporting frameworks distributed vertically with vertical offsets. The plurality of horizontal container supporting frameworks includes a first container supporting framework and at least one second container supporting framework arranged beneath and parallel to the first container supporting framework. Each of the first and the at least one second container supporting frameworks includes a plurality of container supports arranged in parallel along a first direction. Each container support displays at least one hole with an opening size being at least a maximum horizontal cross section of the storage containers to be stored. The at least one hole of the first container supporting framework are aligned vertically with the at least one hole of the at least one second container supporting framework. At least two of the plurality of container supports of the at least one second container supporting framework are displaceable along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

A bin exchange system is disclosed that includes a plurality of automated carriers, each of which is adapted to be remotely movable on an array of track sections, at least one input station by which bins may be introduced to the array of track sections, at least one processing station in communication with the array of track sections wherein objects may be moved between bins, and at least one output station by which bins may be removed from the array of track sections.

A delivery shelf system includes a shelf extending from an exterior to an interior of a building, and a returnable box (RB) stored and slidably supported in the shelf. A first recessed part (FRP) is provided in an indoor-side end part of RB and a second recessed part (SRP) is provided in an outdoor-side end part thereof; a locking mechanism including a projecting part configured to be pressed and inserted into FRP or into SRP is provided at the indoor-side end part of the shelf; the projecting part is inserted into FRP while RB is stored in the shelf, so that RB is locked to the shelf; and when the projecting part is retracted from FRP by releasing the locking and RB is pulled out from the shelf into inside the building, the projecting part is inserted into SRP and the pulled-out RB is thereby stopped.

A maintenance system is disclosed for assisting in maintaining an automated carrier system for moving objects to be processed. The maintenance system includes a plurality of automated carriers that are adapted to move on an array of discontinuous standard track sections, each said automated carrier including a carrier body that is no larger in either a length or width direction that a standard track section, and an automated maintenance carrier that is adapted to move on the array of discontinuous track sections, said automated maintenance system including a maintenance body that is larger in at least one of a length or width direction than the standard track section.

Goods storage and retrieval systems and materials handling vehicles are provided. The goods storage and retrieval system includes a multilevel warehouse racking system; a materials handling vehicle comprising a mast assembly, a picking attachment, and vehicle-based cart engagement hardware; a mobile storage cart; and a transporter comprising transporter-based engagement hardware. The transporter-based engagement hardware enables the transporter to engage, transport, and disengage the mobile storage cart. The vehicle-based cart engagement hardware is coupled to the mast assembly to (i) engage and disengage the mobile storage cart and (ii) transport the mobile storage cart to multiple levels of the multilevel warehouse racking system. The mast assembly and the picking attachment are configured to access multiple levels of the multilevel warehouse racking system. The picking attachment is configured to transfer totes between the multilevel warehouse racking system and the mobile storage cart.