A storage facility having storage racks and aisles, with storage and removal apparatuses for each aisle. Transportation units are placed into and removed from racks via the storage/removal apparatus and a direct horizontal exchange of units takes place between adjacent aisles via exchange locations within the racks, where the storage/removal apparatus itself actively horizontally moves the units in the exchange locations. Each storage/removal apparatus has a vertical operating range for servicing more than one rack level and each aisle has enough storage/removal apparatuses to access all rack levels of an aisle. The vertical operating/service level of each storage and removal apparatus of an aisle is offset/staggered relative to the vertical operating/service level of each storage and removal apparatus of a neighboring/adjacent aisle such that units can be routed through the storage facility without lifts by being actively exchanged between aisles and rack levels by the storage and removal apparatuses.

A system for zero radius direction changes in an independent cart system includes a drive magnet array movably mounted to a mover. The drive magnet array includes at least one drive magnet configured to engage an electromagnetic field generated by coils extending along a track and a first engagement member for selectively positioning the drive magnet array between at least a first position and a second position. A switch track segment defines at least a first and second path for the mover. The first path includes coils to generate the electromagnetic field along the first path, and the second path includes coils to generate the electromagnetic field to along the second path. The drive magnet array is aligned with the first path when the drive magnet array is in the first position and with the second path when the drive magnet array is in the second position.

A high-bay warehouse for storing and retrieving containers has a plurality of storage spaces, arranged horizontally adjacent to and vertically above one another and storage aisles arranged between groups of storage spaces and extending parallel to one another. In each storage aisle at least one storage and retrieval machine can be moved back and forth to move the containers vertically and horizontally and into and out of the storage spaces. A transport route for transport vehicle is allocated to the high-bay warehouse. The transport route is arranged below the travel plane of the storage and retrieval machines and at least one device is provided for receiving and transporting storage and retrieval machines, which device spans the transport route and is configured to receive at least one storage and retrieval machine and to move same between at least two storage aisles perpendicularly to the longitudinal orientation of the storage aisles.

A storage and retrieval system for containers that can be moved along a shaft of a station by way of a gripper. A guide device for guided vertical movement of the gripper is designed such that (a) the guide device has at least one guide element which protrudes upward from the gripper, for guiding cooperation with the shaft or a storage column and/or with an upper closure element of a transport vehicle and/or gripper, and projects upward at least in the uppermost position of the gripper beyond an upper end of the transport vehicle or the closure element, or terminates flush with the upper end or the closure element, and/or (b) the guide device has at least one guide element which can be moved downwards from a lower end of the shaft or from at least one support of the shaft, for guiding cooperation with the gripper and/or the container.