MAST ARRANGEMENT FOR A STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL UNIT

Abstract

A mast arrangement for a storage and retrieval unit is disclosed. The mast arrangement includes a mast, which is formed by a front flange plate, two side plates and, a rear flange plate and has a box profile and a substantially rectangular cross section, interface elements, which are each secured in pairs to the side plates and extend in the region of the front flange plate, and a rail for guiding the storage and retrieval unit. The rail is attached to each of the interface element. The interface elements are each provided with a hole, a reinforcement element extending through the hole, and through corresponding holes in the side plates, and are connected on both sides to the relevant interface elements.

Claims

1. A mast arrangement for a storage and retrieval unit, the mast arrangement comprising: a mast comprising a front flange plate, two side plates, and a rear flange plate, wherein the mast comprises a box profile and a substantially rectangular cross section; a plurality of interface elements, secured in pairs to at least one of the side plates or the front flange plate and extending towards the front flange plate; and a rail for guiding the storage and retrieval unit, the rail attached to each of the interface elements, wherein each of the interface elements of at least one pair of interface elements includes a hole and a reinforcement element extending through said hole, extending through corresponding holes in the side plates, and connected on both sides to one of the interface elements.

2. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the rail is attached to at least some of the interface elements by a screw connection or by lockbolts.

3. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein securing at least some of the interface elements to the side plates, or securing at least some of the reinforcement elements to the interface elements, is performed by welding.

4. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the pairs of interface elements are arranged along the mast at substantially regular distances apart.

5. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the reinforcement elements is formed by a tubular element.

6. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a length of the reinforcement element is between 1% and 10% larger than a distance between the side plates.

7. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least one barrier plate extending inside the box profile of the mast substantially perpendicularly to the flange plates and the side plates.

8. A method for producing a mast arrangement the method comprising: tack-welding, to a mast, a rear flange plate and two side plates, wherein the mast comprises a box profile and a substantially rectangular cross section, thereby creating tack-welded seams; inserting, to the mast, and subsequently tack-welding to the mast, a front flange plate, a plurality of interface elements, and a reinforcement element, wherein the plurality of interface elements are attached to a rail and secured in pairs to at least one of the side plates or the front flange plate and extend towards the front flange plate, and wherein the reinforcement element extends through holes provided in each of the interface elements and corresponding holes in the side plates; and welding the tack-welded seams.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising after inserting the front flange plate and before welding the tack-welded seams, welding in at least one barrier plate.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein welding the tack-welded seams is performed by welding robot.

11. The mast arrangement according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the interface elements are secured to the side plates by welding, or at least one of the reinforcement elements is secured to the interface elements by welding.

12. The mast arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the welding is fillet welding.

13. The mast arrangement of claim 5, wherein the tubular element is hollow.

14. A mast arrangement for a storage and retrieval unit, the mast arrangement comprising: a mast comprising a front flange plate, a first side plate, a second side plate, and a rear flange plate; a pair of interface elements comprising a first interface element secured to the first side plate and a second interface element secured to the second side plate, wherein the pair of interface elements extend towards the front flange plate; and a rail attached to the first interface element and the second interface element, wherein the first interface element and the second interface element each comprise a hole and a reinforcement element extending through the hole and extending through corresponding holes in the side plates.

15. The mast arrangement of claim 14, wherein a length of the reinforcement element is between 1% and 10% larger than a distance between the side plates.

16. The mast arrangement of claim 14, further comprising a box profile and at least one barrier plate extending inside the box profile of the mast substantially perpendicular to the flange plates and the side plates.

17. The mast arrangement of claim 14, wherein at least one of the reinforcement elements formed by a hollow tubular element.

Description

[0015] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of an embodiment when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic isometric view and a side view of a storage and retrieval unit according to the invention; and

[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross section through the mast arrangement from FIG. 1 along sectional plane B from FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows two different views of a mast arrangement according to the invention for a storage and retrieval unit, said mast arrangement being denoted in general terms by reference numeral 10. In the process, a mast is formed by a front flange plate 12, two side plates 14 and a rear flange plate 16 and has a box profile and a substantially rectangular cross section.

[0019] Furthermore, interface elements 18 are each secured to the side plates 14 in pairs and opposite one another along the length of the mast, said interface elements extending in the region of the front flange plate 12 and a rail 20 being attached to each of them. By way of example, the interface elements 18 can be formed as forged pieces.

[0020] As can be seen in particular from the cross-sectional view from FIG. 2, both the interface elements 18 and the side plates 14 are, at the corresponding points, provided with holes in the form of drill holes, through each of which reinforcement elements 22 in the form of hollow tubes having a circular cross section are inserted. These reinforcement elements 22 are used for locally stiffening the mast in order to absorb the stresses on the flange plates in the region of the current lift truck position on the rail 20. Owing to this measure, the number of barrier plates 24 required inside the mast can be reduced, and so the production of the mast arrangement 10 can be simplified. In particular, the rail 20 can be secured by means of a screw connection or by lockbolts, while the interface elements 18 can be attached to the side plates 14, and the reinforcement elements 22 attached to the interface elements 18, in each case by welding, for example fillet welding.