Inserter/extractor used with carousel of storage bins

摘要

An inserter/extractor apparatus for inserting and extracting objects from bins located at different heights in a carousel including a vertical frame and an inserter/extractor carriage that is vertically movable along the frame and has a pair of gripping pads that have opposed, high friction gripping surfaces. The gripping pads are movable along a first horizontal axis from a retracted position in which said gripping pads and carriage are free to move vertically along the frame without interference with the bins to an extended position in which the gripping pads are even with a bin. The gripping pads are movable with respect to each other along a second horizontal axis that is transverse to the first horizontal axis from open positions spaced from each other by a distance larger than the largest dimension of an object to positions spaced from each other by a distance less than the smallest dimension for an object. The gripping pads apply a predetermined force to an object between them when stopped from further movement along the second horizontal axis by the object between them.