TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A conveyor system for use in the conveying of articles from a warehouse to a department store comprises a wheeled transport unit (6) comprising an operating means comprising a cross bar (20) and an operating lever (24) for lifting the cross bar from an inoperative position to an operative position. The transport system comprises a conveyor belt (30) provided at spaced locations with lifting heads (32), and a plurality of storage units (50, 60) into which selected items are loaded in the warehouse, which may be boxed items, or hanging items. Each storage unit comprises a connection device (70) secured to an upper end thereof, for engagement with the operating member (20) of the transport unit. In use, bifurcated ends (73a, 73b) of the connection device extend around the spindle (38) of a lifting head (32), the connection device (70) and the storage unit (50 or 60) secured thereto being supported by the conveyor belt (30) whilst conveying the storage unit and the articles carried thereby around the warehouse. At a distribution station a storage unit may be transferred from the conveyor belt to a transport unit by a process involving the wheeling of the transport unit beneath the conveyor (30), moving the cross bar (10) into a position generally beneath the connection device (70), depressing the operating lever (24) and causing the operating member (20) to be raised to its operative position, engaging within the formation 75 and lifting the storage unit from the conveyor.