Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) wherein individual identical articles are disposed in vertical stacks stored in cells of movable totes. The totes are movable into and out of storage racks by an automated storage/retrieval vehicle. The ASRS includes an order picking system having at least two zones disposed along an order-collecting conveyor system. One zone picks low-demand articles, and the other zone employs high-speed dispensers which support plural upright stacks each containing identical high-demand articles for dispensing of such articles onto the conveyor system. A controller assigns order-collecting areas along the conveyor system so that picked or dispensed articles within the zones are deposited into a preassigned area for assembly of an order.

Abstract: Case handling magazines and robot end effector for an automated storage and retrieval system in a warehouse include comb shelves for holding individual cases of goods. The case handling magazines are transported by conventional automated pallet handling stacker cranes and transfer cars. The magazine comb shelves and robot end effector have load carrying teeth spaced apart along the length of the shelves. The magazines include storage magazines for holding cases in conventional storage bays and transfer magazines for transferring cases to and from the storage magazines. The comb shelves of the storage magazines and transfer magazines are complementary with one another and enable the teeth of the comb shelves to intermesh with each other for transferring cases from a loaded comb shelf to an empty comb shelf. The robot end effector and some magazines include movable comb shelf segments that enable the selective transfer of all or less than all the cases on the loaded comb shelf to the unloaded comb shelf.

Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) wherein individual identical articles are disposed in vertical stacks stored in cells of movable totes. The totes are movable into and out of storage racks by an automated storage/retrieval vehicle. The ASRS includes an order picking system having at least two zones disposed along an order-collecting conveyor system. One zone picks low-demand articles, and the other zone employs high-speed dispensers which support plural upright stacks each containing identical high-demand articles for dispensing of such articles onto the conveyor system. A controller assigns order-collecting areas along the conveyor system so that picked or dispensed articles within the zones are deposited into a preassigned area for assembly of an order.