Patents Assigned to Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6951441
    Abstract: A storage rack comprises horizontally extending front and back beams having upper surfaces, on which is supported a roller track comprising two side rails, a series of rollers journalled between and projecting above the side rails, and a series of tie rods extending between and bracing the side rails. The roller track is secured to the front and back beams by a front clip embracing an underside of the front beam, a J-bolt connected to the front clip and hooked over a front one of the tie rods, a back clip embracing an underside of the back beam, and a J-bolt connected to the back clip and hooked over a back one of the tie rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventor: Carlton David Weaver
  • Patent number: 6802426
    Abstract: In a releasable locking device, which is useful at a beam-to-column connection in a storage rack, a housing having a lateral wall with two parallel slots has an end wall at an outer end and is open at the inner end, a locking pin having an internal portion movable within and along the lateral wall is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, toward which the locking pin is biased, and an outer sleeve is movable outside and along the lateral wall of the housing and is connected to the locking pin via a connecting pin extending through the locking pin, through the parallel slots, at each end to the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve has an external flange to facilitate pulling of the outer sleeve to move the locking pin toward the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlton David Weaver, Linda P. Lascara
  • Publication number: 20040079719
    Abstract: In a releasable locking device, which is useful at a beam-to-column connection in a storage rack, a housing having a lateral wall with two parallel slots has an end wall at an outer end and is open at the inner end, a locking pin having an internal portion movable within and along the lateral wall is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, toward which the locking pin is biased, and an outer sleeve is movable outside and along the lateral wall of the housing and is connected to the locking pin via a connecting pin extending through the locking pin, through the parallel slots, at each end to the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve has an external flange to facilitate pulling of the outer sleeve to move the locking pin toward the retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Applicant: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlton David Weaver, Linda P. Lascara
  • Patent number: 6679393
    Abstract: In a releasable locking device, which is useful at a beam-to-column connection in a storage rack, a housing having a lateral wall with two parallel slots has an end wall at an outer end and is open at the inner end, a locking pin having an internal portion movable within and along the lateral wall is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, toward which the locking pin is biased, and an outer sleeve is movable outside and along the lateral wall of the housing and is connected to the locking pin via a connecting pin extending through the locking pin, through the parallel slots, at each end to the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve has an external flange to facilitate pulling of the outer sleeve to move the locking pin toward the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlton David Weaver, Linda P. Lascara
  • Patent number: 6431808
    Abstract: In a storage rack comprising a front beam and a back beam, a roller track comprises two side rails and a series of rollers defining a tangent plane. A front hook, which is hooked over the front beam, defines a ledge projecting backwardly. A back hook, which is hooked over the back beam, defines a ledge projecting frontwardly. At each end, each side rail is supported on the ledge of the hook at that end. Each hook has a flange projecting upwardly from its ledge, between the side rails, so as to limit lateral movement of the roller track. Comparatively, the front hook is taller and the back hook is shorter, whereby the roller track can be easily inclined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael P. Lowrey, Linda P. Lascara
  • Patent number: 5845794
    Abstract: In a storage rack comprising two front columns, two back columns, and, at each tier, two side beams, a front beam, and a back beam, a front portion of each side beam projects frontwardly and a back portion thereof projects backwardly. The front portion has a fin projecting upwardly, a notch opening frontwardly below a front part of the fin, and a tab projecting backwardly from the fin. The front beam has a front wall, a back wall, and a lower lip projecting from a lower part of the front wall. Each slot receives the tab of a respective one of the side beams and the lower lip projects backwardly into the front notches of the side beams so as to secure the front beam to the side beams. The back beam is secured similarly to the back portions of the side beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles E. Highsmith, deceased
  • Patent number: 5769249
    Abstract: In a storage rack, in which each of two columns has an outer wall facing outwardly and a side wall facing the side wall of the other column, a steel beam including two flange sections and an intermediate section extends between and is supported by the columns. Being fastened to an associated column, each flange section has a side plate adjacent to the side wall of the associated column and an outer flange adjacent to the outer wall of the associated column. Extending horizontally between the flange sections, the intermediate section is welded at each of its opposite ends to the side flange of an associated one of the flange sections. Being rolled from a steel sheet and defining a downwardly opening channel profile, the intermediate section has an outer wall, an inner wall joined unitarily to the outer wall so as to define an upper edge of the intermediate section, and a lower flange extending inwardly from a lower portion of the inner wall and having an upturned edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventor: Linda P. Lascara
  • Patent number: 5749482
    Abstract: A support beam for a storage rack has a tubular profile, which defines a ledge opening upwardly and inwardly, and which defines a generally flat, indicia-receiving surface facing outwardly and either downwardly or upwardly at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 70.degree. relative to a vertical plane. Alternatively, the tubular profile may define two such surfaces defining an obtuse angle relative to each other, namely an upper surface at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 45.degree. relative thereto and a lower surface at an angle from about 45.degree. to about 70.degree. relative thereto, or a generally arcuate, indicia-receiving surface having a suitable measurement. The indicia-receiving surface enables a person who is standing, or who is sitting on a lift truck, to have a generally perpendicular line of sight to such surface. The support beam may also be used in combination with a properly positioned fire extinguishing device to extinguish a fire in a supported load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventor: William L. Clark
  • Patent number: 5713476
    Abstract: In a storage rack, a beam is connected at one end to the column having a front wall with a vertical array of similar apertures and a side wall. Each aperture is wider at an upper region and narrower at a lower region. A flanged member has a side flange integral with the end of the beam and a front flange. A connecting pin mounted rigidly to the front flange and projecting through a selected aperture has an inner head narrower than the upper region of the selected aperture but wider than the lower region thereof and a shank narrower than the lower region thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Highsmith, Joseph F. Benton
  • Patent number: 5655675
    Abstract: A support beam for a storage rack has a tubular profile, which defines a ledge opening upwardly and inwardly, and which defines a generally flat, indicia-receiving surface facing outwardly and either downwardly or upwardly at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 70.degree. relative to a vertical plane. Alternatively, the tubular profile may define two such surfaces defining an obtuse angle relative to each other, namely an upper surface at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 45.degree. relative thereto and a lower surface at an angle from about 45.degree. to about 70.degree. relative thereto, or a generally arcuate, indicia-receiving surface having a suitable measurement. The indicia-receiving surface enables a person who is standing, or who is sitting on a lift truck, to have a generally perpendicular line of sight to such surface. The support beam may also be used in combination with a properly positioned fire extinguishing device to extinguish a fire in a supported load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Clark, William T. Guiher
  • Patent number: 5624045
    Abstract: In a storage rack, a beam is connected at one end to the column having a front wall with a vertical array of similar apertures and a side wall. Each aperture is wider at an upper region and narrower at a lower region. A flanged member has a side flange integral with the end of the beam and a front flange. A connecting pin mounted rigidly to the front flange and projecting through a selected aperture has an inner head narrower than the upper region of the selected aperture but wider than the lower region thereof and a shank narrower than the lower region thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Highsmith, Joseph F. Benton
  • Patent number: 5526945
    Abstract: A support beam for a storage rack has a tubular profile, which defines a ledge opening upwardly and inwardly, and which defines a generally flat, indicia-receiving surface facing outwardly and either downwardly or upwardly at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 70.degree. relative to a vertical plane. Alternatively, the tubular profile may define two such surfaces defining an obtuse angle relative to each other, namely an upper surface at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 45.degree. relative thereto and a lower surface at an angle from about 45.degree. to about 70.degree. relative thereto, or a generally arcuate, indicia-receiving surface having a suitable measurement. The indicia-receiving surface enables a person who is standing, or who is sitting on a lift truck, to have a generally perpendicular line of sight to such surface. The support beam may also be used in combination with a properly positioned fire extinguishing device to extinguish a fire in a supported load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Clark, William T. Guiher
  • Patent number: 5492231
    Abstract: A support beam for a storage rack has a tubular profile, which defines a ledge opening upwardly and inwardly, and which defines a generally flat, indicia-receiving surface facing outwardly and either downwardly or upwardly at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 70.degree. relative to a vertical plane. Alternatively, the tubular profile may define two such surfaces defining an obtuse angle relative to each other, namely an upper surface at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 45.degree. relative thereto and a lower surface at an angle from about 45.degree. to about 70.degree. relative thereto, or a generally arcuate, indicia-receiving surface having a suitable measurement. The indicia-receiving surface enables a person who is standing, or who is sitting on a lift truck, to have a generally perpendicular line of sight to such surface. The support beam may also be used in combination with a properly positioned fire extinguishing device to extinguish a fire in a supported load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventor: William L. Clark
  • Patent number: 5476167
    Abstract: A roller track for a storage rack arranged for gravitational flow of load-bearing pallets having two walls disposed in parallel relation to each other and a plurality of freely rotatable rollers journalled between the walls, each on a spindle, in such manner that the rollers extend upwardly from a space between the walls. Each wall has a separate aperture associated with a respective one of the rollers. Each roller is journalled on a spindle. Each end of the spindle has a shoulder portion larger than the associated aperture. Also, each end of the spindle has a pintle portion extending outwardly through the associated aperture, beyond the outer surface of the wall having the associated aperture. The roller track further has structures for securing at least some of the pintle portions to each wall where the secured pintle portions extend outwardly beyond the planes defined by the outer surfaces of such wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles E. Highsmith
  • Patent number: 5435427
    Abstract: A roller track for a storage rack arranged for gravitational flow of load-bearing pallets comprises two steel walls disposed in parallel relation to each other and a plurality of freely rotatable rollers journalled between the walls, each on a steel spindle supported by the walls, in such manner that the rollers extend upwardly from a space between the walls. The ends of at least some of said spindles are welded to the walls by welds disposed substantially between the spindle ends and the planes defined by the outer surfaces of the walls, preferably between the spindle ends and the walls. In embodiments wherein the welds are disposed substantially between the spindle ends and the walls, either the ends of the welded spindles are frusto-conical or the walls are dimpled inwardly at the ends of the welded spindles, so as to facilitate spot welding. In another embodiment, the welds comprise filler metal contained substantially within apertures in the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Unarco Material Handling, Inc.
    Inventor: William T. Guiher