Abstract: Apparatus for storing and retrieving individual file folders including a pair of symmetrical shelf units, positioned face to face and having a moveable column designed to move horizontally between the shelf units. A carriage is attached to the moveable column and is designed to move vertically between the shelf units. Store or retrieve commands are placed into the system via an operations table and in response to the commands individual file folders are stored and retrieved. Individual storage and retrieval is accomplished by apparatus designed to push aside adjoining file folders to gain access to a storage position and by code marks included on the shelf units to identify individual storage positions.

Abstract: An automatic positioning system for a commodity carriage in an automatic storage system includes shelves arranged to have commodity storage positions extending in the vertical and horizontal direction and a commodity carriage adapted to access each of the storage positions. Code marks identify each of the storage positions and a first group code scanning device, responsive to the code marks, detects groups of N adjacent storage positions and slows the movement of the commodity carriage in response thereto. N individual code scanning devices, responsive to the code marks, detect individual storage positions and the commodity carriage is stopped in response to the outputs of the group and individual scanning devices.