Stationary Stack Assembly With Remotely Controlled Access

Abstract

A stationary stack assembly comprising a plurality of suitably spaced stacks, which is so designed that the storage position of an article to be stored or taken out is indicated by operating keys on a keyboard in accordance with a code number representative of the storage position information or by means of a position card on which the storage position is previously memorized and the range of activity of an attendant in the stack assembly is restricted by the qualification accorded to the attendant and further the date and time when the article was stored or taken out, the attendant who handled the article and the storage position the article are recorded automatically.

Description

The present invention relates to a so-called stationary stack assembly comprising a plurality of stationary stacks arranged in a suitably spaced relation.

In storing articles, such as products, books, etc., in a plurality of stationary stacks arranged in a warehouse or library, not so much trouble will be encountered where the articles are to be stored randomly regardless of their storage positions or the number of the stacks is relatively small or the number of kinds by which the articles are to be sorted in the stacks is as small as fewer than 10. However, where the kinds of the articles are diversified and the articles are stored by respective kinds or the number of stacks is large, considerable time is required to determine the position in which a desired article is stored or in which an article is desired to be stored, thus making it impossible to accelerate the action of storing or taking out articles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stationary stack assembly which obviates the aforesaid drawbacks of the conventional stationary stack assembly and which is so designed that the storage position of each article stored or each kind of articles stored is indicated by an indicator lamp or the like when a set of numerical keys from 0 to 9 on a keyboard are depressed in sequence in accordance with a code number representative of the storage position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stationary stack assembly of the character described above, in which the storage position of a desired article or a desired kind of article is indicated by the indicator lamp or the like when a position card, e.g., a punch card, a magnetic card or a mark card, having a signal representative of the storage position memorized thereon is inserted in a control panel, instead of operating the keys.

Still other object of the present invention is to provide a stationary stack assembly of the character described above, in which the arrangement is made such that the storage position of a desired article or a desired kind of article is indicated by the indicator lamp or the like in accordance with the storage position information signal supplied by the keyboard or the position card and a locked closure member at the said storage position is unlocked only when the said storage position information signal is admitted by a qualification information signal supplied by a qualification card, e.g., a punch card, a magnetic card or a mark card having recorded thereon a signal representative of the qualification given to each attendant, i.e., the section of the stack assembly the articles in which the pertinent attendant is authorized to handle articles, so that none of the attendants alone has access to all the storage positions in the stack assembly.

Other object of the present invention is to provide a stationary stack assembly of the character described above, in which is provided means for recording the storage position of an article stored or taken out in the manner described above along with the date when the article was stored or taken out.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a stationary stack assembly of the character described above, in which is provided means for recording the identification number of a qualification card where such qualification card was used.

According to the present invention, it is possible to supply a large number of storage position informations in sequence, so that a desired storage position is accessible to store or take out an article independently of the order of the storage position information.

According to the present invention, it is also possible to illuminate only the necessary aisle as required by arranging such that an illuminating lamp on the aisle is turned on concurrently with the aisle indicator lamp, and, therefore, it is not necessary to illuminate the entire warehouse or the like, main aisles only being required to be illuminated.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views showing the arrangement of stationary stacks and the configuration of each stack which are common for all embodiments of the present invention to be described and illustrated herein, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of stationary stacks and FIG. 2 is a front elevation showing the manner in which each stack is sectioned;

FIGS. 3 to 12 inclusive are respectively views of the first embodiment of the stationary stack assembly according to the present invention, designed to be operated by a keyboard, in which FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a stack; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the stack; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a control panel; FIG. 6 is a view showing the arrangement of indicator lamps on the control panel shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a diagram of a circuit for receiving signals representative of a unit, an aisle, the left or right side of the aisle, a bay position and a stage position, which are supplied by depressing keys on the keyboard; FIG. 8 is a diagram of a circuit for instructing the unit, aisle, etc., received by the signal receiving circuit of FIG. 7, an automatic restoring circuit and a circuit of the indicator lamps on the control panel; FIG. 9 is a diagram of a circuit for repeating the signals received by the receiving circuit of FIG. 7 and representing the left or right side of the aisle, the bay position and the stage position of a stack assembly unit A; FIG. 10 is a storage position memorizing circuit diagram, wherein FIG. 10a is a circuit diagram for the first aisle of the unit A and FIG. 10b is a circuit diagram for the second aisle of the unit A; FIG. 11 is a diagram of a storage position indicator lamp circuit and an unlocking circuit for the unit A, first aisle, left side for indicating a desired storage position and unlocking a closure member of the said storage position; and FIG. 12 is a diagram of a circuit for turning on the left and right side of an aisle indicator lamp for the unit A on the control panel and the left and right side of an aisle indicator lamp on the front sidewall of each stack;

FIGS. 13 to 16 inclusive are respectively views showing the second embodiment of the stationary stack assembly according to the present invention designed to be operated by a keyboard and having each bay of each stack provided with a closure member, in which FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a portion of a stack; FIG. 14 is a set of views showing a portion of closure member locking means, in which FIG. 14a is a cross-sectional view of a locking member and FIG. 14b is a side view of a handle and parts associated therewith; FIG. 15 is a set of diagrams of a storage position memorizing circuit in this embodiment, in which FIG. 15a is a circuit diagram for the unit A, first aisle and FIG. 15b is a circuit diagram for the unit A, second aisle, and FIG. 16 is a diagram of a storage position indicator lamp circuit and an unlocking circuit for the unit A, first aisle, left side, for indicating a desired storage position and unlocking the closure member provided for each bay of the stack;

FIGS. 17 and 18 show the third embodiment of the stationary stack assembly according to the present invention desired to be operated by a position card, in which FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a control panel and FIG. 18 is a circuit diagram for receiving signals representative of a unit, an aisle, the left or right side of the aisle, a bay position and a stage position;

FIGS. 19 to 26 inclusive show the fourth embodiment of the stationary stack assembly according to the present invention which makes use of a qualification card in addition to the position card used in the third embodiment so that none of the attendants alone can have access to all the stacks in the assembly, in which FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a control panel; FIG. 20 of a diagram of a circuit for separating the left and the right side of an aisle in the unit A; FIG. 21 is a diagram of a circuit for reading a starting signal and a qualification signal for the unit A; FIG. 22 is a diagram of a starting and unit A qualification signal memorizing circuit for memorizing the information read by the reading circuit of FIG. 21; FIG. 23 is a diagram of a qualification signal instructing circuit for the unit A for supplying instructions to the following circuits in accordance with the qualification signal memorized; FIG. 24 is a set of diagrams of a qualification setting circuit, in which FIG. 24a is a view showing a matrix of the circuit for the unit A and FIG. 24b is a view showing a qualification setting element; FIG. 25 is a set of diagrams of a storage position memorizing circuit for memorizing a storage position in accordance with a storage position information and a qualification information, in which FIG. 25a is a circuit diagram for the first aisle of the unit A and FIG. 25b is a circuit diagram for the second aisle of the unit A; and FIG. 26 is a diagram of a storage position selection verifying circuit;

FIGS. 27 to 40 inclusive show the fifth embodiment of the stationary stack assembly according to the present invention which is similar to the fourth embodiment but provided with recording means, in which FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing a portion of a stack provided with a control panel; FIG. 28 is a set of views diagrammatically showing the recording means, in which FIG. 28a is a view showing the arrangement of printing drums and FIG. 28b is a view showing a printing mechanism; FIG. 29 is a diagram of a circuit for receiving a starting signal and signals representative of a unit and an aisle number; FIG. 30 is a diagram of a circuit for receiving a signal representative of an article number; FIG. 31 is a diagram of a circuit for formulating an aisle signal from a signal received by the aisle signal receiving circuit of FIG. 29; FIG. 32 is a diagram of a number of actuated relays detecting circuit for detecting an erroneous operation, such as dual receiving of signals, of relays in the aforesaid respective signal receiving circuits; FIG. 33 is a diagram of a circuit for receiving a basic qualification signal for the unit A and a circuit for receiving a signal representative of a qualification card number; FIG. 34 is a diagram of a circuit for memorizing a basic qualification signal for the unit A received by the circuit of FIG. 33; FIG. 35 is a diagram of a circuit for memorizing a qualification card number received by the circuit of FIG. 33; FIG. 36 is a circuit diagram of magnets in the recording means for operating pins corresponding to unit, left and right side of aisle, bay position, stage position and article number; FIG. 37 is a circuit diagram of magnets for operating pins and printing hammers corresponding to qualification and qualification card number for the unit A; FIG. 38 is a circuit diagram of operation indicator lamps; FIG. 39 is a diagram of a circuit for verifying a qualification signal; and FIG. 40 is a diagram of circuits of a power source indicator lamp and a unit A indicator lamp and a circuit for verifying the completion of selection of a storage position; and

FIGS. 41 to 44 inclusive show the sixth embodiment of the stationary stack assembly according to the present invention which is similar to the first embodiment but provided with a system operative with a qualification card and recording means, in which FIG. 41 is a perspective view showing a portion of a stack provided with a control panel; FIG. 42 is a view showing the arrangement of operation indicator lamps on the control panel; FIG. 43 is a diagram of a circuit for receiving signals representative of a unit, an aisle, the left or right side of the aisle, a bay position, a stage position and an article number supplied by keys on a keyboard; and FIG. 44 is a circuit diagram of the operation indicator lamps on the control panel.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stationary stack assembly in each of the embodiments to be described herein comprises a plurality of stationary stacks arranged on both sides of a central corridor 12 extending centrally of a warehouse 11. Namely, the stationary stack assembly consists of a stack assembly unit A comprising stacks AB ... AJ which are each divided transversely by a longitudinal partition wall and stacks AA and AK which are located adjacent to the walls of the warehouse 11 and each have storage shelves on one side thereof, and a stack assembly unit B comprising stacks BB ... BJ each having storage shelves on both sides thereof and stacks BA and BK each having storage shelves on one side thereof. In FIG. 1, the underlined reference numerals denoted between adjacent stacks indicate aisle numbers respectively.

Each stack, as shown in FIG. 2, is composed of a ceiling plate 13, a bottom plate 14, a front sideplate 15 and a rear sideplate 16, and the interior of the stack is sectioned into four bays and six stages by equally spaced three vertical partition members 17, 18, 19 and five shelf plates 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 to form a total of 24 storage compartments. The ceiling plate 13 and the shelf plates 20 ... 24 are respectively provided with indicator lamps 25 to indicate the respective stages, while the front side plate 15 and the partition members 17, 18, 19 are respectively provided with restoring buttons 26 for the respective stages. The front side wall 15 is also provided with aisle indicator lamps 27 on the left and right sides of that face which is facing the central corridor 12, as shown in FIG. 3, each of the aisle indicator lamps having the corresponding aisle number marked thereon.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 12 inclusive, there is shown, as the first embodiment of the present invention, a stationary stack assembly which is so designed to be operated by keys on a keyboard. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the storage compartments is provided with a closure member 29 which is connected at its bottom edge to each shelf plate or the bottom plate by means of hinges 28. Each of the closure members 29 is recessed inwardly along the upper edge thereof to form a handle 30. The back side of the handle 30 is provided with an inwardly projecting hook-shaped engaging member 31, while an L-shaped locking bar 32, adapted to disengageably engage the engaging member 31 at one end, is provided in such a manner as to surround a magnet 33 which is fitted to the underside of each of the ceiling plates 13 and the shelf plates. The other end of the L-shaped locking bar is vertically movably connected to the magnet, so that the said locking bar may be released from engagement with the engaging member 31 when the magnet 33 is energized. Reference numeral 34 designates a longitudinal partition plate by which each stack is divided transversely.

A control panel 36 located adjacent to an entrance 35 of the warehouse 11, as shown in FIG. 5, is composed of a front panel 37 and a table 38 extending horizontally from the lower portion of the front panel, and a keyboard 39 having a set of numerical keys from 0 to 9 and a clear key is provided across the front panel 37 and the table 38. As shown in an enlarged scale in FIG. 6, the front panel 37 and the keyboard 39 are provided with indicator lamps, i.e., the left side position of aisle indicator lamps 1AL . . . 10AL for the unit A, the right side position of aisle indicator lamps 1AR . . . 10AR for the unit A, the left side position of aisle indicator lamps 1BL . . . 10BL for the unit B, the right side position of aisle indicator lamps 1BR . . . 10BR for the unit B, a unit A indicator lamp A to indicate the fact that the unit A has been indicated, a unit B indicator lamp B to indicate the fact that the unit B has been indicated, a power source indicator lamp PL, a unit operation indicator lamp KL1 to indicate the fact that a signal representative of a unit is being received incident to the operation of the keys, aisle operation indicator lamps KL2 and KL3 to indicate that a signal representative of an aisle is being received, left and right operation indicator lamp KL4 to indicate that a signal representative of the left or right side of an aisle is being received, a bay position operation indicator lamp KL5 to indicate that a signal representative of a bay position is being received and a stage position operation indicator lamp KL6 to indicate that a signal representative of a stage position is being received.

Next, an electrical mechanism to indicate a desired storage position and to unlock the closure member at the said storage position, upon operating the keys on the keyboard, will be explained.

First of all, an arrangement is made such that the unit A and the left side of an aisle are indicated by depressing the key 1; the unit B and the right side of an aisle are indicated by depressing the key 2; the aisle numbers which are numbers in two figures are indicated by depressing two keys, i.e., the first aisle is indicated by depressing the keys 0, 1, the second aisle is indicated by depressing the keys 0, 2 and similarly the 10th aisle is indicated by depressing the keys 1, 0; and bays and stages are indicated by depressing the keys according to the numbers of a specific bay and stage.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a circuit for receiving signals representative of a unit, an aisle, the left or right side of the aisle, a bay position and a stage position; an operation memorizing circuit for setting a unit, an aisle, etc., in accordance with the signals being supplied continuously incident to operating the keys; and an aisle signal formulating circuit for formulating a series of aisle signals by combining two aisle signals.

The signal receiving circuit comprises the numerical keys 0 . . . 9; the clear key C; and unit signal receiving relays A0 and BO, aisle first signal receiving relays FTO and FT1, aisle second signals receiving relays F0 . . . F9, the left and right side of an aisle signal receiving relays DL and DR, bay position signal receiving relays N1 . . . N4 and stage position signal receiving relays E1 . . . E6, all of which relays respectively have make-before-break contacts on the positive and negative sides thereof. The key 0 is connected between a conductor 51, which is connected to the positive side of a DC power source through a break contact hts' of a stage position operation verifying relay HTS to be described later, and the break contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts ft.sub.0 and f.sub.0 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO and the aisle second signal receiving relay FO. The key 1 is connected between the conductor 51 and the break contact sides of upper make-before-break contacts a.sub.0, ft.sub.1, f.sub.1, dl, n.sub.1, e.sub.1 of the unit A signal receiving relay A0, the aisle first signal relay FT1 for receiving a signal indicating that the order of tens of an aisle number is "1," the aisle second signal receiving relay Fl for receiving a signal indicating that the order of ones of an aisle number is "1," the aisle left side signal receiving relay DL for receiving a signal indicating the left side of an aisle, the bay position signal receiving relay Nl for receiving a signal indicating the first bay position and the stage position signal receiving relay El for receiving a signal indicating the first stage position respectively. Likewise, the key 2 is connected between the break contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts b.sub.0, f.sub.2, dr, n.sub.2, e.sub.2 of the unit B signal receiving relay BO, the aisle second signal receiving relay F2 for receiving a signal indicating that the order of ones of an aisle number is "2," the aisle right side signal receiving relay DR for receiving a signal indicating the right side of an aisle, the bay position signal receiving relay N2 for receiving a signal indicating the second bay position and the stage position signal receiving relay E2 for receiving a signal indicating the second stage position respectively, and the conductor 51. The keys 3 and 4 are respectively connected between the break contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts f.sub.3, f.sub.4, n.sub.3, n.sub.4, e.sub.3, e.sub.4 of the aisle second signal receiving relays F3, F4 for receiving signals indicating that the order of ones of an aisle is "3" and "4" respectively, the bay position signal receiving relays N3, N4 for receiving signals indicating the third and fourth bay positions respectively, and the stage position signal receiving relays E3, E4 for receiving signals indicating the third and fourth stage positions respectively, and the conductor 51. The keys 5 and 6 are respectively connected between the break contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts f.sub.5, f.sub.6, e.sub.5, e.sub.6 of the aisle second signal receiving relays F5, F6 for receiving signals indicating that the order of ones of an aisle number is "5" and "6" respectively and the stage position signal receiving relays E5, E6 for receiving signals indicating the fifth and sixth stage positions respectively, and the conductor 51. The keys 7, 8 and 9 are respectively connected between the break contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts f.sub.7, f.sub.8, f.sub.9 of the aisle second signal receiving relays F7, F8, F9 for receiving signals indicating that the order of ones of an aisle number is "7,""8" and "9" respectively, and the conductor 51. The make contact sides of the aforesaid make-before-break contacts are respectively connected to the positive side of the power source through the break contact pr' of a restoring relay PR and the break contact cl' of a signal receiving relay CL for receiving a signal of the clear key C, which relays will be described later. The break contact sides of the lower make-before-break contacts a.sub.0 and b.sub.0 of the unit signal receiving relays A0 and B0 are connected through the break contact fts' of a unit operation verifying relay FTS to be described later, the break contact sides of the lower make-before-break contacts ft.sub.0 and ft.sub.1 of the aisle first signal receiving relays FT0 and FT1 are connected through the make contact fts of the unit operation verifying relay FTS and the break contact fs.sub.1 ' of an aisle first operation verifying relay FS1 to be described later, and the break contact sides of the lower make-before-break contacts f.sub.0. . . f.sub.9 of the aisle second signal receiving relays F0 . . . F9 are connected through the make contact fs.sub.1 of the aisle first operation verifying relay FS1 and the break contact fs.sub.2 ' of an aisle second operation verifying relay FS2 to be described later, to a conductor 52 which is in turn connected to the negative side of the power source. Likewise, the break contact sides of the lower make-before-break contacts dl and dr of the left and right side of an aisle signal receiving relays DL and DR are connected through the make contact fs.sub.2 of the aisle second operation verifying relay FS2 and the break contact ns' of the left and right side of an aisle operation verifying relay NS to be described later, the break contact sides of the lower make-before-break contacts n.sub.1 . . . n.sub.4 of the bay position signal receiving relays N1 . . . N4 are connected through the make contact ns of the left or right side of an aisle operation verifying relay NS and the break contact es' of a bay position operation verifying relay es to be described later, and the break contact sides of the lower make-before-break contacts e.sub.1 . . . e.sub.6 of the stage position signal receiving relays E1 . . . E6 are connected through the make contact es of the bay position operation verifying relay ES and the break contact hts' of a stage position operation verifying relay HTS to be described later, to the conductor 52 respectively. The make contact sides of these lower make-before-break contacts are also connected to the negative side of the power source. As will be understood from the foregoing description on the circuit, the key 0 signifies two things, i.e., that the order of tens of an aisle number is "0" and that the order of ones of an aisle number is "0," and the key 1 signifies six things, i.e., the unit A, the order of tens of an aisle number being "1," the order of ones of an aisle number being "1," the left side of an aisle, the first bay and the first stage. Similarly, the key 2 signifies five things, i.e., the unit B, the order of ones of an aisle number being "2," the right side of an aisle, the second bay position and the second stage position. The keys 3 and 4 each signify three things, i.e., the order of ones of an aisle number being "3" or "4," the third or fourth bay position and the third or fourth stage position, and the keys 5 and 6 each signify two things, i.e., the order of ones of an aisle number being "5" or "6" and the fifth and sixth stage position. The remaining keys 7, 8 and 9 signify the order of ones of an aisle number being "7," "8" and "9" respectively.

The operation verifying circuit is a circuit which verifies operations in sequence upon receipt of signals successively supplied by the operation of the keys, i.e., it verifies a unit upon receipt of the first signal, an aisle upon receipt of the second and the third signals, the left or right side of an aisle upon receipt of the fourth signal and so on. This circuit comprises six relays consisting of the unit operation verifying relay FTS adapted to verify that a unit has been operated by the operation of the first key, the aisle first operation verifying relay FS1 adapted to verify that the order of tens of an aisle number has been operated by the operation of the second key, the aisle second operation verifying relay FS2 adapted to verify that the order of ones of an aisle number has been operated by the operation of the third key, the left or right side of an aisle operation verifying relay NS adapted to verify that the left or right side of an aisle has been operated by the operation of the fourth key, the bay position operation verifying relay ES adapted to verify that a bay position has been operated by the operation of the fifth key and the stage position operation verifying relay HTS adapted to verify that a stage position has been operated by the operation of the sixth key. The positive side of the unit operation verifying relay FTS is connected to a conductor 53 through the make contact a.sub.0 of the unit A signal receiving relay AO and the make contact b.sub.0 of the unit B signal receiving relay BO, which are connected with each other in parallel, and the brake contact sx' of an erroneous operation preventing relay SX to be described later, the conductor 53 being connected to the positive side of the power source through the break contacts pr' and cl'. The make contact fts of the relay FTS is connected across the conductor 53 and the intermediary between the relay FTS and the break contact sx'. The positive side of the aisle first operation verifying relay FS1 is connected to the conductor 53 through the make contact ft.sub.0 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO to indicate the order of tens of an aisle number being "0" and the make contact ft.sub.1 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1 to indicate the order of tens of an aisle number being "1," which make contacts are connected with each other in parallel, and the break contact sx' of the erroneous operation preventing relay SX. The make contact fs.sub.1 of the relay FS1 is connected across the conductor 53 and intermediary between the relay FS1 and the break contact sx'. The positive side of the aisle second operation verifying relay FS2 is connected to the conductor 53 through the make contacts f.sub.0 . . . f.sub.9 of the aisle second signal receiving relays F0 . . . F9 to indicate the order of ones of an aisle number, which make contacts are connected with each other in parallel, and the break contact sx' of the erroneous operation preventing relay SX. The make contact fs.sub.2 of the relay FS2 is connected across the conductor 53 and the intermediary of the relay FS2 and the break contact sx'. The positive side of the left or right side of an aisle operation verifying relay NS is connected to the conductor 53 through the make contact d1 of the left side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL to indicate the left side of an aisle and the make contact dr of the right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DR, which make contacts are connected with each other in parallel, and the break contact sx' of the erroneous operation preventing relay SX. The make contact ns of the relay NS is connected across the conductor 53 and the intermediary of the relay NS and the break contact sx'. The positive side of the bay position operation verifying relay ES is connected to the conductor 53 through the make contacts n.sub.1 . . . n.sub.4 of the bay position signal receiving relays N1 . . . N4, which make contacts are connected with each other in parallel, and the break contact sx' of the erroneous operation preventing relay SX. The make contact es of the relay ES is connected across the conductor 53 and the intermediary between the relay ES and the break contact sx'. The positive side of the stage position operation verifying relay HTS is connected to the conductor 53 through the make contacts e.sub.1 . . . e.sub.6 of the stage position signal receiving relays E1 . . . E6, which make contacts are connected with each other in parallel, and the break contact sx' of the erroneous operation preventing relay SX. The make contact hts of the relay HTS is connected across the conductor 53 and the intermediary between said relay HTS and the break contact sx'. The negative sides of these relays are respectively connected to a conductor 54 which is connected to the negative side of the power source.

The aisle signal formulating circuit comprises aisle signal receiving relays P1 . . . P10 for 10 aisles. The positive side of the aisle signal receiving relay P1 is connected to a conductor 55 through the make contact ft.sub.0 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO and the make contact f.sub.1 of the aisle second signal receiving relay F1, the conductor 55 being connected to the positive side of the power source. The aisle signal receiving relays P2 . . . P9 are connected to the intermediary between the make contacts ft.sub.0 and f.sub.1 through the make contacts f.sub.2 . . . f.sub.9 of the aisle second signal receiving relays F2 . . . F9 respectively. The positive side of the aisle signal receiving relay P10 is connected to the conductor 55 through the make contact ft.sub.1 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1 and the make contact f.sub.0 of the aisle second signal receiving relay FO. The negative sides of these relays P1 . . . P10 are respectively connected to the conductor 52 which is connected to the negative side of the power source. The erroneous operation preventing relay SX is designed to be actuated throughout the period when a key is depressed and prevents dual receiving of signals. Reference character CL designates a relay for the clear key C, which is adapted to be actuated upon hitting the clear key C when the keys are operated erroneously, whereby all the relays which have been actuated by operating the keys are restored.

The circuit diagram shown in FIG. 8 consists of a unit instructing circuit, an aisle of the unit A instructing circuit, an automatic restoring circuit and a circuit of the power source, unit and key operation indicator lamps on the control panel.

The unit instructing circuit consists of a unit A instructing relay A1 and a unit B instructing relay B1. The positive side of the unit A instructing relay A1 is connected to the conductor 55, connected to the positive side of the power source, through the make contact hts of the stage position operation verifying relay HTS and the make contact a.sub.0 of the unit A signal receiving relay A0, while the positive side of the unit B instructing relay B1 is connected to the intermediary between the make contacts hts and a.sub.0 through the make contact b.sub.0 of the unit B signal receiving relay BO. The negative sides of these relays A1 and B1 are respectively connected to a conductor 56 which in turn is connected to the negative side of the power source.

The aisle of the unit A instructing circuit comprises 10 aisle instructing relays CA1 . . . CA10. The positive side of the aisle instructing relay CA1 is connected to the conductor 55 through the make contact a.sub.1 of the unit A instructing relay A1 and the make contact p.sub.1 of the aisle signal receiving relay P1. The positive sides of the aisle instructing relays CA2 . . . CA10 are respectively connected to the intermediary between the make contacts a.sub.1 and p.sub.1 through the make contacts p.sub.2 . . . p.sub.10 of the aisle signal receiving relays P2 . . . P10, while the negative sides thereof are respectively connected to a conductor 56.

An aisle instructing circuit for the unit B is exactly identical with that for the unit A, except that the make contact a.sub.1 is replaced by the make contact b.sub.1 of the unit B instructing relay B1, and, therefore, will not be described and illustrated herein. This aisle instructing circuit for the unit B is connected in parallel to the aisle instructing circuit for the unit A. The circuits to be described hereunder with respect to the unit A are also required for the unit B unless the circuits for the unit B are specifically illustrated or described. However, illustrations and descriptions of the circuits for the unit B are omitted as the circuits for the unit B are identical in construction with those for the unit A, with the only exception that the constitutional elements of the former are indicated by symbols with a character B or b added as a suffix.

The automatic restoring circuit comprises an automatic restoration effecting relay DS and a restoring relay PR. The positive side of the automatic restoration effecting relay DS is connected to the conductor 55 through the break contact pr' of the restoring relay PR and the make contacts a.sub.1 and b.sub.1 of the unit instructing relays A1 and B1 which make contacts a.sub.1 and b.sub.1 are connected with each other in parallel. The positive side of the restoring relay PR is connected to the conductor 55 through the make contact ds of the automatic restoration effecting relay DS and a variable resistor VR1. The negative sides of these relays DS and PR are connected to the conductor 56. A capacitor C.sub.1 is connected across the conductor 56 and the intermediary between the restoring relay PR and the variable resistor VR1.

The circuit of the power source, unit and key operation indicator lamps on the control panel 36 comprises the unit A indicator lamp A, the unit B indicator lamp B, the power source indicator lamp PL, the unit operation indicator lamp KL1, the aisle operation indicator lamps KL2 and KL3, the left or right operation indicator lamp KL4, the bay position operation indicator lamp KL5 and the stage position operation indicator lamp KL6. The unit A indicator lamp A is connected across the conductors 55 and 56 through the make contact a.sub.1 of the unit A instructing relay A1. The unit B indicator lamp B is connected across the conductors 55 and 56 through the make contact b.sub.1 of the unit B instructing relay B1. The power source indicator lamp PL is connected across the conductors 55 and 56. The operation indicator lamps KL1 . . . KL6 are also connected across the conductors 55 and 56 through the make contact fts of the unit operation verifying relay FTS, the make contact fs.sub.1 of the aisle first operation verifying relay FS1, the make contact fs.sub.2 of the aisle second operation verifying relay FS2, the make contact ns of the left or right side of an aisle operation verifying relay NS, the make contact es of the bay position operation verifying relay ES and the make contact hts of the stage position operation verifying relay HTS respectively. is connected across a conductor 57, connected to the positive side of the power source through the make contact a.sub.1 of the unit

In FIG. 9 there is shown a diagram of the left or right side of an aisle, a bay position and a stage position instructing circuits for the unit A. The left or right side of an aisle instructing circuit comprises the left side of an aisle instructing relay LA and the right side of an aisle instructing relay RA. The left side of an aisle instructing relay LA IS CONNECTED ACROSS A CONDUCTOR %&, CONNECTED TO THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THE POWER SOURCE THROUGH THE MAKE CONTACT A.sub.- OF THE UNIT A instructing relay A1, and a conductor 58, connected to the negative side of the power source, through the make contact dl of the left side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL. The right side of an aisle instructing relay RA is also connected across the conductors 57 and 58 through the make contact dr of the right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DR. The bay position instructing circuit comprises bay position instructing relays NA1 . . . NA4 which are also connected across the conductors 57 and 58 through the make contacts n.sub.1 . . . n.sub.4 of the bay position signal receiving relays N1 . . . N4 respectively. The stage position instructing circuit comprises stage position instructing relays EA1 . . . EA6 which are also connected across the conductors 57 and 58 through the make contacts e.sub. 1 . . . e.sub.6 of the stage position signal receiving relays El . . . E6 respectively.

FIG. 10 is a set of diagrams of circuits for memorizing a desired storage position. Namely, FIG. 10a is a diagram of a circuit for memorizing the first aisle of the unit A and FIG. 10b is a diagram of a circuit for memorizing the second aisle of the unit A. The memorizing circuits for the third to the tenth aisles are identical in construction with the circuit shown in FIG. 10b, with the constitutional elements connected across conductors 63 and 64, the reference numerals of the constitutional elements indicating the aisle numbers only being different.

Referring now to FIG. 10a, the circuit for memorizing the stage position of the unit A, the first aisle, the first bay comprises 12 stage position memorizing relays L111, R111, . . . , L116, R116 adapted to memorize the respective stage positions on the left and right sides of the aisle. The relay L111 to memorize a storage position of the first aisle, the left side of the aisle, the first bay, the first stage has one terminal connected to a conductor 61, connected to the positive side of the power source, through the make contact side of its upper make-before-break contact l.sub.111 and the break contact 26-l.sub.111 of the restoring button 26 for the first aisle, the left side, the first bay, the first stage and another terminal connected to a conductor 62, connected to the negative side of the power source, through the make contact side of the lower make-before-break contact l.sub.111. The break contact side of the upper make-before-break contact l.sub.111 is connected to the conductor 61 through the make contact la of the left side of an aisle instructing relay LA and the make contact ca.sub.1 of the aisle instructing relay CAl. The break contact side of the lower make-before-break contact l.sub.111 is connected to the conductor 62 through the make contact ea.sub.1 of the stage position instructing relay EA1 and the make contact na.sub.1 of the bay position instructing relay NA1. The relay R111 to memorize a storage position of the first aisle, the right side, the first bay, the first stage has one terminal connected to the conductor 61 through the make contact side of the upper make-before-break contact r.sub. 111 of the relay and the break contact 26-r.sub. 111 of the restoring button 26, and another terminal connected to the conductor 62 through the make contact side of the lower make-before-break contact r.sub. 111. The break contact side of the upper make-before-break contact r.sub.111 is connected to the make contact ca.sub. 1 through the make contact ra of the right side of an aisle instructing relay RA. The lower make-before-break contact r.sub. 111 is connected to the intermediary between the break contact side of the contact 1.sub. 111 and the make contact ea.sub. 1. The relays to memorize storage positions of the second to the sixth stage and each bay are connected in a similar manner. In the subsequent drawings, the reference numerals suffixed to a letter each indicate an aisle by the first numeral, a bay position by the second numeral and a stage position by the third numeral. For instance, symbol L146 signifies the first aisle, the fourth bay, the sixth stage.

FIG. 11 shows the circuit of the indicator lamp for indicating a desired storage position on the left side of the first aisle of the unit A and a circuit for unlocking the closure member at said storage position. The circuits for the right side and for the second to the tenth aisles will not be illustrated because they are constructed in the same way and only the reference numerals to indicate the respective storage positions are different. An indicator lamp 25-L111 to indicate the first aisle, the left side, the first bay, the first stage and a magnet 33-L111 connected in parallel thereto are connected across conductors 65 and 66 through the make contact 1.sub.111 of the storage position memorizing relay L111. An indicator lamp 25-L112 to indicate the first bay, the second stage and a magnet 33-L112 connected in parallel thereto are connected across the conductors 65 and 66 through the make contact 1.sub. 112 of a corresponding storage position memorizing relay L112. Likewise, the remaining indicator lamps and magnets are connected across the conductors 65 a 66 through the make contacts of corresponding storage position memorizing relays respectively.

FIG. 12 shows a diagram of a circuit for turning on the indicator lamps 1AL . . . 10AL and 1AR . . . 10AR on the control panel 36 for indicating the aisles of the unit A and the indicator lamps 27 provided on the front sideplates 15 for indicating the respective aisles. Across a terminal and a conductor 69 are connected the indicator lamp 1AL to indicate the unit A, the first aisle, the left side and the aisle indicator lamp 27-AL1 provided on the front sideplate of the stack AA on the left side of the first aisle and connected to the lamp 1AL in parallel. Similarly, the aisle left and right position indicator lamps on the control panel and the aisle indicator lamps on the respective stacks connected in parallel to the respective left and right position indicator lamps are connected across terminals , ,

, . . . , , of the position indicator lamp and unlocking circuit and the conductor 69.

In the circuit diagram illustrated, the numeral of each of the encircled reference symbols indicating the terminals means that the terminal is connected to the terminal of the same numeral in other circuits.

The manner in which the stationary stack assembly described above is operated will be explained with reference to a case of indicating the storage position of the unit A, the first aisle, the left side, the first bay, the first stage. In this case, the keys are operated six times in the following order "1," "0," "1," "1," "1" and "1." Namely, the key "1" is hit first to indicate the unit A, whereupon a current flows from the power source to the erroneous operation preventing relay SX through the break contact hts', the conductor 51, the key 1 and the diode. Simultaneously, the power source is electrically connected with the unit signal receiving relay AO, the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1, the aisle second signal receiving relay F1, the left and right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL, the bay position signal receiving relay N1 and the stage position signal receiving relay E1 through the break contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts of said respective relays but the relays other than the unit signal receiving relay AO do not form a closed circuit as they are not electrically connected to the negative side of the power source at the break contact sides of their lower make-before-break contacts. The unit signal receiving relay AO forms a closed circuit through the break contact side of its lower make-before-break contact a.sub.O and the break contact fts'and thus is actuated. By the actuation of this relay AO, the make contacts of both of its upper and lower make-before-break contacts a.sub.O are closed and the break contacts thereof are opened, so that the relay AO is self-held. The erroneous operation preventing relay SX is held in an operative position while the key is depressed, with its break contact sx'opened. When the hand is removed from the key, the key returns to its original position and accordingly the relay SX is restored closing the break contact sx'. The unit operation verifying relay FTS is actuated and self-held with its make contact fts closed. Thus, the unit is memorized by the first operation of the key. Then, the keys O and 1 are depressed to indicate the first aisle. In this case, when the key 0 is depressed, the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO and the aisle second signal receiving relay FO are electrically connected with the power source through the break contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts ft.sub. O and f.sub. O of the respective relays and the conductor 51. However, the relay FO is not actuated as O break contact side of the lower make-before-break contact f.sub.O is not connected to the negative side of the power source since the make contact fs.sub. 1 is open and a closed circuit is not formed. On the other hand, the break contact side of the make-before-break contact ft.sub. 0 is electrically connected to the negative side of the power source through the make contact fts of the unit operation verifying relay FTS and the break contact fs.sub. 1 ' to form a closed circuit, since the make contact fts is closed by the self-holding of the relay, and thus the relay FTO is actuated and self-holds with the make contacts of the upper and lower make-before-contacts thereof closed and the break contacts of the same opened. Upon closure of the make contact ft.sub. O, the aisle first operation verifying relay FS1 is actuated and self-holds with the make contact fs.sub. 1 closed. Then, the key 1 is depressed, whereupon the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1, the aisle second signal receiving relay F1, the left and right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL, the bay position signal receiving relay N1 and the stage position signal receiving relay E1 are electrically connected to the power source through the conductor 51. In this case, the unit signal receiving relay AO is already self-held with the break contact side of the make-before-break contact a.sub. O open, and also the aisle first operation verifying relay FS1 is self-held with its break contact fs.sub. 1 ' open and further the make contacts fs.sub. 2, ns and es are also open. Therefore, the aisle second signal receiving relay F1 only is actuated through the make contact fs.sub. 1 of the self-holding relay FS1 and self-holds. By the actuation of this relay, the aisle second operation verifying relay FS2 is actuated and self-holds. Thereafter, the key 1 is depressed to indicate the left side of the aisle. In this case, the unit signal receiving relay AO and the aisle second signal receiving relay F1 are already actuated and self-held. Further, the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1, the bay position signal receiving relay N1 and the stage position signal receiving relay E1 cannot be actuated because the break contact fts of the relay FTS and the make contacts ns and es of the relays N1 and E1 are respectively open. Consequently, the left and right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL only is actuated and self-holds. The left and right side of an aisle operation verifying relay NS is also actuated and self-holds. Now, the key 1 is depressed again to indicate the first bay. In this case, the unit signal receiving relay AO, the aisle second signal receiving relay F1 and the left and right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL are not actuated because the break contacts of their upper make-before-break contacts a.sub. o, f.sub. 1 and dl are open due to self-holding of the relays; the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1 is not actuated because the break contact fs.sub.1 ' is open; and the stage position signal receiving relay E1 is not actuated because the make contact es is open. The bay position signal receiving relay N1 only is actuated and self-holds. As a result, the make contact n.sub.1 of the relay N1 is closed and thus the bay position operation verifying relay ES is actuated and self-holds. Finally, the key 1 is depressed to indicate the first stage, whereupon the stage position signal receiving relay E1 only is actuated and self-holds under the same conditions as described above and the stage position operation verifying relay HTS is also actuated and self-holds. Upon actuation of the stage position operation verifying relay HTS, the break contact hts' is opened which is connected across the positive side of the power source and the conductor 51. Therefore, this circuit will not perform a new function even when the keys are operated thereafter. On the other hand, the make contacts ft.sub.0 and f.sub.1 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO and the aisle second signal receiving relay F1 are closed by the actuation of the relays, whereby the aisle signal receiving relay P1 is actuated.

As a result, the make contact hts of the stage position operation verifying relay HTS, the make contact a.sub.0 of the unit signal receiving relay AO and the make contact p.sub.1 of the aisle signal receiving relay P1, shown in FIG. 8, are closed. With the make contacts hts and a.sub.0 closed, a circuit is formed extending from the conductor 55 to the unit A instructing relay A1 through the make contacts hts and a.sub.0, to actuate the relay A1. The make contact a.sub.1 of the relay A1 is closed, whereby the unit A indicator lamp A on the control panel 36 is turned on and the automatic restoration effecting relay DS in the automatic restoring circuit is actuated with its make contact ds closed. A current flows from the conductor 55 to the conductor 56 through the variable resistor VR1 and the capacitor C.sub.1, charging the condenser. The restoring relay PR is actuated upon completion of the charging. Namely, the relay PR is actuated with a certain time delay. On the other hand, with the contacts a.sub. 1 and p.sub. 1 closed, a circuit is formed comprising the conductor 55, the contacts 2.sub. 1 and p.sub. 1 and the aisle instructing relay CA1 and thus the aisle instructing relay CA1 is actuated and its make contact ca.sub. 1 (FIG. 10a) is closed. Upon actuation of the restoring relay PR, its break contact pr', shown in FIG. 7, is opened, whereby the signal receiving relays and the operation verifying relays are released from their self-holding positions and restore the original positions preparing for receiving the next information. The indicator lamps KL1 . . . KL6 on the control panel are turned on when the make contacts fts, fs.sub. 1, fs.sub. 2, ns, es and hits of the respective operation verifying relays are closed upon actuation of the relays, but are turned off when the respective operation verifying relays are restored by the function of the automatic restoring circuit.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the restoring relay PR is actuated with a certain time delay, and the lamp indication of a desired storage position and the unlocking operation of the closure member are effected within this time delay. Namely, the make contact a.sub. 1 of the relay A1, shown in FIG. 8, is closed on actuation of said relay, and the make contacts dl, n.sub. 1 and e.sub. 1 of the relays DL, N1 and EL, shown in FIG. 7, are held closed due to actuation of the relays. Therefore, the left side of an aisle instructing relay LA, the bay position instructing relay NA1 and the stage position instructing relay EA1, shown in FIG. 9, are actuated, with their make contacts la, na.sub. 1 and ea.sub. 1, shown in FIG. 10a, closed. Since, in this case, the make contact ca.sub. 1 of the relay CA1, shown in FIG. 8, is closed due to actuation of the relay, a closed circuit is formed extending from the positive side of the power source to the conductor 62 through the contacts ca.sub. 1 and la, a reverse-current preventing diode, the break contact side of the upper make-before-break contact l.sub. 111 of the corresponding position memorizing relay L111, the break contact side of the lower make-before-contact l.sub. 111 of said relay L111 and the contacts ea.sub. 1 and na.sub. 1. Thus, the relay L111 is actuated with the make contacts of the upper and lower make-before-break contacts l.sub. 111 closed and the break contacts of the same opened. Consequently, a closed circuit is formed extending from the conductor 61 to the relay L111 through the break contact 26-l.sub. 111 ' of a restoring button, the make contact 62 and the make contact of the lower make-before-break contact l.sub. 111, and thus the relay L111 is actuated and self-holds. Namely, the relay L111 will not be released from the actuated position unless the contact 26-l.sub. 111 ' thereof is opened by the restoring button 26. With the contacts l.sub. 111 of the relay L111 closed, a closed circuit is formed extending from the conductor 65 to the conductor 66 through the make contact l.sub. 111. As a result, the indicator lamp 25-L111 at the storage position of the unit A, the first aisle, the left side, the first bay, the first stage is turned on and the magnet 33-L111 is energized to attract the locking bar 32 to release it from engagement with the engaging member 31. Thus, the closure member 29 at the storage position is openable. Upon completion of the operation, the storage position is closed by the closing member and the storing button 26-l.sub. 111 ' adjacent the closure member is depressed, whereupon the magnet is deenergized and the closure member is locked.

On the other hand, the contacts l.sub. 111 are closed, so that the aisle indicator lamp 27-AL1 on the front side plate 15 of the stationary stack AA on the left side of the first aisle is turned on and the aisle indicator lamp 1AL on the control panel 36 is also turned on.

Where articles are stored in or taken out from many storage positions, the storage position information may be fed into the operating system by operating the keys after the unit indicator lamp on the control panel 36 has been turned off subsequent to feeding of the preceding storage position information. Namely, the storage position information can be fed into the system one after another successively and there is no necessity for the attendant to go to a desired storage position, open the closure member, store or take out an article, close the closure member, push the restoring button and return to the control panel for feeding the next storage position information each time a single storage position information is fed into the system. Once a plurality of storage position informations have been fed into the system one after another continuously, the attendant can go to the aisles, indicated by the indicator lamps, from one to another to perform the intended services. Therefore, the storing or taking out operation can be carried out with high efficiency.

FIGS. 13 to 16 inclusive show the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment of the stack assembly, each bay of the individual stacks is provided with a double door 201 and the interior of the bay is divided into six stages by five shelf plates 202 . . . 206. A locking mechanism 207 for the doors is shown in FIGS. 14a and 14b. Namely, the door 201 is locked by a locking bar 208 which is vertically movably fitted to the door and adapted to be received in a hole 209 formed in a bottom plate 14. A handle 210 is provided on the door 201 and a vertically extending slot 211 is formed in the door at the upper portion of the length of the handle 210. A lever 212 is extending through the slot 211 for vertical movement therein and connected at its inner end to the locking bar 208 by way of an engaging member 213, for releasing the engagement between the locking bar and the hole 209. The top edge of the other end of the engaging member 213 is in engagement with an L-shaped locking arm 214 which is pivotally mounted on a pivot 215. The other end of the locking arm 214 is biased by a spring 216 so that the engaging end of the arm is always urged outwardly. A magnet 217 is suitably spaced from the central portion of the locking arm 214, the arrangement being such that when the magnet 217 is energized, the locking arm 214 is attracted by the magnet and thereby the engagement between the locking arm 214 and the engaging member 213 is released. Indicator lamp 25 to indicate the respective storage positions are all provided on a ceiling plate 13. A restoring button 218 is provided above the handle 210 of the door.

In a storage position memorizing circuit shown in FIG. 15, which corresponds to the circuit of FIG. 10 of the first embodiment, the make contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts l .sub.111 . . . l.sub. 116 of respective storage position memorizing relays L111 . . . L116 to memorize the first aisle, the first bay, the left side are connected across conductors 220 and 221 through the break contact 218-RL11 of the restoring button 218 to restore the left side of the first bay. The make contact sides of the upper make-before-break contacts r.sub. 111 . . . r.sub. 116 of respective storage position memorizing relays R111 . . . R116 to memorize the first aisle, the first bay, the right side are connected across the conductors 220 and 221 through the break contact 218-RR11 of the restoring button 218 to restore the right side of the first bay. The other construction of the circuit is exactly the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 10. The relays for the second aisle are similarly connected across conductors 222 and 223.

FIG. 16 shows a circuit which is the circuit of FIG. 11 modified to be applied to the second embodiment. As seen, indicator lamps 25-L111 . . . 25-L116 and 25-R111 . . . 25-R116 provided on the ceiling plate 13 of each stack to indicate the respective storage positions are connected across conductors 224 and 225 through the make contacts l.sub.111 . . . l.sub. 116 and r.sub. 111 . . . r.sub. 116 of the relays L111 . . . L116 and R111 . . . R116. The magnets 217 for unlocking the respective doors are connected to the make contacts l.sub. 111 . . . l.sub. 116 through a reverse-current preventing diode respectively, so that these magnets may be energized when the indicator lamp for any one stage of the bay is turned on.

Namely, while in the storage position indicating and unlocking circuit of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 11 the magnets are provided for every storage position and connected in parallel, in the second embodiment the doors for the bay to which a desired storage position belongs can be opened and the storage position belongs can be opened and the storage position is indicated by the indicator lamp on the ceiling plate when the storage position information is decoded by the circuit.

It will be appreciated that where the doors are provided for each bay as in the second embodiment described above, it is readily possible according to the present invention to arrange the operating system such that a desired storage position may be indicated by feeding into the system the information of unit, aisle, left or ring side and bay only and the system may be restored by closing the closure member or the doors in each embodiment.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show the third embodiment of the stationary stack assembly according to this invention which is so designed that the article storing or taking out operation is effected by the insertion of a position card, such as a punch card, a magnetic card or a mark card, instead of the key operation as in the first embodiment, the position card having a storage position of each article or each kind of article recorded thereon.

In this embodiment, therefore, the control panel 36 is formed with a card receiving slot 301 as shown in FIG. 17 for receiving a position card 302 with the position information of a specific article to be stored recorded thereon.

Each position card has recorded thereon five informations, i.e., the unit, the aisle number, the left or right side of the aisle, the bay number and the stage number of a desired article stored or to be stored.

Indicator lamps on the control panel 36 are exactly the same as those in the first embodiment and will not be described in detail herein.

FIG. 18 shows a circuit, corresponding to the circuit of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7, for receiving signals representative of the position information recorded on the position card. A unit signal receiving circuit for reading the first information recorded on the position card 302, that is, the information as to whether the unit is A or B, comprises unit reading means UD consisting of a unit A reading element UDA and a unit B reading element UDB, and unit signal receiving relays AO and BO, all of which are connected across a conductor 303, connected to the positive side of the power source, and a conductor 304 connected to the negative side of the power source. The unit reading elements UDA and UDB each consists of a contact, a photoelectric tube or magnetic head and connected with each other in parallel. The unit signal receiving relays AO and BO are connected in series to the unit reading elements UDA and UDB respectively so as to be actuated upon energization of the respective elements. An aisle signal receiving circuit for reading the second information, i.e., an aisle information, comprises aisle reading means consisting of 10 aisle reading elements PD1 . . . PD10 and aisle signal receiving relays P1 . . . P10 connected in series to the respective aisle reading elements to be actuated upon energization of the latter, all of which are connected across the conductors 303 and 304. A left or right signal receiving circuit for reading the third information, i.e., the information as to whether a desired storage position is located on the left or right side of the aisle, comprises the left or right side of an aisle reading means YD having two left and right elements YDL and YDR connected with each other in parallel and the left and right side of an aisle signal receiving relays DL and DR connected in series to the respective elements, all of which are connected across the conductors 303 and 304. A bay position signal receiving circuit for reading the fourth information, that is, a bay position information, similarly comprises bay position reading means ND having four bay position reading elements ND1 . . . ND 4 and bay position signal receiving relays N1 . . . N4 connected in series to the respective elements, all of which are connected across the conductors 303 and 304. Further, a stage position signal receiving circuit for reading the fifth information, i.e., a stage position information, similarly comprises stage position reading means ED having six stage position reading elements ED1 . . . ED6 and stage position signal receiving relays E1 . . . E6 connected in series to the respective elements, all of which are connected across the conductors 303 and 304.

Now, suppose that a position card 302 having as storage position information the unit A, the first aisle, the left side, the first bay and the first stage, as in the case of the example used in the first embodiment, recorded thereon is inserted into the position card receiving slot 301 in the control panel 36. In this case, the unit A reading element UDA in the unit signal receiving circuit is energized at first to actuate the unit A signal receiving relay AO. At the same time, the first aisle reading element PD1 in the aisle signal receiving circuit is energized to actuate the aisle signal receiving relay P1. Likewise, the left side signal receiving relay DL, the bay position signal receiving relay N1 and the stage position signal receiving relay E1 are also energized.

Thereafter, the desired storage position is indicated by the circuits, shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, of the first embodiment. It should be noted, however, that since according to this embodiment the storage position information is fed by the position card inserted as described above, the automatic restoring circuit and the key operation indicator lamp circuit in FIG. 8 are not needed. The make contact hts in the unit instructing circuit is not needed either in the present embodiment. Except for the points mentioned above, the circuits of FIGS. 8 to to 12 in the first embodiment can be applied as such, and will not be reiterated herein.

It will, therefore, be understood that according to the third embodiment the storage position of a desired article will not be made known and the closure member at the storage position will not be opened unless the pertinent position card is inserted into the control panel. In other words, the position card serves the function of the keys.

However, since according to the third embodiment any storage position can be indicated upon insertion of the pertinent position card into the control panel, providing for the access thereto of any attendant, another form of the stationary stack assembly is shown in FIGS. 19 to 26 inclusive as a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which is so designed that a desired storage position is indicated only when the operation of the system to indicate the storage position according to the information recorded on the position card is allowed by the qualification information recorded on a qualification card used simultaneously with the position card, qualification information designating the section of the stack assembly which has previously been assigned to each attendant as the section he is authorized to have access to for storing or taking out action.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the control panel 36 is provided with a qualification card receiving slot 403 and a qualification card discharge opening 401, in addition to the position card receiving slot 301, through which a qualification card 402 is inserted and discharged automatically.

A signal receiving circuit in this embodiment for receiving the position information recorded on a position card 302 is exactly the same as the circuit, shown in FIG. 18, of the above-described third embodiment, except that the make contact s.sub. 1 of a starting signal memorizing relay S1 to be described later is connected to the terminal which is connected to the positive side of the power source, and, therefore, will not be described nor illustrated herein.

FIG. 20 shows a left and right separating circuit for the unit A, which is adapted to be operated in response to the position information received by the circuit of FIG. 18. The circuit comprises a unit signal repeating relay AU which is connected across a conductor 404, connected to the positive side of the power source, and a conductor 405 connected to the negative side of the power source, through the make contact a.sub. O of a unit signal receiving relay AO; the left side of an aisle separating relays LA1 . . . LA10 which are connected in parallel with each other across a conductor 406, connected to the conductor 404 through the make contact au of the relay AU and the make contact dl of the left side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL, and the conductor 405 through the make contacts p.sub. 1 . . . p.sub. 10 of aisle signal receiving relays P1 . . . P10 respectively; and the right side of an aisle separating relays RA1 . . . RA10 which are connected in parallel with each other across a conductor 406', connected to the intermediary between the make contacts au and dl through the make contact dr of the right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DR, and the conductor 405 through the make contacts p.sub. 1 . . . p.sub. 10 of the aisle signal receiving relays P1 . . . P10 respectively.

For repeating the signals representative of bay and stage positions, the circuit, shown in FIG. 9, of the first embodiment can be used as it is by only removing the left or right side of an aisle signal receiving and repeating circuit therefrom and replacing the make contact a.sub. 1 by the make contact au, and, therefore, description and illustration of the circuit are omitted.

A starting and unit A qualification signal reading circuit shown in FIG. 21 is actuated when a qualification card 402 is inserted into the qualification card receiving slot 403 shown in FIG. 19. Namely, this circuit comprises a starting signal reading circuit and a unit A qualification signal reading circuit, which are connected across conductors 407 and 408 which are connected to the positive side and the negative side of the power source respectively. The starting signal reading circuit comprises starting signal reading means KD consisting of a starting signal reading element KD1 and a completion signal reading element KD2 which are adapted to be operated by contact, photoelectric tube or magnetic head and connected with each other in parallel, and a starting signal receiving relay KS1 and a completion signal receiving relay KS2 which are connected to the respective elements in series to be actuated upon energization of the elements. The unit A qualification signal reading circuit comprises unit A qualification signal reading means AD having four unit A qualification signal reading elements AD1, AD2, AD3 and AD4 which are connected with each other in parallel, and the unit A qualification signal receiving relays AK1, AK2, AK3 and AK4 which are connected to said respective elements in series.

FIG. 22 shows a starting signal memorizing circuit and a unit A qualification signal memorizing circuit. The starting signal memorizing circuit has a starting signal memorizing relay S1 and a completion signal memorizing relay S2. The starting signal memorizing relay S1 is connected across conductors 409 and 410 through the make contact ks.sub. 1 of the starting signal receiving relay KS1, which conductors 409 and 410 are connected to the positive side and the negative side of the power source respectively. The make contact s.sub.1 of the relay S1 is connected across the intermediary between the relay S1 and the make contact ks.sub. 1 and a conductor 409' which is branched from the conductor 409 through the break contact s.sub. 2 ' of the completion signal memorizing relay S2. The completion signal memorizing relay S2 is connected across the conductors 409 and 410 through the make contact ks.sub. 2 of the completion signal receiving relay KS2. The unit A qualification signal memorizing circuit comprises four unit A basic qualification signal memorizing relays AS1, AS2, AS3 and AS4 which are respectively connected across the conductors 409 and 409', and the conductor 410 through the make contacts ak.sub. 1 and as.sub. 1, ak.sub. 2 and as.sub. 2, ak.sub.3 and as.sub.3, and ak.sub.4 and as.sub.4, in such a manner, for example, as the positive side of the unit A first basic signal memorizing relay AS1 is connected to the conductor 409 through the make contact of the unit A qualification signal receiving relay AK1, the make contact as.sub. 1 of the relay ASL is connected across the conductor 409' and the intermediary between the make contact ak.sub.1 and the relay AS1, and the negative side of the relay AS1 is connected to the conductor 410.

FIG. 23 shows a qualification signal instructing circuit for the unit A. This circuit has six qualification signal instructing relays KA1 . . . KA6. The positive side of the first qualification signal instructing relay KA1 is connected to a conductor 411, connected to the positive side of the power source, through the make contact as.sub. 1 of the unit A first basic qualification signal memorizing the relay AS1, the make contact as.sub.2 of the unit A second basic qualification signal memorizing relay AS2, the break contact as.sub.3 ' of the unit A third basic qualification signal memorizing relay AS3 and the break contact as.sub.4 ' of the unit A fourth basic qualification signal memorizing relay AS4, while the negative side thereof is connected to a conductor 412 which is connected to the negative side of the power source. The positive side of the second qualification signal instructing relay KA2 is connected to the make contact as.sub.1 through the break contact as.sub.2 ' of the unit A second basic qualification signal memorizing relay AS2, the make contact as.sub.3 of the relay AS3 and the break contact as.sub.4 ' of the relay AS4, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 412. The positive side of the third qualification signal instructing relay KA3 is connected to the break contact as.sub.2 ' through the break contact as.sub.3 ' of the relay AS3 and the make contact as.sub.4 of the relay AS4, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 412. The positive side of the fourth qualification signal instructing relay KA4 is connected to the conductor 411 through the break contact as.sub.1 ' of the relay AS1, the make contact as.sub.2 of the relay AS2, the make contact as.sub.3 of the relay AS3 and the break contact as.sub.4 ' of the relay AS4, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 412. Similarly, the positive side of the fifth qualification signal instructing relay KA5 is connected to the make contact as.sub.2 of the relay AS2 through the break contact as.sub.3 ' of the relay AS3 and the make contact as.sub.4 of the relay AS4, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 412. The positive side of the sixth qualification signal instructing relay KA6 is connected to the break contact as.sub.1 ' of the relay AS1 through the break contact as.sub.2 ' of the relay AS2, the make contact as.sub.3 of the relay AS3 and the make contact as.sub.4 of the relay AS4 and thence to the conductor 411, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 412.

In FIG. 24, there is shown a qualification setting circuit for the unit A. In describing the present embodiment, reference is given to the case wherein the four basic qualification signals shown in FIG. 23 are combined to form six kinds of qualifications. A conductor 413, connected to the positive side of the power source, has six input lines or six conductors 414 . . . 419 connected thereto through the make contact au of the unit A signal repeating relay AU for setting six kinds of qualifications, the input lines or conductors being connected to the make contact au through the make contacts ka.sub.1, ka.sub.2 . . . ka6 of the unit A qualification signal instructing relays KA1, KA2 . . . KA6 respectively. Extending transversely of these vertical input lines are output lines in a number corresponding to the number of the storage positions, which are electrically insulated from the input lines. Namely, in this embodiment the output lines are provided for one unit in a number corresponding to the 480 storage positions along 10 aisles, and between each of the vertical input lines and each of the transverse output lines is provided a connecting pin insertion terminal C.sub.p through a diode Di as shown in FIG. 24b. This terminal, when a conductive pin (not shown) is inserted therein, permits a current to flow from the vertical input line to the associated transverse output line. The encircled terminal number denoted at the right side end of each transverse output line indicates a stage position by the numeral of the order of ones, a bay position by the numeral of the order to tens and an aisle position by the numerals of the orders of hundreds and thousands, and letters L and R indicate the left side and the right side of an aisle respectively. For instance, the terminal number indicates the storage position of the first aisle, the left side, the first bay and the first stage. These terminals are respectively connected to the terminals of the same number in FIG. 25.

FIG. 25 shows a storage position memorizing circuit for memorizing a storage position in the stationary stack assembly designated by the storage position information and the qualification information read by the circuits described hereinabove. FIG. 25a is a circuit diagram for the first aisle of the unit A and FIG. 25b is a circuit for the second aisle of the unit A. The circuits for the third to the 10th aisles are exactly the same as the circuit of FIG. 25b, the reference numeral attached to each constitutional element to indicate a position being the only difference. Referring first to FIG. 25a, the circuit for memorizing the storage positions of the unit A, the first aisle, the first bay has 12 stage position memorizing relays L111, R111, . . . L116, R116 for memorizing the respective stage positions on the left and right sides of the aisle. The positive side of the stage position memorizing relay L111 for memorizing the first bay, the first stage on the left side of the first aisle is connected to a conductor 420 through the make contact of its make-before-break contact l.sub.111, which conductor is connected to the positive side of the power source, while the negative side thereof is connected to a conductor 421, connected to the negative side of the power source, through the make contact side of another make-before-break contact l.sub.111 ' and a restoring contact 26-l.sub.111 which is adapted to be opened when a restoring button 26 provided at a desired storage position is depressed. The break contact of the upper make-before-break contact l.sub. 111 is connected to the corresponding terminal of the output line shown in FIG. 24, while the break contact of the lower make-before-break contact l.sub.111 ' is connected to a conductor 422 through the make contact la.sub.1 of the left side of first aisle separating relay LA1, the make contact ea.sub.1 of the first stage position signal repeating relay EA1 and the make contact na.sub.1 of the first bay position signal repeating relay NA1. The positive side of the stage position memorizing relay R111 is connected to the conductor 420 through the make contact of the upper make-before-break contact r.sub.111, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 421 from the make contact side of the lower make-before-break contact r.sub.111 ' through the restoring contact 26-r.sub.111. The break contact of the upper make-before-break contact r.sub.111 connected to the corresponding terminal of the output line, i.e., the terminal shown in FIG. 24, while the break contact of the lower make-before-break contact r.sub.111 ' is connected to the terminal through the make contact ra.sub.1 of the right side of the first aisle separating relay RA1. The conductor 422 is connected to the conductor 421 through a relay ASD which serves to verify that a storage position has been selected. The conductor 421 is in turn connected to the negative side of the power source. The circuits for the remaining five stages and the respective bays of the stages are constructed similarly. In the drawings to be described hereunder, the numerals suffixed to the letter L or R signifying the left or the right side each indicate a stage position by the numeral of the order of ones, a bay position by the numeral of the order of tens and aisle position by the numerals of the orders of hundreds and thousands. For instance, symbol L146 indicates the first aisle, the left side, the fourth bay, the sixth stage. The terminal indicates that the terminal is connected to the terminal of the same symbol in FIG. 25b.

A circuit of the indicator lamps to indicate the respective storage position is exactly the same as the circuit, shown in FIG. 11, of the first embodiment and will not be described nor illustrated herein.

A circuit of the aisle indicator lamps and the left and right side indicator lamps provided on the control panel and of the aisle indicator lamps provided on the front sideplates of the respective stacks is also the same as that shown in FIG. 12 of the first embodiment and will not be described nor illustrated herein.

FIG. 26 shows a storage position selection verifying circuit which has a storage position indication verifying relay ASP. The positive side of this relay is connected to a conductor 423 through the make contact side of its make-before-break contact asp and the break contact asd' of a storage position selection verifying relay ASD, the conductor 423 being connected to the positive side of the power source. The break contact side of the make-before-break contact asp is connected across a movable contact of a switch contact asp" and the positive side of a capacitor C.sub.2, one of the fixed contacts of the switch contact asp" being connected to the conductor 423 through a resistor R and the negative side of said capacitor C.sub.2 being connected to a conductor 424 which in turn is connected to the negative side of the power source. The negative side of the relay ASP is connected to the conductor 424. The corresponding circuits for the unit B are exactly the same as the circuits for the unit A described above, except that the former is not provided with common power source lamp PL.

Now, the operation of the fourth embodiment will be described hereunder. Suppose that the position card 302 has the same position information as in the third embodiment recorded thereon, while the qualification card 402 has magnetically recorded thereon signals to effect reading of the qualification card and start the operation of the system, a completion signal and two conditional signals, i.e., signals to actuate the unit A basic qualification signal reading elements AD1 and AD2. Therefore, if it be desired to arrange such that the storage position designated by the information on the position card should be opened upon insertion of the qualification card, all that is required is to insert a connecting pin into the connecting pin insertion terminal cp at the intersection of the input line 414 and the output line connected to the terminal (the reason for this will be explained later).

First of all, the position card 302 is inserted into the position card receiving slot 301. The operating system of the stack assembly, however, does not start the position reading operation at this point. Then, the qualification card 402 is inserted into the qualification card receiving slot 403 and it is at this point that the system starts the position reading operation. Namely, the starting signal reading element KD1 shown in FIG. 21 is energized and the starting signal receiving relay KS1 is actuated. Upon actuation of the relay KS1, the starting signal memorizing relay S1 shown in FIG. 22 is actuated and self-holds, with its make contact s.sub.1 closed, and thus the system is placed in a condition for reading the position card.

Reading of the position card 302 is carried out by the circuit, shown in FIG. 18, of the third embodiment in the manner described previously. The relays AO, P1, DL, N1 and E1 are actuated and the relays NA1 and EA1 are actuated by the circuit, shown in FIG. 9, of the first embodiment, and further the relays AU and LA1 shown in FIG. 20 are actuated. Therefore, the make contacts la.sub.1, na.sub.1 and ea.sub.1 shown in FIG. 25a are closed, forming a closed circuit on the negative side for selecting the relay L111.

On the other hand, for reading the qualification card the unit A qualification signal reading elements AD1 and AD2 are energized successively after the starting signals have been read in the manner described above and the qualification signal receiving relays AK1 and AK2, connected in series to the elements are actuated, with their make contacts ak.sub.1 and ak.sub.2, shown in FIG. 22, closed. Therefore, the unit basic qualification signal memorizing relays AS1 and AS2 are actuated and self-hold. The make contacts as.sub.1 and as.sub.2 in the circuit shown in FIG. 23 are actuated and, therefore, the unit A qualification signal instructing relay KA1 is actuated.

As a result of reading the qualification card, the relay KA1 is held in the actuated condition and the make contact au in FIG. 24a is closed by reason of the fact that the unit A has been selected by the position card. The input of the qualification signal is effected by inserting a connecting pin into the connecting pin insertion terminal cp to connect the input line 414 to the position memorizing relay L111, since the make contact ka.sub.1 is closed. By so doing, an output appears at the terminal . Thus, an operating circuit for the relay L111 is formed and the relay L111 self-holds. Therefore, the make contact l.sub.111 shown in FIG. 25a is closed, the indicator lamp 25-L111 is turned on and the magnet 33-L111 is energized to unlock the closure member 29 at the storage position of the unit A, the first aisle, the left side, the first bay and the first stage, enabling said closure member to be opened.

When the storage position has been selected by the position card and the qualification card in the manner described above, the storage position selection verifying relay ASD in the storage position memorizing circuit (FIG. 25a) is actuated. On the other hand, however, the capacitor C.sub.2 in the storage position selection verifying circuit of FIG. 26 is charged through the transfer contact asp", concurrently with connecting the circuit to the power source. Upon completion of the charging of the capacitor C.sub.2, a current flows through the storage position indication verifying relay ASP from the break contact side of the make-before-break contact asp to actuate the relay ASP. The transfer contact asp" is switched to the side opposite to the side illustrated and the discharge current of the capacitor C.sub.2 flows through the resistor R. The make contact side of the make-before-break contact asp is closed and the relay ASP self-holds. The unit A indicator lamp A is not turned on as the break contact asp' is open. However, where the position card and the qualification card are matched and the system is allowed to indicate the storage position as described above, the storage position selection verifying relay ASD is actuated with the break contact asd' opened, so that the relay ASP is released from the self-holding position closing its break contact asp' and the unit A indicator lamp A is turned on. The indicator lamp A is held on for a while because, although the relay ASD is restored quickly, the relay ASP is actuated by the capacitor C.sub.2 with a certain time delay. The next new operation can be effected soon after the lamp is turned off.

Where the position card and the qualification card do not match each other, the unit indicator lamps and the aisle indicator lamps on the control panel are of course not turned on and the closure member is not unlocked.

The fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 27 to 40 inclusive. This embodiment is similar to the fourth embodiment but provided with means for automatically recording the storage position in or from which an article was stored or taken out, the article number, the qualification card number, etc., along with the date when the article was handled.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 27, a control panel 36 is provided on a stack AA which has shelves on only one side thereof. The control panel is provided, in addition to the position card receiving slot 301, the qualification card receiving slot 403 and the qualification card discharge opening 401 as described with reference to the third and the fourth embodiments, with manually operative set dials 529 . . . 533 for recording a date and a clear key C. Furthermore, a printing operation indicator lamp KL21, a position card operation indicator lamp KL22 and a qualification card operation indicator lamp KL23 are arranged below the indicator lamps described previously. The arrangement of aisle indicator lamps and the structure of each stack are identical with those in the preceding embodiments and will not be described herein.

FIG. 28 shows a recording mechanism. As shown in FIG. 28a, the mechanism comprises day-printing drums 540 and 541, a month-printing drum 542, year-printing drums 543 and 544, and a fixed hyphen printing drum 545 for printing a hyphen to distinguish date numerals from other recorded numerals, all of which are operatively connected to the manually operative set dials 529 . . . 533 on the control panel 36; and a unit-printing drum 546, aisle-printing drums 547 and 548, the left and right side of an aisle-printing drum 549, a bay position printing drum 550, a stage position printing drum 551, article number printing drums 552 and 553, qualification number printing drums 555 and 556, qualification card number printing drums 557 and 558 and a hyphen printing drum 554 fixed between the article number printing drum 553 and the qualification number printing drum 555, each one of which is provided with mechanism shown in detail in FIG. 28b. These printing drums 540 . . . 544, 546 . . . 553 and 555 . . . 558 are rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 559. The manually operative set dials 529 . . . 533 are also rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 560 and operatively connected to the respective printing drums through gears 561 or the like. Each of the printing drums other than the month printing drum 542, carrying thereon the 12 types of letters indicating months, and the hyphen-printing drums 545 and 554, carries numerical types of 1, 2, 3 . . . 9, 0 and a hyphen type on the peripheral surface thereof.

The mechanism for printing a storage position, such as unit, aisle, etc., an article number, a qualification number and its card number, will be described with reference to FIG. 28b. The printing mechanism shown in FIG. 28b is one for printing, e.g., a numeral for the order of tens, of those shown in FIG. 28a. The first qualification number printing drum 555 has ten vertically juxtaposed magnets 562 each for attracting an attraction member 564 fixed to one end of a pin 563 which is slidably extending through the magnet. The attraction member 564 is constantly biased by a spring 565 in the direction opposite to the attracting direction. The other end of each pin 563 is supported by a supporting frame 566 which also supports the pins of the other printing drums. The mechanism also includes a vertically movable plate 569 having a projection 567 and being biased upwardly by a spring 568, the projection 567 being adapted to engage the other end of each pin 563 when the latter is projected from the supporting frame 566 as a result of the attraction member 564 being attracted by the magnet 562 upon energization of the magnet. At the upper portion of that side of the vertically movable plate remote from the projection 567 is formed with a rack 571 which is meshing with a gear 570, fixed to one face of the printing drum 555, such that, for example, the type of numeral "1" is located in the printing position when the projection 567 is in engagement with the lowermost pin 563-1. The vertically movable plate 567 is guided, in its vertical movement, and supported by guide pins 573 which are respectively loosely received in vertically elongate slots 572 formed in the plate. Reference numeral 574 designates a retainer pin by which the vertically movable plate 569 is held in the position shown. The other printing mechanisms are identical with that for the first qualification number described above and, therefore, will not be illustrated herein.

On the opposite side of the printing drums is provided a printing hammer 577 which is pivotably mounted on a pivot 576 and connected at one end to a movable iron core 575' extending through a solenoid-type magnet 575, so that when said magnet is energized, the printing hammer will make a pivotal movement about the pivot 576 and effect printing in cooperation with the printing drum. Reference numeral 578 designates a spring by which the printing hammer 577 is returned to its original position upon completion of the printing operation. A recording sheet 579 is supplied from a reel 584 and taken up on a takeup reel 580 after passing through the interspace between two sheet guides 582 while being guided by guide rollers 581 and 583. Reference numeral 585 designates a spot-preventing plate. A mechanism for forwarding the recording sheet 579 intermittently upon completion of each printing operation is well known in the art from a typewriter or the like and will not be illustrated herein. A carbon tape is also forwarded along with the recording sheet 579, though not apparent in the drawing.

FIG. 29 shows circuits for starting the system and for receiving signals representative of the unit and the aisle number recorded on a position card. The starting circuit comprises a clear signal receiving relay CL and a signal receiving starting relay SO. The clear signal receiving relay CL is connected across conductors 501 and 502 through the clear key C, which conductors 501 and 502 are connected to the positive side and the negative side of the power source respectively. The signal receiving starting relay SO is also connected across the conductors 501 and 502 through the make contact kmt of a qualification signal memorization verifying relay KMT shown in FIG. 39, the break contact cl' of the clear key signal receiving relay CL, the break contact sa.sub.1 ' of a restoring relay SA1 shown in FIG. 40 and the break contact sb.sub.1 ' of a unit B restoring relay (not shown).

The unit signal receiving circuit comprises unit reading means UD including a reading element UDA for the unit A and a reading element UDB connected in parallel to the reading element UDA, and unit signal receiving relays AO and BO connected to the respective elements in series, all of which are connected across a conductor 501', which is connected to the conductor 601 through the make contact s.sub.0 of the signal receiving starting relay SO, and the conductor 502.

The aisle signal receiving circuit consists of an aisle first signal receiving circuit for receiving the order of tens of an aisle number and an aisle second signal receiving circuit for receiving the order of ones of an aisle number. The aisle first signal receiving circuit comprises aisle first reading means FTD including an aisle first reading element FTDO adapted to read the order of tens of an aisle number being "0" and an aisle first reading element FTD1 adapted to read the order of tens of an aisle number being "1" and connected to the element FTDO in parallel, and aisle first signal receiving relays FTO and FT1 connected to the respective elements in series, all of which are connected across the conductors 501' and 502. Likewise, the aisle second signal receiving circuit for receiving a signal representative of the order of ones of an aisle number comprises aisle second reading means FD including ten aisle second reading elements FDO, FD1, . . . FD9 and aisle second signal receiving relays FO, F1, . . . F9 connected to the respective elements in series.

The information of the left or right side of an aisle, bay position and stage position, recorded on the position card, are read by the left or right side, bay position and stage position signal receiving circuit, shown in FIG. 18, of the third embodiment and will not be illustrated herein.

FIG. 30 shows a circuit for receiving a signal representative of the article number, which is the last information recorded on the position card. The article number is given to the article stored in each storage position and is a serial number. This circuit consists of an article number first signal receiving circuit for receiving a signal representative of the order of tens of an article number and an article number second signal receiving circuit for receiving a signal representative of the order of ones of an article number. The article number first signal receiving circuit comprises article number first reading means HTD including four article number first reading elements HTDO, HTD1, HTD2 and HTD3 for reading the order of tens of an article number being "0", "1", "2" and "3" respectively and article number first signal receiving relays HT0, HT1, HT2 and HT3 connected to the respective elements in series, all of which are connected across conductors 503 and 504 in parallel which conductors are in turn connected to the conductors 501' and 502 respectively. Similarly, the article number second signal receiving circuit comprises article number second reading means HD including 10 article number second reading elements HDO . . . HD9 connected with each other in parallel and article number second signal receiving relays H0, H1, . . . H9 connected to the respective elements in series, all of which are connected across the conductors 503 and 504.

FIG. 31 shows a circuit for formulating a series of signals from zero to 10 in accordance with the signals received by the second signal receiving circuit of FIG. 29. This circuit comprises aisle signal receiving relays P1 . . . P10 for 10 aisles. The positive side of the aisle signal receiving relay P1 is connected to a conductor 505 through the make contact ft.sub.0 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO and the make contact f.sub.1 of the aisle second signal receiving relay F1, the conductor 505 being connected to the positive side of the power source. The positive sides of the aisle signal receiving relays P2 . . . P9 are connected between the make contacts ft.sub.0 and f.sub.1 through the make contacts f.sub.2 . . . f.sub.9 of the aisle second signal receiving relays F2 . . . F9. The positive side of the aisle signal receiving relay P10 is connected to the conductor 505 through the make contact ft.sub.1 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1 and the make contact f.sub.0 of the aisle second signal receiving relay FO. The negative sides of these relays are connected to a conductor 506 which is connected to the negative side of the power source.

FIG. 32 shows a circuit for detecting the operations of the relays in the circuits described above. Namely, this circuit is provided to detect ascertain that one relay in each of the unit, the aisle, the left or right side of an aisle, the bay position and stage position signal receiving circuits is in operation and thereby to avoid erroneous operation. The circuit comprises a unit signal detecting relay SY1, an aisle first signal detecting relay SY2, an aisle second signal detecting relay SY3, a left or right side of an aisle signal detecting relay SY4, a bay position signal detecting relay SY5, a stage position signal detecting relay SY6 and a signal detection verifying relay ABS. The positive side of the unit signal detecting relay SY1 is connected to a conductor 507 through a circuit comprising the make contact a.sub.0 of the unit signal receiving relay AO and the break contact b.sub.0 ' of the unit signal receiving relay BO, which are connected with each other in series, and the break contact a.sub.0 ' and the make contact b.sub.0 which are connected with each other in series and connected to the make contact a.sub.0 and the break contact b.sub.0 ' in parallel, the conductor 507 being connected to the positive side of the power source. The positive side of the aisle first signal detecting relay SY2 is connected to the conductor 507 through a circuit comprising the make contact ft.sub.0 of the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO and the break contact ft.sub.1 ' of the aisle first signal receiving relay FT1 which are connected with each other in series, and the break contact ft.sub.0 ' and the make contact ft.sub.1 which are connected with each other in series and connected to the make contact ft.sub.0 and the break contact ft.sub.1 ' in parallel. The positive side of the aisle second signal detecting relay SY3 is connected to the conductor 507 through a ladder-type circuit comprising the make contact f.sub.0 of the aisle second signal receiving relay FO and the break contacts f.sub.1 ' . . . f.sub.9 ' of the aisle second signal receiving relays F1 . . . F9, which are connected with each other in series; the break contacts f.sub.0 ' . . . f.sub.8 ' and the make contact f.sub.9 which are connected with each other in series and connected to the make contact f.sub.0 and the break contacts f.sub.1 ' . . . f.sub.9 ' in parallel; and the make contacts f.sub.1 . . . f.sub.8 respectively connected across the intermediary between the break contacts f.sub.1 ' and f.sub.2 ' and intermediary between break contacts f.sub.0 ' and f.sub.1 ', . . . and across the intermediary between the break contacts f.sub.7 ' and f.sub.8 ' and intermediary between the break contacts f.sub.8 ' and f.sub.9 '. The positive side of the left or right signal detecting relay SY4 is connected to the conductor 507 through a circuit comprising the make contact dl of the left side of an aisle signal receiving relay DL and the break contact dr' of the right side of an aisle signal receiving relay DR which are connected with each other in series, and the break contact dl' and the make contact dr which are connected with each other in series and connected to the make contact dl and the break contact dr' in parallel. The positive side of the bay position signal detecting relay SY5 is connected to the conductor 507 through a ladder-type circuit comprising the make contact n.sub.1 of the bay position signal receiving relay N1 and the break contacts n.sub.2 ', n.sub.3 ' and n.sub.4 ' of the bay position signal receiving relays N2, N3 and N4, which are connected with each other in series; the break contacts n.sub.1 ', n.sub.2 ' and n.sub.3 ' and the make contact n.sub.4 which are connected with each other in series and connected to the make contact n.sub.1 and the break contacts n.sub.2 ', n.sub.3 ' and n.sub.4 ' in parallel; the make contact n.sub.2 connected across the intermediary between the break contacts n.sub.1 ' and n.sub.2 ' and intermediary between the break contacts n.sub.2 ' and n.sub.3 '; and the make contact n .sub.3 connected across the intermediary between the break contacts n.sub.2 ' and n.sub.3 ' and the intermediary between the break contacts n.sub.3 ' and n.sub.4 '. The positive side of the stage position signal detecting relay SY6 is connected to the conductor 507 through a ladder-type circuit comprising the make contact e.sub.1 of the stage position signal receiving relay E1 and the break contacts e.sub.2 ' . . . e.sub.6 ' of the stage position signal receiving relays E2 . . . E6, which are connected with each in series; the break contact e.sub.1 ' . . . e.sub.5 ' and the make contact e.sub.6 which are connected with each other in series and connected to the make contact e.sub.1 and the break contacts e.sub.2 ' . . . e.sub.6 ' in parallel; and the make contacts e.sub.2 . . . e.sub.5 respectively connected across the intermediary between the break contacts e.sub.1 ' and e.sub.2 ' and the intermediary between the break contacts e.sub.2 ' and e.sub.3 ', . . . and across the intermediary between the break contacts e.sub.4 ' and e.sub.5 ' and the intermediary between the break contacts e.sub.5 ' . . . e.sub.6 '. The signal detection verifying relay ABS is connected on its positive side to the conductor 507 through the make contacts sy.sub.1 . . . sy.sub.6 of the detecting relays SY1 . . . SY6, which are connected with each other in series. The negative sides of these detecting relays SY1 . . . SY6 and the signal detection verifying relay ABS are connected to a conductor 508 which is connected to the negative side of the power source.

A circuit for separating the left and right sides of an aisle used in this embodiment is exactly identical with the circuit, shown in FIG. 20, of the fourth embodiment, except that the make contact abs of the signal detection verifying relay ABS shown in FIG. 32 is connected to the intermediary between the conductor 404 and the make contact a.sub.0, and will not be illustrated herein.

Further, a bay position and a stage position signal repeating circuits used in this embodiment are also identical with the circuit, shown in FIG. 9, of the first embodiment and illustration and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 33 shows a qualification signal receiving circuit and a qualification card number signal receiving circuit for the unit A, which are operated upon insertion of a qualification card 402 into the qualification card receiving slot 403 shown in FIG. 27. The qualification signal receiving circuit comprises unit A qualification signal reading means AD including four unit A qualification signal reading elements AD1 . . . AD4, and unit A qualification signal receiving relays AK1 . . . AK4 connected to the respective reading elements in series, all of which are connected in parallel across a conductor 509 which is connected to the positive side of the power source through the break contact kmt' of the qualification signal memorization verifying relay KMT shown in FIG. 39, and a conductor 510 which is connected to the negative side of the power source.

The qualification card number signal receiving circuit consists of a first signal receiving circuit for receiving a signal representative of the order of tens of a qualification card number and a second signal receiving circuit for receiving a signal representative of the order of ones of the same. The first signal receiving circuit comprises qualification card number first reading means MD including 10 qualification card number first reading elements MDO . . . MD9, and qualification card number first signal receiving relays MKO . . . MK9 connected to the respective reading elements in series, all of which are connected in parallel across the conductors 509 and 510. Similarly, the second signal receiving circuit comprises qualification card number second reading means TD including 10 qualification card number second reading elements TDO . . . TD9, and qualification card number second signal receiving relays TKO . . . TK9 connected to the respective reading elements in series, all of which are connected in parallel across the conductors 509 and 510.

FIG. 34 shows a qualification signal memorizing circuit for the unit A which comprises four unit A basic qualification signal memorizing relays AS1 . . . AS4. The positive side of the unit A qualification signal memorizing relay AS1 is connected to a conductor 511 through the make contact ak.sub.1 of the unit A qualification signal receiving relay AK1, and the make contact as.sub.1 of the relay AS1 is connected across a conductor 511' and the intermediary between the relay AS1 and the make contact ak.sub.1, which conductor 511' is connected to the conductor 511. Similarly, the unit A basic qualification signal memorizing relays AS2, AS3 and AS4 are connected to the conductor 511 through the make contacts ak.sub.2, ak.sub.3 and ak.sub.4 and connected to the conductor 511' through the make contacts as.sub.2, as.sub.3 and as.sub.4 respectively. The negative sides of these relays are connected to a conductor 512. The conductor 511 is connected to the positive side of the power source through the break contact cl' of the clear key signal receiving relay CL (FIG. 29) and the break contact sa.sub.1 ' of the unit A restoring relay SA1 (FIG. 40), while the conductor 512 is connected to the negative side of the power source.

FIG. 35 shows a qualification card number memorizing circuit for memorizing signals representative of a qualification card number and consisting of a qualification card number first memorizing circuit for memorizing the order of tens of the qualification card number and a qualification card number second memorizing circuit for memorizing the order of ones of the same. The qualification card number first memorizing circuit comprises ten qualification card number first memorizing relays MO . . . M9. The positive side of the qualification card number first memorizing relay is connected to a conductor 513 through the make contact mk.sub.0 of the qualification card number first signal receiving relay MKO and the make contact m.sub.0 of the relay is connected across a conductor 513', branched from the conductor 513, and the intermediary between the relay MO and the make contact mk.sub.0. The negative side of the relay MO is connected to a conductor 514 which is connected to the negative side of the power source. Similarly, the positive sides of the qualification card number first memorizing relays M1 . . . M9 are connected to the conductor 513 through the make contacts mk.sub.1 . . . mk.sub.9 and to the conductor 513' through the make contact m.sub.1 . . . m.sub.9 respectively. The negative sides of these relays are connected to the conductor 514. Likewise, the qualification card number second memorizing circuit comprises ten qualification card number second memorizing relays TO . . . T9 which are across the conductors 513, 513' and the conductor 514. The conductor 513 is connected to the positive side of the power source through the break contacts cl' and sa.sub.1 ' and the break contact sb.sub.1 ' of a unit B restoring relay (not shown).

FIG. 36 shows an operating circuit for the magnet 562 which operates the associated pin 563 as explained previously with reference to FIG. 28b by taking, as an example, the case of recording the order of tens of a qualification number. The symbols suffixed to each of the reference numerals indicating the respective magnets signify specific unit, aisle, etc., though not apparent in FIG. 28b. A unit printing magnet circuit has magnets 562-1-a.sub.0 and 562-2-b.sub.0 for printing the unit A and the unit B respectively. These magnets are connected in parallel across conductors 515 and 516 through the make contacts a.sub.0 and b.sub.0 of the unit signal receiving relays A0 and B0 respectively. The conductors 515 and 516 are connected to the positive side and the negative side of the power source respectively. An aisle printing magnet circuit for printing an aisle number comprises two magnets 562-0-ft.sub.0 and 562-1-ft.sub.1 for printing the order of tens of an aisle number and ten magnets 562-0-f.sub.0 . . . 562-9-f.sub.9 for printing the order of ones of an aisle number, all of which are connected in parallel across the conductors 515 and 516 through the make contacts ft.sub.0 and ft.sub.1 of the aisle first signal receiving relays FT0 and FT1 and the make contact f.sub.0 . . . f.sub.9 of the aisle second signal receiving relays FO . . . F9 respectively. A left or right side of an aisle printing magnet circuit, a bay position and a stage position printing magnet circuits and an article number printing magnet circuit are composed in the same manner.

FIG. 37 shows a circuit consisting of a unit A qualification number printing circuit, a qualification card number printing circuit and a magnet circuit for the retainer pin 574 and the printing hammer 577, shown in FIG. 28, which are composed similarly. The unit A qualification number printing circuit has six magnets 562-1-ka.sub.1 . . . 562-6-ka.sub.6 which are connected in parallel across conductors 517 and 518 through the make contacts ka.sub.1 . . . ka.sub.6 of unit A qualification signal instructing relays KA1 . . . KA6 to be described later with reference to FIG. 39, respectively, the conductors 517 and 518 being connected to the positive side and the negative side of the power source respectively.

The qualification card number printing magnet circuit comprises ten magnets 562-0-m.sub.0 . . . 562-9-m.sub.9 for printing the order of tens of a qualification card number and ten magnets 562-0-t.sub.0 . . . 562-9-t.sub.9 for printing the order of ones of a qualification card number. These magnets are connected in parallel across the conductors 517 and 518 through the make contacts m.sub.0 . . . m.sub.9 of the qualification card number first memorizing relays MO . . . M9 and the make contacts t.sub.0 . . . t.sub.9 of the qualification card number second memorizing relays TO . . . T9 respectively.

The magnet circuit for the retainer pin and the printing hammer similarly comprises a retainer pin operating magnet 574a and a printing hammer operating magnet 575 which are connected in parallel across the conductors 517 and 518 through the make contact sa.sub.5 of a retainer pin operating relay SA5, shown in FIG. 40, and the make contact sa.sub.3 of a printing hammer operating relay SA3, shown in FIG. 40, respectively.

FIG. 38 shows a circuit of the operation indicator lamps shown in FIG. 27. The circuit comprises a lamp KL21 for indicating the printing operation, a lamp KL22 for indicating the position card operation and a lamp KL23 for indicating the qualification card operation. These lamps are connected in parallel across a conductor 519, connected to the positive side of the power source, and a conductor 520 connected to the negative side of the power source, through the make contact sa.sub.3 of the printing hammer operating relay SA3 shown in FIG. 40, the make contact abs of the signal detection verifying relay ABS and the make contact kmt of the qualification signal memorization verifying relay KMT shown in FIG. 29, respectively.

FIG. 39 is a diagram of a qualification signal memorization verifying circuit for the unit A qualification signal instructing circuit having a construction similar to that of the fourth embodiment and also for the unit B qualification signal instructing circuit of a similar construction (not shown). This circuit has the qualification signal memorization verifying relay KMT. The positive side of the relay KMT is connected to a conductor 521 through the make contacts ka.sub.1 . . . ka.sub.6 of the unit A qualification signal instructing relays KA1 . . . KA6 and the make contacts kb.sub.1 . . . kb.sub.6 of the unit B qualification signal instructing relays (not shown), which are connected with each other in parallel; the make contacts m.sub.0 . . . m.sub.9 of the qualification card number first memorizing relay MO . . . M9, which are connected with each other in parallel and connected to the make contacts ka.sub.1 . . . ka.sub.6 and kb.sub.1 . . . kb.sub.6 in series; the make contacts t.sub.0 . . . t.sub.9 of the qualification card number second memorizing relays TO . . . T9, which are connected with each other in parallel and connected to the make contacts m.sub.0 . . . m.sub.9 in series; and a variable resistor VR2. The negative side of the relay is connected to a conductor 522. The relay KMT has a capacitor C3 connected in parallel thereto, so that it is operated with a certain time delay.

A qualification setting circuit and a storage position memorizing circuit used in this embodiment are identical with those, shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, of the fourth embodiment, and a closure member unlocking circuit with that, shown in FIG. 11, of the first embodiment, and, therefore, will not be described nor illustrated herein.

FIG. 40 shows a storage position selection verifying circuit which comprises seven relays consisting of a double winding-type starting relay ASO, a restoring relay SA1 for the overall system, a printing verifying relay SA2, a printing hammer operating relay SA3, a retainer pin operation verifying relay SA4, a retainer pin operating relay SA5 and a storage position indication verifying relay ASP. The positive side of the starting relay ASO is connected at a point to a conductor 523, which is connected to the positive side of the power source, through the make contact aso of the relay and the break contact sa.sub.1 ' of the relay SA1 and at another point to a capacitor C4 through the transfer contact asp" of the relay ASP, while the negative side thereof is connected to a conductor 524 which is connected to the negative side of the power source. The transfer contact asp" is connected in such a manner that when the relay ASP is actuated, the capacitor C4 connected to the movable contact side is charged through the said contact, while when the relay ASP is restored, the discharge current of the capacitor C4 flows to the relay ASO therethrough. The positive side of the restoring relay SA1 is connected to the conductor 523 through the make contact sa.sub.2 of the relay SA2 and a variable resistor VR3, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 524 together with the negative side of a capacitor C5 which is connected to the relay SA1 in parallel. The positive side of the printing verifying relay SA2 is connected to the conductor 523 through a printing detecting switch SC1 which is engaged by one end of the movable iron core 575' shown in FIG. 28 when the latter is projected from the solenoid-type magnet 575 upon energization of the magnet. The positive side of the relay SA2 is also connected to the conductor 523 through the make contacts as.sub.0 and sa.sub.2 of the relays ASO and SA2 from the intermediary between the switch SC1 and the relay SA2. The negative side of the relay SA2 is connected to the conductor 524. The positive side of the printing hammer operating relay SA3 is connected to a capacitor C6 through the transfer contact sa.sub.4 " of the relay SA4, while the negative side thereof is connected to the conductor 524. The transfer contact sa.sub.4 " is connected to the conductor 524 through the capacitor C6, similar to the transfer contact asp". The positive side of the retainer pin operation verifying relay SA4 is also connected to the conductor 523 through the make contact sa.sub.5 of the relay SA5 and a retainer pin operation detecting switch SC2 which is engaged by the retainer pin 574 shown in FIG. 28 when the latter is in its highest position. The positive side of the retainer pin operating relay SA5 is connected to the conductor 523 through the make contact as.sub.0 of the relay ASO and the break contact sa.sub.2 ' of the relay SA2. The negative sides of the relays SA4 and SA5 are connected to the conductor 524 respectively. Finally, the positive side of the storage position indication verifying relay ASP is connected to the conductor 523 from the make contact side of its make-before-break contact asp through the break contact asd' of the storage position selection verifying relay ASD. The break contact side of the make-before-break contact asp is connected to the intermediary between the movable contact of the transfer contact asp" of the relay ASP and a capacitor C7 one of the fixed contacts of the transfer contact asp" being connected to the conductor 523 through a variable resistor VR4 and the other fixed contact thereof being connected to the conductor 524 through a resistor. The negative side of the relay ASP is connected to the conductor 524. The negative side of the capacitor C7 is also connected to the conductor 524. Also connected across the conductors 523 and 524 are a power source indicator lamp PL and a unit A signal indicator lamp A, the latter being connected through the make contact as.sub.0.

The operation of the fifth embodiment described above will be explained on the assumption that the position card 302 used has recorded thereon a storage position information of the unit A, the first aisle, the left side, the first bay, the first stage, as in the fourth embodiment, plus an article number information designating the first article, which is added in this embodiment. All of these informations are represented by code numbers, i.e., the unit A is represented by numeral "1," the unit B by numeral "2," the 10 aisles by numerals "01" to "10" respectively, the left side of an aisle by numeral "1," the right of an aisle by numeral "2," the four bay positions by numerals "1" to "4" respectively, the six stage positions by numerals "1" to "6" respectively and articles by numerals "01" to "30" respectively when 30 articles are stored. Accordingly, the position card 302 has a code number "10111101" recorded thereon. On the other hand, the qualification card 402 used has any one of the six qualification signals, formulated by combining two basic qualification signals, and two numerals indicating the owner of the qualification card, recorded thereon. In the following description, it is assumed that the qualification card has recorded thereon signals to actuate the unit A qualification signal reading elements AD1 and AD2, as in the fourth embodiment, plus numeral "11" indicating the card number. If it is desired to arrange the system such that the aforesaid storage position can be opened with the specific qualification card described above, this can be attained by previously inserting a connecting pin into the connecting pin insertion terminal C.sub.p at the intersection of the input line 414 and the output line connected to the terminal shown in FIG. 24a. The reason for this will be apparent from the description on the fourth embodiment.

First of all, the position card 302 is inserted into the position card receiving slot 301 and the qualification card 402 into the qualification card receiving slot 403, whereby the system is set in operation. The information on the qualification card 402 is first read by the circuit of FIG. 33. Namely, the unit A qualification signal reading elements AD1 and AD2 are energized and, therefore, the basic qualification signal receiving relays AK1 and AK2, connected to the respective reading elements in series, are actuated. At about the same time, the qualification card number first and second reading elements MD1 and TD1 are energized to read the qualification card number and thus the qualification card first and second signal receiving relays MK1 and TK1, connected to the card number reading elements in series respectively, are actuated. The signals received are memorized by the memorizing circuits of FIGS. 34 and 35. Namely, the make contacts ak.sub.1 and ak.sub.2, shown in FIG. 34, are closed and thereby the unit A basic qualification signal memorizing relays AS1 and AS2 are actuated and self-hold with their make contacts as.sub.1 and as.sub.2 closed. Similarly, the make contacts m.sub.1 and t.sub.1 closed. Thus, the make contacts as.sub.1 and as.sub.2 in the circuit of FIG. 23 are closed, actuating the unit A qualification signal instructing relay KA1. Further, as shown in FIG. 23, the qualification signal memorization verifying relay KMT to verify that the qualification signal formulated by the basic qualification signals and the qualification card number, which are recorded on the qualification card, have been memorized accurately, is actuated through the variable resistor VR2 upon closure of the make contacts ka.sub.1, m.sub.1 and t.sub.1. It will be seen, however, that the relay KMT is actuated with a certain time delay because of the capacitor C3.

Upon actuation of the relay KMT, the position card signal receiving circuit of FIG. 29 starts to operate. Namely, with the make contact kmt of the relay KMT closed, the signal receiving starting relay SO is actuated with its make contact s.sub.0 closed, to start reading of the position card.

The position card 302 energizes the unit reading element UDA for reading the unit A, the aisle first reading element FTDO for reading the order of tens of the aisle number "0" and the aisle second reading element FD1 for reading the order of ones of the aisle number being "1", in the circuit of FIG. 29; the left position reading element YDL for reading the left side of the aisle, the bay position reading element ND1 for reading the first bay and the stage position reading element ED1 for reading the first stage, in the circuit, shown in FIG. 18, of the third embodiment; and the article number first reading element HTD1 for reading the order of tens of the article number being "1" and the article number second reading element HD1 for reading the order of ones of the article number being "1", in the circuit of FIG. 30. Therefore, the unit A signal receiving relay A0, the aisle first signal receiving relay FTO, the aisle second signal receiving relay F1, the left side signal receiving relay DL, the bay position signal receiving relay N1, the stage position signal reading relay E1, the article number first signal receiving relay HT1 and the article number second signal receiving relay H1, which are connected to the reading elements respectively, are actuated with their make contacts closed and break contacts open. As a result, the make contacts ft.sub.0 and f.sub.1 in the aisle signal formulating circuit of FIG. 31 are closed to actuate the aisle signal formulating relay P1.

On the other hand, in the circuit of FIG. 32 for detecting the number of actuated relays to assure that the information recorded on the position card 302 have been read completely, the unit signal detecting relay SY1 is actuated by the closure of the make contact a.sub.0, so that the make contact sy.sub.1 is closed and the make contact ft.sub.0 is also closed. The aisle first signal detecting relay SY2 is actuated, with its make contact sy.sub.2 closed. Similarly, the aisle second signal detecting relay SY3 is actuated through the make contact f.sub.1, the left or right signal detecting relay SY4 through the make contact dl, the bay position signal detecting really SY5 through the make contact n.sub.1 and the stage position signal detecting relay SY6 through the make contact e.sub.1, with their make contacts sy.sub.3, sy.sub.4, sy.sub.5 and sy.sub.6 closed. Upon actuation of these relays, the signal detection verifying relay ABS is actuated. In the manner described above, the number of the actuated relay detecting circuit verifies that the informations recorded on the position card have been completely read for the subsequent operation of the system and prevents an erroneous operation possibly caused, for example, by dual recording of an aisle number on the position card.

With the make contact abs of the signal detection verifying relay ABS upon actuation of the relay, a closed circuit is formed in FIG. 20 extending from the positive side to the negative side of the power source through the make contact (not shown), the make contact a.sub. 0 and the relay AU, actuating the relay AU. The left side of an aisle separating relay LA1 is actuated and its make contact la.sub.1 is closed. On the other hand, the bay position signal repeating relay NA1 and the stage position signal repeating relay EA1 are also actuated through the unit A bay position and stage position signal repeating circuits of FIG. 9 and their make contacts na.sub.1 and ea.sub.1 are closed.

With the respective relays actuated, the aisle indicator lamp 27-AL1 on the left side of the first aisle is turned on by virtue of the circuits, shown in FIGS. 23 to 25 inclusive, of the fourth embodiment. Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the indicator lamp 25-L111 to indicate the first stage of the first bay is turned on and the magnet 33-L111 is energized to unlock the closure member 29 at said storage position.

The information on the position card and the qualification card are recorded on the recording tape in the manner described hereunder:

The date dials 529 . . . 533 on the control pane 36 shown in FIG. 27 are manually set for the date of operation of the system. More practically, the day is set by revolving the dials 529 and 530, the month by revolving the dial 531 and the year by revolving the dials 532 and 533. The revolution of these dials is transmitted to the respective printing drums 540 . . . 544 through the gears 561 to drive the printing drums and thereby the types representing the desired date are set in the printing positions.

Recording of the position information and the article number on the position card, and the qualification information and the qualification card number on the qualification card, is effected by the circuits of FIG. 36 and 37. In the circuit of FIG. 36, the make contacts 1.sub.0, ft.sub.0, f.sub.1, dl, e.sub.1, ht.sub.0, and h.sub.1 are closed in accordance with the storage position information and the magnets 562, shown in FIG. 28b and connected to said respective contacts in series, are energized. Namely, in the printing mechanism for recording the unit A, the magnet 562-1 is energized to record numeral "1", whereby the attraction member 564-1 is attracted by the magnet causing the pin 563-1 to project for engagement with the projection 567 of the vertically movable plate 569 to record numeral "1" on the recording sheet 579. Likewise, the pins for printing numerals "0" and "1" to indicate the first aisle, the pins for printing numeral "1" to indicate the left side of the aisle, the pins for printing numerals "1" and "1" to indicate the first bay and the first stage respectively and the pins for printing numerals "0" and "1" to indicate the article number "01" are projected to the engaging position with the associated vertically movable plates respectively. On the other hand, in the circuit of FIG. 37 the make contacts ka.sub.1, m.sub.1 and t.sub.1 are closed in accordance with the qualification information to energize the magnets 562 which are connected in series to said respective contacts, and thereby the pin for printing numeral "1" representing the qualification for the unit A and the pin for printing numeral "11" representing the qualification card number are projected.

While the recording operation is being carried out in the manner described, the capacitor C7 shown in the storage position selection verifying circuit of FIG. 40 is charged through the transfer contact asp." Upon completion of the charging, the circuit for operating the relay ASP, extending from the break contact side of the make-before-break contact to the conductor 524, is closed. The relay ASP is actuated with a certain time delay and self-holds with the make contact of the make-before-break contact asp closed and the break contact thereof open. Simultaneously, the transfer contact asp" is shifted allowing the discharge current of the capacitor C7 to flow through the resistor. On the other hand, the transfer contact asp" on the side of the relay ASO is also shifted to the resistor side, whereby the capacitor C4 is charged. When the storage position has been selected and the storage position selection verifying relay ASD shown in FIG. 25a has been actuated, the break contact asd' in the self-holding circuit of the relay ASP is opened and the relay ASP is restored, so that the transfer contact asp" thereof is shifted and the capacitor C7 is again charged on the relay ASP side, while on the relay ASO side the relay ASO is actuated by the discharge current of the capacitor C4 and self-holds with its make contact as.sub.0 closed. Consequently, the retainer pin operating relay SA5 is actuated to energize the magnet 574a shown in FIG. 37. The retainer pins 574 are moved upwardly permitting the respective vertically movable plates 569 to move upwardly while rotating the associated printing drums by the racks 571. However, the upwardly movable plates in all of the printing mechanisms, except for one in the unit B qualification number printing mechanism, are stopped by the respective projecting pins. When each of the retainer pins 574 has reached its highest position, it engages the retainer pin operation detecting switch SC2 to actuate the same, so that the retainer pin operation verifying relay SA4 in the circuit of FIG. 40 is actuated and its transfer contact sa.sub.4 " is shifted. The printing hammer operating relay SA3 is actuated by the discharge current of the capacitor C5. The make contact sa.sub.3 of the relay SA3, in the circuit of FIG. 37, is closed to energize the magnets 575. Thus, the printing hammers 577 are operated to print the date, the storage position, the article number, the qualification number of the attendant and the qualification card number are recorded on the recording sheet 579. By the operation of the magnets 575, the printing detection switch SC1 is closed and the printing verifying relay SA2 in the circuit of FIG. 40 is actuated and self-holds. The restoring relay SA1 is actuated with a certain time delay by the discharge current of the capacitor C5, whereby the starting circuit of FIG. 29, the qualification signal memorizing circuit of FIG. 34, the qualification card number memorizing circuit of FIG. 35 and the relay ASO in the circuit of FIG. 40 are restored. It will be understood, therefore, that another cycle of operation is possible after turning on the unit A indicator lamp A has been confirmed and the said lamp has been turned off.

On the other hand, the make contacts sa.sub.3, abs and kmt of the relays SA3, ABS and KMT are closed upon actuation of said respective relays, and the printing operation indicator lamp KL21, the position card operation indicator lamp KL22 and the qualification card operation indicator lamp KL23, shown in FIG. 38 and located on the control panel, are turned on one after another.

Upon completion of storage or taking out of an article, the restoring button 26 is depressed, whereupon the break contact 26-l.sub.111 in the unit A, the first aisle storage position memorizing circuit (FIG. 25a) is closed and the relay L111 is restored from the self-holding position. Thereafter, the closure member of the storage position is closed, whereby the closure member is locked automatically. The unit signal receiving indicator lamp and the aisle indicator lamp on the control panel will of course not be turned on and the closure member of the desired storage position will not be unlocked where the position card ad the qualification card do not match each other.

On the recording sheet 579 are recorded the date of operation, the storage position, the article number, the qualification number and the qualification card umber, for example, as follows "10DEC68-10111101-3-11" signifying that an article No. 1 was stored in or taken out from a storage position of the unit A, the first aisle, the left side of the aisle, the first bay and the first stage on Dec. 10, 1968 by a qualified person No. 3 to whom is assigned a basic qualification signal adapted to actuate the unit A qualification signal reading elements AD1 and AD4, and whose qualification card number is 11. In the marking, the first hyphen separates the date and the storage position from each other; the second hyphen separates the storage position and the qualification number from each other; and the third hyphen signifies that the person is not qualified to have access to the unit B. If the person is qualified to have access to the unit B as well as the unit A, a numeral from 1 to 6 is to appear in the place of the third hyphen.

In the fifth embodiment described above, the stationary stack assembly is so designed as to be operated with position cards each having each of the individual storage positions recorded thereon. Still another form of the stationary stack assembly is shown in FIGS. 41 to 44 inclusive as the sixth embodiment of the present invention, which is designed such that it is operated by means of a keyboard, like the stack assembly of the first embodiment, and in addition a qualification card and recording means are incorporated in the assembly, like the stack assembly of the fifth embodiment described above.

Referring to FIG. 41, there is shown a control panel 36 which is provided on the stack AA as in the fifth embodiment. According to this embodiment, however, the control panel 36 is provided with a set of numerical keys from 0 to 9, instead of the position card 302 and the position card receiving slot 301 provided in the fifth embodiment. Furthermore, the control panel is provided, instead of the position card operation indicator lamp KL22 shown in the fifth embodiment, a unit operation indicator lamp KL31, aisle operation indicator lamps KL32 and KL33, a left or right side of an aisle operation indicator lamp KL34, a bay position operation indicator lamp KL35, a stage position operation indicator lamp KL36 and article number operation indicator lamps KL37 and KL38, as shown in detail in FIG. 42, which are operated by the keys to indicate the operator of the key operations.

FIG. 43 shows a circuit which consists of a circuit for receiving signals representing a unit, an aisle, the left or right side of the aisle, a bay position, a stage position and an article number, and being supplied successively by the key operation, an operation verifying circuit for setting the unit, the aisle, etc., in accordance with said signals and an aisle signal formulating circuit for formulating a series of aisle signals by combining two aisle signals.

As will be understood from the circuit diagram, the aforesaid constituent circuits are exactly the same as those in the first embodiment, except for the article number signal receiving circuit, and will not be described herein.

The article number signal receiving circuit comprises fur article number first signal receiving relays HTO, HT1, HT2 and HT3, and ten article number second signal receiving relays HO, H1, . . . H9. As in the first embodiment, to the key O are connected the break contact side of the upper make-before-break contact ht.sub.0 of the article number first signal receiving relay HT0 for receiving a signal signifying that the order of tens of an article number is "0," and the break contact side of the upper make-before-break contact of the article number first signal receiving relay H0 for receiving a signal signifying that the order of ones of an article number is "0." The negative side of the relay HTO is connected to a conductor 601 through the break contact side of the lower make-before-break contact ht.sub.0, the make contact hts of the stage position operation verifying relay HTS and the break contact hs' of an article number first operating verifying relay HS to be described later. The negative side of the relay HO is connected to the conductor 601 through the break contact side of the lower make-before-break contact h.sub.0, the make contact hs of the article first operation verifying relay HS and the break contact abs' of an article number second operation verifying relay ABS to be described later. Likewise, the article number first signal receiving relay HT1 and the article number second signal receiving relay H1 are connected to the key 1, the article number first signal receiving relay HT2 and the article number second signal receiving relay H2 are connected to the key 2; and so on, in such a manner that said respective relays are actuated by the operation of the keys representing the orders of tens and ones of an article number.

The article number operation verifying circuit comprises the aforesaid article number first operation verifying relay HS to verify that the order of tens of an article number has been operated by the operation of the seventh key and signal detection verifying relay ABS adapted to be actuated by the operation of the eighth key.

The positive side of the article number first operation verifying relay HS is connected to a conductor 602 through the make contacts ht.sub.0 . . . ht.sub.3 of the article number first signal receiving relays HT0 . . . HT3, which are connected with each other in parallel, and the break contact sx' which is connected to the said make contacts in series, and the make contact hs of the relay HS is connected across the conductor 602 and the intermediary between the relay and the break contact sx'. The positive side of the signal detection verifying relay ABS is connected to the conductor 602 through the make contacts H.sub.0 . . . h.sub.9 of the article number second signal receiving relays H0 . . . H9, which are connected with each other in parallel, and the break contact sx' which is connected to the make contacts in series, and the make contact abs of the relay ABS is connected across the conductor 602 and the intermediary between the relay and the break contact sx'. The negative sides of these operation verifying relays are connected to a conductor 603 which is connected to the negative side of the power source.

The operation of the circuit described above will be explained hereunder with reference to the case wherein the storage position of the unit A, the first aisle, the left side, the first bay, the first stage is operated in the same manner as in the first embodiment to handle article No. 1 of the storage position. In the preceding embodiment, the information relative to a storage position and article are recorded on the position card in the form of numerical codes, but in the present embodiment the information is fed into the system by operating the keys according to the respective numerals. Namely, the keys are depressed eight times in the order of numeral "1" signifying the unit A, numerals "0" and "1" signifying the first aisle, numeral "1" signifying the left side of the aisle, numeral "1" signifying the first bay, numeral "1" signifying the first stage and numerals "0" and "1" signifying an article number No. 1.

By operating the keys, the relays A0, FT0, F1, DL, N1 and E1 are actuated and self-hold as previously described with reference to the first embodiment. A signal representative of the order of tens of an article number is received by the operation of the seventh key. Namely, by depressing the key O the relay HT0 is actuated and self-holds. With the relay HT0 actuated, the article number first operation verifying relay HS is actuated and self-holds The article number second signal receiving relay H1 and the signal detection verifying relay ABS, simultaneously serving as the article number second operation verifying relay, are actuated and self-held respectively by the last key operation, i.e., operation of the key 1.

Thereafter, the left and right side of an aisle separating relay and the bay and stage position instructing relays are actuated by the functions of the circuits shown in FIGS. 9 and 20.

On the other hand, the qualification card used in this embodiment is constituted in the same way as that used in the fifth embodiment, and signals representative of the qualification number and qualification card number recorded on the qualification car are respectively received by the circuit of FIG. 33 during passage of the qualification card from the qualification card receiving slot 403 to the discharge opening 401.

After the signal representative of the qualification number and the qualification card number have been received by the circuit of FIG. 33, the pertinent storage position is indicated, the closure member at said storage position unlocked and the recording effected in the way described with reference to the fifth embodiment.

A circuit of the operation indicator lamps, shown in FIG. 42, is shown in FIG. 44. As shown, the circuit comprises the printing operation indicator lamp KL21, the unit operation indicator lamp KL31, the aisle operation indicator lamps KL32 and KL33, the left and right side of an aisle operation indicator lamp KL34, the bay position operation indicator lamp KL35, the article number operation indicator lamps KL37 and KL38, and the qualification operation indicator lamp KL23, all of which are connected in parallel across 604 and 605, which are respectively connected to the positive side and the negative side of the power source, through the make contacts sa.sub.3, fts, fs.sub.1, fs.sub.2, ns, es hts, hs, abs and kmt of the printing hammer operation verifying relay SA3 in the circuit of FIG. 40; the unit operation verifying relay FTS, the aisle first operation verifying relay FS1, the aisle second operation verifying relay FS2, the left and right side operation verifying relay NS, the bay position operation verifying relay ES the stage position operation verifying relay HTS, the article number first operation verifying relay HS and the signal detection verifying relay ABS in the circuit of FIG. 43; and the qualification signal memorization verifying relay KMT in the circuit of FIG. 39, respectively. These indicator lamps are turned on in sequence upon actuation of the associated relays.

Although each of the embodiments of the present invention has been described with reference to a stationary stack assembly consisting of two subassembly units A and B each comprising 10 aisles, it will be appreciated from the foregoing description and illustration that the present invention is easily applicable to a stationary stack assembly wherein the units A and B each comprise more than 10 aisles or wherein the number of aisles is different between the units A and B, or to such a stationary stack assembly which consists of more than two subassembly units, by a simple modification of the circuits.

It is also to be understood that while in the stationary stack assemblies described herein, which are operable with qualification cards, two basic qualifications signals are combined to formulate six kinds of qualification signals and the shelves are set so as to be operated by these six qualification signals, the number of qualification signals can be readily changed by increasing or decreasing the basic qualification signals recorded on each qualification card and increasing or decreasing the elements for reading such qualification signals. It is also readily feasible to formulate one qualification signal by combining three or even more basic qualification signals so as to keep the qualification signals more strictly secret. Another important feature of the present invention is that the number of shelves to be operated by the qualification signals can be changed with ease because all that is required for this purpose is to electrically connect the six input lines in the qualification setting circuit of FIG. 24 with only those of the output lines which enable the desired storage positions to be opened and closed, at their intersections.

In the fifth and sixth embodiments, as described and illustrated in FIG. 28, each printing mechanism comprises ten magnets 562 and ten pins 563 for locating the types of 1 to 0 on each printing drum, e.g., the printing drum 555, in the printing position. However, as will be understood from the foregoing description, the qualification signals used for the unit A are from 1 to 6 and qualification signals of 0 and 7 to 9 are not used. Therefore, the magnets and the pins relative to the said four positions of the types may be eliminated. The hyphen type is so arranged that it is located opposite to the printing hammer 577 when the retainer pin 574 is in its highest position. In the embodiments described herein, the numbers of the magnets and the pins in the respective printing mechanisms may be reduced to be equal to the number of types required for printing a unit, the order of tens of an aisle number, a bay position, a stage position, the order of tens of an article number, a qualification number for the unit B and the order of tens of a qualification card number.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A stationary stack assembly having a plurality of equally spaced stationary stacks, said stationary stack assembly being so designed that the position of each aisle formed between adjacent stacks and more specific article storage positions are indicated by making use of signals of numerical codes representative of said aisle position and said said storage positions respectively, and comprising (1) a set of numerical keys from 0 to 9, (2) means for converting a plurality of signals created by said keys into signals indicating said aisle position and said more specific positions, (3) storage position indicating means for indicating a desired storage position in accordance with said signals indicating the aisle position and the more specific position, (4) a lockable closure member for covering each of said specific storage positions, (5) means for unlocking the lock of said closure member at said specific storage position in response to said specific position signal. (6) means for receiving a qualification card having at least one qualification information signal recorded thereon to limit the operation of said stationary stack assembly, (7) means for reading the information recorded on said qualification card and transmitting the same as at least one qualification signal, and (8) means for receiving said qualification signal and also said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals and comparing said qualification signal with said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals and transmitting said position signals to said storage position indicating means and said unlocking means only upon coincidence of said position signals with said qualification signal.

2. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 1, in which said storage position indicating means is provided with automatic restoring means by which it is actuated and the position signal converting means is restored after the signals from said keys have been converted into position signals by said position signal converting means, thereby providing for introduction of the next code signals.

3. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 1, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals.

4. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 2, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals.

5. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 1, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals and for recording said qualification signal or signals.

6. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 2, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals and for recording said qualification signal or signals.

7. A stationary stack assembly having a plurality of equally spaced stationary stacks and comprising (1) means for receiving a position card having position information signals such as an aisle position and more specific positions recorded thereon, (2) means for reading the information recorded on said position card and transmitting the same as storage position signals, (3) means for receiving such signals and indicating a desired storage position according to them, (4) a lockable closure member for covering each of said specific storage positions, (5) means for unlocking the lock of said closure member at said specific storage position in response to said specific position signal, (6) means for receiving a qualification card having at least one qualification information signal recorded thereon to limit the operation of said stationary stack assembly, (7) means for reading the information recorded on said qualification card and transmitting the same as at least one qualification signal, and (8) means for receiving said qualification signal and also said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals and comparing said qualification signal with said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals and transmitting said position signals to said storage indicating means and said unlocking means only upon coincidence of said position signals with said qualification signal.

8. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 7, in which said storage position indicating means is provided with automatic restoring means by which it is actuated and said position reading means is restored after the signals from said position card have been converted into position signals by said position reading means, thereby providing for introduction of the next position information.

9. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 7, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals.

10. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 8, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals.

11. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 7, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals and for recording said qualification signal or signals.

12. A stationary stack assembly as defined in claim 8, which further comprises means for recording an aisle position and more specific positions corresponding to said aisle position signal and said more specific position signals in response to said signals and for recording said qualification signal or signals.