Powered mobile storage system with select and drag operation and selectable aisle width feature

1. A mobile storage system comprising:

a plurality of continuously spaced apart storage units at least some of which are movable toward and away from one another or a stationary unit to define an aisle between each pair of the units, the aisle having a width and being opened and closed so as to create a variable spacing between the pair of units;

a means on each of the movable storage units for driving said movable storage unit in two directions;

a logic system provided with a memory on each movable storage unit for setting and changing open aisle and closed aisle widths;

at least one manually controllable motion control actuator on each movable storage unit for creating a signal when actuated at a movable storage unit where an aisle is desired;

said movable storage units being connected such that a signal from said motion control actuator on one of the movable storage units which is at a first location at which an aisle is to be formed, directs a run signal to one or more of the other movable storage units including an end storage unit at a second location adjacent an existing aisle, wherein the second location is remote from the first location, to cause said one or more of the movable storage units to be moved away from said first location to close the existing aisle at the second location and form an aisle at the first location; and

wherein, when the one or more other movable storage units comprises a plurality of movable storage units that are to be moved away from the first location to form the aisle, the plurality of movable storage units are moved together by operation of a motion control actuator on the end storage unit adjacent the existing aisle in order to move the end storage unit to close the existing aisle and the other storage units between the end storage unit and the first location to form the aisle at the first location.

2. The mobile storage system of claim 1 , wherein said logic system remembers and maintains each new open aisle width and closed aisle width after the termination of said movement.

3. The mobile storage system of claim 1 , wherein said logic system retains preset maximum and minimum aisle widths.

4. The mobile storage system of claim 3 , wherein said logic system considers an aisle open and refuses to return to an idle state if an aisle is left at a width greater than said preset maximum aisle width.

5. The mobile storage system of claim 3 , wherein said logic system will consider an aisle closed if the aisle width is equal to or less than the preset maximum aisle width, and said logic system remembers and maintains the open aisle width.

6. The mobile storage system of claim 1 , further comprising an emergency stop actuator manually controllable by an operator during movement of the units.

7. The mobile storage system of claim 6 , further comprising visual signals associated with said at least one motion control actuator and said emergency stop actuator.

8. The mobile storage system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one motion control actuator comprises a first motion actuator and a second motion actuator on opposed sides of said mobile storage unit.

9. A method of opening and closing aisles among a row of continuously spaced apart mobile storage units in a mobile storage system, wherein at least some of the mobile storage units are movable toward and away from each other or a stationary unit to define an aisle between each pair of units in which variable spacing is maintained and wherein multiple storage units may be moved in a single movement, said method comprising:

selecting an aisle to be formed in a first location by means of actuating a motion control actuator on a first mobile storage unit at the first location adjacent a desired aisle to be formed; and

operating a motion control actuator on a second mobile storage unit adjacent an existing aisle in a second location remote from the first location,

wherein said second mobile storage unit adjacent said existing aisle moves to close said existing aisle, and drags any other mobile storage units between said second storage unit and said first storage unit in order to move said second storage unit and said other storage units away from said first location to form the aisle at said first location.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the act of programming preset maximum and minimum aisle widths into a logic system.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the acts of storing and maintaining a width of said aisle to be formed once said aisle to be formed is established.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the act of establishing a visual signal on the motion control actuators adjacent the desired aisle to be formed and adjacent an existing aisle.

13. A mobile storage system comprising:

a plurality of continuously spaced apart mobile storage units at least some of which are movable toward and away from one another or a stationary unit to define an aisle having a width of variable spacing between each pair of the units, said movable storage units being connected such that a signal established at a single storage unit can direct movement of a single mobile storage unit or multiple storage units to create a desired aisle and maintain the variable spacing between each pair of units, wherein an operator maintains complete control of the movement until the movement is finished; and

a logic system on each unit wherein said logic system remembers and maintains each new open aisle width and closed aisle width after the termination of a movement,

said movable storage units being connected such that a signal from a motion control actuator on one of the movable storage units, which is at a first location at which an aisle is to be formed, directs a run signal to one or more of the other movable storage units including an end storage unit at a second location adjacent an existing aisle, wherein the second location is remote from the first location, to cause said one or more other movable storage units to be moved away from said first location to close the existing aisle at the second location and form an aisle at the first location; and

wherein, when the one or more other movable storage units comprises a plurality of movable storage units that are to be moved away from the first location to form the aisle, the plurality of movable storage units are moved together by operation of a motion control actuator on the end storage unit adjacent the existing aisle in order to move the end storage unit to close the existing aisle and the other storage units between the end storage unit and the first location to form the aisle at the first location.

14. The mobile storage system of claim 13 , further comprising at least one motion control actuator on each mobile storage unit for creating said signal.

15. The mobile storage system of claim 14 , wherein said at least one motion control actuator comprises a first motion actuator and a second motion actuator on opposed sides of said mobile storage unit.

16. The mobile storage system of claim 13 , wherein said logic system retains preset maximum and minimum aisle widths.

17. The mobile storage system of claim 16 , wherein said logic system considers an aisle open and refuses to return to an idle state if an aisle is left at a width greater than said preset maximum aisle width.

18. The mobile storage system of claim 1 , further comprising an emergency stop actuator manually controllable by the operator during movement of the units.

19. The mobile storage system of claim 6 , further comprising visual signals associated with said at least one motion control actuator and said emergency stop actuator.