Automated lifting storage cart

1. A method of lifting a load of an automated lifting cart, the method comprising:

providing a lifting cart in a railway, the lifting cart comprising a lifting surface liftable relative to the lifting cart via rotation of a plurality of cams, the plurality of cams each having a movement profile surface and a load profile surface, wherein a first cam shaft connects a first cam motor to a first pair of the plurality of cams and a second cam shaft connects a second cam motor to a second pair of the plurality of cams;

positioning the lifting cart below a load spaced above the railway with the lifting surface in a declined position;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the movement profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the declined position to at least near to a contact position with the load;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the load profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the contact position to a loaded position relative to the lifting cart; and

wherein the load profile surfaces raise the lifting surface at a lower rate per degree of rotation of the plurality of cams than the movement profile surfaces,

the method further comprising:

reading a rotation property of the first cam shaft; and

driving rotation of the second cam shaft based on the rotation property of the first cam shaft, wherein the rotation property is a home position of the first cam shaft, and the second cam shaft is driven to a corresponding home position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cam profiles of the first pair of cams are reversed in orientation in relation to the cam profiles of the second pair of cams.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first pair of cams is configured to rotate in an opposing direction from the second pair of cams.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of cam followers extend below the lifting surface to contact the first and second pairs of cams.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cam profiles are asymmetrically bean-shaped.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the movement profile surface is positioned to lift the lifting surface before the load profile surface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein upon rotation of the first and second pairs of cams, the movement profile surface lifts the lifting surface prior to the lifting surface contacting a load and the load profile surface lifts the lifting surface from about when the lifting surface contacts the load.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pairs of cams have contact points below the lifting surface, the contact points forming corner points of a rectangle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the rotation property is read by a first encoder;

a rotation property of the second cam shaft is read by a second encoder; and

the rotation properties read by the first and second encoders are angular position vectors.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a first encoder is integrated with at least the first motor.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second motors are hollow bore motors.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning the lifting cart below a load further comprises detecting a position of the load above the lifting cart using a sensor on the lifting cart.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensor detects the load through the lifting surface.

14. A method of lifting a load of an automated lifting cart, the method comprising:

providing a lifting cart in a railway, the lifting cart comprising a lifting surface liftable relative to the lifting cart via rotation of a plurality of cams, the plurality of cams each having a movement profile surface and a load profile surface, wherein a first cam shaft connects a first cam motor to a first pair of the plurality of cams and a second cam shaft connects a second cam motor to a second pair of the plurality of cams;

positioning the lifting cart below a load spaced above the railway with the lifting surface in a declined position;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the movement profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the declined position to at least near to a contact position with the load;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the load profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the contact position to a loaded position relative to the lifting cart;

wherein the load profile surfaces raise the lifting surface at a lower rate per degree of rotation of the plurality of cams than the movement profile surfaces; and

wherein at least one stabilizer connects the lifting surface to the lifting cart, the at least one stabilizer isolating movement of the lifting surface to substantially vertical translation.

15. A method of lifting a load of an automated lifting cart, the method comprising:

providing a lifting cart in a railway, the lifting cart comprising a lifting surface liftable relative to the lifting cart via rotation of a plurality of cams, the plurality of cams each having a movement profile surface and a load profile surface, wherein a first cam shaft connects a first cam motor to a first pair of the plurality of cams and a second cam shaft connects a second cam motor to a second pair of the plurality of cams;

positioning the lifting cart below a load spaced above the railway with the lifting surface in a declined position;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the movement profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the declined position to at least near to a contact position with the load;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the load profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the contact position to a loaded position relative to the lifting cart;

wherein the load profile surfaces raise the lifting surface at a lower rate per degree of rotation of the plurality of cams than the movement profile surfaces; and

wherein the lifting surface comprises a lid and a support frame, the support frame being below the lid and attached to the lid by a hinge; wherein the first and second pairs of cams are positioned underneath the support frame and lift the support frame along with the lid upon rotation of the first and second pairs of cams; wherein rotating the lid about the hinge provides access to an area of the lifting cart underneath the lid.

16. A method of lifting a load of an automated lifting cart, the method comprising:

providing a lifting cart in a railway, the lifting cart comprising a lifting surface liftable relative to the lifting cart via rotation of a plurality of cams, the plurality of cams each having a movement profile surface and a load profile surface, wherein a first cam shaft connects a first cam motor to a first pair of the plurality of cams and a second cam shaft connects a second cam motor to a second pair of the plurality of cams;

positioning the lifting cart below a load spaced above the railway with the lifting surface in a declined position;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the movement profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the declined position to at least near to a contact position with the load;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the load profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the contact position to a loaded position relative to the lifting cart, wherein the load profile surfaces raise the lifting surface at a lower rate per degree of rotation of the plurality of cams than the movement profile surfaces;

reading a rotation property of the first cam shaft and second cam shaft via respective first and second sensors; and

driving rotation of the second cam shaft based on the rotation property of the first cam shaft, wherein:

the rotation property of the first cam shaft and second cam shaft are used for calibrating a first encoder of the first cam motor and a second encoder of the second cam motor.

17. A method of lifting a load of an automated lifting cart, the method comprising:

providing a lifting cart in a railway, the lifting cart comprising a lifting surface liftable relative to the lifting cart via rotation of a plurality of cams, the plurality of cams each having a movement profile surface and a load profile surface, wherein a first cam shaft connects a first cam motor to a first pair of the plurality of cams and a second cam shaft connects a second cam motor to a second pair of the plurality of cams;

positioning the lifting cart below a load spaced above the railway with the lifting surface in a declined position;

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the movement profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the declined position to at least near to a contact position with the load; and

rotating the plurality of cams to raise the lifting surface along the load profile surfaces, thereby moving the lifting surface from the contact position to a loaded position relative to the lifting cart,

wherein:

the load profile surfaces raise the lifting surface at a lower rate per degree of rotation of the plurality of cams than the movement profile surfaces;

the first cam motor and second cam motor have respective first and second encoders;

the first cam shaft and second cam shaft have respective sensors; and

the sensors are used for calibrating the encoders.