# Vertical transfer tables for storage sheds



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I know this topic has been of interest, and Kris' thread (below) doesn't mention the vertical aspects in his topic.

*Transfer Table Idea*


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

SORRY....HIJACK. Is it just me...or is that above link bad? I'm using FireFox...latest version...and this problem has been happening more and more lately. When I click on the link, I go to a page that looks like an MLS form...or formating statement for a page. Below is what it looks like


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Sorry for the Hijack Pete...wanted to see your transfer table.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

It takes me to a new window of MS IE-6 and opens to the last entry of the thread titled:

Tranfer table idea

in this same forum.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah....it's doing that for me now. Just been having more and more of these "form" looking pages lately.

I also don't understand the reason for the link to the other post. 

If we're talking vertical transfer tables...I worked a year or so again on designing one. Never built it as it was too large for my shop area...and it was complex. It was patterned after the vertical storage systems you can buy for factories for storing parts on the shop floor...basically a chain driven set of "shelves" that were attached to the chain...and went round and round and up and down. I just designed it to hold trays that held train sets. By my calculations, it could hold 10 full train sets inside a room with an 8' ceiling...but took up a space more than 3' deep and as long as the longest train set. So....big...big big big.


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Why not buy something like this and put wheels on it for transfer table?

Motor Cycle Lift[/b]


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## adlereins (Jan 4, 2008)

Why not a roll up garage door with a Genie screw drive opener? Attach shelves to the framework. The up or down force can be adjusted for different weights. The only problem would be designing multiple stops . . . a cinch for some of our wizards on this forum. And maybe a way to keep them from falling off when they are overhead.







Or just use the drive to raise and lower your own shelves.

Take Care. 
Allen B.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Mike Reilley on 30 Dec 2009 10:57 AM 
SORRY....HIJACK. Is it just me...or is that above link bad? I'm using FireFox...latest version...and this problem has been happening more and more lately. When I click on the link, I go to a page that looks like an MLS form...or formating statement for a page. {snip...}[/i]
Mike

What you are seeing happen is the result of using an improper URL format (i.e. old style) attempting to directly access a specific reply within a given topic. When I ran across the problem earlier today I fixed it.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I also don't understand the reason for the link to the other post. 
Mike, 

It was precisely because of the old discussions that I started this thread with the link. (Sorry it didn't work - thanks for fixing it Steve, and maybe one day I'll figure out what went wrong - just copied the URL from the browser.) Kris' thread didn't have 'vertical' in the subject, so you might not notice it was about up-and-down instead of side-to-side. 

Most of the solutions suggested the last couple of times we visited the idea were scratch-built and/or complicated. The laundry storage rack that google found for me seemed like a mass-produced and simple solution. Didn't you like it?


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 31 Dec 2009 01:36 AM 
Posted By Mike Reilley on 30 Dec 2009 10:57 AM 
SORRY....HIJACK. Is it just me...or is that above link bad? I'm using FireFox...latest version...and this problem has been happening more and more lately. When I click on the link, I go to a page that looks like an MLS form...or formating statement for a page. {snip...}[/i]
Mike

What you are seeing happen is the result of using an improper URL format (i.e. old style) attempting to directly access a specific reply within a given topic. When I ran across the problem earlier today I fixed it.










So....what IS the fix? Can I do it? Or is it something the moderator has to do? All I am doing is clicking on a link inside a post...I'm not trying to reply to the post. How does this "old style" link get copied and pasted into a post?


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 31 Dec 2009 12:08 PM 
I also don't understand the reason for the link to the other post. 
Mike, 

It was precisely because of the old discussions that I started this thread with the link. (Sorry it didn't work - thanks for fixing it Steve, and maybe one day I'll figure out what went wrong - just copied the URL from the browser.) Kris' thread didn't have 'vertical' in the subject, so you might not notice it was about up-and-down instead of side-to-side. 

Most of the solutions suggested the last couple of times we visited the idea were scratch-built and/or complicated. The laundry storage rack that google found for me seemed like a mass-produced and simple solution. Didn't you like it? 
Gotcha...you done good...making it easier to search for in the future. I got into the "design" of a vertical storage system for whole train sets after seeing what Greg Elmassian wanted to do for his layout. On one of my bad back days...when I'm pretty hobbled by a back ache and arthritis, I decided to do some research and see how vertical filing systems worked. That was after I'd already thought through the requirements for such a system...and some of the limitations that I'd face to install this thing inside a garage. A key limitation to the garage door opener and any rope suspended system was the distance between the loading line...and the floor or ceiling. If you use the simple elevator method, and you put the loading track 3' above the floor, then the most number of trays for trains you can have is four...the one aligned with the loader...and three below it that are suspended from the top one. If you raise the loading level to 4', then you can get 5 trays...as each tray takes about a foot of vertical space for the tray and train. 



The requirement I invented were for a system that

a. Would hold 10 train sets.
b. Be loadable from a range of elevations above the floor so that it could be adapted to folks with loading tracks say 18" to 80" from the floor.

c. Didn't require and excavation (to lower it) or ceiling expansion (to raise it)....some of the vertical storage systems I reviewed required this.

d. Was stable...meaning stuff didn't swing around when loading OR (important) wouldn't swing if you bumped into it.

e. Was constructable by me.

f. Had 10" of vertical clearance on each tray to hold a train. 


I went through the design process using the garage door opener and a tray that held two tracks. I needed 5 trays that way. Problem was...that meant the loading track had to be 40" above the floor to allow four trays below the top track...and 50" above. That's a total of 90" out of 96" in garage height...meaning the loading level was limited to elevations from 40" to 46"...and ya still had to fit the drive mechanisms in. That violated one of MY requirements...it might work OK for others. A secondary problem was that it would likely take two garage door mechanisms to keep it level...and coordinating them might be a problem....violating the "constructed by me" part.


The next option was to use the same dual track tray design...and ropes (like your laundry approach). This one couldn't handle the loading height restrictions well...as you need space above the whole contraption to install all the ropes and pulleys...BUT, if you went to a four track tray, you were in business. With four tracks per tray, you'd gain on the track elevation height...as you could load at 20" above the floor (two trays below the top tray with 10" of clearance each)...and only need a total of 50" for the whole thing. That was a good approach...and given the right compound pulley arrangements would likely be doable from a weight handling point of view. Some form of vertical alignment guides are needed to keep the thing from swinging. The "laundry lift" approach was the most likely to meet all my requirements...except for loading height...but it was easily constructable and inexpensive. Basically, it's just three tables, each with four tracks....ONE fixture...that you pulled up and down. It was the easiest to scale too....for more or less trains....but, it was gonna be HEAVY, so you need GOOD anchor points for all those pulleys. With 10 trains on it, I figured the thing could weigh a half ton. That's a lot of weight to hang from a garage ceiling.

The "fancy design" I did uses gears and chain...and mimics the design used in commercial vertical storage systems. Those systems use a tray hanger that is connected to a chain that goes around an upper and lower sprocket...ferris wheel style. You need two dual sprocket sets at each end of the device...and they are connected by a common drive shaft to keep everything coordinated. The tray itself is suspended from the hangers that are connected to the chain and the chains ride in a channel to give the whole thing some stiffness. The KEY benefit of this design was that the loading track could be at any height...and, it was the only design that met all my "requirements"...but it sure was complicated.


Now...I never considered a motorcycle lift...and intentionally didn't think through a design involving coordinated hydraulic lifters...that's not in my "comfort zone"...but that motorcycle lift concept is a good idea...if you put a multilayered, multitracked tray on top of it and can get the loading height above 30 to 40 inches. The only downside I see is that it takes a lot of depth.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

but it sure was complicated 
That's what I remembered - hence my interest when we found the laundry hoist for $80!


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Next time you are in Home Depot. Take a look at the rack they have to hold the spools they cut lengths of wire off of. The picture instead of spools or wire through truss bridges hanging between the sides. That is what my Ferris Wheel of trains is going to look like. If I ever get the stepper motor dirver boards to finish my Plasma CNC cutter. So I can cut shapes.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Next time you are in Home Depot. Take a look at the rack they have to hold the spools they cut lengths of wire off of. 
I think they have the same motorized racks in the carpet dept ?


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Those wire spool holders at HD are a vertical storage system....and that's the thing I patterned my design again. Here's the drawings I made. You can see the complexity...the main one being to made the triangular pieces that connect to the side of the chain.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Were does the engineer sit???


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

On the motor, like Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove! (corrected)

Greg


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

"On the motor, like Chill Wills in Dr. Strangelove" 

Slim Pickens


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## deeredaze (Mar 10, 2008)

Well, here ya go. Someone already has one figured out, up and running, with plans and everything, on swithcrafters website. Pretty nifty! 
http://switchcrafters.com/ElevatorSystem.html


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Someone already has one figured out, 
Hmmm... That's a bit of a custom job - the vendor isn't offering to make one for you! It's not much different from the 'boat lift' component suggestion I made on the other thread. Expensive too!


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## sheepdog (Jan 2, 2008)

Vertical Carousels along with horizontal carousels are used frequently in manufacturing plants to store inventory. Punch in a location and the part(s) come to you. No aisles or steps.

Vertical 

Horizontal

Craig 


P.S. Forgot to add..... They are not cheap.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Betya that is what Greg ends up building.







Later RJD


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