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A portable belt conveyor with a retractable canti levered extension 

 would be used to move the commodities into delivery trucks. Four-wheel hand 

 platform trucks, having superstructures for hanging stems (bunches) of bananas 

 would be used for receiving that fruit. The stems of green fruit would be 

 hung manually from ceiling hooks in the ripening rooms. The stems of ripe 

 bananas would be transported to the cutting and packing areas on the same 

 equipment. 



LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS 



In developing the layouts discussed in this report, several factors were 

 considered to provide for an efficient warehousing operation in an existing 

 building. Space requirements were based on the volumes of fruits and vege- 

 tables to be handled as well as the types of materials-handling equipment to 

 be used. The tonnages of each commodity to be stored determined the number 

 of loaded pallets for which storage space was required. The pallet size 

 (40 by 48 inches) plus clearances for ease in movement and positive air cir- 

 culation established the storage areas needed. In addition, aisle widths 

 were made great enough to provide easy access to all commodities. 



The various warehouse components were arranged in such a way that the 

 distances that commodities had to be moved were kept as short as the length 

 of the building would permit. Conveyors, for truck loading, were located so 

 that movement from storage to the conveyor line was kept as short as possible. 

 Enough space was provided along the conveyors to permit the temporary storage 

 of complete pallet loads of commodities required to satisfy customer orders. 



Pallets loaded on the receiving platform were not to be unloaded until 

 they were placed in the conveyor area for delivery-truck loading. Warehouse 

 doors, aisles, and storage areas were arranged so that these materials- 

 handling systems could be used efficiently. Provision was made also for 

 supplementary systems for handling bananas and for other warehouse operations. 



Both the initial and expanded layouts were designed to minimize the 

 number of store units required for the specified business volumes. The 

 initial layout (fig. 1) would require 13 store units, each 22^ feet wide, 

 and the expanded layout 21 units. Figure 3 shows a typical elevation and 

 plan for one store unit of a modern terminal market. 



If a service wholesaler did not plan to do any prepackaging or to ripen 

 green tomatoes, fewer store units would be required. 



ARRANGEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL USE OF WAREHOUSE COMPONENTS 



Receipts palletized on the rail or truck platforms would move over 

 direct paths to their designated storage areas. During the assembly operation, 

 unit loads on pallets would be withdrawn from their respective storage areas. 

 Palletized loads of packed boxes of bananas would be picked up from the 



