Patent ID: 9561916
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: B07C,B65G,B65H

Claim:
1. A storage tray ( 1 ) for automatically loading and unloading stacks of flat articles ( 100 ) stacked on edge, said storage tray ( 1 ) having a bottom plate ( 2 ) and panels ( 4 A, 4 B, 5 ) parallel in pairs defining at least one compartment ( 6 , 7 ) provided with an opening ( 9 ) that is provided opposite from said bottom plate ( 2 ), said compartment ( 6 , 7 ) being designed to receive at least one stack of flat articles ( 100 ), provision being made for the edges of said flat articles to rest on said bottom plate ( 2 ) and for at least one flank of said stack to bear against a bearing surface ( 72 , 82 , 92 ) formed by the inside face of one of said panels ( 4 A, 5 ), said storage tray being characterized in that said at least two of the said bearing surfaces ( 72 , 82 , 92 ) facing are each of them provided with at least one groove ( 70 , 80 , 90 ) having their end walls set back, said grooves ( 70 , 80 , 90 ) being disposed facing each other in pairs, and the grooves extending longitudinally from said bottom plate ( 2 ) up to said opening ( 9 ) and each of the grooves 970 , 80 , 90 ) being suitable for longitudinally receiving a tooth of a comb that is inserted into it without coming into contact with said flat articles ( 100 ), and that, once inserted, is designed to move said flank of said stack laterally away from said corresponding bearing surface ( 72 , 82 , 92 ), in that said bottom plate ( 2 ) is provided with at least one through slot ( 10 ; 20 , 30 ; 40 ; 50 ), each of the ends of which is disposed in direct alignment with respectively one of said grooves ( 70 , 80 , 90 ), said slot ( 40 ; 50 ) being substantially of a shape chosen from T-shaped, and Z-shaped, the first and second branch ( 11 , 12 ; 21 , 22 ; 31 , 32 ; 41 , 42 ; 51 , 52 ) of each slot defined the ends of said slot ( 40 , 50 ) and a trunk ( 43 , 53 , 13 , 23 , 33 ) between the two branches and having a profile that is substantially identical to the profile of the respective corresponding groove ( 70 , 80 , 90 ), said slot ( 10 ; 20 , 30 ; 40 ; 50 ) and each of said grooves ( 70 , 80 , 90 ) being suitable for allowing at least one moving finger ( 110 ) to pass through that is mounted to slide between a retracted position in which the free end of said moving finger ( 110 ) does not pass through said slot ( 10 ; 20 , 30 ; 40 ; 50 ) and an active position in which said moving finger ( 110 ) passes through said slot ( 10 ; 20 , 30 ; 40 ; 50 ) and is engaged in one of said grooves ( 70 , 80 , 90 ) so that the edges of all of said flat articles ( 100 ) of said stack rest on said free end and can be moved away from or towards said bottom plate ( 2 ) for the purpose of automatically unloading said flat articles ( 100 ) from said storage tray ( 1 ) or of automatically loading said articles ( 100 ) into said storage tray ( 1 ), without said flank of said stack coming into contact with said bearing surface ( 72 , 82 , 92 ).