Patent ID: 7272881

Claim:
A production installation comprising: a plurality of processing machines which are disposed next to each other in a row; a loading transport means comprising: a transport rail connecting the processing machines, the transport rail having a longitudinal axis; at least one loading means which is movable on the transport rail; and at least one workpiece gripper disposed on the loading means for supplying the processing machines with workpieces to be processed and for removing processed workpieces from the processing machines; a supply transport means for supplying workpieces to be processed to the loading transport means in a transport direction, transverse to the direction of the transport rail; and a discharge transport means for unloading processed workpieces from the loading transport means in a transport direction transverse to the direction of the transport rail, wherein the at least one workpiece gripper is pivotable about only one pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transport rail between a lowered transfer position and a raised transport position; wherein the supply transport means and the discharge transport means are adjacent to the transport rail and are spaced from one another by a gap therebetween that is spanned by the transport rail; a storage transport means disposed next to one of the supply transport means or the discharge transport means; and a transfer transport means which is movable on the transport rail between a transfer position in front of the discharge transport means, a storage position in front of the storage transport means, and a rest position independent therefrom.