Patent ID: 8342792

Claim:
A method for storing and retrieving articles in and from a rack warehouse which is to be filled and emptied, wherein the articles are stored on load supports at storage locations of at least one rack of the rack warehouse, comprising: moving a storage and retrieval device, which is movable in a longitudinal direction of the rack and has a lifting table movable in height, to a receiving point of the rack; receiving a load support, which is loaded with an article, from the rack on a load suspension device of the storage and retrieval device; separating the article from the received load support on the lifting table by means of a separation station; moving the storage and retrieval device to a hand-over point, where the storage and retrieval device is coupled in a transverse direction of the rack to an article conveyor extending in the longitudinal direction of the rack; and delivering the separated article from the lifting table to the article conveyor, wherein the step of separating includes: moving a transfer device of the separation station to a take-over position; moving the load suspension device to a delivery position; and moving the transfer device from its take-over position to a delivery position, which is laterally distanced in the longitudinal direction relative to the delivery position of the load suspension device and from where the separated article is delivered to the article conveyor by means of the transfer device, wherein the load support is a container having a rim, or is a tray having a rim, and the transfer device grips the article which is to be separated from the load support, when the load suspension device is in its delivery position, wherein the load suspension device is subsequently lowered before the transfer device is moved to its delivery position.