EP2275350B1 - Cartridge for storing flat elements, packaging device, method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a magazine for storing a plurality of flat elements for a packaging device. The invention further relates to a packaging device with at least one such magazine. In particular, the invention relates to a packaging device with at least one magazine, wherein packages of each at least one article wrapped by a packaging can be produced by the packaging device and the packaging is made of a sheet-like element. The present invention further relates to a method for feeding and removing sheet-like elements to or from a magazine of a packaging device.

Magazines for storing a plurality of flat elements for a packaging device are known from the prior art.

The German patent application DE 10 2006 038 656 A1 discloses a magazine device for abutting flat elements (blanks), which are arranged for removal obliquely edgewise in a single row standing on a single magazine. A retaining device is provided in the feed direction in front of a removal device. The problem with this magazine concept is that large flat elements can easily fall out of oblique position.

The German patent application DE 101 47 360 A1 discloses a packaging device with a magazine for flat elements, which stores the flat elements lying one above the other or obliquely in a single stack. Regardless of the storage, the sheet-like elements are always transferred one by one vertically to a folding unit.

The international patent application WO 2007/075210 A1 discloses an automatic carton magazine loading system, in which each a single stack of superposed flat elements is rearranged into a single row edgewise consecutive flat elements and transported on a feed conveyor. The carton magazine loading system includes a single row of sheet members that is completely transferred to a magazine of a packaging facility.

The international patent application WO 2008/011415 A1 discloses a device in which several flat elements are removed simultaneously by a removal device from several magazines. However, only one planar element is removed per magazine. The removed elements are then transferred simultaneously and spaced apart by the removal device of a further processing packaging line. The device requires a lot of space due to the linear arrangement of the magazines.

The document US 6050062A discloses a packaging machine with several magazines, wherein the magazines are refilled by a robot.

A disadvantage of the magazines of the prior art is that per clock or time unit, the sheet-like elements are always removed only one after the other a single magazine. Accordingly, this reduces the packaging performance per magazine. In addition, with the magazines of the prior art, only one type of blank can ever be processed.

The invention has for its object to provide a space-saving magazine for storing a plurality of flat elements (blanks) for a packaging device, wherein the sheet-like elements effectively and with high performance are removed from the magazine and the downtime of the packaging device due to the changeover times of the magazine or the filling of the magazine with the flat elements is reduced. This object is achieved by a magazine according to claim 1.

The invention is also based on the object to provide a packaging device with at least one magazine, with the packaging device area elements are packaged effectively and with high performance and the downtime of the packaging device due to the changeover times of the magazine or the filling of the magazine with the sheet-like elements is reduced. This object is achieved by a packaging device according to claim 8.

The invention is further based on the object of providing a space-saving and efficient method for feeding and removing sheet-like elements to or from a magazine of a packaging device. This object is achieved by a method according to claim 10.

The magazine according to the invention for storing a multiplicity of flat elements for a packaging device comprises at least two magazine units. The flat elements are storable with their flat sides lying in the magazine units as a stack. Flat elements can, for example, blanks be from a cardboard or other material. The magazine also includes at least two lateral guides for the stacks per magazine unit.

The magazine is associated with a lifting device with a plurality of forks, which cooperate with the magazine in an inventive manner, as described below. On the multiple forks several stacks are arranged in rows and columns. This results in a large magazine surface for n ≥ 1 rows and m ≥ 1 columns of stacks. The stacks can thus be stored or stored in a magazine form in the magazine. The filling volume of the magazine is thus multiplied compared to a magazine of the prior art.

According to the invention, the stacks can be lifted into a removal position along a stroke direction with the lifting device, so that several of the flat elements can be removed from the removal position simultaneously in rows or columns, whereby the flat elements can be removed from the magazine effectively and with high performance and the downtime of the packaging device is reduced. Further advantages of this embodiment of the magazine are mainly from the description FIG. 3 seen.

In a preferred embodiment, the magazine units each have an open bottom and an open front facing the forks, so that a free movement of the forks along with the stacks resting thereon along the guides of the magazine in the stroke direction is possible. The stacks are thus supported and guided from below the magazine and between the guides within the magazine units on the forks, as the forks can be directly in the magazine on and run. In this way, the stacks can be securely held and moved in the magazine.

In a likewise preferred embodiment, the magazine is further associated with a carriage on which are arranged in an analogous arrangement arranged in rows and columns in the magazine stack of flat elements also stack planar elements. In this case, the car is precisely positioned to the position of the rows and columns of the arranged in the magazine planar elements. For example, the rows and columns of stacks in the magazine are positioned snugly over the rows and columns of stacks on the cart.

The packaging device according to the invention comprises at least one magazine according to the invention for the flat elements. The flat elements become too a package, such as a folding package such as a folding carton, folded and assembled. With the packaging device according to the invention a plurality of containers is produced. For this purpose, individual groups of at least one article, for example bottles or cans, are each placed in a package or wrapped with a package. The packaging may still be closed.

Within a stack, the flat elements usually have the same shape and / or dimensions. However, the sheet elements of different stacks of the magazine may differ in shape and / or dimensions. The advantage here is that the magazine or the packaging device less often or not at all for different shapes and / or dimensions of flat elements must be retrofitted and thus less idle times or downtime for the packaging arise.

In a further preferred embodiment of the magazine, the at least two lateral guides for the stack are detachably fastened and / or displaceably mounted on the magazine. As a result, the stacks are safely guided in the magazine and do not slip. In addition, the top surface elements are safely removed from a single respective position of the respective stack. The guides can be designed, for example, as guide walls, between which the stacks of the flat elements are guided.

An even better guidance of the stacks in the magazine is possible if at least two angle elements are fixed or detachably fastened and / or displaceable on each guide wall. The angle elements serve to ensure that the four lateral edges of a single stack are each guided by an angle element. In this case, each side edge of the stack is assigned a different angle element. Two lateral edges of the stack are each guided by a first angle element of a first guide wall. The two other lateral edges of the stack are each guided by a second angle element of a second guide wall. The two guide walls are adjacent and the stack is guided between them. This arrangement also allows different shapes and / or dimensions for the stack. The number of angle elements per guide wall should be selected to match a desired number of stacks to be stored in the magazine units between two adjacent guide walls.

As already described above, the magazine according to the invention is associated with a lifting device. The lifting device raises or lowers the stacks in the at least one magazine of the packaging device according to the invention and should preferably be adjusted such that the uppermost planar elements of the stacks are always removed at a substantially uniform removal height. After removal, the sheet-like elements are further processed, for example, folded into a package, as already described above. The at least one magazine is associated with at least one removal device for the sheet-like elements.

In the method according to the invention for feeding and removing sheet-like elements to or from a magazine of a packaging device, the steps described below are carried out. Again, the magazine comprises at least two magazine units and at least two lateral guides for the stack per magazine unit. The magazine units are arranged in rows and columns. First, stacks of a plurality of sheet-like elements are arranged in the columns and rows of the magazine. In the next step, the stack of flat elements arranged in the columns and the rows in the magazine are raised to a removal position. The stacks are raised in a stroke direction along the at least two lateral guides. Subsequently, several of the planar elements are removed simultaneously from the magazine units. In this case, the removal of the sheet-like elements is carried out in rows or columns, and in each case a planar element per magazine unit is removed.

In a preferred embodiment of the method, the stacks in the magazine are only moved to the removal position after a planar element has been removed from each row and each column of the magazine.

The feeding of the stack of planar elements to the magazine can be done by a carriage. On the car to be arranged in rows and columns in the magazine stack of flat elements also arranged stacked elements in an analogous arrangement. The carriage is positioned precisely to the position of the rows and columns in the magazine arranged flat elements. The carriage is moved in the exact position in the stroke direction such that it is positioned directly under several forks of a lifting device, while the multiple forks hold the still located in the magazine units stack of flat elements.

In a next step, the forks are moved out of the magazine's magazine units as soon as the cart with the stacks is positioned directly under the forks. As a result, the stacks still stored in the magazine units fall onto the stack deposited on the cart. The successive stacks form united stacks. Subsequently, the forks are spent under the united stack of flat elements, so that the united stack can be held securely by the forks and lifted to the removal position. The repetition of the steps described forms a cycle of feeding stacks of flat elements and removing the sheet-like elements.

After removal of at least two flat elements at a removal position, the recorded flat elements can be moved to a downstream folding unit of the packaging device, as already described above.

In a further preferred embodiment of the method, the sheet-like elements are removed either in rows or columns from the magazine units of the at least one magazine such that only after removal of all planar elements from one row or a column of magazine units then the sheet-like elements of the next adjacent row or column of magazine units.

The advantage of the magazine according to the invention over the prior art is that the magazine at its bottom at the same time or almost simultaneously new stacks can be supplied while the magazine on its upper surface elements can be removed, which significantly reduces the downtime of the packaging device. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the magazine less often has to be supplied with new stacks of sheet-like elements, since the magazine can store a plurality of stacks of planar elements instead of just one stack. As a result, in each case a top planar element can be removed from several stacks or from several magazine units at the same time. Since the sheet-like elements for this are taken from above or from an upper side instead of laterally as known from the prior art, the packaging device must be equipped with at least one corresponding removal device, which can remove the sheet-like elements from the top. It is also possible to provide the magazine with stacks of flat elements which differ in their type.

In the following, exemplary embodiments are intended to explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the attached figures.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a section of an embodiment of the packaging device according to the invention with an embodiment of the magazine according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the magazine FIG. 1 ,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a section of an embodiment of the packaging device according to the invention with an embodiment of the magazine according to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a guide of the magazine FIG. 3 ,

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the guide FIG. 4 in connection with the magazine of the packaging device FIG. 3 ,

For identical or equivalent elements of the invention, identical reference numerals are used. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference symbols are shown in the individual figures, which are required for the description of the respective figure.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic front view of a section of an embodiment of the packaging device 1 according to the invention with an embodiment of the magazine according to the invention 2. In the magazine 2, three stacks 3a, 3b, 3c are stored, each stack 3a and 3b or 3c stored in each magazine unit 2a is. The stacks 3a, 3b, 3c each comprise a plurality of superimposed planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c of different formation: the flat elements 6a, 6c are larger than the flat elements 6b. However, each stack 3a, 3b and 3c, the planar elements 6a, 6b and 6c have the same formation. Only the fronts 15 (see FIG. 2 ) of the front three magazine units 2a of the magazine 2 are shown. The stacks 3a, 3b, 3c were transferred from the feeding direction 22 to the magazine 2 at an accepting position 12 at the front sides 15 and at the open lower sides 32 of the magazine units 2a, as described in detail in FIG FIG. 3 described. The magazine 2 is filled in this way quickly with a plurality of juxtaposed or successive stacks 3a, 3b, 3c.

Due to the fact that the planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c are located in the corresponding different stacks 3a, 3b, 3c, a plurality of the upper planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c can simultaneously from the respective upper side 29 of the plurality of stacks 3a, 3b, 3c different stacks 3a, 3b, 3c are removed. The removal takes place in the illustrated embodiment per stack 3a, 3b, 3c by an automatic removal device 5 along a removal direction 20a, 20b, 20c. By the simultaneous removal of the uppermost sheet-like elements 6a, 6b, 6c, the magazine 2 is emptied quickly and powerfully. It is also conceivable that a smaller number of fast removal devices 5 compared to the number of stacks 3 alternately, but simultaneously, lifts from the respective stacks 3, without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also conceivable that a plurality of planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c are simultaneously removed from the magazine 2 for each stack 3a, 3b, 3c and / or entire stacks 3a, 3b, 3c.

Ideally, the planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c are always removed from above at the same removal height 11 with the respective removal device 5, for example a vacuum suction device. For this, the height of the stacks 3a, 3b, 3c in the magazine 2 is determined by moving a lifting device 4 (see FIG FIG. 3 ) set along a stroke direction 21, that after each removal of one or more planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c of the stack 3a, 3b, 3c, the next uppermost layers of planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c are brought back to the removal height 11. The tracking of the stacks 3a, 3b, 3c can be carried out continuously, stepwise or only after simultaneous removal of a respective planar elements 6a, 6b, 6c from all rows 33 and all column 34 of the magazine units 2a.

Each of the stacks 3a, 3b, 3c becomes in the embodiment FIG. 1 within the respective magazine unit 2a by two lateral guides 9a, 9b held together or out. The guides 9a, 9b are configured substantially as walls in the embodiment shown here. Preferably, the guides 9a, 9b transversely to the feed direction 22 of the stack 3a, 3b, 3c slidably and / or releasably fastened to position them accurately for different formations of sheet-like elements 6 and 3 stacks. By shifting or other other type of positioning of the guides 9a, 9b, the widths of the magazine units 2a change accordingly.

On each guide wall 9a, 9b, at least two angle elements 10a, 10b are fixedly and / or detachably fastened and / or displaceably arranged on the magazine 2. The angle elements 10a, 10b serve to further guide the stack 3a, 3b, 3c, as will be described in detail in the following figures. In the front view of the magazine 2 is always only one, namely to see the front angle element 10a and 10b of the respective guide 9a, 9b, not the underlying angle elements 10a and 10b.

For better orientation are in the FIGS. 1 to 3 Coordinate axes x and y shown.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the magazine 2 after FIG. 1 , wherein in the plan view nine magazine units 2a are visible, which are arranged in three rows 33 and three columns 34 in a matrix form. The magazine 2 thus offers a large area for many stacks 3 and the filling volume of the magazine 2 is multiplied in comparison to a magazine in which only one stack can be stored.

The angle elements 10a, 10b are designed as angle bars, for example made of sheet metal or another stable material, and arranged on the guide walls 9a, 9b. The elongated rod shape of the angle elements 10a, 10b is in FIG. 1 shown. Two lateral edges 23 each of a stack 3a, 3b, 3c are each guided by a first angle element 10a of a first guide wall 9a. The two other lateral edges 23 of the stack 3a, 3b, 3c are guided by a respective second angle element 10b of a second guide wall 9b. Within the two first angle elements 10a and the two second angle elements 10b of a pair of adjacent guide walls 9a, 9b, the stacks 3a, 3b, 3c can thus be stored. If the first and second angle elements 10a, 10b are arranged displaceably and / or detachably fastened to the guides 9a, 9b, different formatting of stacks 3a, 3b, 3c or planar elements 6 is again possible.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a section of an embodiment of the packaging device 1 according to the invention with an embodiment of the magazine 2 according to the invention, in the nine magazine units 2a side by side in a single row 33 and nine columns 34 (see. FIG. 2 ) are arranged.

New stack 3 (not shown in FIG. 3 ) of sheet-like elements 6 (not shown in FIG FIG. 3 ) are fed by a carriage 7 of the packaging device 1 to the magazine 2 of the packaging device 1 at an accepting position 12. to Recording the new stack 3, the magazine units 2a each have an open bottom 32 and a plurality of forks 14 a lifting device 4 facing front 15 is formed. According to the prior art, the carriage 7 moves with at least two new stacks 3 of flat elements 6 in the feed direction 22 to the open bottom sides 32 of the magazine units 2a to the acceptance position 12. Meanwhile, the multiple forks 14 of the lifting device 4 still hold at least two "old" stacks 3 with flat elements 6 in the magazine units 2a between guide walls 9 of the magazine 2. In FIG. 3 are the forks 14 for better illustration of the many figure elements moved out of the magazine 2 shown. Once the carriage 7 is positioned with the new stacks 3 immediately below the magazine 2, the forks 14 are moved out of the magazine units 2a. This has the effect that the old stacks 3, which are still stored in the magazine 2 at the time, fall from flat elements 6 onto the new stacks 3 of flat elements 6, which are still deposited on the carriage 7. It must be ensured that the old and new stack 3 are precisely aligned one above the other. For this purpose, the rows 33 and stacks 34 with the new stacks 3 on the carriage 7 are preferably arranged analogously to the arrangement of the rows 33 and stacks 34 with the stacks 3 in the magazine units 2a.

The union of a new, each with an overlying old stack 3 forms a united stack 3. The forks 14 are then placed under the so formed, united stack 3 of sheet-like elements 6. The united stack 3 can then be safely supported by the forks 14 and lifted by the lifting device 4 in the lifting direction 21 to the removal height 11. Once the forks 14 securely hold the united stacks 3, the carriage 7 can be lowered and driven away. Subsequently, the carriage 7 supplies the magazine 2 again in the manner described with at least two new stacks 3.

Within the respective magazine unit 2a, the (united) stack 3 is received and guided by the respective angle elements 10 of the guides 9. The angle elements 10 of the guides 9 are in FIG. 3 hidden by frame members 18 of the packaging device 1 and hidden by the guides 9 and thus not visible. If the stacks 3 are stored in the angle elements 10 of the magazine 2, then the lateral edges of the stacks 3 are guided in the angle elements 10 as in FIG FIG. 2 described.

The magazine 2 in the embodiment shown here comprises ten guide walls 9 with nine magazine units 2a arranged therebetween for storing the stacks 3. Thus, a maximum of nine united stacks 3 can be stored on flat elements 6 in the magazine 2.

The acceptance position 12 for the transfer of the stack 3 of the lifting device 4 is located with respect to the feed direction 22 on the front sides 15 of the magazine units 2a. The magazine 2 is held in the frame members 18.

Only schematically is in FIG. 3 indicated that the sheet-like elements 6 according to step 30 from the magazine 2 to a folding unit (not shown) of the packaging device 1 are spent. The sheet-like elements 6 are folded into packages 16 there. According to step 31, individual groups of at least one article 28, each with a packaging 16, are packaged into containers 27.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a guide 9 of the magazine 2 after FIG. 3 , The guide is configured as a guide wall 9 with two angle elements 10 each on the front wall 24 and on the rear wall 25 of the guide wall 9. Each corner 13 of an angle element 10 can receive an edge of a stack (not shown) of planar elements. The various openings 26 of the guide 9 are used for adjustable locking or releasable attachment to the frame members 18 (see FIG. 3 ) of the packaging device 1.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the guide 9 after FIG. 4 in conjunction with the magazine 2 after FIG. 3 , The guide wall 9 is detachably fastened to the frame elements 18 of the packaging device 1. The other elements are already described in the previous figures.

The invention has been described in consideration of preferred embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

packaging device

2

magazine

2a

magazine unit

3

stack

4

lifting device

5

removal device

6

flat element (cut)

7

dare

9, 9a, 9b

Guide, guide wall

10, 10a, 10b

angle element

11

Removal position, removal height

12

acceptance position

13

corner

14

forks

15

front

16

packaging

18

frame element

20, 20a, 20b, 20c

removal direction

21

stroke direction

22

feed

23

edge

24

front wall

25

rear wall

26

opening

27

container

28

items

29

top

30

Step of transferring the sheet-like elements to a folding unit

31

Step of packaging

32

bottom

33

line

34

column

x

first direction

y

second direction

Claims (15)

1. A magazine (2) for storing a plurality of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) for a packaging device (1), wherein the magazine (2) comprises at least two magazine units (2a), the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) can be stored in the magazine units (2a) with their flat sides being overlapped as stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c), and the magazine (2) comprises at least two side guides (9, 9a, 9b) for the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) for each magazine unit (2a), characterized in that the magazine (2) is assigned to a lifting device (4) with a plurality of fork arms (14) on which a plurality of stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) are arranged in rows (33) and columns (34) and can be lifted with the lifting device (4) along a lifting direction (21) into a removal position (11), so that a plurality of the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) can be removed simultaneously in rows or in columns from the removal position (11).
2. The magazine (2) according to Claim 1, wherein the magazine units (2a) each have formed an open underside (32) and an open front side (15) facing the fork arms (14) so that free movement of the fork arms (14) along with all stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) lying on them along the guides (9, 9a, 9b) in the lifting direction (21) is possible.
3. The magazine (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a carriage (7) is assigned to the magazine (2), on which carriage (7), in an analogue arrangement of the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) arranged in rows (33) and columns (34), stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) are also arranged, and wherein the carriage (7) can be positioned to exactly fit to the position of the rows (33) and columns (34) of the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) arranged in the magazine (2).
4. The magazine (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) have at least two stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c), which differ according to the form and/or dimensions and the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) have the same form and/or dimensions for each stack (3, 3a, 3b, 3c).
5. The magazine (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two guides (9, 9a, 9b) are mounted in a releasably fixable manner and/or slidably on the magazine (2).
6. The magazine (2) according to claim 5, wherein the guides are formed as guide walls (9, 9a, 9b).
7. The magazine (2) according to claim 6, wherein at least two angular elements (10, 10a, 10b) are fastened permanently or arranged in a releasably fixable manner and/or slidably at each guide wall (9, 9a, 9b), wherein two side edges each of a stack (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) are each guided by a first angular element (10a) of a first guide wall (9a), and both other side edges of the stack (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) are each guided by a second angular element (10b) of a second guide wall (9b), wherein the two guide walls (9a, 9b) are adjacent to each other.
8. A packaging device (1) for wrapping a plurality of packing units (27) respectively consisting of at least one article (28) with one packaging (16), wherein the packaging (16) is made out of a planar element (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) and the packaging device (1) comprises at least one magazine (2) for the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) according to one of the previous claims.
9. The packaging device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the at least one magazine (2) is assigned to at least one removal device (5) for the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c).
10. A method for feeding in and removing planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) to resp. from a magazine (2) of a packaging device (1), wherein the magazine (2) respectively comprises at least two magazine units (2a) and at least two side guides (9, 9a, 9b) for each magazine unit (2a), characterized by the following steps:

    • arrangement of stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) in columns (34) and rows (33), wherein the magazine units (2a) are arranged in the rows (33) and the columns (34);

    • lifting the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) arranged in the columns (34) and the rows (33) in the magazine (2) into a removal position (11), wherein the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) are lifted in a lifting direction (21) along the at least two side guides (9, 9a, 9b); and

    • simultaneous removal of a multiplicity of the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) from the magazine units (2a), wherein the removal of the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) is carried out in rows or in columns and one planar element (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) is removed per magazine unit (2a).
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) are driven in the magazine (2) into the removal position (11) after a planar element (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) has been removed, respectively, from each row (33) and each column (34) of the magazine (2).
12. The method according to any one of the claims 10 to 11, wherein stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) are also arranged on a carriage (7) in an analogue arrangement to the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) arranged in rows (33) and columns (34) in the magazine (2), wherein the carriage (7) is then positioned to exactly fit to the position of the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) arranged in rows (33) and columns (34) in the magazine (2), and wherein the carriage (7) is moved into the exactly fitting position in the lifting direction (21) in such a way that it is positioned directly under a multiplicity of fork arms (14) of a lifting device (4) while the multiplicity of fork arms (14) hold the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) located in the magazine units (2a).
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fork arms (14) are driven out of the magazine units (2a) as soon as the carriage (7) with the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) is positioned directly underneath the fork arms (14).
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) stored in the magazine units (2a) are dropped onto the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) laid on the carriage (7), the stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) which have fallen onto each other form unified stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c), and then the fork arms (14) are brought under the unified stacks (3, 3a, 3b, 3c) of planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c).
15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) are removed in rows or in columns from the magazine units (2a) of the at least one magazine (2) in such a manner that, only after removal of all planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) from a row (33) or a column (34) of magazine units (2a), the planar elements (6, 6a, 6b, 6c) of the next adjacent row (33) or column (34) are removed from magazine units (2a).

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