FR2656856A1 - Automatic and dynamic device for storing/removing from store volumes in a three-dimensional space - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic and dynamic device for storing/removing from store volumes in a three-dimensional space. This device is characterised in that it consists of a storing system including a plurality of distinct storing units each comprising at least one series of storing locations, a loading/ unloading slide, and loading/unloading transfer means arranged in each location, of a system for supplying the said storing system comprising, on the one hand, for each storing unit, a standby location, a supply slide, supply transfer means and, on the other hand, means for conveying and introducing the volumes selectively in one of the supply slides (20), a system for recovery/discharge of the volumes and means for coordinating and synchronising the control means of the said loading/unloading transfer means, of the said supply transfer means, and of the said discharge means (18), so as automatically to effect, by means of gravity, the conveying of any volume in any one, as desired, of the said storing locations and the emptying of any one, as desired, of these locations. - Application to the storing/removing from store of objects.

Description

AUTOMATED STORAGE-DESTOCKING DEVICE
13T VOLUME DYNAMICS IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SPACE
your present invention relates to a device ensuring both automatic and dynamic storage and destocking of three-dimensional objects.

 The invention will be described in its application to pharmaceutical distribution stores, but it is understood that it can be applied to the storage-destocking of all volumes or objects whatever their nature and destination.

 By volume or object is meant any three-dimensional solid body or a package, in particular a box or the like, enveloping an object or any product, or a group of objects forming a unitary assembly.

 A pharmaceutical distribution store, or dispatcher, is an intermediary between the laboratories that create the drugs and the pharmacists who supply them.

 Managing a pharmaceutical distributor poses special problems due to its dual function as wholesaler and retailer. Indeed, such a dispatcher delivers on average his customers two and a half times a day, each delivery comprising a variable number of types of products, each type being ordered according to a very variable quantity from one customer to another. When we know that a dispatcher must manage the storage and selective distribution of around fifteen thousand references on average, we imagine the multiple problems that can arise both with regard to the size and cost of storage means, the difficulty or even impossibility of automating these means, the time and cost required for each order, the difficulty of processing objects in a standard manner whose configuration, dimensions, weight, nature, are very variable.

 Various systems have been designed and implemented in an attempt to manage such a diversity of products.

 In the pharmaceutical distribution sector, various systems are known.

 The one known as KNAPP has a large footprint, one or more locations being assigned to each product. It also has the disadvantage of non-automatic loading and of being able to manage only the only products having a packaging and a format that meet certain standards.

 Finally, its cost is substantially increased by its electro-mechanical product ejection system duplicated at each storage rack.

 Another system known as PEEM has the same drawbacks as the previous one while being less complex.

 A third known system, called MERKLE, simply implements traditional storage with mobile collection carts. Each cart requires the presence of a person, the storage and collection of products being manual.

 The object of the invention is to propose a system capable of taking care of the products, in particular boxes, as soon as they arrive and of delivering the order trays at the outlet, of simple, compact, fully automatic design and cost. reasonable operation.

To this end, the invention relates to an automatic and dynamic storage-destocking device for volumes in a three-dimensional space, characterized in that it consists
i) a storage system comprising a plurality
separate storage units each comprising
a) at least one series of storage locations
juxtaposed and aligned along an axis inclined to the horizontal
b) a loading-unloading slide
juxtaposed at said locations, in parallel
said inclined axis;
c) load transfer means
unloading arranged in each location and
arranged to be moved by means
suitable in a horizontal direction
perpendicular to said inclined axis and
likely to occupy two stable positions
extremes, one for which they plug
said slide by forming a receptacle
interception of a volume introduced to
the upper end of said slide and,
the other, for which they transfer said
volume in the associated storage location in
clearing said slide ii) of a supply system of said system
storage, comprising, on the one hand, for each unit
storage
a) a contiguous waiting space at the end
upper of said loading slide
unloading
b) an inclined axis feed slide on
horizontal and common to many
storage unit standby locations;
c) power transfer means arranged
to the right of said waiting location so as to
be moved, by appropriate means,
in a horizontal direction perpendicular
laire to said inclined axes of said slides
and likely to occupy three positions,
know
1) a first extreme stable position, for
which said means seal the
feed slide forming a
volume interception receptacle
introduced at the upper end of
said slide,
2) a second extreme stable position, for
which said receptacle is plumb with
the upper end of the slide
load-unload and free up volume
in the latter, and
3) a stable intermediate position, called
rest, for which said receptacle is
in said waiting location
and, on the other hand, means to convey and
selectively introduce the volumes into one
feed slides
iii) a volume recovery-evacuation system
including an evacuation slide, preferably
common to several storage units, inclined on
the horizontal, arranged opposite the end
lower of said loading slides
unloading and the lower end of which feeds
an appropriate evacuation conveyor, and
iiii) means to coordinate and synchronize means
for controlling said means for transferring
loading-unloading, of said transfer means
supply, said means of evacuation, so
to perform automatically, by gravity,
routing any volume in one
any choice of said storage locations
and emptying any one of these
locations.

 Advantageously, the same slide of a storage unit is associated with two identical series of storage locations, arranged on either side of the slide, the loading-unloading transfer means assigned to each location of one of the series also serving the location opposite the other series.

 According to an embodiment conferring on the entire device a compactness reduced to the minimum, the storage units are joined in parallel so as to form a parallelepipedal module inclined with a substantially horizontal lower edge, one of the two lower faces having the outlet openings of all the loading-unloading slides and being provided with said evacuation slides, while the face of said module opposite to that having said openings is provided with said supply means assigned to each storage unit, in the vicinity of the 'substantially horizontal upper edge of the assembly thus formed opening the feed orifices served by a conveyor system equipped, to the right of each orifice, with an appropriate device for transferring the conveyor into the selected feed slide.

 lTn such a device makes it possible to store in a particularly compact three-dimensional space a number of volumes in the sense defined above which can be as large as desired because the capacity of the device is not limited by human capacities. A module can include the number of storage locations you want and you can put side by side as many identical or different modules as you want.

 The device is particularly simple in design and remarkably reliable, since the volumes move essentially by gravity inside the module, except for the horizontal translations for feeding, loading and unloading, which can be operated by drawers that are also simple in design and moved back and forth by mechanical, electrical, pneumatic or other means, robust and reliable.

 Finally, in addition to the very great flexibility and speed of loading a volume in a selected storage location and of recovering it, the device allows total automation by a computer which can be very easily programmed to perform automatic loading and replenishment. a very large number of volumes and the almost instant recovery of a volume or any list of volumes regardless of the storage locations of the requested volumes.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description which follows of an embodiment of the device of the invention, description given by way of example only and with reference to the appended drawings in which
- Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a
device according to the invention
- Figure 2 is a left view of the device of the
figure 1
- Figure 3 is a perspective view of two modules
associates of the device of figure i
- Figure 4 is a perspective view of a
parallelepiped diagramming one of the modules
- Figure 5 is a view of the rear of the parallelepiped
of figure 4
- Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the path of
volumes inside the device;
- Figure 7 is a perspective view of a fixed tube
horizontal storage
- Figure 8 is a perspective view of a drawer
mobile inside the tube of figure 7
- Figures 9, 10 and represent respective views
bottom, front and side profile of the
figure 7
- Figures 12, 13 and 14 show respective views
front, top and side cover drawer
figure 8
- Figures 15 and 16 are respectively front views
and in profile of a door associated with the drawer of the
figure 8
- Figure 17 is a cross section of the tube of the
Figure 7 with its drawer and the associated door,
the assembly being in the integral position
between the drawer and the door
- Figure 18 illustrates the assembly of Figure 17 in the
integral position between the fixed tube and the
door
- Figures 19 and 20 respectively represent a view
from above and a side view of a lock ensuring
the joining of the door, either of the drawer, or
fixed tube
- Figure 21 is a perspective view of a mode of
realization of power transfer means
- Figure 22 is a schematic perspective view of
means of moving the drawers
of the device, and
- Figure 23 is a partial view of the connecting means
between the drawers and the device shown in
figure 22.

 There is shown in Figures 1 and 2 an embodiment of a device according to the invention comprising four rows 1 to 4 (Figure 2) of six modules associated in pairs, respectively 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10.

 Each module has the general shape of a parallelepiped, the general structure of which is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 4 and 5.

 Each module is oriented so as to have a lower edge it substantially parallel to the ground 12 and an upper edge 13 substantially perpendicular to the lower edge 11.

 The structure of a module is partitioned as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

 To understand this structure, we will first refer to the diagram in Figure 6 illustrating the flow of volumes in each module.

 In this figure 6 there are shown two alignments 14 and 15 of identical boxes or storage locations.

 These locations are for example cubic and aligned along two inclined parallel axes, for example at 45 "on the horizontal. Each alignment 14,15 has sixteen locations but could include a different number, higher or lower.

 Between the two alignments 14,15 is a circulation space 16, defining a slide called loading-unloading. The space occupied by the slide is equal to that occupied by the alignments 14 and 15 except that the slide 16 is extended at the top by a part 17 corresponding to the supply zone of the storage unit constituted by the two alignments d 'locations 14 and 15. The slide 16 opens at the lower end in a slide 18 called evacuation, perpendicular to the slide 16 and therefore also inclined at 450 on the horizontal.

 The upper part 17 of the slide 16 is flanked by a special location 19 called waiting, located in the extension of the alignment 14 and communicating laterally with a slide 20 of axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the unit 14, 15.16 and therefore parallel to the slide 18.

The upper end of the slide 20, called the feed slide, defines an introduction orifice 21.

 Each module (5 to 10) is made up of a certain number of storage units such as the unit 14, 15, 16, joined in parallel so as to constitute a parallelepiped such as that shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 4 and 5. The evacuation slide 18 of FIG. 6 serves several units such as 14 to 16 in parallel, stacked one on the other and the supply slide 20 serves in parallel the same stack of units 14 to 16 as the slide 18 .

 The adjacent stacks of storage units each have an evacuation slide parallel to the slide 18 and a supply slide parallel to the slide 20.

 By way of illustration, there is shown in 19 ′ in FIG. 6 a waiting location assigned to another identical storage unit and parallel to the unit 14 to 16 shown in this FIG. 6. Another is also shown in 20 ′ feed slide with its insertion opening 21 ′, the slide 20 ′ cutting the alignment 15 to the right of the location 19 ′ which is opposite the location 19 relative to the loading slide - unloading 16.

 The parallelepipedal element 22 of FIG. 6 illustrates the alignment of the ends of all the supply slides 20 of the same module. Along this element 22 are distributed from place to place the orifices (21, 21 ', etc.) of introduction.

 The dimensions of the storage locations (14,15), the holding locations 19, the slides 16,18,20, the insertion orifices (21,21 ') are identical so as to register all of said elements to inside a rectangular parallelepiped.

 There is a symbolic representation of such an assembly thus compacted in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4 are marked at 23 the lower orifices of the loading-unloading slides 16 (the evacuation slides 18 not being shown) and at 21 said said orifices of introduction.

 In FIGS. 1 and 2 are shown at 24 feed belts arranged in the vicinity of the upper edges 13 of the modules. To the right of each introduction orifice 21 is disposed a means (symbolized at 25 in FIG. 2), such as a deflector, suitable for transferring the volume of the mat 24 in the direction of the desired slide 20. All the means 25 are controlled from the computer managing the device.

 The evacuation slides 18 cooperate with a conveyor belt system 26 (FIGS. 1 and 2) bringing the empty containers (27) and evacuating the containers loaded with the volumes ordered via the computer.

 your modules 5 to 10 are fixed at the right height and in the right position thanks to support uprights 28 anchored to the ground.

 We will now describe the load-unloading transfer means ensuring the displacement of a volume from the slide 16 in one of the storage locations (14,15) or from one of these locations towards the slide 16, in referring to Figures 7 to 20.

 In Figure 7 there is shown at 29 a hollow tube of square section.

 This tube is the basic structural element of each module which in fact consists, as illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, of a cubic stack of horizontal tubes 29 joined together. These tubes 29 are fixed. All the tubes 29 of each module are identical except those of the upper layer, referenced 30 in FIGS. 4 and 5 and which correspond to the supply slides 20 and to the special waiting 19 and transfer 17 locations.

 Each tube 29 has, from place to place, on its two opposite faces parallel to the plane of the discharge orifices 23 of the openings 31.

 In each module, the alignments of openings 31 define the loading and unloading slides 16.

 In each tube 29 moves a drawer 32 consisting of a compartmentalized structure of general square section shown in FIGS. 8 and 12 to 14. This structure comprises two parallel walls 33 and 34 connected by partitions 35 orthogonal to the plane of the openings 31 and delimiting spaces corresponding to the storage locations (14,15) and to the slide 16.

 The compartmentalized structure of the drawer is completed by a rectangular flat door 36 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, of length corresponding to two contiguous compartments of the drawer 32.

 Each storage unit 14 to 16 served by a drawer 32 is associated with a door 36 which is thus mounted between the drawer 32 and the fixed outer tube 29 (FIGS. 17 and 18) and which can either be secured to the drawer 32 and therefore driven with the latter, is secured to the fixed tube 29 and therefore not driven by the drawer 32.

 Figures 17 and 18 illustrate the configuration and the particular mounting of the drawer and the door inside the fixed tube, as well as the control means for securing the door of the drawer or the tube.

 The doors 36 are arranged in the tube 29 so as to be able to hide each one of the openings 31 so as to intercept a volume which descends the slide 16 (loading) or on the contrary to unmask said opening to drop the volume up to '' to the evacuation slide 18 (unloading).

 The correct sliding and guiding of the drawer 32 in the tube 29 are ensured by suitable members shaped on the facing parts respectively. Likewise, the door 36 is configured so as to slide by a longitudinal edge 37 in a groove 38 formed in the drawer 32 and to be blocked or not by a latch 39 (Figures 19,20) on its opposite edge.

Said lock can slide in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the door 36 thanks to a movable rod 40 controlling the locks 39 of the doors of an alignment such as the alignment 14 or 15.

 In the low position of the lock 39 (FIG. 17) the door 36 is secured to the drawer 32 and in the high position of the lock (FIG. 18) the door 36 is secured to the fixed outer tube 29.

 The lock 39 is moved by the rod 40 thanks to two projections 41 arranged on either side of the lock.

 When the rod 40 is in the high position, the lower projection 41 is positioned in the door 36 in place of the latch 39 in order to block the door.

 FIG. 5 shows the upper ends of the rods 40 for controlling the various locks 39 of a module, these ends being on the upper face opposite the face where the discharge orifices 23 are located (FIG. 4).

 The rods 40 are arranged between fixed tubes 29, as well as between tubes 30 of the upper layer and can slide freely while being selectively moved by a suitable device shown schematically at 43 in FIG. 3.

 Each rod 40 may have its own displacement means or, advantageously, a single displacement means is provided, driving a grid or frame (not shown) itself driving, by disengageable connections, the rods, or even other means. ensuring with reduced motor means selective traction of said rods. At each actuation of said displacement means, only the rods 40 which have been joined to said frame by an authorization from the module control computer will be controlled and will act on the latches 39 associated with said rods. Such a control system is conventional, can be produced in different technologies and does not need to be described in more detail.

 The upper layer of tubes 30 is used to supply the module storage units. FIG. 21 shows an embodiment of the power transfer means of a storage unit such as that shown in 14, 15, 16 in FIG. 6. These means are located at the locations 17 and 19 and consist of a drawer 44 partitioned into three compartments 45,46,47 respectively and slidingly mounted in a fixed tube 30.

 The element 22 in FIG. 6 corresponds to the tube 30 located at the top part of each module, facing the feed conveyor 24.

 All the tubes 30 have insertion orifices 21 aligned so as to constitute said parallel supply slides 20.

 In each tube 30 slide several drawers 44 integral and following each other.

 The compartment 45 has no particular function and only serves to ensure the connection with the adjacent drawer. The compartment 46 provides a passage right through following an arrow 48 parallel to the slides 20. The compartment 47 is closed except on its front face and on its bottom.

 Each tube 30, as well as each tube 29, is associated with a system for moving the feed drawers 44 and the load-unload drawers 32.

 Such a system shown diagrammatically at 49 in FIGS. 1 and 3 is advantageously arranged between two associated modules (5,6; 7,8; 9,10) and allows the drawers 32, 44 of the two modules to be controlled simultaneously, selectively. This system, connected to said computer, is arranged so as to provide each drawer with three possible positions as will be seen below.

 Figures 22 and 23 illustrate by way of example an embodiment of such a system.

 This system comprises a fixed frame 50 defining a plane orthogonal to the axes of the tubes 29 and the drawers 32,44. On this frame 50 can move an inverted U-shaped bracket 51 parallel to the frame 50, thanks to a vertical cylinder 52 interposed between the members 50 and 51.

 On either side of the assembly 50-51 and parallel to it, are arranged two grids 53 and 54 capable of moving along the arrows 55, that is to say parallel to the axes of said tubes 29 and drawers 32, 44.

 The grids 53, 54 are moved by the stirrup 51 by means of links 56 connecting the latter to the grids and are guided in particular by horizontal parts 57 integral with the frame 50.

 An upward movement (arrow 58) of the stirrup 51 under the control of the jack 52 causes the frame 50 to move away from the two grids 53, 54 and a reverse displacement of the stirrup 51 brings the grids closer together.

 The grids 53, 54 consist of a network of crossed rods 59, 60 (FIG. 23).

 Each crossing of a grid is associated with a rod 61 for controlling two drawers, for example 32, so that a rod 61 actuates two drawers opposite two associated modules (5,6; 7,8; 9 , 10).

 The attachment of each rod 61 to one of the two grids 53, 54 is carried out for example using jacks 62 each associated with one of the crossings of each grid and integral with one of the rods (60) grids. Each jack 62 controls a lock capable of passing through holes 63 made in the rods (59, 61) and therefore of joining or detaching the rods 59 and 61.

 Such a device enables the drawers 32 of the two associated modules to be provided with the three operating positions of the drawers as will be better understood below.

 The operation of the device of the invention comprises three distinct phases, namely a supply phase, a storage phase and a destocking phase.

 During the feeding phase, a volume conveyed by one of the conveyors 24 is brought into one of the standby locations 19 of a module.

This operation is carried out in three stages
- compartment 46 assigned to the storage unit
selected by the computer managing the device
is brought from the rest position opposite one
introduction orifices 21 in place of the
compartment 45, so that compartment 47 is
located opposite said orifice 21.

- the deflector device 25 associated with said orifice 21
is then activated when the volume passes to
introduce the latter into said slide. The fall
in the latter of the volume following arrow 51
is stopped by the wall 50 and the volume remains in
compartment 47 closed at the bottom by the
wall of the underlying fixed tube 29.

- then, compartments 46,47 are returned to their
original position. The volume is then in
waiting location 19 and vested benefits in
the slide 20 is restored.

 During the storage phase, the volume is brought from the standby location 19 into the compartment of the two assemblies 14, 15 selected by the computer.

This operation is carried out in three stages
- the selected storage location is brought to
the slide 16. For this purpose, the drawer 32 concerned
and its door 36 are moved accordingly to
present one of the storage compartments to the right
an orifice 31,
- Then, said drawer 44 comprising in its
compartment 47 (in waiting position 19) said
volume, is moved so as to bring the compartment
47 to the right of said slide 16. The volume is
thus released and descends (arrow 52) in the slide
16 where it is stopped by said compartment of
selected storage.

- Finally, the feed drawer 44 is returned to its
original position as well as the loading drawer
32, free passage in slides 20 and 16
being restored.

 During the destocking phase, the volume will be brought from its storage location in the evacuation slide 18 assigned to the storage unit in which said volume is located.

This operation is carried out in three stages
- the door 36 of the drawer 44 concerned is locked
on the fixed tube 29 by action on the rod 40
concerned;
- Said drawer 44 is moved to bring the
compartment where the volume is located to the right of the
slide 16. The volume which is no longer retained by the
door 36 then drops into slide 16, then into
slide 18
- the drawer 44 is returned to its original position and
the rod 40 is also returned to its position
original to reconnect the drawer and its door.

 All the commands of the various moving parts during the different phases above are fully automatic, commanded and controlled by the computer.

 The number of storage locations for each module can be arbitrary, as well as the size of the locations and their shape (rectangular or diamond-shaped parallelepipeds). The inclination of the slides 20,16,18 can also vary and be greater or less than 45 ".

 Each module can of course have its own system 49 for pulling drawers 32 and 44.

 The locking means (39) can be produced differently while ensuring the same function.

 The commands for moving the drawers 32, 44 and the rods 40 can also be produced using various technologies without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

 The tubes 29.30 and the drawers 32.44 can be made of metal, plastic, etc. and produced according to any technique, such as folding, molding, etc. In reality, the structure of the device will be formed from partitions, preferably orthogonal, defining between them tubular conduits in which the drawers will move.

Claims (6)

RFVNDT CATIONS l. Automatic and dynamic storage-destocking device for volumes in a three-dimensional space, characterized in that it consists of ~ = =. = = = = = = - =: =: =: =: =  i) a storage system comprising a plurality  separate storage units each comprising  a) at least one series (14) of locations of  storage juxtaposed and aligned along an axis  tilted horizontally  b) a loading-unloading slide (16)  juxtaposed at said locations, in parallel  said inclined axis  releasing said slide  volume in the associated storage location in  the other, for which they transfer said  the upper end of said slide and,  interception of a volume introduced to  said slide (16) forming a receptacle  extremes, one for which they plug  likely to occupy two stable positions  horizontal perpendicular to said inclined axis and  appropriate means (49) in a direction  location and arranged to be moved by  unloading (32) arranged in each  c) load transfer means  ii) a supply system for said  storage, comprising, on the one hand, for each unit  storage  a) a waiting location (19) contiguous to  the upper end of said slide of  loading and unloading (16)  b) a feed slide (20) with an inclined axis  on the horizontal and common to several  storage unit holding locations  c) power transfer means (44)  arranged at the right of said waiting location  (19) so as to be moved, by means  suitable (49), following a direction  horizontal perpendicular to said axes  inclined of said slides (20) and  likely to occupy three positions,  know  1) a first extreme stable position, for  which said means (44) seal the  feed slide (20) forming a  volume interception receptacle  introduced at the upper end of  said slide,  2) a second extreme stable position, for  which said receptacle is plumb with  the upper end of the slide  loading-unloading (16) and releases the  volume in the latter, and  3) a stable intermediate position, called  rest, for which said receptacle is  in said waiting location (19)  and, on the other hand, means (24,25) for  route and enter volumes  selectively in one of the slides  feed (20)  iii) a recovery-evacuation system (18) of  volumes including an evacuation slide,  preference common to several storage units,  inclined to the horizontal, arranged opposite  the lower end of said slides of  loading-unloading (16) and the end of which  lower feeds an evacuation conveyor  (26) appropriate, and iiii) means to coordinate and synchronize the means  for controlling said means for transferring  loading-unloading (32) of said means  power transfer (44) from said means  evacuation (18), so as to carry out  automatically, by gravity, the routing of a  any volume in any one of your choice  said storage locations (14,15) and the emptying  from any one to the choice of these locations.  ,, Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the same slide (16) of a storage unit is associated with two identical series of storage locations (14,15), arranged on either side of the slide, the load-unload transfer means (32) assigned to each location of one of the series also serving the location opposite the other series.  3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the storage units are joined in parallel so as to form an inclined parallelepiped module (5 to 10) with a substantially horizontal lower edge (11), one of the two lower faces presenting the outlet openings (23) of all the loading-unloading slides (16) and being provided with said discharge slides (18), while the face of said module opposite to that presenting said openings (23) is provided said supply means (30) assigned to each storage unit, in the vicinity of the substantially horizontal upper edge (13) of the assembly thus formed, opening the supply orifices (21) served by a conveyor system (24) equipped, at the right of each orifice, with an appropriate device (25) for transferring the conveyor into the selected feed slide (20).  4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that each module consists of a fixed structure forming said storage units, composed of horizontal tubes (29) of quadrangular section provided on two opposite faces with orifices (31) defining inside the module said loading-unloading slides (16) and in each of which moves a drawer (32) comprising, for each of said storage units, two storage compartments separated by a central compartment open on the side of said orifices (31) and closable by a door (36) controlled by an appropriate device (39,40,43) allowing, either to close the central compartment, or to open it, all the drawers (32) of the same tube being selectively moved by suitable means (49) between three positions, one for which the central compartment is opposite said loading-unloading slides (16), the others for which the one of the two adjacent compartments is opposite said slides (16), said tubes (29) being completed in the upper part of the module by a series of fixed tubes (30) arranged like the first tubes (29) and in a single layer, each tube (30) comprising a drawer (44) defining two compartments (46,47) assigned, one (46) to said supply slide (20), the other (47) for interception and transfer of a volume in the direction of said waiting location (19) then, from the latter, in the direction of said loading-unloading slide (16), said drawers (44) being selectively moved by suitable means (49).  5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said door (36) can be secured selectively from the drawer (32) or from the fixed tube (29) using a latch (39) movable between two positions at using a control rod (40) moved by an appropriate means (43).  6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the rods (40) each control several latches (39) and are arranged parallel to the axes of the loading-unloading slides (16), the control ends of the rods being assembled on the face of the module opposite to the discharge orifices (23), the control means (43) of the rods being arranged on this face.