FR2676300A1 - Method and device for manufacturing colour mosaic panels reproducing a given image - Google Patents

Abstract

Method of manufacturing colour mosaic panels, the dimensions of which are given and which define an elementary surface S1, these panels reproducing a part of a given image of surface s, by virtue of means for distribution of the mosaic squares in coordinates, of an elementary surface S2 and of a given colour, characterised in that it comprises the following steps: - loading of the image to be reproduced into a computer processing unit, - numbering of the surface s into elementary surfaces S2, - memory storage of a colour chart for each of the colours of squares, - allocation of a colour to each of these elementary surfaces S2, - scaling of the image with surface s to be reproduced to the real dimensions S. - cutting up the numbered surface S into elementary surfaces S1. The subject of the invention is also the device for implementing the method.

Description

The subject of the present invention is a method and a device for manufacturing color mosaic panels reproducing a given image.

The advertising and decoration industries increasingly require new media in order to convey different messages or to give a certain originality in decoration.

 Thus in the advertising industry, many supports such as building facades or walls remain unexploited for lack of quality means to reproduce the various advertising messages.

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In addition, as part of the decoration, the architects are interested in new coatings which would be applied to the ground, on certain walls or else on particular achievements such as swimming pools, saunas, gymnastic halls or other halls. meeting and conference.

Nevertheless, all these coatings must have an essential characteristic which is durability.

This is how stoneware tiles or glazed ceramic tiles have a very high resistance to abrasion but also to all chemical and mechanical actions when they are placed outside directly under the action of bad weather, even in chlorinated environments such as swimming pools.

The applications of coverings made up of panels of ceramic tiles forming mosaic are very important but there remains a problem which is that of the realization of the panels, because the mosaic tiles have dimensions of the order of a few centimeters, more generally of 2 cm.

In an artisanal way, it is possible for an individual with indisputable artistic qualities to make a modest surface panel by manually choosing tiles which he applies one by one according to the image to be reproduced. A manufacture of this type is so tedious and of such a cost price that the achievements are very few and in any event limited in surface area.

The industrial manufacture of such coatings representing a given image poses several problems.

The first problem is that of analyzing the image to be reproduced in order to determine the position of each tile and the corresponding color and to deposit the corresponding tiles in the predetermined places according to their color.

The second problem is to work with excessively abrasive materials since it is natural or glazed stoneware or ceramic and few materials can resist.

Another problem concerns the support itself, which must then allow easy installation of the coating and the error-free production of the basic image that it is supposed to reproduce.

The method according to the invention allows the production of color mosaic panels of predetermined dimensions which can be juxtaposed so as to constitute a single surface of any dimensions, this covering reproducing a given image.

This process is a fast process which allows the representation of any image with colors which can be as faithful as possible given the initial colors, but which can also be very far from it by attribution of new substitution colors, which allows the production of coatings whatever the surface, which makes it possible to limit the number of colors entering into the composition of the image, which ensures the placing of the tiles on a positioning support and in particular on supports in strips forming strips.

The invention also relates to the device for implementing the method, which device is a combination of simple and robust elements so as to ensure high operating reliability although the materials concerned are very abrasive, which has a long service life, which is easy to maintain, which is modular and whose capacity can be easily modified.

 For this purpose, the method for manufacturing color mosaic panels according to the invention, the dimensions of which are given and define an elementary surface S1, these panels reproducing part of a given image of surface s, by means of distribution. in coordinates of the mosaic tiles of an elementary surface S2 and of a given color, is characterized in that it comprises the following stages - loading of the image to be reproduced in a computer processing unit thanks to a camera framing the image given of surface s, - digitization of surface s into elementary surfaces S2.

- memorization of a color chart of the colors of tiles available in distribution means, - allocation of a color to each of these elementary surfaces S2 from the analysis carried out by the camera and the processing unit compared to the color chart, - scaling of the surface image to be reproduced to the actual dimensions corresponding to the surface of the mosaic coating to be manufactured, - cutting of the digitized surface S into elementary surfaces S1 corresponding to those of the mosaic panels to be juxtaposed.

According to the main embodiment of the method, the surface S2 is that of a mosaic tile and corresponds to a pixel of the image of the processing unit.

This process is also characterized in that, according to a variant, the two steps of memorizing a color chart and of assigning a color of the process are reversed so as to load the tiles with the colors determined directly by the unit of processing from image analysis.

According to a variant of the method, it is also possible to impose a number n of colors on the processing unit so as to virtually reconstruct the initial image with a limited number of n colors.

According to a variant of the main embodiment, it is possible thanks to the processing unit to substitute n new colors chosen arbitrarily for the first n real colors determined by the processing unit.

The device according to the invention for implementing the method comprises an image processing unit, means for storing and distributing mosaic tiles of at least two colors, means for selecting these connected colored tiles at the processing unit, means for transferring these tiles and means for applying these tiles transferred to a support.

The image processing unit of this device has in memory the position in x and L of each tile and its color so as to trigger the selection means when these means are at the level of the storage and distribution means of the corresponding tiles. both in position and color.

The storage and distribution means of this device comprise, for their part, a frame on which are fixed rows of magazines of tiles of the same color, parallel to each other, these magazines receiving chargers of tiles stacked vertically in sheaths. The number of stores in a row corresponding to the number of tiles juxtaposed in the working width and the number of rows corresponding to the number of colors used for manufacturing.

 The selection means of this manufacturing device include a motorized carriage controlled by the processing unit, movable on a raceway perpendicular to the rows and provided with as many corridors as there are stores in order to receive the tiles, a retractable selection mechanism carried by said carriage and disposed in the middle of each corridor, the projection of which relative to the carriage is controlled by the processing unit so that this mechanism cooperates with the lower part of the stores to the right of which it past.

As for the transfer means of this device, they comprise at least one blocking member for the tiles at the end of the carriage travel and a ramp for grouping the tiles towards the application means, this ramp cooperating with the carriage to allow said slides to slide. carriageway tiles on this ramp.

The means for applying the tiles to a support, according to the device, comprise a rotary drum with cells, a binder distributor on the surface of the support, an applicator unwinder for the support in strips coated with binder, in particular paper, on the surface of the tiles, means for drying this binder and a roller for the tiles thus fixed on this support in strips.

According to an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention, the rotary drum with cells can between replaced by a suction cup manipulator which takes the tiles on the carriage and deposits them on the paper after coating of binder.

The invention is described below according to a main embodiment of the invention with reference to the appended drawings in which - FIG. 1 represents a schematic side elevation view of the device according to the invention, - FIG. 2 represents a view from above of this same device, - Figure 3 shows a detailed view of the trolley according to the invention, - Figure 4 shows a detailed view of a store and its charger according to the invention, and - Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an image so as to illustrate the operation of the device according to the characteristics of the method of the invention.

In Figures 1 and 2, there is shown the device for manufacturing panels for implementing the method.

This device comprises an image processing unit 10, means of storage and distribution 12 of mosaic tiles of at least two colors, means of selection 14 of the tiles connected to the processing unit, transfer means 16 of these tiles and means of application 18 of the tiles transferred to a support.

The processing unit 10 more particularly comprises a computer 20 with a display screen 22 connected to a camera 24 arranged in line with the image 26 to be reproduced. This processing unit comprises a series of programmed instructions which will be detailed later. There are also provided connections of the processing unit with the storage and distribution means 12 as well as with the selection means 14.

The means for storing and distributing mosaic tiles comprise rows 28 of magazines 30, these rows being parallel to each other and fixed on a frame 32. The magazines 30 actually comprise a fixed guide part, the magazine itself 34 and chargers 36 fitted into these magazines 34 and suspended from the casing 32 by hooking means 38 integral with said blackcurrant and pins 40 for instantaneous blocking of the chargers. These chargers are more particularly made up of a plastic sheath in which the mosaic tiles of the same color are superimposed to form a column.

Each row includes as many magazines with feeder as there are tiles in the working width, as will be described in detail later, and the number of rows parallel to each other is equal to the number of colors used for manufacturing.

The loader is shown in detail in FIG. 4. It comprises a tale casing 42, of C section, provided with a rib 44 of stiffness opposite to the opening of the C. At its lower part, the magazine comprises two tabs lateral 48 which release a central passage 50, these lateral tabs 48 receiving the lower pane 52 of the stack 54 contained in the sheath 36.

Furthermore, on the casing 42 of the magazine 34, in the immediate vicinity of its lower end, there is provided for the only magazine at the end of the row, a magnetic detector 56 which is the element connected by the link 58 to the processing unit 10 and more particularly to the computer 20. The electrical connections 58 have been symbolized in FIG. 1 in the form of a bus.

Each row of magazines is therefore fitted with a type 56 magnetic detector and each of these detectors is connected to the processing unit.

The different stores constituting a row are attached to each other and a partial view of a second store attached to the first is shown in this figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1, there are also shown the means 14 for selecting the tiles from the storage and distribution means. These selection means 14 comprise a frame 60 comprising two parallel raceways 62 and oriented perpendicular to the rows 28 of the storage and distribution means 12. These raceways have a spacing such that they are arranged on either side other of the rows 28 of stores, as is better represented in FIG. 2. A carriage 64 is provided for moving on these raceways by means of wheels 66 which cooperate with this raceway and which guide said carriage .The carriage therefore has a width equal to the spacing of the raceways and it comprises a substantially parallelepipedal casing, this carriage having its transverse axis parallel to the rows 28 of the storage and distribution means 12.

 The carriage is driven by a catage by pulleys 68, mounted idly around a shaft 70 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device, by driving pulleys 72, integral with a motor shaft 74, itself mBme driven by a motor 76, and two cables 78, fixed on either side of the carriage at 80 and 82, mounted in a closed loop on the pulleys 68 and 72. The driven shafts 70 and leading 74, are arranged substantially at the ends raceways beyond the useful stroke L of the carriage.

In FIG. 2, the end of travel stops 84 and 85 are also shown, defining this useful length L, but we have omitted to represent the casts 32 so that the figure remains sufficiently clear.

As detailed in FIG. 3, the carriage 64 comprises at its upper part guide grooves 86, parallel to one another and at a pitch equal to that of the magazines of the same row, these grooves having partition walls 88 , projecting from the upper surface of said carriage, which extend over the entire length of the carriage, the height of the projecting part being such that the partitions can pass immediately below the lateral tabs 48 of the stores 34.

Furthermore, the carriage is provided, for each of these grooves, with a selection mechanism 90, shown in detail in this FIG. 3, which comprises a finger 92 articulated around a transverse axis 94, the upper end 96 of the finger flush with the upper face of the carriage in the waiting position while the other end 98 of this finger is articulated on the piston 100 of a jack 102 so that this finger 92 forms a lever around the axis 94 during movement of the piston 100 of the jack 102. In this case, the end 96 of the finger 92 protrudes beyond the upper face of the carriage over a height corresponding substantially to the height of the partitions 88 plus the height corresponding to the thickness d 'a tile.

The end 96 of the finger 92 has a width equal to that of the passage 50 formed between the two lateral tabs 48 of the magazines 34.

On one of its sides, the carriage carries a magnet 104, this magnet being located at a location such that it comes in line with the magnetic detectors 56 during the longitudinal displacements of the carriage along the axis of the raceways.

This carriage further comprises, on its rear face 106, namely that which is oriented towards the transfer and application means, a horizontal slot 108 having a depth D and extending over the entire width of the carriage. This slot is also located at a height h from the upper face of the carriage.

The selection means are supplemented by a detection bar 110, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which is located at the end of these selection means in the immediate vicinity of the engine assembly 74, 76 of the carriage, these means detection comprise a transverse gantry on which electro-mechanical detectors 112 are fitted with feelers 114. These feelers 114 have their lower end situated immediately above the upper face of the carriage 64.

The transfer means 16 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprise a junction plate 120, of small thickness, of length slightly less than the depth D of the slot 108 of the carriage 64 and a grouping ramp 122 inclined and provided with partitions 124 substantially identical to the partitions 88 of the carriage, these partitions converging together towards a midpoint so as to tighten the pitch and so that the tiles are immediately juxtaposed with each other.

These transfer means are completed by a flap 126, arranged substantially in line with the end of the partitions 124 of this regrouping ramp.

The fold between the horizontal joining plate and the inclined regrouping ramp is located at a distance of one tile from the flap 126.

This flap 126 is provided at its lower end with a crenellation intended to cooperate with the partitions 88, carried by the carriage and the partitions 124 of the ramp, the pitches of these partitions 88 and 124 in line with the junction plate being identical so that the grooves are extended.

This flap 126 is suspended from a gantry secured to the general chassis, not shown for clarity, and connected to an up and down system which brings this flap into a fully retracted high position of the transfer means and a low position in which the aliasing of the shutter cooperates with the partitions 88 of the carriage 64, and 124 of the ramp 122, the lower face of this shutter being positioned immediately above the upper face of the carriage 64.

In Figures 1 and 2, there is shown the means for applying the tiles transferred to the support. These application means 18 comprise a rotary drum 130 provided with cells, the dimensions of which correspond to the dimensions of a mosaic tile, foils ensuring the delimitation of these cells. This drum is located immediately at the outlet of the transfer means and in particular the drum is tangent to the regrouping ramp at a point situated substantially at 45 with respect to the vertical. There is also provided a jogging brush 132 which partly matches the shape of this drum. The width of the drum corresponds substantially to the width of the regrouping ramp at its lower end, the number of cells corresponds to the number of grooves in the regrouping ramp.

These application means are supplemented by a binder application system 134 which comprises, in a known manner, a binder distribution channel 136, three distributor rollers 138, 140 and 142 so as to find a correct direction of rotation, the last roller 142 cooperating with two pressure rollers 144, on which a strip support 146 flows from a unwinding roller 148 and wound on a recovery roller 150. There is also provided a drying device 152 between the two pressure rollers 144. These two pressure rollers press the strip support 146 onto an arc portion of the honeycomb rotary drum 130.

The method of manufacturing mosaic panels according to the invention is described below with reference to FIG. 5 which represents a manufacturing block diagram, the different phases being illustrated with regard to the main embodiment of the corresponding device which is described below. before.

 The method according to the invention consists in analyzing using the camera 24 an image 26 of the surface s for which a mosaic reproduction of the surface S is desired. This is step 200 corresponding to entering the picture.

The next step 202 consists in digitizing the image s because the computer program associates a pixel of the digitized image with an area S2, corresponding to the area of a mosaic tile.

The next step 204 consists in analyzing this image and putting it in S format using a zoom function of the computer program, a function known in itself.

Furthermore, the surface S obtained is cut into elementary surfaces SI corresponding to those of the panels or strips of given surface that can be produced using the device, step 206.

The processing unit therefore has in memory the various panels to be manufactured as well as the digitization of each of these surfaces, that is to say all the points with the different colors associated with each of these points.

Step 208 consists in reducing the number of colors thus identified to a predetermined number n of colors in comparison for example with a color chart stored in a step 211.

The processing unit therefore has in memory a synthetic image of each of the panels in pixels according to a predetermined number of colors n, each of these pixels corresponding to a given color square among the n colors selected.

The processing unit is then ready to operate the device described above.

To this end, the system being initialized, step 210, the carriage is at the start of the cycle in line with the flap 126 cooperating with the transfer means.

There are n rows 28 corresponding to the n colors used to manufacture the image S.

Furthermore, the number of magazines 30 in these rows 28 is equal to the number of tiles intended to be juxtaposed in the width of the strip support.

The carriage 64 is then moved on the raceway by starting the motor 76 which drives the shaft 74 and the driving pulleys 72, step 212. As soon as the carriage arrives in line with a row 28, the magnet 104 acts on the magnetic detector So that the processing unit has the information according to which the carriage arrives at the right of the first row containing the first color, step 214.

By comparison with the digitization carried out of the first line of the elementary surface S1 of the first panel, the processing unit actuates the jack or jacks 102 corresponding to the grooves which are to receive a mosaic tile of the first color. Therefore, the displacement of the piston 100 of the jack 102 causes the pivoting of the finger 92 so that the end 96 protrudes above the carriage, moves in the passage 50 formed between the lateral wings 48 and moves in translation the pane 52 located at the lower end of the stack 54, this pane coming to rest in the corresponding groove 86 of the carriage, between two partitions 88. This succession of steps for detecting the arrival under the n th row 214 and of the control of the fingers for the selection of the tiles of the n th color corresponding to step 216 is renewed in the form of a loop with a passage to the next row until the carriage meets the end stop race 84, stage 220.

This stop action transmitted to the processing unit causes the reverse rotation of the motor 76, so that the carriage starts in the opposite direction and a control.

Simultaneously with the change of direction, the detection bar 110, thanks to its detectors 112, the probes 114 of which were actuated by the mosaic tiles removed, allows the processing unit to check in a step 222 that all the grooves are provided with a tile since after passing under the n rows, the trolley must carry a complete line of the mosaic panel to be produced. If a tile is detected missing, the processing unit aortes the device and, by an alarm, informs the operator of a problem. The latter, in manual step 224, completes with the given colored tile after interrogation of the unit. processing which, by coordinates, immediately indicates the color of the missing tile whose x coordinates are identified
Once the line is completed, the inversion step 226 causes the carriage to return to the initial position. The carriage moves until it comes against the other stop 85 and we are then at step 228 in which the carriage is returned to its initial position and the processing unit is informed of this step. The operator acts accordingly and orders the lowering of the flap 126 which cooperates with the grooves of the carriage 64, step 230.

The operator thus validates the line created by simultaneously carrying out quality control because of a broken grid, returned tile or other fault).

The flap retains the row of tiles thus formed as soon as the carriage cycles. In the following cycle the line of tiles brought by the carriage will push the previous one on the regrouping ramp and the shutter will retain this new line.

As a variant of the method, the carriage makes a go and when it comes to bear on the stop 84, the detectors 112 move the tiles on the carriage downstream of the fingers of the selection means and the carriage takes back a new line of tiles. Thus, the trolley takes two lines during a round trip. The previous and subsequent steps remain unchanged.

The processing unit then loops 232 with the carriage until the last line of the panel is completed. When this last line is carried out, this causes the device to stop.

In parallel with the loop 232, the device of the application means 18 is started as soon as the shutter 126 is lowered. Therefore the rotary drum 130 is rotated to receive the mosaic tiles of the first line which have have been selected and which, by gravity, as soon as the carriage withdraws, come juxtaposed thanks to the regrouping ramp 122.

The tiles are then jogged by the brush 132, which places them in the cells of the rotary drum. At the same time, the means for applying the binder are started up and the first roller 138 takes binder from the gutter 136 and rubs the rollers 140 and 142 by friction, the latter roller 142 depositing the binder film on the strip support. 146 before the pressure rollers 144 then the two distributor rollers 148 and receiver 150 scrolling the strip support causes the coating of a certain surface of this support, this surface coated with binder is pressed on the mosaic tiles thanks to the first roller 144, then this binder is dried using the device 152 during the entire pressing phase by the rollers 144 then the mosaic tiles glued to the strip support are extracted from the cells of the drum and then wound on the receiving drum 150. These various operations are grouped in step 234.

The processing unit controls these different movements of the rollers and rollers, heating and coating by triggering in successive stages using a simple control program within the reach of those skilled in the art.

 inti, an elementary surface mosaic panel S1 was produced by the method and the device, the production being continued until all the elementary surface panels S1 make it possible to reconstitute the surface S of the coating to be produced.

As a variant, it is possible to directly provide a numbering of the strips and to integrate into the program of the processing unit a laying plan in which the various panels are indicated by their numbers in their respective locations.
It is understood that the manufacture of a panel reproducing a complex design is carried out automatically by the method according to the invention and the use in particular of the device of the main embodiment which has just been described, the installation becoming extremely easy, especially when the panels are in the form of strips constituting strips, so that it becomes almost as simple to pose a complex mosaic image as wallpaper.

The methods of gluing mosaic tiles to the supports are well known to those skilled in the art of laying coatings and are not part of the present invention.

In a variant of the invention, it is possible to modify the colors initially retained by the processing unit by substituting for the n colors analyzed, n colors arbitrarily chosen by the operator. This is how the colors can Other completely reversed, red being replaced by green, yellow being replaced by blue and black being replaced by white to give a concrete example.

Likewise, it is possible to produce variegated colors which will be stored in the color chart of the computer which itself by comparison will determine the colors to be used so that certain steps of the method can be reversed, namely that it is the processing unit, after analysis of the image which imposes precise colors. Such an implementation is of definite interest when it comes to reproducing an identical image.

According to an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention, the jacks 102 and their piston 100 can between judiciously replaced by a simpler and therefore more reliable electro-mechanical device, namely a solenoid with a plunger as a piston and a spring recall in the erased position of the finger, and this assembly can act directly without the intermediary of a finger with a simple sheath.

Similarly, the carriage operates in the present case in translation, but it is possible to produce a rotating carousel system with vertical or horizontal axis without departing from the scope of the invention, the same is true for stores which can be supplied with continuous and no longer discontinuously by chargers such as 36.

Similarly, the single carriage can between replaced by a noria of carriages with continuous scrolling.

The transfer device itself may also be replaced by a manipulator arm provided with suction cups which would pick up the tiles one by one and simultaneously ensure their grouping by juxtaposition.

Finally, the binder application device could also be replaced by means for spraying binder, and the plating of the strip support on the drum by depressions internal to the drum, just like the drying means which can use the infra- red or microwave or even ultraviolet rays to ensure the polymerization of certain binders.

 Advantageously, the motor, pulley, cable assembly can be replaced by a rodless pneumatic cylinder whose piston is coupled to a mobile traction unit which drives the carriage using two chains. Such a variant allows high frequencies of movement of the carriage without damaging the electric motor.

The camera used in the embodiment described can be replaced by another means of capturing image data in data processing and in particular by a scanner.

Claims (13)

 1. Method for manufacturing color mosaic panels whose dimensions are given and define an elementary surface S1, these panels reproducing part of a given image of surface L, by means of distribution in coordinates of the mosaic tiles d 'an elementary surface 52 and of a given color, characterized in that it comprises the following steps - loading of the image to be reproduced in a computer processing unit by means of a camera framing the given image of surface s, - digitization of the surface s into elementary surfaces S2. - memorization of a color chart of the colors of tiles available in distribution means, - allocation of a color to each of these elementary surfaces S2 from the analysis carried out by the camera and the processing unit compared to the color chart, - scaling of the surface image s to be reproduced to the actual dimensions corresponding to the surface S of the mosaic coating to be manufactured, - cutting of the digitized surface S into elementary surfaces S1 corresponding to those of the mosaic panels to be juxtaposed.  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface S2 of a mosaic tile corresponds to a pixel of the image of the processing unit.  3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is possible to impose a number n of colors on the processing unit so as to virtually constitute the initial image with a limited number of n colors.  4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is possible, thanks to the processing unit, to substitute for the n new colors chosen arbitrarily for the first n real colors determined by the processing unit.  5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the last two stages of the method are reversed so as to load the tiles with the colors determined directly by the processing unit.  6. Device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises an image processing unit (10), storage and distribution means (12) of the mosaic tiles of at least two colors, means of selection (14) of these colored tiles connected to the image processing unit, means of transfer (16) of these tiles and means of application ( 18) of these tiles transferred to a support.  7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the image processing unit (10) has in memory the position in x and L of each tile and its color so as to trigger the selection means (14) when these means are at the level of the storage and distribution means of the tiles corresponding both to the position and to the color.  8. Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the storage and distribution means (12) comprise a frame (32) on which rows (28) of magazines (30) of tiles of the same color are fixed, parallel to each other, these stores receiving chargers (36) of tiles stacked vertically in sheaths.  9. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the number of magazines (30) of a row corresponds (28) to the number of tiles juxtaposed in the working width and the number of rows (28 ) of stores (30) corresponds to the number of colors used for manufacturing.  10. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the selection means comprise a motorized carriage (14) controlled by the processing unit (10), movable on at least one raceway (62 ) perpendicular to the rows (28) and provided with as many corridors as there are stores in order to receive the tiles, a retractable selection mechanism (90) carried by said carriage and arranged in the middle of each corridor, the setting of which projection relative to the carriage is controlled by the processing unit so that this mechanism cooperates with the lower part of the magazines to the right of which it passes.  11. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the transfer means (16) comprise at least one blocking member (126) of the tiles at the end of the carriage travel and a grouping ramp (122 ) of the tiles towards the application means (18), this ramp cooperating with the carriage to allow the sliding of said tiles from the corridors of the carriage on said ramp.  12. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that the means for applying (18) the tiles on a support (146) comprise a rotary drum (130) with cells, a binder distributor ( 134) on the surface of the tiles, an applicator unwinder (148) of a support (136) in strips, in particular paper on the surface of the tiles coated with binder, means for drying (152) of this binder and a reel ( 150) of the strip of tiles fixed to said support.  13. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the selection means tel4) comprise a noria of carriages.