US3613911A

US3613911A - Apparatus for automatic depositing of glazed tiles in magazines arranged for subsequent firing

Info

Publication number: US3613911A
Application number: US864433A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ulrico Walchhuter; Quartiere Fiori; Edilnord Brugherio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-10-12
Filing date: 1969-10-07
Publication date: 1971-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-19
Also published as: DE1951246A1

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically depositing tiles onto shelves of magazines in which successive magazines are upwardly transported in a row by a pair of conveyors in upright condition with the shelves thereon spaced upwardly from each other from a lower conveyor belt to and beyond a loading station in which tiles arriving at an upper belt are loaded onto the shelves of a magazine at the loading station, in which the pair of conveyors are driven in such a manner so that successive magazines will move toward and away from each other so that one magazine may be transported stepwise at a low speed at the loading station to permit insertion of the tiles into the shelves without interfering with the following magazine.

Description

States Patent APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC DEPOSITING 0F GLAZED TILES IN MAGAZINES ARRANGED FOR SUBSEQUENT FIRING 15 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 214/16.4 R, 198/154 Int. Cl. B65g l/06 FieldoiSearch 214/16.4; 198/154 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. F orlenza Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Oresky Atmrney--Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: Apparatus for automatically depositing tiles onto shelves of magazines in which successive magazines are upwardly transported in a row by a pair of conveyors in upright condition with the shelves thereon spaced upwardly from each other from a lower conveyor belt to and beyond a loading station in which tiles arriving at an upper belt are loaded onto the shelves of a magazine at the loading station, in which the pair of conveyors are driven in such a manner so that successive magazines will move toward and away from each other so that one magazine may be transported stepwise at a low speed at the loading station to permit insertion of the tiles into the shelves without interfering with the following magazine.

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ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC DEPOSITING F GLAZED TILES IN MAGAZINES ARRANGED FOR SUBSEQUENT FIRING It is known in the art that ceramic tiles both under the form of biscuit and in the nonfired state are glazed and fed to the furnace for refiring or firing. Fresh glazed tiles, to prevent contacting with each other, are arranged on refractory material supports which generally are fitted with a number of shelves, each one reserved to house one tile. Said supports are known in the art as magazines." This denomination here distinguishes the refractory material support, while the operation to arrange tiles on said support will will be termed as depositing in magazines."

The problem concerning the automatic depositing of tiles in magazines is a difficult one to be solved for a number of reasons, for example, the need of a rapid depositing in magazines, the difficulty to arrange the difierent shelves of the magazines in order to take them to the incoming tiles level, overcoming important tolerances of the shelves elevation, especially in the case of nonfired tiles which could chip, the rapid replacement of magazines, in order to prevent interrupting the flow of incoming tiles, the operation safety and the need to carry out depositing in magazines on single shelves, starting from the upward and proceeding downward in order to prevent that owing to friction some moist clay portions will detach and eventually soil the underlaying tiles.

The prior art method for automatically depositing tiles in magazines gave results acceptable only for a low rate depositing in magazines, i.e. 3,000 4,000 tiles per hour, and for fired tiles only; however, all types of machines of the prior art proved unsuitable for a double or more than double this rate, i.e. from 8,000 to 14,000 tiles per hour, a requirement dictated by the high productivity attained by the tiles manufacturing presses and by the glazing machine.

The apparatus object of this invention permits to attain the required speed of depositing tiles in magazines, along with a perfect safety of operation overcoming all the difficulties mentioned above occuring during to depositing of tiles in magazines, said apparatus, nevertheless is of compact dimensions and of very small cost, when considering the work which it can perform.

The machine object of this invention is characterized by one horizontal conveyor belt feeding the tiles in one or more rows, wherein the end portion of said belt is inclined downwardly, one lower conveyor belt to feed the depositing magazines is it also fitted with one end portion inclined downwardly and one device suitable to grasp the single magazines to lift them up to the level of the incoming tiles thus causing the tiles to run along a straight path inclined with respect to the vertical, substantially perpendicular to the terminal incoming ends of the tiles. Means suitable to take successively the different shelves of the magazines to the level of the incoming tiles are also provided, in order to permit the depositing of the tiles in the magazines and means being provided to move rapidly away a filled-in magazine, and to arrange a free magazine immediately under the one being filled in.

The device to lift up the magazines comprises a pair of continuous chains arranged in a manner to form an inclined plane for feeding the magazines and this device is equipped with supports on both said pair of chain in order to support the magazines when lifted up, each pair being equipped with relevant feeding means, in a manner to be advanced one independently from each other and thus independently advancing the one or the other supports of the magazines, in order to move successive supports, and accordingly two successive magazines closer to and farther away from each other. Said possibility of the feeding device will permit to take one magazine immediately under aprevious one being filled in, or to rapidly set apart one filled magazine from a successive one being filled in.

The driving means of each pair of chains include respectively one self-braking electric motor, preferably with two speeds and a speed reducer connecting said motor to the driving gears of the chains of relevant pair.

The means to attain the intermittent shifting of each magazine, in the depositing station, include some devices with cams which will cause the approaching or the stopping of one magazine at the depositing station, or some photocell means to arrange the magazine for the depositing of the first tile and to intermittently move said magazine in such a manner so as to take the successive shelves of the latter to the level of the incoming tiles. Y

Means are provided to move one magazine adjacent to a preceding one during the stacking stage, along with means to cause said magazine to attain the speed of the preceding one, while it is lifted during depositing of a tile into the magazine, with the purpose to dispose immediately of, at the depositing magazine station, a free magazine immediately after the first one has been filled.

This invention relates in addition to a device to automatically feed the free magazines to the depositing apparatus, along with a device to automatically remove the filled-in magazines from said apparatus.

The following drawings are presented to illustrate the invention and not to limit its scope as described herein, where:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the magazine depositing machine;

FIG. 2 is a front view, with upper and lower portions in a cross-sectional view;

FIG. 3 shows the device promoting the presence of two magazines in the stacking station,

FIG. 4 is a front view of a portion of said device;

FIG. 5 and 6 show, respectively, two working stages of said machine;

FIG. 7 shows one of the locating cams for one magazine in the depositing station;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the apparatus complete with the feeding devices for the free magazines and for separating the filled in magazines;

FIG. 9 is a plan view;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the operation of the carriages to move the filled magazines;

FIG. llis a front view of the carriages to lift up the filled magazines. For the purpose to illustrate the invention figures I and 2 show the machine which comprises one conveyor belt 1 to move the tiles to be deposited in magazines, and arranged in one or more rows in parallel.

Said conveyor belt has an end portion 2 inclined downwardly, in a manner so that tiles before leaving it are compelled to run the entire inclined path.

At a level lower than said conveyor belt 1 is provided a second conveyor belt 4 also fitted with one end portion 5 inclined downwardly approximately as the end portion of conveyor belt 1. Said belt 4 is reserved to feed magazines 20 into which tiles shall be deposited.

Facing said

conveyor belts

1, 4 is provided a device suitable to lift up magazines 20 from the end portion 5 up to the level of the end portion 2 of belt 1, where such a device shows one inclined plane 6 along which magazines are caused to move upwardly. Said inclined plane 6 is substantially perpendicular to the end portions 2 and 5 of the conveyor belts 1 and t.

Said inclined plane 6 (FIGS. 1, 2) is defined by two pairs of toothed belts or chains, namely one internal pair 7 and one external pair 8.

Said chains 7 are wound at the lower point around a pair of idle gears 9 and at the upper point around a pair of gears 10 mounted on a horizontal shaft 11 and driven by an electric motor 12, through a reducer 13 and a pair of gears 14.

The chains 8 are similarly wound at the lower point over two idle gears 15 and at the upper point around two gears 16 keyed on shaft 11 and driven by an electric motor 17 through a reducer l8 and a pair of gears 19.

Said motors l2 and 17 are of the self-braking type, preferably with two speeds, while showing the same characteristics and the same revolving speed. I

Said pairs of

chains

7 and 8 are alternately supporting some supports for removing the magazines from the lower belt 7 in order to take them to the level of the belt conveying the incoming tiles, and above said elevation. Each of the supports consist of one bracket 21 extending out of the plane of the chains and an articulated wall 22 resting on the chains and formed by a number of parallel strips horizontally mounted on two juxtaposed links of the same pair of chains and having a width approximately equal the chain pitch, in a manner to be able to follow the path of said chains.

In FIG. 1 said supports are designated with letters A and B, namely, where, for example, supports A are driven by external chains 8 while supports B are driven by internal chains 7. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, said supports A are alternated with said supports B. In same figures two supports A and two supports B have been indicated.

The possibility of independent movement of

chains

7 and 8 permits to approach or to set apart said supports A and said supports B in a manner which will be indicated further on.

Along the end portion 2 of conveyor belt 1, a photocell 23 is provided which is to be illuminated by a lamp 24, and the beam of the lamp toward the photocell is directed in such a manner to be intercepted by the tiles 25 which are leaving said path 2. In a same manner transversely to the path of the magazines, and at the level of the inclined plane of the end portion 2 is provided a couple consisting of a photocell 26 and a lamp 27 the axis of which or beam of which is to be intercepted by the successive shelves of the magazines.

Along the end portion of the belt 4 is moreover arranged a couple 28 comprising a photocell and a lamp which is to be intercepted by one magazine 20' arranged along the path 5 and ready to be lifted up by one or by the other of said supports A or B.

For a better understanding of the operation of said machine, the other parts of said machine will be described along with the operation of the machine itself.

When starting the operation, one magazine on support A or B, should be arranged in position to receive the tiles, before operation of the conveyor belt 2 is started. To this purpose,

motors

12 and 17, through their relevant speed reducers l3 and 18 and further reduction means 13' and 18 will rotate the

shafts

29 and 30. Three cams 31b, 32b and 33b are fitted on said shaft 29, while shaft 30 is fitted with similar cams 31a, 32a, and 331. Said cams 31a and 31b are provided for positioning said supports A or B, according to the support which is closer to the conveyor belt 1. For this purpose each of said cams has the shape as illustrated in FIG. 7. Each cam shows a raised profile 34 extending through 180' approximately and a remaining lowered profile 35. Around said cam are provided three

microswitches

36, 37 and 38 arranged in 90 spaced from each other along one are, in a manner that in the position as illustrated in FIG. 7 all three switches are depressed. When said position results one support, A or B will be at a position with respect to belt 1 where the upper wall of one magazine will intercept the beam between said lamp 27 and said photocell 26. In this position, therefore, said magazine is stopped owing to the simultaneous action of said three

microswitches

36, 37 and 38, said stopping occurring owing to one stop of one or the other of said

motors

12 and 17, according to the stopping of one of said supports, A or B. The attainment of said position is made with the relevant motor rotating at high speed.

Once the magazine is positioned where desired, the photocell 26 will start operating and cause a shifting of the chain, thus restarting said motor, till the first shelf of the positioned magazines is taken to the level of the end portion 2 of the belt.

Now, operation of depositing tiles into the magazine can be started, which operation is carried out by starting belt 1. A first tile will arrive therefore in portion 2 and will enter the first shelf. Before leaving said path 2, said tile has obstructed the photocell 23 which, after the passage of said tile will again be illuminated and actuate the electric motor thus lifting up the belt, till the next shelf will obstruct photocell 26 which in turn will cause the stopping of said motor thus giving one successive tile the possibility to enter.

The said operation, which can be carried out while the motor is rotating at a low speed, and this operation will occur with a remarkable frequency owing to the rapidity of passage of the tiles and the restricted space among the magazine shelves.

The inclined position of said path 2 and of shelves of magazines pennits the tiles to enter with a certain force into the magazine with the aid of the gravity force, without the need of being forced to enter by any type of pushing element. This will facilitate entering of the tiles overcoming the friction of each tile on the relevant shelf or eventual increase in resistance or impacts attributable to inaccuracies or variations in tolerances of same shelves.

While said motor 17 is controlled by said

photocells

23 and 26 during the depositing stage, the other motor 12 is free to operate, and therefore it will drive said chains 7 (FIG. 1) in a manner that one support B will withdraw a second magazine driving it upward thus approaching it to the magazine being stacked (FIG. 5). When the magazines driven by support 8 is close to the magazine being loaded, said motor 12 is stopped and controlled in a manner to intermittently advance the magazine driven by support B in a manner so as to follow the movement of said magazine being stacked.

For this purpose (FIGS. 1, 2)

shafts

29 and 30 bear pinions 29 and 30' around which chains 39 are wound which extends also about gears supported by two shafts 40 and 41 (FIG. 3) which are therefore driven when motors l2 and 17 are energized.

Said

shafts

40, 41 rotate in supports 40' and 41'; they are perfectly coaxial and show at the adjacent ends two discs, namely 42 and 43. The disc 42 bears two

fins

44 and 45 onto which microswitches 44 and 45' are mounted, which are arranged at a distance larger than from each other. The disc 43 bears a fin 43 extending in a manner to interfere with said switch 45 and with said switch 44.

Said disc 42, for example, is driven by motor 12, while said disc 43 is driven by motor 17. Accordingly, said fin 43 will move gradually step by step as the motor 17 during depositing of tiles into a magazine, while

fins

44 and 45 will move continuously following the movement of said motor 12.

When said support B has taken its magazine very near to the magazine on support A being loaded (FIG. 5), disc 45 has taken one of said fins, i.e. fin 45 close to the element 43', thus depressing the switch 45 which will stop the motor 12. When the magazine on A is intermittently lifted during its loading by the motor 17, said element 43' will move away from switch 45 which in turn will permit said motor 12 to restart to move magazine B again upwardly and simultaneously moving again said element switch 45 against said element 43 so that said magazine on support B will move toward magazine on support A during its intermittent lifting up.

When magazine on support A has completed the depositing operation, the motor 17 is caused to rotate in continuity, at a high speed, and therefore said magazine is moved rapidly away from the station of depositing. This can be provided by cam 32a which after complete stacking will actuate a proper microswitch which in turn will start motor 17 at the maximum speed. Now, said element 43' will move in continuity spaced from said switch 45 and therefore said motor 12 will advance the magazine on support B with the maximum rapidity, till the cam 31b arrives at the position shown in FIG. 7, thus locating the magazine as previously illustrated and starting a successive operation of depositing in magazine.

While magazine on support- B starts B said operation of depositing, said magazine on support A filled in will move upward the chains, as illustrated in FIG. 6, where it is withdrawn manually or mechanically without stopping the chain pair.

When one support A has passed beyond the position for discharging the magazine, the other support A is close to the conveyor belt 4 where it can withdraw a further magazine and take it toward the preceding magazine on support B which is being loaded, where it will stop owing to the action of said device of FIG. 3. If within the withdrawal point a magazine is not positioned, then said photocell 28 will remain illuminated and therefore with the cooperation of one microswitch actuated at this point by said cam 33a, the machine is blocked, thus stopping all movements. Said photocell 28 will prevent feeding of magazine by the belt 4 until a magazine at the inclined end of the belt has been moved away. A second photocell 26' serves to keep moving the conveyor belt till a further magazine has arrived ready to enter position 20'.

When the magazine carried by support B has replaced the magazine carried by said support A in the phase of depositing tiles into the magazine, the cycle is repeated, thus starting operation of the elements controlling the motor 12, while said discs 412 and 43 will exchange the relevant movement and said element 13' will follow the switch 44, when a magazine carried by support A will follow the magazine being deposited and carried by support B.

The photocell 23 represents a further safety element in that it actuates the machine blocking circuit, through a proper delay element, when along the end portion 2 a clogging of tiles will occur and where said tiles are set apart.

With reference to FIGS. 6 to 11, 7, 8 indicate the inclined plane of the chains lifting up one magazine from the lower conveyor belt 41, in the manner as above described, to be filled in with tiles and to be taken upward.

According to this invention, transversally said conveyor belt 4-5, upwardly spaced therefrom, are provided horizontal guide rails 416-67 along which a carriage 18 travels. As indicated in FIG. 8, said rails 46-47 are represented by channel sections with recesses opposite one to the other, in a manner that the wheels 49 of trolley running into said recesses.

Said trolley 48 can be moved along the rails 46-47, in two directions, owing to the action of two

parallel chains

50 and 51 wound around two gears mounted on the

shafts

52 and 53 arranged at each end of said

rails

46 and 47. Said shaft 53 is a driving element in that the movement is transmitted to it by a speed reducer 54 through a chain 55. The two ends of each

chain

50 and 51 are anchored onto said trolley 48. In this manner, by reversing the run of said speed reducer 54, the trolley can run in both directions.

On said trolley 48 is mounted an air-operated double-acting jack 56 on the downwardly extending stem of which is mounted one suction element 57, in such a manner so that said suction element can be moved vertically in two directions through a certain distance.

As it can be noted in FIG. 9, said rails 16 and 47 extend with their ends for a certain portion over the two sides of the

conveyor belt

4, 5.

Accordingly, by moving said trolley 48, the magazines can be withdrawn arriving from the different directions. This will facilitate the installation of the plant, in that it will permit to arrange the belts for feeding the empty magazine in the most convenient positions.

Under said conditions, when one magazine 20 arrives under said rail 46-47, the trolley 48 will be moved above said magazine, in a manner that a suction element 57 can grasp it from above and lift it, and then said trolley is taken above the conveyor 5-4, where said suction element will be lowered thus depositing the magazine in the conveyor.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 9, 10, 11, above said apparatus for loading the magazines, is positioned a device to withdraw and to space said filled-in magazines from each other.

Said device comprises a trolley 56 the wheels of which 59 run on

vertical rails

57 and 58. Said trolley 56 can run vertically in two directions owing to a speed reducer 6'0 with reversible run, which through the chain 61 will impart motion to a shaft 62 while parallel chains 64 the ends of which are anchored to said trolley 56, are wound about gears 63 fixed to shaft 62 and downwardly spaced idle gears.

In such a manner, by alternately reversing the run of said speed reducer 60, the trolley is moved upward and downward.

Said trolley 56 has two vertical

parallel sidewall elements

66, 67 mounted thereon and extending immediately above the

chains

7,8 of the depositing device.

On each of said sidewall elements is arranged a supporting

hook

68,69. Said hooks 63,69 are opposite and can swing outwardly in such a manner as to let pass a filled magazine 20, when the latter is lifted up by a support A or B of the depositing apparatus up to a position above said hooks 68-68, when said trolley 58 is at its lower position.

When said magazine 20 has passed said hooks, the latter will close again thus supporting the magazine on their bracketshaped portions 68 and 69'.

A side guide 70 serves to cause said magazine 20 to rotate around the support A or B, taking the magazine from an inclined position to a vertical position, as indicated in dotted line in FIG. 10.

When said trolley 56 has grasped one magazine 20, the former is moved upward, in a manner that a suction element 71 supported by trolley 72 can grasp and lift the magazine from the trolley 56.

Said element 71 is mounted on the stem of air-operated jack 73 of the dual-action type, similar to that on the trolley 48 of the device for feeding the free magazines.

Said trolley 72 runs horizontally on the guide rails 74, 75 and it is moved through a pair of chains 76-77 driven by the speed reducer 60.

The movement of said trolley 72 is synchronized with the movement of said trolley 56, in such a manner that, when trolley 56 reaches its uppermost position said trolley 72 is located above the same in order to withdraw the lifted-up magazine, as indicated by the dotted line in F 1G. 10.

On the contrary, when said trolley 56 runs downward, the trolley 72 moves rightward over a discharge conveyor belt 78 onto which said suction element 71 will deposit the filled in magazine.

The belt 78 is driven through a chain 79 actuated by the shaft 80 of

chains

76,77. Said chain 79 drives a freewheel 81 acting in a manner so that when trolley 72 moves rightward, the belt 78 is moved in the direction of the arrow F thus moving one magazine previously filled to it and providing a room for a successive magazine, while, when said trolley 72 is moved leftward, said belt 78 at standstill.

The apparatus of the present invention is controlled by a proper electrical or electronic apparatus consisting of logic circuits, the design of which is within the capacity of a person skilled in the art. 1

On the other hand, this invention can be executed according to manners differing from the above stated without leaving the spirit of this invention.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for automatically depositing tiles in magazines comprising, in combination, a lower substantially horizontally extending conveyor for feeding empty magazines, said lower conveyor having an end defining a discharge station for such empty magazines; an upper substantially horizontally extending conveyor for feeding tiles, said upper conveyor having an end defining a loading station for loading tiles in a magazine; a pair of parallel conveyor means extending upwardly inclined adjacent said ends of said lower and upper conveyors for transporting magazines aligned in a row from said discharge station toward and past said loading station; and means for driving said pair of conveyor means independently from each other in such a manner that successive magazines during transportation thereof by said conveyor means may be moved closer to each other and further away from each other.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said lower and upper conveyors has in the region of said one end thereof an end portion inclined to the horizontal and substantially normal to the inclination of said conveyor means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said magazines comprises a plurality of shelves spaced in upward direction from each other and including means cooperating with said drive means for intermittently shifting a magazine at said loading station tosuccessively align said shelves with said end portion of saidupper conveyor to permit introduction of at least one tile onto the respective shelf.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said conveyor means comprises a pair of parallel chains, the pair of chains of one of said conveyor means being arranged within the pair of chains of the other conveyor means; and a plurality of spaced, successive support means alternatingly attached to one and to the other of said pair of chains for grasping the magazines at said discharge station and for moving the same in upward direction along said conveyor means.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said means for driving said pair of conveyor means independently from each other comprise a pair of motors each having a low speed used during intermittently shifting a magazine at said loading station and a high speed for moving a magazine toward and beyond said loading station.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, and including means for stopping one of said pairs of chains in a position so that the upper wall of a magazine supported on one of said support means on said one pair of said chains is in a position at the level of said end portion of said upper conveyor means, and means comprising photocell means to control stepwise movement of said one pair of chains to successively align successive shelves of said magazine with said end portion.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, and including control means for controlling movement of said pairs of chains so that a support on one of said pairs of chains moves toward a support on the other pair of chains while a magazine on the other pair of chains is at said loading station.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said control means comprise a pair of coaxial discs spaced from each other and operatively connected to the two pairs of chains to be rotated according to the linear speed of the latter, one of said discs carrying a pair of microswitches circumferentially spaced from each other and respectively connected to said pair of drive motors and the other of said discs carrying an element located in the path of said microswitches, said microswitches and said element being arranged with respect to each other such that when one support on one pair of chains approaches the preceding support on the other pair of chains, said element will engage one of said microswitches to thereby stop the motor driving said one pair of chains and to restart said motor again when said element moves away from the engaged microswitch.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including means for stopping the apparatus when no tiles are discharged at the loading station.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including photocell means cooperating with said lower conveyor for stopping movement thereof when one of said magazines is at said discharging station until this magazine is transported upwardly by said conveyor means for a distance sufficient to provide room for a following magazine, and additional photocell means for restoring movement of said lower conveyor until a further magazine reaches a position adjacent to said withdrawal station.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including means for depositing empty magazines on said lower conveyor.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said depositing means comprise rail means extending transversely to and above said lower conveyor, a trolley movable along said rail means, means connected to said trolley for reciprocating the same along said rail means, a suction element for picking up and releasing a magazine, and means carried by said trolley and connected to said suction element for raising and lowering the latter.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and including means for transporting loaded magazines away from the upper end of said conveyor means.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said transporting means comprise first vertically extending rail means having a lower end in the region of said loading station and an upper end, second rail means above said upper end of said vertically extending rail means aNd extending in substantially horizontal direction away from said upper end, a first trolley reciprocable on said vertically extending rail means, a second trolley reciprocable on said horizontally extending rail means, first pickup means on said first trolley for picking up a loaded magazine from said conveyor means, second pickup means on said second trolley for picking up a magazine on said first trolley, and drive means connected to said trolleys for moving the same in such a manner so that when said first trolley is at an upper position on said first rail means upwardly spaced from said loading station, said second trolley is arranged above said first trolley for picking up a loaded magazine therefrom and so that when said first trolley moves downwardly on said first rail means, said second trolley moves away from said upper end of said first rail means.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said first pickup means on said first trolley comprises swinging hook means for engaging beneath the lower end of a magazine on said conveyor means, and wherein said second pickup means on said second trolley comprise suction means arranged to engage a magazine on said hook means of said first trolley on the upper end of said magazine and means on said second trolley connected to said suction means for raising and lowering the latter, and including a conveyor belt beneath said second rail means for receiving magazines from said suction means and for transporting the magazines away.

Claims

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said magazines comprises a plurality of shelves spaced in upward direction from each other and including means cooperating with said drive means for intermittently shifting a magazine at said loading station to successively align said shelves with said end portion of said upper conveyor to permit introduction of at least one tile onto the respective shelf.