Turning station for metal sheets or metal sheet stacks, and method for using the turning station

A turning station for metal sheets or metal sheet stacks (18), the turning station comprising:

• a first support (4) which forms a first support plane for a first side of the metal sheets;
• a second support (5) which forms a second support plane for a second side of the metal sheets;
• the first and second supports (4, 5) are in each case rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis (10) and are provided with a plurality of detents (7), that project beyond the support plane of the supports (4, 5) and are adapted to support longitudinal edges of the metal sheets;
• the first and second supports (4, 5) are part of a rotary installation (1) which further comprises:
• a frame (11) having two end-side rotary bearings (12) which lie in a common rotation axis (10);
• a basket (8) which is mounted in the two rotary bearings (12) and is rotatable via a motor about the rotation axis (10), said basket (8) having end-side linear guides (9) for the two supports (4, 5);
• wherein the two supports (4, 5) by way of support planes which run in parallel and are oriented toward one another are held in the basket (8) such that the rotation axis (10) is situated between the two support planes, and the two supports (4, 5) are in each case movable in a motorized manner in the end-side linear guides (9) in a movement direction toward and away from the rotation axis (10);
• and
• a stationary transfer installation (2) having a plurality of horizontally oriented bars which on both sides are conjointly deployable horizontally and are adapted for depositing the metal sheets or the metal sheet stack, the bars are deployable on a first broadside (26) of the transfer installation (2) to engage below a support (4) in the rotary installation (1), and are deployable on a second broadside (27) of the transfer installation (2) to provide for transfer of the metal sheets or the metal sheet stack to a transport installation (3).