Device for automatically piling up flat elements

A device for piling up successive layers of batches of blanks, such as batches of cardboard box blanks, on a support surface, said device comprising delivery means for moving batches of blanks into said device, a frame, a horizontal table having parallel extending rollers and means to drive said rollers, said table being mounted in said frame for vertical movement, means for moving said table between a fixed loading level to receive a layer of batches from the delivery means and a variable unloading level for unloading the batches onto the support surface at a first side of the frame, said rollers coacting with the delivery means to transfer the layer of batches from the delivery means to the table, and unloading means in the table for transferring the layer in a direction parallel to the axes of the rollers from the table onto the support surface including a row of fork members extending parallel to the rollers of the table and spaced to be received between the rollers, first means for shifting the fork members between a retracted position below a horizontal plane of the rollers to an elevated position above the plane, second means for shifting the fork members in the direction parallel to the axes of the rollers between a first position above the rollers and a second position projecting out of the first side of the frame and above said support surface, and comb means being mounted for movement between a retractable position allowing movement of the fork members with a layer thereby and a blocking position for holding the layer on the support surface as the fork members are moved from the second position back to the first position.