Apparatus for placing or storing flat articles in a cassette with intermediate racks

An apparatus for placing or storing flat articles (20) in a storage cassette (18) and which are stored parallel to one another, placed on lateral supports (23) with a predetermined number (N) of racks and separated from one another by a predetermined clearance (E) comprising a gripping means (50,70) having the same number (N) of horizontal tracks (2) separated from one another by the same predetermined clearance (E) and each terminated by a gripping end (6), wherein are positioned means for the gripping and releasing of a flat article (20) with respect to a corresponding rack of the storage cassette (18);

• an intermediate cassette (60,80) for temporarily holding one or several articles (20) which must be stored again in the storage cassettes having a second number (M) of horizontal racks, equal to or greater than the first number (N) of racks of the storage cassette (18) and which are spaced from one another by said clearance (E) in order to receive the flat articles (20,21,22,25);
• and a relative horizontal translation between the gripping means (50,70) and the intermediate cassette (60,80) in order to obtain an interpenetration of the gripping means (50) in the intermediate cassette (60) taking place by means of recesses (65) to the rear of each of the tracks (2) of the gripping means (50), in order to enable the intermediate cassette (60) to penetrate the gripping means (50) from the rear and up to a mobile part (4) of the track, permitting the transfer in both directions of at least one flat article (20) between the gripping means (50,70) and the intermediate cassette (60,80).