Abstract: An article storing apparatus is adapted to store an article transported by a carriage traveling along a traveling rail provided on a ceiling while being suspended. A storage space is provided above the ceiling. A rack is disposed in the storage space and adapted to store the article. A loader/unloader is operable to load the article from the carriage to the rack, and to unload the article from the rack to the carriage. A hoist transporter is movable in a vertical direction through the ceiling to transport the article between an inside and an outside of the storage space, and operable to deliver the article to the carriage and receive the article from the carriage. A storage transporter is disposed in the storage space and movable between the hoist transporter and the rack, and operable to deliver the article to the rack and receive the article from the rack.

Abstract: An improved method of operating an apparatus to cut sheet material workpieces eliminates the inadvertent dropping of a relatively small scrap or remainder portion of a workpiece into a clearance space between a pair of cutter blades and a discharge conveyor. Thus, a relatively large sheet metal workpiece is gripped by a holder which moves the workpiece relative to a pair of blades. The blades are moved relative to each other to cut the workpiece to form a product having a desired configuration. The product is dropped onto a discharge conveyor. In order to prevent a relatively small scrap piece remaining in the holder from being dropped into a space between the discharge conveyor and the blades, the holder is extended through the space between the blades to a location over the discharge conveyor and is opened to drop the scrap or remainder portion of the workpiece onto the discharge conveyor.