MATERIAL STORAGE DEVICE

PURPOSE:To use the inside of a stocker having lot of storage parts in a highly efficient manner all the time, by retrieving an empty storage part inside the stocker, controlling a ramp according to the information, and housing a pallet on the ramp in the storage part. CONSTITUTION:A steppedly stacked material loading pallet is mounted on a feed table 21 of a combined pallet feed and separation device 15, and lifted upward, leaving the lowermost step behind, while the pallet at the lowermost step recognizes each article on the pallet by a recognizing device 26 through a chain conveyor and transferred to a table of a ramp 6. On the other hand, in a stocker 2, there are provided with a lot of pallet storage parts 2a, whereby pallets are made stowable. Each pallet is taken out at a pallet takeout ramp 4 at a stocker opposed position, and according to the takeout information, an empty storage part is retrieved whereby the ramp 6 is operated and the pallet is attached and recognized. In this connection, the pallet after used is discharged to a combined pallet discharge and step-stacking device 16 in reverse motion to the said motion. Therefore, the inside of the stocker is used in a highly efficient manner.