PURPOSE: To prevent damage to plates transported by forming a moving and a fixed support roller to support the front and rear ends of each plate, or at least the moving one thereof, in such a way as having outside dia. increased from its central zone toward end parts, and thereby providing possibility of loading plates with different thicknesses and rigidities mixed.

CONSTITUTION: A plate 1 to be loaded flows on a conveyor 2, advances with its undersurface of foremost part supported by a moving support roll 4, while the trailing part lies first on the conveyor 2, moves onto a fixed support roller 3, falls onto a guide 9 and glides thereon, and begins falling onto the plates already loaded. At this time, the leading edge lies on the roll 4, but the foremost part of the plate passes under to allow drop of even the fore portion of the plate as the roll advances, and thus the plate 1 is placed on a loading table 6 and put in alignment by aligning devices 10, 10'. Because the roll 4 has such a diameter as continuously changing from the central zone toward the end parts to allow the plate 1 to take an attitude as setting its waist drawing an arc in the width direction, the plate is prevented from dangling to ensure that different types of plates, even soft, thin or less rigid, are loaded with risk of damage substantially eliminated.