PURPOSE: To prevent the flaw or damage of an article discharged from a high position to a low position.

CONSTITUTION: An article receiving enclosure 35 receives a metal sheet carried through a gap between an advancing shutter rod 471 at the closed bottom section 35a of the enclosure 35 and a connecting shaft 433 for connecting gears 413 and 423 to each other. The enclosure 35 is lowered to the predetermined discharge height by the operation of a motor 61 of a lift drive device 60, after receipt of the metal sheet. The enclosure 35 at the predetermined discharge height causes the shutter rods 471 to 47n to retreat from the bottom section 35a toward a rear plate 36 via the rotation of a motor 56. The metal sheet moving toward the rear plate 36 with the retreat of the shutter rods, comes in contact with a stopper 48 and the travel thereof is restricted. As a result, the metal sheet is discharged from the open bottom section 35a.