Apparatus and method for working bars

An apparatus for working bars, comprising:

• a plurality of containing devices (11a-11f) disposed adjacent and parallel to each other and with an oblong development in respective longitudinal directions (L) to contain a respective bundle (F1-F6) of bars (B1-B6),
• at least a work station (12) located downstream of said containing devices (11a-11f), said work station (12) comprising:
• at least a removal device (26) to remove at least one bar (B1-B6) from one of said containing devices (11a-11f),
• an introduction element (31) having a channel (32) oriented in a direction of feed (A) parallel to said longitudinal directions (L) and a frustoconical lead-in portion (33) configured to facilitate alignment of the at least one bar (B1-B6) with the channel (32),
• at least a bending device (35) configured to bend said at least one bar (B1-B6),
• at least a drawing unit (29) positioned upstream of the bending device (35 and configured to move the at least one bar (B1-B6) along the direction of feed (A),
• a gripping unit (48), positioned downstream of the bending device (35), provided with opposing rollers (43, 43′) positioned on supports (44) in which at least one of the supports (44) is independently movable in a direction (Z1) substantially orthogonal to the direction of feed (A), thereby varying a distance between the opposing rollers (43, 43′),
• a first cutting device (49) positioned between the introduction element (31) and the drawing unit (29), and
• a second cutting device (40) positioned between the drawing unit (29) and the bending device (35), and
• at least a drive member (15) associated with said work station (12), and configured to move said work station (12) in a transverse direction (T) with respect to said longitudinal directions (L) so as to take said removal device (26) into correspondence with one of said containing devices (11a-11f), which are fixed in position.