Sewing or stitching station and apparatus and method for feeding plate-shaped functional elements to a sewing or stitching machine

An apparatus for feeding plate-shaped functional elements to a sewing or stitching machine, comprising:

• a first guide rail which extends in a longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end and which has a first delimiting surface and a first guide surface extending transversely with respect to the first delimiting surface;
• a second guide rail which extends in the longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end and which has a second delimiting surface, facing the first delimiting surface and extending parallel to the first delimiting surface, and a second guide surface extending transversely with respect to the second delimiting surface in the direction of the first guide rail;
• and
• a transporting device configured to move a functional element resting on the first and the second guide surface from the first end of the guide rails in the direction of the second end of the guide rails;
• said apparatus further comprising;
• a stop which is arranged at the second end of the first guide rail and/or at the second end of the second guide rail and which can be moved transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction between a blocking position, in which the stop projects into a first half-space delimited by the first delimiting surface and the first guide surface a or projects into a second half-space delimited by the second delimiting surface a and the second guide surface, and a releasing position, in which the stop is retracted from the respective half-space;
• and/or
• a magazine which is arranged in the region of the first end of the guide rails, and which has a receiving space for receiving a multiplicity of functional elements in an arrangement stacked one above the other and a separating device for removing the functional elements from the receiving space one at a time and for transferring the removed functional element to the transporting device, wherein the magazine has one or both of;
• a receiving housing defining the receiving space and a discharge opening of the receiving space, and wherein the separating device has a first circulating conveyor belt with teeth and a second circulating conveyor belt with teeth, wherein a first portion of the first conveyor belt runs parallel to a second portion of the second conveyor belt, and wherein the first and the second portion are arranged opposite one another at the discharge opening, such that a functional element at the discharge opening can be received between two adjacent teeth of the first conveyor belt and between two adjacent teeth of the second conveyor belt and can be transported to a transfer point situated facing away from the discharge opening by means of the conveyor belts;
• and
• a first circulating conveyor belt with teeth and a second circulating conveyor belt with teeth, as separating device, wherein a first portion of the first conveyor belt runs parallel to a second portion of the second conveyor belt, and wherein the first and the second portion are arranged opposite one another and define the receiving space of the magazine, wherein, along the first and the second portion, a multiplicity of functional elements can be received between in each case two adjacent teeth of the first conveyor belt and two adjacent teeth of the second conveyor belt and can be transported to a transfer point by means of the conveyor belts.