Apparatus for loading and accumulating semi-finished plate-like pieces, in particular lenses

Apparatus for loading and accumulating semi-finished plate-like pieces, comprising a support structure and a piece warehouse which is associated with said support structure;

• and said piece warehouse moves the pieces from a piece inlet portion to a piece outlet portion along a warehouse axis;
• wherein said warehouse comprises a plurality of augers which all extend parallel to the warehouse axis along respective longitudinal axes and are arranged around said warehouse axis to jointly delimit a plurality of transverse seats with respect to said warehouse axis, each of said seats being configured to accommodate a plate-like semi-finished piece, said inlet portion being defined by the transverse seats placed at a first end of said augers and said outlet portion being defined by the transverse seats placed at a second end of said augers;
• and
• wherein said apparatus comprises:
• a system for positioning said augers to vary a distance of each auger from said warehouse axis in a coordinated manner with the other augers of the plurality of augers to vary a radial dimension of said transverse seats;
• and
• a rotation system for rotating each auger around a respective longitudinal axis in a synchronized manner with rotation of the other augers of the plurality of augers to cause movement of the pieces parallel to the warehouse axis from said inlet portion to said outlet portion;
• wherein said rotation system comprises for each auger:
• a pulley rotationally supported by said support structure;
• a universal joint which kinematically connects the pulley to the respective auger to uncouple the fixed axial position of the pulley from the variable axial position of the auger;
• means for rotating the pulleys in a synchronized manner.

Apparatus for loading and accumulating semi-finished plate-like pieces, comprising a support structure and a piece warehouse which is associated with said support structure;

• and said piece warehouse moves the pieces from a piece inlet portion to a piece outlet portion along a warehouse axis;
• wherein said warehouse comprises a plurality of augers which all extend parallel to the warehouse axis along respective longitudinal axes and are arranged around said warehouse axis to jointly delimit a plurality of transverse seats with respect to said warehouse axis, each of said seats being configured to accommodate a plate-like semi-finished piece, said inlet portion being defined by the transverse seats placed at a first end of said augers and said outlet portion being defined by the transverse seats placed at a second end of said augers;
• and
• wherein said apparatus comprises:
• a system for positioning said augers to vary a distance of each auger from said warehouse axis in a coordinated manner with the other augers of the plurality of augers to vary a radial dimension of said transverse seats;
• and
• a system for rotating each auger around a respective longitudinal axis in a synchronized manner with rotation of the other augers of the plurality of augers to cause movement of the pieces parallel to the warehouse axis from said inlet portion to said outlet portion;
• wherein the augers comprise at least one threaded portion having a thread of predefined pitch and depth as a function of a range of dimensional variability of the semi-finished pieces which are treatable by said apparatus.