Method and apparatus for withdrawing bar stock from a bar stock feeder

A method of processing a piece of bar stock material having spaced ends between which an axis extends and a peripheral surface with a first effective diameter around the axis, said method comprising the steps of:

• engaging a retrieval assembly with one end of the piece of bar stock material so that at least a part of the retrieval assembly has an outer, second effective diameter that is not greater than the first effective diameter and so that the piece of bar stock material will follow movement of the retrieval assembly in at least one direction along the axis;
• directing the piece of bar stock material into a feeder sleeve bounding an internal passageway;
• moving the piece of bar stock material in the internal passageway so as to expose a part of the piece of bar stock material for processing;
• performing at least one processing step on the exposed part of the piece of bar stock material;
• and
• with the retrieval assembly engaged with the piece of bar stock material, moving the retrieval assembly along the axis within the internal passageway and thereby moving the piece of bar stock material within the internal passageway.

In combination:

• a piece of bar stock material having spaced ends between which an axis extends and a peripheral surface with a first effective diameter around the axis;
• an adaptor at one of the spaced ends of the piece of bar stock material with the adaptor in an operative position, wherein the adaptor does not project from the axis to beyond the first effective diameter of the peripheral surface;
• and
• a retrieval assembly engageable with the adaptor and which is repositionable to move the adaptor along the axis.

In combination:

• a piece of bar stock material having spaced ends between which an axis extends and a peripheral surface with a first effective diameter around the axis;
• a retrieval assembly engageable with the piece of bar stock material so that the at least part of the retrieval assembly does not project radially beyond the first predetermined diameter from a downstream end of the at least part of the retrieval assembly to a predetermined distance in an upstream direction;
• and
• a feeder assembly comprising a sleeve with an internal passageway with a central axis and an effective diameter sufficiently large to receive the piece of bar stock material and the at least a part of the retrieval assembly.