Feeding Device and a Feeding Process For Components

A machining station for components, the machining station comprising:

• a protective fence surrounding a machine work area;
• a conveying device comprising:
• a plurality of workpiece components, each component defining a component opening;
• a bar-shaped component carrying element for receiving and releasing said components, said component carrying element extending through each component opening after said component carrying element receives each component;
• a separating means for separating said components received by said component carrying element;
• and
• a support element having a plurality of individually movable and controllable gripping means for alternatingly holding and releasing said component carrying element, one gripping means being located at a spaced location from another gripping means.

A process for feeding components, the process comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of components, each component defining a component opening;
• providing a bar-shaped support means for receiving said plurality of components;
• providing a protective fence having a defined protective fence openings;
• loading said components onto said bar-shaped support means at a loading position to form a stack of components, said loading position being a location outside said protective fence or a position within said protective fencing opening;
• providing a separating means for separating one component from another component;
• separating said components with said separating means;
• conveying said components one by one from a loading side of said bar-shaped support means to a release side of said bar-shaped support means after said components have been separated with said separating means.