Piston supply apparatus and piston supply method

A piston supply method of supplying a piston assembled to a connecting rod to a piston gripping portion which grips the piston so as to insert the piston in a cylinder bore, comprising:

• a gripping step of gripping the connecting rod in a piston preparation area in which the piston is prepared in a downward state in which a top portion of the piston faces downward;
• a moving step of moving the piston while griping the connecting rod from a position at which the connecting rod is gripped to a supply position in air at which the piston is supplied to the piston gripping portion;
• a pivoting step of making the piston pivot while gripping the connecting rod such that the piston in the downward state is set in an upward state in which the top portion faces upward, while the piston is moved while the connecting rod is gripped;
• and
• a guiding step of guiding the piston so as to match an axial direction of the piston with a predetermined specified direction by pressing the top portion against a horizontal guide portion placed near a lower end of a skirt portion of the piston to make the lower end of the skirt portion abut against the horizontal guide portion after the piston is set in the upward state in the pivoting step.