Bar stock loader and feed mechanisms

An apparatus comprising a chuck operable between an open condition and a closed condition in which said chuck is effective to grip bar stock, chuck actuator means for effecting operation of said chuck between the open and closed conditions, feed means for feeding bar stock to said chuck, said feed means including gripper means operable between a closed condition in which said gripper means securely grips the bar stock and an open condition in which said gripper means is ineffective to grip the bar stock, gripper actuator means for effecting operation of said gripper means between the open and closed conditions, means for moving said gripper means through a feed stroke with said gripper means in its closed condition and said chuck in its open condition and for moving said gripper means through a return stroke with said gripper means in its open condition and said chuck in its closed condition, loader means for moving a piece of bar stock into said feed means, and control means for effecting operation of said loader means to move a piece of bar stock into said feed means when said gripper means is in the open condition and for rendering said loader means ineffective to move a piece of bar stock into said gripper means when said gripper means is in the closed condition, said loader means including a movable stop member, means for moving said stop member between a nonregistering position and a registering position, first pusher means for pressing a leading end portion of a piece of bar stock against said stop member when said stop member is in said registering position to register the leading end portion of the bar stock relative to said feed means, and second pusher means for moving at least the leading end portion of a registered piece of bar stock from said loader means to said feed means when said stop member is in the nonregistering position.

An apparatus comprising a chuck operable between an open condition and a closed condition in which said chuck is effective to grip bar stock, chuck actuator means for effecting operation of said chuck between the open and closed conditions, feed means for feeding bar stock to said chuck, said feed means including gripper means operable between a closed condition in which said gripper means securely grips the bar stock and an open condition in which said gripper means is ineffective to grip the bar stock, gripper actuator means for effecting operation of said gripper means between the open and closed conditions, means for moving said gripper means through a feed stroke with said gripper means in its closed condition and said chuck in its open condition and for moving said gripper means through a return stroke with said gripper means in its open condition and said chuck in its closed condition, loader means for moving a piece of bar stock into said feed means, and control means for effecting operation of said loader means to move a piece of bar stock into said feed means when said gripper means is in the open condition and for rendering said loader means ineffective to move a piece of bar stock into said gripper means when said gripper means is in the closed condition, said loader means including base means for supporting said loader means in a predetermined position relative to said feed means, support means connected with said base means for supporting a piece of bar stock in axial alignment with said feed means, magazine means for holding a plurality of pieces of bar stock, transfer means movable relative to said support means through feed and return strokes to feed each piece of bar stock in turn from said magazine means to said support means, stop means movable between a nonregistering position and a registering position in which said stop means blocks movement of a piece of bar stock from said support means to said feed means, said transfer means being operable to effect movement of said stop means from the nonregistering position to the registering position upon operation of said transfer means through a feed stroke and to effect movement of said stop means from the registering position to the nonregistering position upon operation of said transfer means through a return stroke, and pusher means for pressing a leading end portion of a piece of bar stock against said stop means to register the piece of bar stock when said stop means is in the registering position and for pushing the registered piece of bar stock toward said feed means when said stop means is in the nonregistering position.

An apparatus comprising a chuck operable between an open condition and a closed condition in which said chuck is effective to grip bar stock, chuck actuator means for effecting operation of said chuck between the open and closed conditions, feed means for feeding bar stock to said chuck, said feed means including gripper means operable between a closed condition in which said gripper means securely grips the bar stock and an open condition in which said gripper means is ineffective to grip the bar stock, gripper actuator means for effecting operation of said gripper means between the open and closed conditions, means for moving said gripper means through a feed stroke with said gripper means in its closed condition and said chuck in its open condition and for moving said gripper means through a return stroke with said gripper means in its open condition and said chuck in its closed condition, loader means for moving a piece of bar stock into said feed means, and control means for effecting operation of said loader means to move a piece of bar stock into said feed means when said gripper means is in the open condition and for rendering said loader means ineffective to move a piece of bar stock into said gripper means when said gripper means is in the closed condition, said loader means including a base, cylinder means for defining first and second coaxial operating chambers, first piston means disposed in said first operating chamber for moving said cylinder means relative to said base to position a piece of bar stock with its leading end portion at a predetermined location, retainer means for holding said cylinder means against movement relative to said base, said control means including means for effecting operation of said retainer means to hold said cylinder means against movement relative to said base after the piece of bar stock has been positioned with its leading end portion at the predetermined location, and second piston means disposed in said second operating chamber in a coaxial relationship with said first piston means, said control means including means for effecting operation of said second piston means to push the loading end portion of the piece of bar stock from the predetermined location toward said feed means while said retainer means holds said cylinder means against movement relative to said base.

An apparatus operable through a plurality of working cycles to perform work operations on one piece of bar stock at a work area and a loading cycle during which another piece of bar stock is moved into said apparatus in place of the one piece of bar stock, said apparatus comprising a chuck operable between an open condition and a closed condition in which said chuck is effective to grip the bar stock, chuck actuator means for effecting operation of said chuck between the open and closed conditions, feed means for feeding bar stock to said chuck during each working cycle of said apparatus, said feed means including gripper means operable between a closed condition in which said gripper means securely grips the bar stock and an open condition in which said gripper means is ineffective to grip the bar stock, gripper actuator means for operating said gripper means between the open and closed conditions, drive means for moving said gripper means through forward strokes toward said chuck and reverse strokes away from said chuck, loader means for moving a piece of bar stock into said feed means during a loading cycle of said apparatus, and control means for effecting operation of said gripper actuator means and said drive means through a first predetermined operating sequence relative to opening and closing of said chuck during a working cycle and for effecting operation of said gripper actuator means and said drive means through a second operating sequence relative to opening and closing of said chuck during a loading cycle.

An apparatus operable through a plurality of working cycles to perform work operations on one piece of bar stock at a work area and a loading cycle during which another piece of bar stock is moved into said apparatus in place of the one piece of bar stock, said apparatus comprising a chuck operable between an open condition and a closed condition in which said chuck is effective to grip the bar stock, chuck actuator means for effecting operation of said chuck between the open and closed conditions, feed means for feeding bar stock to said chuck during each working cycle of said apparatus, said feed means including gripper means operable between a closed condition in which said gripper means securely grips the bar stock and an open condition in which said gripper means is ineffective to grip the bar stock, gripper actuator means for operating said gripper means between the open and closed conditions, drive means for moving said gripper means through forward strokes toward said chuck and reverse strokes away from said chuck, loader means for moving a piece of bar stock into said feed means during a loading cycle of said apparatus, and control means for effecting operation of said gripper actuator means and said drive means through a first predetermined operating sequence relative to opening and closing of said chuck during a working cycle and for effecting operation of said gripper actuator means and said drive means through a second operating sequence relative to opening and closing of said chuck during a loading cycle, said loader means including a magazine for holding a plurality of pieces of bar stock, support means for supporting a piece of bar stock at a loading station spaced from said magazine, transfer means for transferring a piece of bar stock from said magazine to said loading station, first piston and cylinder means for moving a piece of bar stock relative to said support means to register a leading end portion of the piece of bar stock relative to the work area, and second piston and cylinder means for pushing the registered piece of bar stock into said feed means.

An apparatus comprising spindle means for rotating bar stock during a machining operation, said spindle means including a chuck operable between an open condition and a closed condition in which said chuck is effective to grip the bar stock and chuck actuator means for effecting operation of said chuck between the open and closed conditions, feed means for feeding bar stock to said chuck, said feed means including gripper means operable between a closed condition in which said gripper means securely grips the bar stock and an open condition in which said gripper means is ineffective to grip the bar stock, gripper actuator means for effecting operation of said gripper means between the open and closed conditions, means for moving said gripper means through a feed stroke toward said chuck with said gripper means in its closed condition and said chuck in its open condition and for moving said gripper means through a return stroke away from said chuck with said gripper means in its open condition and said chuck in its closed condition, loader means for moving a piece of bar stock into said feed and spindle means when said gripper means and chuck means are in their open conditions, detector means for detecting when a piece of bar stock in said spindle means has a length which is less than a predetermined length, and control means for effecting operation of said loader means to move a piece of bar stock into said feed and spindle means in response to detection by said detector means that the length of the piece of bar stock in said spindle means is less than the predetermined length, said control means including means for effecting operation of said loader means in response to said detector means when said gripper means and chuck are in their open conditions and for rendering said loader means ineffective to move a piece of bar stock into said feed and spindle means when either of said chuck and gripper means is in the closed condition.

An apparatus comprising magazine means for holding a plurality of pieces of bar stock, first support means for supporting a piece of bar stock at an intermediate station spaced from the plurality of pieces of bar stock in said magazine means, second support means for supporting a piece of bar stock at a loading location spaced from said intermediate station, and transfer means for moving one piece of bar stock from said intermediate station to said loading station and for simultaneously therewith moving another piece of bar stock from said magazine means to said intermediate station, a chuck operable between an open condition and a closed condition in which said chuck is effective to grip a piece of bar stock, chuck actuator means for effecting operation of said chuck between the open and closed conditions, feed means for feeding a piece of bar stock to said chuck, said feed means including gripper means operable between a closed condition in which said gripper means securely grips a piece of bar stock and an open condition in which said gripper means is ineffective to grip a piece of bar stock, gripper actuator means for effecting operation of said gripper means between the open and closed conditions when said chuck is in the closed condition, and means for moving said gripper means through a feed stroke toward said chuck with said gripper means in its closed condition and said chuck in its open condition and for moving said gripper means through a return stroke away from said chuck with said gripper means in its open condition and said chuck in its closed condition.