Adjustable stock feed

Abstract

An adjustable feed mechanism is disclosed to feed elongated stock to a machine, for example, elongated bar stock to a machine tool, so that successive parts may be machined in the machine tool, cut off, and then a new length of bar stock of the proper length fed to the machine tool for the next cycle of operation. The adjustable feed mechanism includes a stock pusher to push the bar stock to the spindle of the machine tool and an actuator means is provided, such as a spring urging the stock pusher forwardly as controlled by a stock feed cam and cam follower. A cable pulley is journaled on an arm moved by the cam follower to have a constant length stroke. A flexible cable is connected to actuate the stock pusher and encompasses part of the cable pulley and then has a variable anchor on an involute curve as a fixed anchor point on the frame of the machine. By changing the anchor point along this involute curve a continuously variable amount of feed of the bar stock is achieved with a constant forward feed position of the stock pusher. The foregoing abstract is merely a resume of one general application, is not a complete discussion of all principles of operation or applications, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.