Automatic feeding apparatus

Abstract

Automatic feeding apparatus for transferring work pieces to a work station including a robot having a work arm pivoted about a point and movable through a segment of a sphere with vertical movement of the work arm scribing an arc relative to the pivot point. The robot work arm has means to pick up, hold and release a work piece. A work piece stacking assembly is provided and includes a base for holding a vertical stack of magnetizable work pieces and a vertical butt plate above the base curved correspondingly to the arc scribed by the vertical movement of the work arm of the robot. A magnet is provided to magnetize the work pieces through the vertical curve butt plate to set up a repelling force between the work pieces to vertically separate the work pieces in the upper portion of the stack and urge the separated work pieces against the vertical curve butt plate. A work station is provided for receiving the work piece and it is located within the sphere segment through which the work piece pick-up arm of the robot is movable.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.