Apparatus for the feeding and removal of workpieces to and from work stations coupled in parallel

Apparatus for feeding and removing workpieces to and from first and second work stations coupled in parallel, said apparatus comprising:

• a first conveyor for transporting workpieces to said first and second work stations;
• a second conveyor for transporting workpieces from said first and second work stations, said first and second conveyors being dispoed adjacent each other at least in the vicinity of each of said work stations;
• transfer means for each of said work stations for transferring workpieces from said first transport means to the corresponding work station and from the corresponding work stations to said second transport means, each of said transfer means comprising displaceable workpiece receiver means disposed in a first position thereof in alignment with said first and second transport means such that workpieces being transported by said first and second transport means can pass through said workpiece receiver means, and including first and second sets of spaced guide rails oriented parallel to said first and second conveyors, respectively, said first and second sets of guide rails being aligned with said first and second conveyors, respectively, when the associated workpiece receiver means is disposed in said first position thereof and said first and second sets of guide rails supporting a workpiece disposed within said first and second receivers, respectively, when the associated workpiece receiver means is in a position vertically higher than or transversely displaced from said first position;
• and
• control means for controlling the transport of workpieces by at least one of said first and second transport means and the transfer of workpieces by each of said transfer means.