Apparatus for holding stacked workpieces and feeding the same

An apparatus for holding workpieces in a stack and feeding the same, including a workpiece feed means for holding a plurality of workpieces in a stack and sequentially feeding the same, and a workpiece transporting means having a workpiece gripping hand for gripping an uppermost workpiece among the workpieces held in a stack on the workpiece feed means, the workpiece transporting means removing a workpiece gripped by the workpiece gripping hand from said workpiece feed means and transferring said gripped workpiece to a desired position, characterized in that

• said workpiece feed means comprises a pallet, a plurality of upright workpiece support rods arranged at intervals in a circle on said pallet, to thereby stably support in place said plurality of workpieces stacked on a workpiece support surface of said pallet, means for depressing said plurality of workpiece support rods to a position below said workpiece support surface of said pallet, and a means for constantly and resiliently lifting said plurality of workpiece support rods upward to extended upward from said workpiece support surface of said pallet,
• said workpiece gripping hand of said workpiece transporting means having a plurality of gripping fingers for releasably gripping a workpiece, and a depressing means disposed on a back side of said gripping fingers for simultaneously depressing said plurality of workpiece support rods of said workpiece feed means whereby said gripping fingers are brought to a position suitable for gripping said uppermost workpiece as said workpiece gripping hand is moved downward toward said uppermost workpiece.