Accumulating conveyor for elongated stock

A conveyor for sequentially conveying and accumulating elongated stock such as tubes, rods, bars and like articles, comprising;

• a series of at least three independently operable conveyor banks sequentially arranged for transferring elongated stock from one bank to an adjacent bank;
• each conveyor bank including a plurality of elongated bars arranged in parallel to each other and extending transverse to the desired direction of conveyance for the elongated stock to be conveyed, first and second adjacent rows of teeth extending with and protruding from each elongated bar at different angles of radial extension, the teeth of said first row staggered with respect to the teeth of said second row, and an oscillating drive connected to said bars for simultaneously oscillating said bars on longitudinal axis of elongation whereby said first and second rows of teeth are alternately raised one above the other such that elongated stock placed on the teeth of one end of said bars will be moved to the other end of the bars on the conveyor banks;
• sensors positioned on each of said conveyor banks for sensing the presence of elongated stock on each conveyor bank and connected for energizing and deenergizing selected ones of said oscillating drives whereby elongated stock fed onto one end of the conveyor is moved to the other end of the conveyor and elongated stock is accumulated thereon between conveyor ends.