Conveyor for elongate components designed with a head and a shank

A conveyor for elongate components (12) designed with a head (41) and a shank (42), with a feed arrangement (7), for feeding the components in a prescribed direction, comprising a transfer arrangement (8) with a transfer region (15) into which the elongate components (12) are fed from a feed duct (11) comprising a head guiding duct (13) having a feed path for the heads (41), and a shank guiding duct (14) with the ducts (13) and (14) being in communication with a conveying duct (16) into which the components (12) can be moved from the transfer region (15), characterized by the transfer arrangement (8) which comprises:

• at least one catch element (18) being located externally of the transfer region (15) and extending along, and adjacent, the head guiding duct (13) generally in the prescribed direction of the feeding of the elongate components (12);
• at least one portion (21) of the at least one catch element (18) being removably extendable into and out of the feed path of the head guiding duct (13);
• a biasing element (39) positioned to normally urge the at least one portion (21) of the at least one catch element (18) movably into the feed path of the head guiding duct (13) for engagement with the elongate components (12) being fed therethrough;
• and
• the at least one catch element (18) and the at least one portion (21) thereof being mounted for deflected movement out of the feed path of the head guiding duct (13) against the normal urging of the biasing element (39) upon engagement with each of the elongate components (12) being fed through the feed path of the head guiding duct (13) to allow continued feeding of the elongate components (12) through the feed path;
• and
• further characterized in that the at least one portion (21) is a first end portion (21) of the at least one catch element (18), and which further comprises:
• a second end portion (48) of the at least one catch element (18), which is remote from the first end portion (21);
• a stop surface (49) positioned for engagement with the second end portion (48) of the at least one catch element (18);
• and
• the biasing element (39) normally urging the second end portion (48) into engagement with the stop surface (49) to limit the distance in which the first end portion (21) is urged into the feed path of the head guiding duct (13).