Patent ID: 6832534
Filing Date: 2004-12-21
Classification: B23B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of processing a piece of bar stock material having spaced ends and a predetermined diameter, said method comprising the steps of:attaching an adaptor to one end of the piece of bar stock material; directing the piece of bar stock material into a feeder sleeve bounding an internal passageway; moving the piece of bar stock material in the internal passageway from an upstream end of the internal passageway towards a downstream end of the internal passageway so as to expose a part of the piece of bar stock material for processing; performing at least one processing step on the exposed part of the piece of bar stock material; engaging a retrieval assembly with the adaptor; extending at least a part of the retrieval assembly into the internal passageway so that no part of the retrieval assembly projects radially beyond the predetermined diameter from a downstream end of the at least part of the retrieval assembly to a predetermined distance in an upstream direction; and with the retrieval assembly engaged with the adaptor, repositioning the retrieval assembly to thereby reposition the piece of bar stock material within the internal passageway.