Patent ID: 6302005
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: B23B,Y10T

Abstract:
An automatic bar feeding apparatus for automatically feeding a plurality of bar stocks to a processing machine one at a time for processing, the apparatus comprising:a. a loading assembly, a rear bezel stock feeding assembly and a final feeding assembly all housed within an elongated structure having a base and two end walls located at opposite ends and attached to the base;b. a stock tail holder rotatably mounted to a respective one of said two end walls of said structure for gripping one end of one of said plurality of bar stocks and operable between an open condition and a closed condition;c. a loading tray located behind said structure for retaining said plurality of bar stocks and having means for allowing one bar stock to be loaded one at a time to said loading assembly;d. said loading assembly rotatable to a loading position for loading one of said plurality of bar stocks and when said loading assembly has been loaded with the bar stock, the loading assembly rotates to a feeding position for processing the bar stock to said processing machine;e. said rear bezel stock feeding assembly including a holding chamber and a compressing spring installed within the holding chamber for retaining a rear end of the bar stock thereto;f. a rotatable screw driving shaft connected to said rear bezel stock feeding assembly for longitudinally moving said holding chamber which in turn moves the bar stock to said processing machine for processing;g. said final feeding assembly including an elongated rod slidable disposed within a hollow cylindrical tube which is mounted parallel to said loading assembly;h. said loading assembly rotatable to said loading position such that said hollow cylindrical tube is aligned with a central opening on said respective one of said two end walls so that when said rod is activated, said rod further pushes the excess bar stock into said processing machine through said hollow cylindrical tube so that no material of the bar stock is left within said apparatus, and when said rod is deactivated, said rod returns to its initial position;i. an adjustable first sensor for sensing and indicating that all of the bar stock has been processed;j. an adjustable second sensor for sensing and detecting that said rod has returned to its initial position, and during the current cycle another bar stock is being loaded onto said loading assembly and a new processing cycle begins for the another bar stock; andk. means for supplying power to said rotatable driving shaft which in turn longitudinally moves said rear feeding assembly, said means further supplying fluid under pressure within said hollow cylindrical tube to thereby cause said slidable rod to advance longitudinally within said hollow tube, which in turn pushes the excess bar stock into said processing machine, and said means further reversing the pressure so that a suction is formed within said hollow cylindrical tube to withdraw said slidable rod back to its initial position;l. whereby during the current processing cycle, another bar stock is being loaded onto said loading assembly and when the previous bar stock has been successfully machined, said apparatus begins the new processing cycle for another bar stock.