Patent ID: 7832548

Claim:
An idle station transport mechanism for a press, comprising: a first plurality of magnetizable transport rails; a second plurality of magnetizable transport rails axially displaceable with respect to said first plurality of transport rails; and, a plurality of transfer bars magnetizable to engage said material, wherein said first and second pluralities of rails form a transport path along which material to be manipulated by said press is arranged to be transported, wherein said transfer bars are displaceable to move said material axially along said transport path, and wherein said first and second pluralities of transport rails form a composite axial length and said second plurality of transport rails is displaceable to vary said composite axial length, wherein said first and second pluralities of transport rails further comprise a first outside edge and a second outside edge, respectively, said first and second outside edges on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis for said mechanism and wherein said plurality of transfer bars comprises at least one first and second transfer bar disposed outside of said first and second outside edges, respectively, with respect to said axis.