Patent ID: 8915694

Claim:
A loading device for loading bars for machining in a machine tool, the loading device being adapted to move a bar from a starting position to an end position and to feed the bar from the end position to the machine tool, the loading device comprising: a rest portion for supplying the loading device with at least one bar supported on the rest portion in the starting position; a movable transport comprising a transport member including a first angular portion, wherein a first leg of an angle of the first angular portion forms a first support portion and a second leg of the angle of the first angular portion forms a second support portion, the transport being moveable vertically upward and vertically downward; and a feeder adapted to feed the bar from the end position to the machine tool, the feeder comprising a feeding element including a receiving portion in which the bar lies in the end position, wherein the feeding element comprises a second angular portion, one leg of the angle of the second angular portion forming a downwardly inclined guiding portion, the movable transport being adapted to lift the bar from the starting position on the rest portion in an upward movement with respect to the rest portion and to push the bar upward with respect to the rest portion along an upwardly inclined guiding portion to a topmost position with respect to the rest portion while the bar is supported by the second support portion of the transport member during the upward movement with respect to the rest portion between the starting position and the topmost position, wherein, during the transporting from the starting position to the end position, the bar is supported in the topmost position, which is reached between the upward movement along the upwardly inclined guiding portion and a downward movement with respect to the topmost position along the downwardly inclined guiding portion, by both of the first and the second support portions of the transport member, and wherein the movable transport is further adapted to transport the bar from the topmost position to the end position, the transport being adapted to transport the bar downward in the downward movement with respect to the topmost position due to its gravity along the downwardly inclined guiding portion to the end position while the bar is supported by the first support portion of the transport during the downward movement with respect to the topmost position between the topmost position and the end position.