Apparatus to store bars (B) comprising a support plane (11), a bundle feed zone (12) and a bar delivery zone (13) associated with respective opposite ends of said support plane (11), wherein said support plane (11) comprises a unit (14) to move said bars (B) in a direction of movement (Z) at least from said bundle feed zone (12) to said bar delivery zone (13).

A removal apparatus removes tube pieces and has a receiving device with a loading edge and a receiving region for receiving the tube pieces and a loading surface connecting the loading edge to the receiving region. The loading surface is inclined a direction from the loading edge to the receiving region about an angle of inclination. A pivotable storage cassette stores a multiplicity of tube pieces and is arranged in front of the loading edge and is configured to be pivoted about a pivot angle of the storage cassette in relation to a parallel of the horizontal. A lifter is provided for lifting the tube pieces out of the storage cassette and is configured to be moved in front of the loading edge such the lifter lifts the tube pieces onto the loading edge such that the tube pieces move along the loading surface into the receiving region.

Apparatus to feed bars (B) to one or more user machines located downstream, said apparatus comprising a support plane (11), a bar feed zone (12) located in proximity to one bar supply end (13) of said support plane (11), wherein said support plane (11) comprises a unit (14) to move said bars (B) in a direction of movement (Z) from and toward said bar feed zone (12).

A loose component supply device provided with component supply apparatus that stores multiple components, frame to which the component supply apparatus is detachably attached, claw member for locking the component supply apparatus to the frame, and a component support member that supports multiple component in a scattered state, the components having been ejected from an entrance of the component supply apparatus that is attached to the frame; the locking of the component supply apparatus to the frame is released by an operator grasping grip of the component supply apparatus. The component supply apparatus is swung, and with the swinging linking mechanism is operated such that shutter rotates downwards. That is, with the releasing of the locking of the component supply apparatus, the entrance of the component supply apparatus is covered by the shutter.

A nut transporting device includes: an outer cylinder, multiple attracting members that are arrayed in a spiral shape about a center axis extending in an axial direction of the outer cylinder, on an inner surface side of the outer cylinder and that form a magnetic field on an outer surface side of the outer cylinder to attract a weld nut to an outer surface of the outer cylinder; a rotary drive unit configured to rotatably move the attracting members about the center axis; and a restriction guide that restricts rotational movement of the weld nut to move the weld nut axially along the outer surface of the outer cylinder.

There is provided a device, system, and method for flexible feeding capable of being integrated into an assembly system. The device includes a disperser, a part retainer, a vibrator, an excess part removal device, a pick-and-placer, carriers, a transporter, a carrier inspection disc, a part remover, a gate, a transfer station, and re-entry tracks. The method includes dispersing parts, agitating parts, removing excess parts, picking captured parts, placing the captured parts into carriers, inspecting the carriers, positioning the carriers at a transfer station, and transferring the parts to a downstream processor. The system includes a flexible feeding device configured to perform flexible feeding operations, a data processor, and a medium having machine-readable instructions executable by the data processor and configured to cause the data processor to generate signals useful in the synchronization of two or more flexible feeding operations.

There is provided a device, system, and method for flexible feeding capable of being integrated into an assembly system. The device includes a disperser, a part retainer, a vibrator, an excess part removal device, a pick-and-placer, carriers, a transporter, a carrier inspection disc, a part remover, a gate, a transfer station, and re-entry tracks. The method includes dispersing parts, agitating parts, removing excess parts, picking captured parts, placing the captured parts into carriers, inspecting the carriers, positioning the carriers at a transfer station, and transferring the parts to a downstream processor. The system includes a flexible feeding device configured to perform flexible feeding operations, a data processor, and a medium having machine-readable instructions executable by the data processor and configured to cause the data processor to generate signals useful in the synchronization of two or more flexible feeding operations.

A loose component supply device provided with component supply apparatus that stores multiple components, frame to which the component supply apparatus is detachably attached, claw member for locking the component supply apparatus to the frame, and a component support member that supports multiple component in a scattered state, the components having been ejected from an entrance of the component supply apparatus that is attached to the frame; the locking of the component supply apparatus to the frame is released by an operator grasping grip of the component supply apparatus. The component supply apparatus is swung, and with the swinging linking mechanism is operated such that shutter rotates downwards. That is, with the releasing of the locking of the component supply apparatus, the entrance of the component supply apparatus is covered by the shutter.

An article feed system for aligning and singulating incoming articles includes a rotatable upper rim surface and an article delivery device that delivers articles received by the article delivery device to the upper rim surface. A drive system is operatively connected to the disk assembly that rotates the bowl assembly and the assemblies rotate at different speeds but in the same direction. A guide wall extends upwardly above the upper rim surface that guides the articles travelling along the upper rim surface toward an exit opening in the guide wall. A vertically oriented article engaging-type conveyor is at the exit opening in the guide wall. The vertically oriented article engaging-type conveyor includes a moving article engaging surface that is exposed to the exit opening in the guide wall for receiving the articles when they exit the exit opening.

A removal apparatus removes tube pieces and has a receiving device with a loading edge and a receiving region for receiving the tube pieces and a loading surface connecting the loading edge to the receiving region. The loading surface is inclined a direction from the loading edge to the receiving region about an angle of inclination. A pivotable storage cassette stores a multiplicity of tube pieces and is arranged in front of the loading edge and is configured to be pivoted about a pivot angle of the storage cassette in relation to a parallel of the horizontal. A lifter is provided for lifting the tube pieces out of the storage cassette and is configured to be moved in front of the loading edge such the lifter lifts the tube pieces onto the loading edge such that the tube pieces move along the loading surface into the receiving region.