Method to Feed Bars to a Working Machine and Relative Device

Abstract

A feeder device and method for feeding bars to a machine, for picking up and removing from a bundle at least one bar, to prepare it said bar for use in a working machine comprising a drawing assembly. The device comprises a first magnetic assembly for separating from the bundle at least an end segment of a plurality of bars and to dispose at least the end segments of the plurality of bars on a plane distanced with respect to the bundle, and a second magnetic assembly for picking up from the first magnetic assembly one bar at a time from the plurality of bars and to unload the bar in a desired release position. The device comprises an accumulation assembly for receiving in sequence from the second magnetic assembly a desired number of bars so as to form a store, and to transfer the desired number of bars simultaneously to the drawing assembly.

1 . A feeder device for bars, able to selectively pick up and remove from a bundle at least one bar to prepare said bar for use in a working machine comprising at least a drawing assembly, said device comprising first magnetic means able to separate from said bundle at least an end segment of a plurality of bars and to dispose at least the end segments of said plurality of bars on a plane distanced with respect to said bundle, and second magnetic means able to pick up from said first magnetic means at least one bar at a time from said plurality of bars and to unload said at least one bar in a desired release position, the device further comprising an accumulation assembly able to receive in sequence from said second magnetic means a desired number of bars so as to form a store, and to transfer said desired number of bars simultaneously to the drawing assembly. 
   
   
       2 . The device as in  claim 1 , wherein said accumulation assembly comprises at least a thruster element defining a supporting surface substantially parallel to the loading plane of said drawing assembly. 
   
   
       3 . The device as in  claim 2 , wherein said supporting surface has a start-of-cycle position substantially parallel and lowered with respect to the loading plane of the drawing assembly. 
   
   
       4 . The device as in  claim 2 , wherein said supporting surface has a start-of-cycle position substantially parallel and as an extension to the loading plane of the drawing assembly. 
   
   
       5 . The device as in  claim 2 , wherein said thruster element comprises a front edge facing upwards, the upper end of which is conformed as a lead-in slide to help said bars to dispose themselves on said supporting surface. 
   
   
       6 . The device as in  claim 2 , wherein said accumulation assembly comprises an abutment plate disposed substantially between said supporting surface and said drawing assembly, able to define the stand-by position of the bars forming the store before they are loaded into the drawing assembly. 
   
   
       7 . The device as in  claim 6 , wherein said abutment plate is mobile so as not to interfere with said thruster element at least during the loading step of said bars into the drawing assembly. 
   
   
       8 . The device as in  claim 2 , comprising at least a guide element cooperating with said drawing assembly and cooperating with said thruster element in positioning said bars inside said drawing assembly. 
   
   
       9 . The device as in  claim 1 , comprising at least a header element able to be selectively activated at least when a plurality of bars have been picked up by said first magnetic means and/or are disposed on said supporting surface. 
   
   
       10 . A method to feed bars, used to selectively pick up and remove from a bundle at least one bar to prepare said bar for use in a working machine comprising at least a drawing assembly, comprising a first step in which first magnetic means are brought close to said bundle in order to magnetically attract an end segment of a plurality of bars and distance them from said bundle, a second step in which second magnetic means are brought close to said first magnetic means in order to pick up from them at least a first from among said plurality of bars and are then distanced from them so as to dispose said at least one bar in a desired release position, wherein said second magnetic means sequentially perform a plurality of pick-up cycles in order to unload a desired number of bars in a pre-loading position so as to form a store in a position adjacent said drawing assembly. 
   
   
       11 . The method as in  claim 10 , comprising at least a step in which the bars that form said store are displaced simultaneously to the position of loading into said drawing assembly. 
   
   
       12 . The method as in  claim 11 , wherein said simultaneous loading provides an upward movement of alignment between the pre-loading position and the position of loading into the drawing assembly, and then a movement of lateral translation so as to insert the bars into the drawing assembly. 
   
   
       13 . The method as in  claim 11 , wherein the simultaneous loading provides a movement of lateral translation so as to insert the bars into the drawing assembly. 
   
   
       14 . The method as in  claim 10 , providing at least a step of heading the ends of the bars held raised by the first magnetic means and/or disposed in the pre-loading position. 
   
   
       15 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein during the pre-loading step of said bars into said pre-loading position, said drawing assembly feeds the bars loaded in the previous cycle to the working machine.