Apparatus for the automatic stepwise displacement and changing of

Abstract

A vertical magazine well accommodates a plurality of magazines lying on each other so that they can move downwardly under the action of gravity. Each magazine accommodates a plurality of strip-like workpieces at predetermined intervals above each other and which at a withdrawal or loading station level can be withdrawn from or inserted into the magazine by displacement in a longitudinal direction. Accommodated in the magazine well is a pair of cylindrical drums having vertical axes about which they are rotated in synchronism with each other by a step-drive mechanism. The surface of each drum has a helical array of pins projecting radially therefrom and which can be projected in turn into the vertical path of movement of a magazine in the magazine well. Initially, a magazine is supported by the uppermost pins of the helical arrays of the two drums and in this position the lowermost strip-like member in the magazine can be withdrawn from (or loaded into) the magazine at the loading station. Successive step rotation of the drums transfers the magazine to succeedingly lower pins of the helical arrays allowing successive strip-like members to be withdrawn from (or inserted into) the magazine. When the magazine rests on the lowermost pins of the two helical arrays, the next rotation step releases the magazine permitting it to be released from the magazine well and a following magazine to be supported by the uppermost pins of the two helical arrays for a loading or unloading operation to be carried out. Magazines can thus be unloaded or loaded in an automatic manner with automatic magazine changing involving substantially no loss of time.