Abstract: Control means for a bar holder and feeder coupled to an automatic machine tool to hold bars for and feed bars to the machine tool and having feed means to feed a bar from the bar holder through a collet of the machine tool, the control means comprising counting means settable to a determined number; trip means operable when in a set position to trip the counting means once for each work piece machined; trigger means effective to move said trip means to the set position when a new length of bar is fed into the bar holder; and coupling means coupling the counting means to means controlling machining operation of the machine tool; said determined number being settable so that, after a number of workpieces equal to said determined number have been machined from a length of bar preceding said new length of bar, such that the remnant of said length of bar is not of sufficient length safely to permit machining of a further workpiece therefrom, the counting means cause the coupling means to stop the machine tool and

Abstract: A bar holder arrangement for holding bar stock material to be fed to a machine tool, comprising a plurality of guide members each having a semi-circular recess therein, said guide members co-operating each with another of said guide members in pairs to define a plurality of circular receiving means for bar stock material and each of said guide members being pivotably mounted about a respective axis perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the bar holder arrangement so as to be pivotable outwardly to permit passage between the co-operating pairs of guide members of a bar feed member having a diameter greater than the diameter defined by the circular receiving means of said pairs of guide members.

Abstract: A bar holder and feeder for an automatic machine tool comprising an elongated bar holder aligned with the machine tool, which bar holder can be opened to allow bar to be loaded thereinto; loading means to load bar into a loaded position in the bar holder; and a bar feeder positioned between the elongated bar holder and the machine tool, through an open collet of which machine tool bar is to be fed from the bar holder, the bar feeder comprising a sleeve engageable over a bar to be fed at a position externally of the machine tool and feed means to cause axial movement of the sleeve, the sleeve having internal biased gripping means which permit the sleeve to be moved by the feed means over the bar in a direction away from the machine tool but prevent the sleeve being moved by the feed means over the bar in a direction towards the machine tool, whereby a reciprocation of the sleeve by the feed means causes the bar to be fed to the machine tool, and means to prevent movement of the bar from the loaded position in