Abstract: The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus having a gripper for gripping a product, in particular a food product, having a gripper base, and having a gripper head fastened to the gripper base, wherein the gripper head comprises at least one suction device that can be acted on by vacuum and that can be brought into contact with a section, in particular an end section, of the product to suck it in, with the gripper head being releasably fastened to the gripper base.

Abstract: A muntin bar fabrication system can be used to efficiency produce a wide variety of different types of muntin bars, allowing the fabrication of both standard and custom muntin bar assemblies for doors, windows, and other fenestration products. In some examples, the fabrication system includes a muntin bar stock storage assembly that holds multiple different types of muntin bar stock. The system also includes a muntin bar stock extraction device that extracts one of the different types of muntin bar stock from the storage assembly and conveys the extracted muntin bar stock to a feed device. The feed device feeds the extracted piece of muntin bar stock into a cutting system that includes a multi-axis cutter. The cutting system that performs one or more cutting operations on the extracted muntin bar stock so as to fabricate one or more individual muntin bars from the extracted muntin bar stock.

Abstract: Under a state in which a long material (structural steel (A)) is sandwiched by pinch rollers (drive roller (21) and idle rollers (22)) of a pinch roller apparatus (20), the drive roller (21) is driven to rotate, and the structural steel (A) is conveyed forward. When a rear end portion of the structural steel (A) reaches a vicinity of the pinch roller apparatus (20), the rear end portion of the structural steel (A) is held by a holding portion (32) provided at a front end portion of a feed bar (36) of a feed bar device (30), and the feed bar (36) is caused to slide toward a working machine. Consequently, the structural steel (A) is conveyed forward through the pinch roller apparatus (20) and is positioned.

Abstract: A freeze dryer comprises a chamber having a rectangular slot through which vials are inserted into the chamber. An assembly for loading and/or unloading the chamber comprises a transfer bar extending across the slot. The bar is pivotally attached at each end to first and second flat springs, each spring being wound on a respective rotatably mounted spool located proximate the slot. Drive means are provided for synchronously rotating the spools to effect movement of the bar into or out from the chamber and for selectively rotating the spools to raise or lower the bar.

Abstract: A freeze-drying apparatus has a chamber (3) in which are located superposed charging plates (4) as well as loading and unloading equipment. The chamber has a loading aperture (2) equipped with closing doors (11, 12) through which the charging plates (4) are loaded. Equipment for loading the charging plates (4) with containers (5) is positioned in front of the loading aperture (2) and comprises a conveyor belt (6) which serves to supply the containers (5) and a transfer table (7) which is movable between an operating position and an idle position. The transfer table bridges a gap between conveyor belt (6) and the charging plate (4). A loading slider (8) provides push-wise transfer of a plurality of the containers (5) from the conveyor belt (6) via the transfer table (7) onto the charging plate (4).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for feeding motor vehicle body parts (4, 5) having passage openings (6) which are preferably closed on their periphery through a protective fencing (2) having a fence opening (3). The feeding device (7) comprises at least one support (8) on which the components are placed by means of the passage openings (6) outside the protective fencing (2) or are fed together with the support (8). The feeding device (7) also comprises a supporting device (9) having a plurality of spaced apart and individually mobile and controllable gripper devices (18, 19) for alternately retaining and releasing the support (8), thereby allowing the components to be transported along the support (8) through the protective fencing (2) while being separated.

Abstract: A bar feeder includes a feeder tube mounted on a machine base, a transmission mechanism, a driving mechanism having a rotary shaft, a projecting rod connected to the driving mechanism and rotatable with the rotary shaft to engage or disengage from the transmission mechanism, a pushing rod, and a driven mechanism rotatable with the rotary shaft to move the pushing rod into engagement or away from the transmission mechanism. When the pushing rod and the transmission mechanism are coupled together, the pushing rod is movable along the feeder tube, and the projecting rod is disengaged from the transmission mechanism and moved away from the feeder tube. When the pushing rod and the transmission mechanism are disconnected, the pushing rod is not movable along the feeder tube, and the projecting rod is coupled to the transmission mechanism and movable along the feeder tube.

Abstract: A feeding device includes a rail with a feeding unit and a pushing unit located on two sides of the rail. The feeding unit has a transverse member on which the cylindrical pieces are located and a pivotable arm pivotably connected to the transverse member to push the cylindrical pieces. The pushing unit has at least one connection member connected to the rail and a slot is defined through the connection member. A pushing member is pivotably connected to the connection member and a bolt extends through the pushing member and the slot so that the pushing member can be pivoted along the second slot when in maintenance.

Abstract: A workpiece feeder adapted to feed workpieces to the processing main shaft of a cutting metal-working machine individually is disclosed to include a frame base adapted to carry individual workpieces, a conveyer, two striking blocks fixedly fastened to the conveyer, a power drive controlled by a control box to move workpieces to the feeding position one after another and to rotate the conveyer, causing the striking blocks to force individual workpieces to the processing main shaft of the cutting metal-working machine one after another through a workpiece guide.

Abstract: A folding, straight-line, workpiece guide for a saw having a base, a saw blade extending vertically through the base, and a feed path relative to the saw blade. The workpiece guide comprises an elongated table which can be collapsed into a folded configuration or set up and locked into a working configuration. A carriage is constructed and arranged to support multiple elongated workpieces and to slide along the foldable table. The foldable table has multiple chassis sections pivotally connected to one another, adjustable legs, connectors for connecting the table to the base of the saw parallel to the feed path of the saw, and a guide track for guiding the carriage along the table when the table is in the working configuration.

Abstract: A bar feeder for feeding a machine tool, comprising at least one guide that forms a channel along which the bar to be fed is made to advance by way of a bar pusher connected, through a bridge, to a carriage that is guided parallel to the channel and is actuated by a linear electric motor.

Abstract: A feeder system for feeding objects to object-carriers of a machine for processing the objects, in particular a printing machine, includes a reciprocating finger for pushing each object directly towards an object-carrier to place the object on the object-carrier; the finger being carried by a reciprocating carriage slidably mounted on a chassis and rotatably mounted on the carriage so that it can occupy at least an operational position in which it can push an object when it is moved and a retracted position in which it can avoid an object when it is moved.

Abstract: A system for processing elongate workpieces. The system consists of a first machining unit for performing a first processing operation on an elongate workpiece that is situated at a first location and a second machining unit for performing a second processing operation on an elongate workpiece that is situated at a second location that is vertically spaced from the first location. The system further consists of a first supply unit on which a plurality of elongate workpieces can be placed in a stored position. A transfer assembly engages an elongate workpiece in a stored position and selectively delivers an elongate a workpiece engaged by the transfer assembly to one of the first and second locations.

Abstract: A pneumatic bar feeding apparatus for advancing a length of bar stock to a CNC center machine for processing and including a pair of concentric tubular members which are housed in a housing supported by a pair of vertical spaced apart support stands. The inner tubular member is spaced from the interior surface of the outer tubular member by at least three bearing and bushing devices which are located at three separate locations. A rear end of the inner tubular member is airtightly sealed so that air pressure does not leak out. An actuating assembly is movably installed within the inner tubular member and includes a slidable piston, a rod connected to the piston and a coil spring which surrounds the rod and biasing the rod from entering into a bar carrier which is also movably installed within the inner tubular member. The bar carrier comprises a plurality of step-down interior portions for accommodating a plurality of different size diameters of the bar stock.

Abstract: A bar feeder for an automatic lathe provided with a carriage which feeds, by a certain extent, into the bar guiding channel the bar fed from a magazine before the bar is pushed towards the lathe by the bar pusher.

Abstract: A system for delivering elongate workpieces to a point of use. The delivering system has a first storage unit for a supply of a first type of elongate workpiece, a second storage unit for a supply of a second type of elongate workpiece, a pickup unit for selectively picking up elongate workpieces one-by-one from the first and second storage units, and a guide system for guidingly moving the pickup unit with a workpiece picked up thereby to a predetermined transfer location.

Abstract: A simple wire probe is positioned between work stations of a multi-spindle automatic screw machine so that, when the spindles of the machine are indexed, the probe is contacted by the distal end of a properly-sized workpiece and a signal is sent to a conventional programmable logic controller ("PLC"). At the initiation of each cyclical indexing of the machine's spindles, an electronic timing "window" is opened in the PLC and, so long as the signal is received from the probe while the timing window is open, the PLC permits the machine's cyclical operations to continue. If, however, no signal is received during the preset time interval, indicating a "short part", the PLC is programmed to stop the machine drive and to provide a sensible indication (e.g., a flashing light) to call to the attention of the machine operator. The location of the probe does not limit the normal use or operation of any tool at any work station of the machine.

Abstract: A bar feeder support has two longitudinally spaced swivel mounts for supporting longitudinally spaced portions of a cylindrical body for both sliding and swivel movement. The cylindrical body supports a feed tube for feeding a bar stock to a lathe. The front swivel mount, which is closest to the lathe, also has a clamp arrangement for clamping the cylindrical body against movement. The swivel mounts allow the cylindrical body to swivel sufficiently to slide from a position in which its longitudinal axis is aligned with an axis of a spindle of the lathe and an access position in which a new bar stock may be disposed in the feed tube, the feed tube may be removed from the cylindrical body, and another feed tube may be loaded into the cylindrical body.

Abstract: A loading shell is carried by a movable arm so that a billet to be extruded can be brought from a loading station (furnace) into line with the extrusion axis, between a billet container and a die, extrusion stem or die stem. A pusher which pushes the billet into the container is mounted, together with its displacement drive, on the carrying arm. The pusher is in the form of a carriage which is equipped with an extension and is movable along guide rails parallel to the extrusion axis. The guide rails are connected to form part of the loading shell, which part is equipped with bearings for a drive wheel, a deflection wheel and a tension wheel of a chain drive. The chain drive comprises a driving chain which is connected to the carriage and which has a width amounting to 3 to 9 times the pitch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bar guide device for bar feeders in machine tools. The device has a plurality of guiding units which are longitudinally aligned. Each guiding unit has a pair of sprockets which are rotatable and have polygonal peripheral grooves. The grooves are constituted by semicylindrical recesses which have different diameters and form, in the mutually opposite position, a guiding channel for a bar to be fed toward the machine tool.

Abstract: A loading device comprises a pusher for feeding a bar along a guide towards a lathe spindle. The pusher comprises a first thrust part (16, 116) which is constrained to traversing means (14) along, said path. Said first part comprises a constraint element (18, 118) for coupling with a complementary constraint element (19, 119) located on a second and removable pusher part (17, 117) which constitutes the axial extension of the first part along the guides. The two elements (18, 118, 19, 119) extend axially between the first and second parts and have their transverse dimension within the transverse dimension of the guide to run therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading and unloading components such as circuit boards from a transport unit to a work station. The apparatus includes a flexible tape which is wound on a storage drum and selectively extended or retracted relative to the drum. Components are included to drive the drum, elevate the extended tape, sense the position of the tape and the like.

Abstract: A device (10) for loading bars in an automatic lathe comprises a pusher (13) with handling means (15,18) to push axially the leading end of a bar (12) into a lathe chuck (11) to be grasped by lathe means (21) moving parallel to the bar axis to feed the bar under machining tools (31). The pusher (13) with its own handling means (15,18) is supported on a truck (24) moving along guides parallel to the direction of movement of the bar (12). The truck (24) comprises connection means (30) to be constrained to the lathe bar-feed means for moving synchronously therewith.

Abstract: A tube loading assembly for use in loading a tube on a flexible mandrel of a tube bending machine; said assembly comprising mandrel receiving means for receiving said mandrel; mandrel alignment means for aligning said received mandrel to be co-axial with said tube; and means for feeding said tube on said co-axially aligned mandrel. The assembly is of use with tubes to be bent for use in automotive exhaust systems, heat exchangers and aircraft hydraulic systems, and provides for improved automatic loading speeds.

Abstract: Apparatus for an automatic bar feeder is given which provides fluid to the space between the barstock and guide tube having a pump integral to the piston pusher to control pressure on the barstock being fed to the machine tool.

Abstract: A pressure stabilizing apparatus is given which is capable of storing and supplying the volume of hydraulic fluid needed for rapid advances as well as accepting displaced hydraulic fluid required for rapid retractions in a barfeed apparatus. This pressure stabilizing apparatus or surge-accumulator device demonstrates the advantage of eliminating excessive force, which could damage the headstock, cause increased vibration and noise, and also prevents loss of contact with the bar end, all of which limit the speed of the spindle, and reduce productivity.

Abstract: A machine for automatically loading elongated bars into an automatic screw machine. Each bar initially is advanced at a rapid rate and with relatively low force by a first fluid-operated actuator. When the leading end of the bar reaches the feed finger of the screw machine, a second fluid-operated actuator advances the bar at a slower speed and with relatively high force. A measuring device measures the distance through which the bar is advanced by the second actuator and automatically stops the advance when the leading end of the bar is located in a predetermined position.

Abstract: An apparatus for presenting a curved workpiece to a workstation, includes a frame member and a guide channel associated with the frame member for receiving a curved workpiece in a generally upright position. A first pusher mechanism is reciprocally movable in a transverse direction relative to the guide channel for engaging and positioning the workpiece against a bearing surface of the guide channel. A second pusher mechanism is advanceable within the guide channel to engage the workpiece and to advance the workpiece to the workstation. The apparatus has particular application in the manufacture of curved surgical needles.

Abstract: A bar feeder for a machine tool, comprising a first guide and first pushing member for feeding bars in alignment with a spindle of the machine. A second bar guide and a second pushing member are laterally arranged to the first pushing member. A drive slidably moves the pushing members in a feeding direction of the bars. The first pushing member and second pushing member conjointly with the second bar guide are reciprocally alignable with the first guide. A programmable control unit (PLC) sequentially actuates the pushing members in an aligned condition with the first guide to forward a bar and insert it in a spindle maintaining an inoperative condition of the machine, and to forward by steps the bar along the spindle at each working cycle of the machine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a guide-bar tube for an automatic lather. The guide-bar tube includes a centering traveler comprising balls distributed in two parallel planes in a manner which allows the centering traveler to be locked either to the guide-bar tube or to the rod of a feed piston. This arrangement allows the displacement of the feed piston both for advancing the bar stock towards the lather and for retraction of the piston towards the rear of the device by vacuum. The presence of the traveller, which is normally mounted on the rod of the feed piston, eliminates buckling and floating of the bar stock and of the feeder rod in the guide-bar tube. This structure results in a considerable increase in the number of turns of the bar and a great reduction of noise.

Abstract: Component feeder for feeding comonents (8) from a tube magazine (2) comprises a pusher (44) on the end of a flexible steel tape (48) which extends from a tape housing (52). A filled tube (2) is supported on retractable pins (30, 30') in alignment with the pusher (44) and in alignment with a pickup station. The tape (48) is fed by feed rolls (50) so that the pusher (44) moves through the tube magazine (2) and feeds the components (8) along a guide track (36) to the pickup station. When the tube supported on pins (30, 30') is empty, the pusher (44) is retracted to its housing, the pins (30, 30') are retracted, and the empty tube falls on a conveyor belt (88) which carries it from the machine. A full tube (2) is then dropped onto the pins (30, 30') by a further pair of pins (32, 32') and (34, 34') which are moved between extended and retracted positions to control the movement of the filled tube which is supplied from an inventory of filled tubes supported on the pins (32, 32').

Abstract: The bar-pusher actuation device for bar feeders applied to machine tools includes a linear actuator composed of a chain with which the bar-pusher is associated and which is closed around a pair of fixed pinions and a pair of gearwheels which are movable with respect to the pinions. The pair of gearwheels is mounted on a slider which is slidable parallel to the direction of advancement of the bar. The slider is actuated by a jack adapted to perform a reciprocating stroke which substantially corresponds to the length of the portion of bar to be machined.

Abstract: A handling unit for axially transporting elongated objects from a first location to a second location such as from a feed table into a machining unit where machining operations are to be performed upon the object. A feed table, or corresponding depository, supports a plurality of the objects to be transported in parallel relationship, and provision is made to advance the objects so that a single object is placed in a pickup location. An axially movable push rod then engages the end of the object when desired to accomplish the axial transport. This push rod is operated by a rod-less cylinder such that the cylinder and the push rod are in parallel alignment thereby reducing the length of the device to the length of the cylinder. Various embodiments are described, together with that of an "unloader" to receive the objects after machining and place them on a receiving table or the like.

Abstract: A bar feeder for machine tools, comprising at least first and second carriages for bearing the bars, the carriages being movable along guide rods which are supported at their ends so as to freely oscillate with the carriages and the bar. The guide rods bear the carriages by sliding bushes which maintain the bars parallel and at a suitable distance from one another during oscillations. A supplementary bar guide comprising a bar pushing member is supported between a position coaxially arranged with the supporting carriages and a side or underlying position.

Abstract: A high shelf system and a conveyor arrangement including a vertical mast ucture which is movable in longitudinal direction of a corridor between shelf racks. The mast structure includes load receiving members which can be aligned with the shelf compartments. The load receiving members are displaceable perpendicularly to the shelf corridor. A load receiving member is fixedly arranged on the mast structure for each shelf level. At least one loading and unloading station is provided for the conveyor arrangement for vertically moving units to be stored between a storage input and output level and the shelf compartments. Each load receiving member carries on a rigid platform a transverse conveyor device which is adjustable along the entire length of the platform and beyond each end of the platform. The transverse conveyor device includes a slide or carriage. A linear drive arranged on the platform acts on the slide. The slide has at both ends thereof locking members for the units to be stored.

Abstract: A bending apparatus has a fixed supply head, a movable bending head, a material feeding device, a sliding device, and a swinging device for sliding and swinging the movable bending head. The sliding device and the swinging device slide and swing the movable bending head against the fixed supply head and arrange the movable bending head in an accurate position and angle. The material-feeding device continuously feeds a material through channels of both the fixed supply head and the movable bending head. Because of the swinging ability of the bending apparatus, the material is bent between the heads with accuracy.

Abstract: A freight transportation system is provided and comprises a loading station, an unloading station and a vehicle moveable therebetween to transport freight. The vehicle includes a lower platform for carrying freight and a pair of doors moveable between open and closed positions. In the closed position, the doors constitute side walls to prevent removal of the freight from the vehicle. In the open position, the doors are located to facilitate removal of the freight from the vehicle. The unloading station includes a door moving mechanism for moving the doors of the vehicle to the open position upon its arrival at the station. A freight removal device moves the freight off of one side of the platform when the doors are moved to the open position.

Abstract: The multiple-channel guiding device for bar-loaders of automatic machine tools comprises an elongated body, peripherally defining a plurality of grooves with different diameters and being rotatable about its own longitudinal axis so as to move one of the grooves to a loading position aligned with the work axis of the machine tool; a plurality of covers co-operating with the grooves so as to define, in their closure position, respective guiding channels for the bar to be machined, the covers being openable to insert the bar; a chute for inserting the bar in the guiding channel arranged in loading position; a bar pusher element slidably actuated inside the channel to advance the bar toward the machine tool.

Abstract: The device for controlling the facing of a bar on an automatic lathe for machining bars, comprises a bar-pusher actuated by a traction element to cause the advancement of a bar towards the lathe, a carriage slideable on a guide parallel to the traction element, a hook for intercepting the carriage in a bar loading position, a clutch adapted to keep the bar-pusher rigidly associated with the carriage when the carriage is free to slide on the guide and to allow the bar-pusher to move with respect to the carriage when the carriage is intercepted. The hook is controlled by a sensor adapted to detect the end of a bar to be machined at the entry point of the lathe and to control the hook during free sliding of the carriage. A further sensor is provided to actuate the bar-pusher in the bar facing position.

Abstract: The device comprises a box-like body inside which two shoes are slideable and are actuated in opposition. A shoe is compsed of a plate which has a guiding opening for a gib of the other shoe. Brackets are rigidly and protrudingly associated with the top of the gib and with the lower end of the plate and bear respective jaws which are adapted, in jaw closure position, to define a guiding duct for a bar and, in opening position, a passage for the bar-pusher. The opposite actuation of the shoes is actuated by a shaft controlled by a fluidodynamic jack having arms which bear wheels acting between the bracket supported by the gib and a protrusion of the plate.

Abstract: A stock pusher for a bar feed apparatus includes an improved bar gripping collet in which the bar gripping force applied by the collet may be easily adjusted in the field.

Abstract: A multiple reagent test strip-reading instrument having rails extending from a loading area to one or more reading station platforms and then to a waste receptacle, a reciprocating blotter arm which contacts individual reagent strips sequentially placed transversely on the rails in the loading area, moving individual strips along the rails to an indexing strip advancing mechanism which intermittently advances the strips along the rails in spaced parallel relation, and after each advance, allows the strips to dwell for a predetermined time period; individual test strips being thereby sequentially delivered to reading position on the reading station platform where, during the dwell period, they are read by reflectance photometry. After reading, the strips are moved to the waste receptacle.

Abstract: In order to permit the use of bars of material to be machined without a piminary preparation of the rearward end of the bar being necessary, the pusher head presents ribs extending inwardly, and the surfaces of which directed toward the axis form cone portions. Between these ribs are free spaces where possible burrs may lodge. The ribs include shearing edges for eliminating the burrs if the burr is located on a rib, rather than in the free space. Furthermore, the angle of conicity is small. Thus, a rear bar face in rough state, not having been prepared by straightening or taper turning, does not express itself by any appreciable decentering.

Abstract: The device comprises a barrel which is indexed by a multi-spindle lathe at each machining operation. The barrel comprises guiding tubes for the bars to be machined which are in rotation in a fluid delivered between the guiding tube and the bar by pipes connected by tubular shafts to a fluid distributor having inlets connected to different sources of pressure. The feed of the bar is controlled exclusively by a feeding piston under the action of the pressure of the fluid delivered by extension tubes located at the rear of the guiding tubes and maintained in alignment with the latter by sliding rings which ensure the tightness between the tubes.

Abstract: A bar stock guiding device for use with automatic lathes comprises two cushions which have the shape of semicylindrical annuli. The cushions are applied against each other in a recess of a freely rotatable sleeve. This sleeve is located between the lathe and a tube of the guiding device which contains the bar of stock fed to the lathe. The sleeve normally rotates with the bar of stock, because the opening appearing between the cushions is adjusted with minimal small free play only to avoid whipping of the bar in the cushions and the propagation of vibrations to the stock bar part extending in the working area of the tools. When the pusher passes through the sleeve, it ejects the cushions out of the sleeve recess. Before this ejection occurs, a braking mechanism reduces the speed of rotation of the sleeve to a substantial extent.

Abstract: A rod-supply arrangement is described, comprising a guide tube containing oil and mounted in a support and a feed rod movable axially in the guide tube and coupled to a feed drive, the forward end of the feed rod carrying a rotatable coupling element, and also with an oil-supply pipe and an oil-return pipe. In order to obtain such an arrangement which requires little space and has a substantially simplified charging of the guide tube with always a new rod of material, in connection with which the stocking of the rods of material is not restricted to a prescribed number of existing guide tubes, provision is made for the guide tube to consist of a guide channel formed in the support and coupled with at least one oil-supply pipe and of an upwardly swingable cover extending throughout the length of the guide channel, oil being supplied through the oil-supply pipe during the feeding of the material rod in the closed guide tube of the guide channel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for automatically successively inserting a plurality of U-shaped heat transfer tubes into holes of support members of an equipment such as a heat exchanger. The system has fixing means for removably fixing the support members such that the corresponding holes of the support members are axially aligned; gripping means adapted to pick up one of the heat transfer tubes and movable to bring the heat transfer tube toward the holes of supporting members; a positioning means disposed between the gripping means and the fixing means and adapted to hold the gripped heat transfer tube horizontally and to make the same align with the holes in the support members; and control means operatively connected to the gripping means and the positioning means so as to sequentially control the operation of both means in a predetermined sequence. The system operates as follows under the control of the control means. The gripping means grips the heat transfer tube and raises the same.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for feeding elongated products, such as feeding large sausage chubs or loafs to a slicer, which apparatus includes a transport for engaging such elongated products during the feed mode. At the end of the feeding mode, the transport is disengaged from its feed mechanism and is rapidly retracted by a drive assembly to a location for re-engagement with the transport feed assembly. The transport drive assembly may include dual drive members such as ball screws and ball screw nuts which are synchronized such that as one ball screw nut moves toward the front of the apparatus, the other moves toward the rear of the apparatus.

Abstract: A machine for forming a smooth surface on a cylindrical log workpiece as it is moved longitudinally past a cutting station which includes both shaping and planing blades. The same cutting pass also includes a cove cutting operation to cut a longitudinal cove cut on the surface of the log workpiece and a plurality of transverse saddle cuts across the log workpiece.

Abstract: A workpiece feed device for lathes wherein an elongated workpiece is supported solely at the opposed end areas thereof. The workpiece extends through the lathe spindle feed opening with one end being clampingly engaged thereat and the other end being supported by a workpiece pusher. This pusher is selectively movable by drive means linearly along a workpath so as to sequentially feed the workpiece into the lathe. The pusher is supported by a plurality of roller sets so that it may freely rotate coaxially about the workpath and the roller sets are positioned in a generally surrounding relationship with the pusher so that any lateral pusher movement relative to the workpath is substantially limited or eliminated. Also, the roller sets and pusher are dimensioned to cooperate with each other at some predetermined radial distance from the workpath so that the workpiece is supported over its length solely at the opposite end areas thereof.