Machine for operating on elongated workpieces

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON ELONGATED WORKPIECES, THE COMBINATION OF, A BASE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A WORKPIECE, A SLIDE MOUNTED ON SAID BASE TO MOVE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM A PREDETERMINED POSITION, A TOOL OPERABLE TO CUT A WORKPIECE SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE, GRIPPING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SLIDE AND ADAPTED TO GRIP THE WORKPIECE AND ADVANCE THE SAME TOWARD SAID TOOL AS THE SLIDE MOVES TOWARD SAID POSITION, A PLURALITY OF STOP ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND SPACED APART TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE, SAID ELEMENTS BEING SPACED DIFFERENT DISTANCES FROM SAID POSITION, A SENSING DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID SLIDE TO MOVE TRANSVERSELY THEREOF FOR SELECTIVE ALINEMENT WITH SAID STOP ELEMENTS, SAID SENSING DEVICE AND THE SELECTED ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS PRODUCING A SIGNAL WHEN ADJACENT EACH OTHER, AND A REVERSIBLE POWER ACTUATOR OPERABLE TO MOVE SAID SLIDE AWAY FROM SAID POSI-