Machine tool

Claim 1

IN A TRANSFER AND HANDLING APPARATUS FOR CIRCULAR EDGE SUPPORTED WORKPIECES REQUIRED CONTINUOUS SUPPORT TO PREVENT LATERAL TIPPING IN EITHER DIRECTION: A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GUIDEWAY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL SPACED APART UPPER AND LOWER GUIDE RAILS CONSTITUTING A TRANSFER PATHWAY FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING A CIRCULAR WORKPIECE ON EDGE IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG; A STATION ALONG SAID TRANSFER PATHWAY AT WHICH A WORKPIECE MAY BE REMOVED OR INSERTED OUT OF OR INTO SAID TRANSFER PATHWAY SELECTIVELY, SAID STATION COMPRISING A LATERALLY MOVABLE FRAME MEMBER; A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART ROTATABLE SUPPORT ROLLERS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND DISPOSED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID LOWER GUIDE RAIL TO COOPERATE WITH SAID LOWER GUIDE RAIL TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS PATHWAY, SAID SUPPORT ROLLERS BEING FURTHER OPERABLE TO SUPPORT A CIRCULAR WORKPIECE ON EDGE IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION IN A MANNER THAT THE WORKPIECE MAY BE ROTATED ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS; LATERAL GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND OPERABLE TO PREVENT LATERAL TIPPING MOVEMENT IN EITHER DIRECTION OF A CIRCULAR WORKPIECE SUPPORTED ON EDGE ON SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS; A CLAMPING MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A WORKPIECE SUPPORTED ON SAID ROLLERS, SAID CLAMPING MEMBER IN COOPERATION WITH SAID SUPPORT ROLLERS BEING OPERABLE TO SECURELY CLAMP A WORKPIECE THEREBETWEEN; POWER MEANS CONNECTED TO ACTUATE SAID CLAMPING MEMBER IN A CLAMPING OR RELEASING ACTION SELECTIVELY; A POWER DRIVEN TRANSFER MECHANISM OPERABLE TO ENGAGE AND ADVANCE EDGE SUPPORTED CIRCULAR WORKPIECES ALONG SAID TRANSFER PATHWAY INTO POSITION ON SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS; AND, SECOND POWER MEANS CONNECTED TO MOVE SAID FRAME MEMBER WITH A WORKPIECE SECURED THERETO LATERALLY OUT OF SAID TRANSFER PATHWAY.