Stock feeder with hydraulic shock absorber

Claim 1

A material handling apparatus for repetitively advancing or feeding stock material comprising: a. a frame having a front portion and rear portion and including a pair of laterally opposed hold clamp means mounted on said front portion and being operable for holding the stock material after advancement thereof, said hold clamp means being movable toward and away from each other to permit adjustment of the lateral spacing therebetween; b. movable feed block means for advancing the stock material and including a pair of laterally opposed feed clamp means mounted on the feed block means for engaging stock material at the beginning of a feed cycle and for releasing the stock material after advancement thereof; c. feed block guide means disposed between the front and rear portions of the frame for guiding the feed block means along a predetermined path; d. drive means coupled with the frame for moving the feed block means along said feed block guide means; e. control means for operating the drive means, the feed clamp means, and the hold clamp means, thereby to effect gripping of the stock material and movement of the stock material from a rearward position of the frame to a forward position of the frame; and f. adjustable stroke hydraulic shock absorbing means including: (i) hydraulic speed reducing means for reducing the speed of said movable feed block means at the forward and rearward positions of the stroke path thereof, (ii) adjustable front stop means carried by said front portion of said frame for engaging said hydraulic speed reducing means, said front stop means being adjustable in the direction of movement of said feed block means to adjust the longitudinal position at which said hydraulic speed reducing means begins to reduce the speed of movement of said movable feed block means during a forward stroke thereof, and (iii) adjustable rear stop means for engaging said hydraulic speed reducing means and coupled to and extending from said rear portion of said frame toward said front portion to adjust the longitudinal position at which said hydraulic speed reducing means begins to reduce the speed of movement of said movable feed block means during a rearward stroke thereof, said rear stop means including a fine adjustment member carried by said rear portion of said frame and movable relative thereto toward and away from said front portion, and adjustment means carried by the rear portion of the frame for moving said fine adjustment member, said adjustment means including a screw thread for precisely positioning the fine adjustment member to provide the desired length of travel of the movable feed block means.