Advance feeder for bar stock to machine tools

Abstract

A device for advancing and feeding a bar (2) to a machine tool, comprising: a plurality of tubular elements (3), each adapted to receive a respective bar (2) in the longitudinal direction; at least one first carriage unit (4) and a second carriage unit (5) supporting the tubular element (3) and longitudinally movable on the drum structure (6) to move the tubular element (3) parallel to the advancing direction (A) of the bar (2); The drum structure (6) has a front end (E) adapted to be positioned adjacent to the spindle of a machine tool. A ) to the rear end (E R ) and Each tubular element (3) is provided with a feed finger unit (7) suitable for clamping and tensioning the respective bar (2) and advancing it in the bar advance direction (A). [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for advancing a bar stock into a machine tool, in particular an automatic lathe. [Background technology]

[0002] Apparatuses for automatically feeding bar stock into a lathe spindle are known which include a longitudinally extending support drum supporting a plurality of releasable guides for the bar stock, the support drum being adapted to rotate about its longitudinal axis.

[0003] The releasable guides are arranged both longitudinally along the drum and the latter circumferentially.

[0004] Each releasable guide comprises a fixed part, i.e. attached to a stationary part on the drum, and a part which is movable transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the drum.

[0005] The movable parts are movable by means of a suitable mechanism, first moved away and then moved closer to the respective fixed parts to insert the bar material which must be guided during machining.

[0006] A plurality of bar pushing members are further provided, the bar pushing members being supported axially movably on the rear of the elongated drum, each bar pushing member being arranged to push into the lathe, each bar pushing member becoming a respective bar along a relative group of the longitudinally aligned releasable guides.

[0007] The bar pusher then exerts a thrust force on the rear intervening, i.e. rear end, of the bar, i.e. the end of the bar further away from the spindle of the machine tool through which it must be fed.

[0008] Therefore, once the bar feed is complete, the bar pusher must be returned fully to the rear end of the apparatus, traveling the entire longitudinal dimension of the support drum so as not to interfere with or delay the loading of subsequent bars.

[0009] In order to be able to insert a new bar, the bar pushing member thus needs to retract substantially through the entire stroke and return to a position further upstream in the feed direction, which significantly slows down the operating time of the device.

[0010] Another drawback of this device, in addition to its unsatisfactory operating time, is that it is structurally rather complex and therefore involves rather high manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the provision of a bar pusher acting on the rear of the bar unfortunately necessarily involves an increase in the overall longitudinal dimensions due to the operating space required by the bar pusher.

[0011] A further limitation of the device is linked to the action of retracting the residual part at the end of the feeding cycle. Since the bar is pushed backwards and therefore has the possibility of moving in only one direction, i.e., towards the machine tool, the residual part must necessarily be ejected beyond the front end of the drum, i.e., in the zone intervening between the feeding device and the spindle of the machine tool, and fall out. Obviously, the risk that the residual part may damage the spindle in this zone or have a negative effect on the machining task performed by the machine tool cannot be excluded.

[0012] The structural complexity of the just-disclosed device inevitably entails greater reliability problems with resulting costly maintenance.

[0013] The structural complexity caused by the releasable guides complicates possible maintenance or part replacement operations and therefore inevitably leads to long machine downtimes and consequent financial losses for the user. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is to improve and simplify, both structurally and functionally, the apparatus for feeding and advancing machine tool bar stock.

[0015] Another object is to provide an apparatus for advancing and feeding bar stock with higher operating speeds which can significantly reduce bar stock feeding cycle times.

[0016] A further object is to provide a device for advancing and feeding bar stock which has a simplified construction, lower manufacturing costs and shorter maintenance times than known devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] The above can be achieved by an apparatus for advancing and feeding a bar to a machine tool as set forth in claim 1.

[0018] The present invention overcomes the above drawbacks.

[0019] In particular, the device according to the invention is structurally configured in an advantageously simplified manner with respect to devices of the prior art, which entails increased mechanical reliability and also reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0020] The particular configuration of the device, by guiding and accommodating the tubular elements, makes it possible to minimize possible deflections of the rotating bar, especially in the case of thin bars, i.e. bars with a very reduced cross section. In addition, thanks to the feed finger unit, the loading and feeding of the bar is significantly simplified and accelerated, and it is possible to eject the remaining parts of the bar inside the volume limited by the device, thus far away from the spindle of the machine tool, which is thus protected from the risk of possible damage.

[0021] Further features and advantages will be apparent from the appended claims and the specification.

[0022] The invention can be better understood and put into practice with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments thereof by way of the following non-limiting examples, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention, mounted on a frame from which some parts such as the housing and protective casing have been removed for better clarity; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the main part of the drive device for driving the apparatus. [Figure 4-2] 5 shows another embodiment of the drive device of FIG. 4. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5-2] 10 shows a portion of the feed finger unit. [Figure 6] 1A-1C show two different views of a drum structure into which two carriages of the device are slidably fitted. [Figure 7] 1A-1C show two different views of a drum structure into which two carriages of the device are slidably fitted. [Figure 8] 8 is a longitudinal cross section taken along plane VIII-VIII of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 2A-2C show two different views of the carriage of the device. [Figure 10] 2A-2C show two different views of the carriage of the device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partial view of the carriage taken along plane XI-XI of FIG. 10; [Figure 12] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 13] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 14] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 15] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 16] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 17] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 18] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 19] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 20] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 21] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 22] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. [Figure 23] 1 shows the sequence of steps for the operation of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] With reference to the attached drawings, there is shown an apparatus 1 for automatically feeding bar stock 2 to a machine tool, in particular a lathe, which may be of the single-spindle or multi-spindle type. By way of example, a single-spindle type lathe is configured to carry out one machining task on one bar stock at a time, whereas a multi-spindle type lathe makes it possible to machine several bars simultaneously or to subject the bar stock to subsequent machining tasks of different types, i.e., it has several machining stations with the same tools or even with tools that differ from one another.

[0025] The apparatus 1 is provided with a support frame 40 with panels (not shown) to cover and protect the internal components.

[0026] The device 1 has an end adapted to be placed adjacent to the spindle of a lathe, with its longitudinal axis aligned on, or in any case parallel to, the axis of rotation of the spindle to which it is supplied during operation.

[0027] The device 1 comprises several tubular elements 3 suitable for longitudinally accommodating each bar 2 to be fed, and at least one first carriage unit 4, i.e., front carriage unit 4, and a second carriage unit 5, or rear carriage unit 5, arranged to support these tubular elements 3.

[0028] The first carriage unit 4 and the second carriage unit 5 are each composed of a plurality of carriage elements 15 that are either integrated with each other or separated from each other and independent of each other.

[0029] Each tubular element 3 is, more precisely, a hollow cylindrical bar. Advantageously, therefore, the tubular element 3, acting as a continuous containing cylinder, has a very simplified structural configuration.

[0030] The first carriage unit 4 and the second carriage unit 5 are longitudinally movable on the drum structure 6 to move the tubular element 3 in the advancing direction A of the bar 2 .

[0031] The drum structure 6 has a front end E adapted to be positioned adjacent to the spindle of a machine tool. A From the rear end E R until it extends away from the spindle and therefore away from the machine tool.

[0032] Each tubular element 3 is provided with a feed finger unit 7, which will be better disclosed below, suitable for clamping and pulling the respective bar 2 so as to advance the bar 2 in an advancing direction A.

[0033] Each feed finger unit 7 is fitted into the front end 8 of a respective tubular element 3 and is brought close to the spindle of the machine tool.

[0034] Each tubular element 3 has a length L T The length L of the conductor 10 is equal to or greater than half the length L of the conductor 10.

[0035] This configuration allows the tubular element 3 to house the bar 2 over a considerable length, isolating it from the outside. This is particularly noticeable when the bar 2 has a greatly reduced cross section, i.e. is very thin and is therefore subject to bending due to the centrifugal action during rotation induced by the spindle.

[0036] This is avoided due to the tubular element 3 accompanying and supporting the bar 2 as long as it is fully introduced into the spindle and throughout the entire feeding time. Among other things, the aforementioned configuration also entails a reduction in the noise associated with the rotation of the bar 2.

[0037] Each feed finger unit 7 comprises a gripping element 9 with a conical coupling surface and with a gripping surface for clamping and pulling the bar 2 .

[0038] The gripping surfaces consist of plastic or rubber or metal or other material with a high coefficient of sliding friction, which are then shaped to create a gripping contact with the surface of the respective bar 2, allowing the latter to be pressed into the spindle in the forward direction A.

[0039] The gripping elements 9 are further configured to loosen their clamping action on the surface of the bar 2 and instead allow relative sliding of the feed finger units 7 along the surface of each bar 2 in a direction opposite to the feed direction of each bar 2 as each tubular element 3 is moved away from the machine tool.

[0040] In other words, when the tubular element 3 advances in the forward direction, the spindle therefore receives the gripping elements 9 arranged around the bar 2 from the tubular element 3 and exerts a thrust action which compresses the gripping elements 9 against the intervening bar 2 by means of the conical coupling. In this way, a firm clamping of the bar 2 is achieved, which clamp is thus automatically pulled onto the spindle by the feed finger unit 7.

[0041] Conversely, when the tubular element 3 is retracted and thus moves away from the spindle, it can automatically see a relaxation of the thrust action on the gripping element 9 and accordingly undergo a slight radial expansion, thus ceasing the clamping action on the bar 2. In this way, the tubular element 3 does not drag the bar 2 with it during retraction.

[0042] By means of the feed finger units 7, the alternating backward and forward movement of the tubular elements 3 is converted into a series of unidirectional advance steps of the bar 2 onto the spindle. By positioning each feed finger unit 7 at the front end 8 of a respective tubular element 3, the entire bar 2 can be fed correctly into the spindle.

[0043] The drum structure 6 has a front end E A The tubular element 3 then slides across the front end flange 10 to form the front end E A The machine tool includes a front flange 10 with respective openings 11 extending beyond which the machine tool can project into the spindle of the machine tool.

[0044] The tubular element 3 is axially integral with the second carriage unit 5 and is axially movable relative to the first carriage unit 4 .

[0045] The first carriage unit 4 and the second carriage unit 5 are arranged at their front ends E such that the tubular element 3 protrudes significantly outwards towards the machine tool. A The second carriage unit 5 is movable from a packed close together configuration to a spaced apart configuration toward the rear end E R 3, and the front end E is pulled to allow the rod 2 to be gradually inserted into each tubular element 3. A The configuration is such that the distance between the electrodes is further increased.

[0046] In the mutually adjacent configuration of the two carriage units 4, 5, which corresponds to the completion of the feed stroke of the bar 2 relative to the spindle, the two carriage units 4, 5 are "packed" against the front end flange 10 and are therefore far away from the central zone intended to receive the next bar 2 to be loaded into the respective tubular element 3. In other words, the two carriage units 4, 5 do not interfere with the bar 2 being removed from the magazine connected to the device 1 and lowered to the correct height to axially align it on the tubular element 3 intended to receive it therein, thanks to the lever unit 20 disclosed below.

[0047] The front end 8 of each tubular element 3 prevents their separation from the first carriage unit 4 (front carriage), and the rear end E of the first carriage unit 4 R The axially expanded shape allows for dragging of the axially expanded axially.

[0048] At least one tubular element 3 comprises a respective sleeve unit 12 structurally configured to accommodate at least one portion of the advancement bar 2 and to act as a protective screen.

[0049] Each sleeve unit 12 is defined by several adjacent portions 12A, 12B that are longitudinally slidable relative to one another to define a longitudinally extendable type of containment structure that is movable from a contracted containment configuration CC (seen in FIG. 12) to an expanded containment configuration EC (seen in FIG. 17).

[0050] More precisely, the above-mentioned components constituting the sleeve unit 12 are located between the first carriage 4 and the front end E of the drum structure 6. A a first fixed sleeve portion 12A arranged to screen the bar 2 portion constituted between the first fixed sleeve portion 12A and the front end E A and a second movable sleeve portion 12B that is arranged to protect the bar portion that protrudes outward beyond the bar portion.

[0051] The first fixed sleeve portion 12A has a front end E Ato the exterior of the drum structure 6 and to the machine tool. The second movable sleeve portion 12B is adapted to move from the collapsed containment configuration CC to the rear end E R The first carriage unit 4 is connected to a first carriage unit 4 that is pulled by the first carriage unit 4, where they come together and are compact with the first stationary sleeve portion 12A and aligned on an expanded containment configuration EC that is spaced apart from the first stationary sleeve portion 12A.

[0052] As mentioned above, the first carriage unit 4 and the second carriage unit 5 each consist of a number of carriage elements 15 arranged in a circle around the longitudinal axis of the drum structure 6 and slidable along the latter. Each carriage element 15 is shaped as a locking element.

[0053] The carriage elements 15 are provided with respective openings 16 and with bearings 17, into which respective tubular elements 3 are inserted. The bearings 17 ensure correct rotation of the tubular elements 3 relative to the openings 16 in the absence of friction and vibrations.

[0054] In the embodiment disclosed herein as a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, the first carriage unit 4 has an annular structure consisting of a certain number of carriage elements 15, in this case six (but another desired number is not excluded) in the form of locking elements, which are arranged in a circle around the longitudinal axis of the drum structure 6 and are connected to each other so as to define a single body.

[0055] The carriage elements 15 of the first carriage unit 4 are integrally connected to each other to form a ring-shaped structure.

[0056] Between one locking element 15 and another connecting element 26 there is provided a through opening which is connected to and can slide along a horizontal guide bar 27 which extends from one end of the drum structure 6 to the other end.

[0057] Also, the second carriage unit 5 is formed in a similar manner as that disclosed with reference to the first carriage unit 4.

[0058] Longitudinal support and guide channels 18 are provided along the drum structure 6 .

[0059] The locking elements 15 of the first carriage 4 and the second carriage 5 are provided with wheel elements 19 arranged further inside the annular structure and housed therein, which are slidable along the respective longitudinal support and guide channels 18.

[0060] According to another possible embodiment (not shown), the carriage elements 15 of the first carriage unit 4 are drivably and slidably movable independently of one another by respective belt or chain elements. In other words, each carriage element 15 is movable independently of the other carriage elements 15, with which it defines its respective carriage unit. What has been said so far applies equally to the second carriage unit 5. This embodiment allows the device 1 to supply multiple bars 2 to multiple spindle machines, which simultaneously and independently supply such bars 2 to several machining tasks, which may be of different types as required. Thus, the significant advantages arising in terms of the versatility of the device 1 are clear.

[0061] The apparatus 1 comprises a drive device 13 arranged to move longitudinally along the drum structure 6 by means of a first carriage unit 4 and a second carriage unit 5 by means of a suitable chain or belt element 21 or equivalent.

[0062] The drive device 13 is also configured to be able to rotate the drum structure 6 about its longitudinal axis.

[0063] As can be seen in Figure 4, the drive device 13 comprises a transmission with a pinion 23 adapted to engage directly with a respective gear wheel 22, each gear wheel being associated with a tubular element 3 that can be driven in this way. A pinion 23 is engaged each time a single gear wheel 22 moves the associated tubular element 3.

[0064] In one embodiment shown in FIG. 4-2, the drive device 13 comprises a chain element 24 interposed between the pinion 23 and the gear wheel 22. The chain element 24 is wound and slides along a support 25 having an arched guide contour 26 so as to be able to simultaneously engage two adjacent gear wheels 22. In particular, the chain element 24 makes it possible to widen the arc or operating angle over which the pinion 23 remains engaged with each gear wheel 22; in other words, the engagement of the pinion 23 with the gear wheel 22 does not only occur at a single angular position value of the drum structure, but extends over a wider angular interval, so as to enable, for example, the drive of a carriage to be anticipated and the drive to be moved before the drum structure 6 is rotated at a preset angular feed position of the bar stock.

[0065] This configuration thus enables the device 13 to anticipate the drive of the next gear wheel when the drum structure 6 is rotated through an angular pitch, and to prepare the next tubular element 3 for the feeding process.

[0066] In other words, by increasing the range of intervention of the pinion 23, the drive of the carriage units 4 and 5, and thus the respective feed finger units 7, is more versatile and is not, at least in part, constrained by the exact angular position of the drum structure 6.

[0067] This configuration offers the distinct advantage of versatility and optimization of the operating cycle associated with the device 1 .

[0068] As already mentioned, the device 1 comprises a lever unit 20 for horizontally supporting and loading each bar 2 into a respective tubular element 3. The lever unit 20 is rotatable about a rotation axis R parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum structure 6, and transfers each bar 2 to an axially aligned loading height on the respective tubular element 3. To enable the carriage to advance, suitable position sensors are provided for continuously detecting the angular position of the lever unit 20 and preventing interference therewith. These sensors allow the movement of the lever unit 20 to be coupled to the movements of the carriage units 4, 5.

[0069] The device 1 is provided with a sensor 25 that detects the position of the first carriage unit 4 and / or the second carriage unit 5 .

[0070] The device 1 also comprises a control and synchronization unit U operatively connected to a sensor 25 for detecting the position of the first carriage unit 4 and the second carriage unit 5 .

[0071] The control and synchronization unit U is programmed to synchronously drive the drum structure 6, the lever unit 20, and the first carriage unit 4 and the second carriage unit 5, enabling the loading of each bar 2 in the respective tubular element 3 and the advancement of the bar 2 into the machine tool.

[0072] The control and synchronization unit U is configured and programmed to advance each bar 2 by a series of reciprocating movements back and forth behind the second carriage unit 5 until the bar 2 is completely fed into the spindle. Furthermore, the control and synchronization unit U moves the remaining part of the machined bar 2 in the inner zone Z of the apparatus 1 relative to the machine tool at its front end E. Aand is programmed to transport and release the residual part from the respective feed finger unit 7 through the influence of the thrust exerted by a new bar 2 that is introduced by being loaded into the respective tubular element 3. Due to this possibility of releasing the residual part inside the volume bounded between the two ends of the drum structure 6, any risk of interfering with and damaging delicate and expensive parts / tools in the spindle zone is avoided in the most absolute way.

[0073] The device 1 can operate according to two possible operating modes. According to the first possible operating mode, the control and synchronization unit U drives and synchronizes the carriage parts 4, 5, the drum structure 6 and the lever unit 20 to sequentially place the bar 2 onto each tubular element 3. Once all tubular elements 3 are loaded, multiple bars 2 can be fed simultaneously to multiple spindles.

[0074] According to another possible mode of operation, the tubular element 3 is loaded with the respective bar 2, which is immediately fed into a spindle (in this case a single spindle).

[0075] The tubular elements 3 may be configured and dimensioned to receive the same diameter of the bars 2, or may be configured and dimensioned to receive each bar of a given diameter.

[0076] The operation of the above-described device 1 will be summarized with reference to FIGS.

[0077] Before loading the bar 2, the first carriage unit 4 and the second carriage unit 5 are positioned at the front end E of the drum structure 6. A 12, so as not to interfere with the movement of the bar 2 by the lever unit 20.

[0078] At this point, the bar 2 is lowered by the lever unit 20 until it is aligned on the axis of the tubular element 3 intended to receive it after it has been removed from the magazine zone.

[0079] The rear carriage unit 5 (rear carriage) is arranged at the front end E so that each tubular element 3 being pulled is positioned on the bar 2 to be loaded. A 15, the operation of inserting the bar 2 into the tubular element 3 is completed.

[0080] It should be noted that a possible remaining bar portion in the feed finger unit 7 of this tubular element 3 (which results from a previous cycle of feeding a bar to the spindle) is automatically ejected into the zone below the drum structure 6 due to the thrust that the remaining bar portion receives from the new bar 2 during the loading step. This new bar remains engaged in the feed finger unit 7 once the previous remaining bar has been ejected.

[0081] In this configuration, the bar 2 that will subsequently be rotated is effectively protected by the tubular element 3 that covers a substantial portion, while another portion further downstream is at least partially protected by the sleeve unit 12, which is an EC in an extended configuration.

[0082] At this point, the two carriage units 4, 5 are successively reciprocated back and forth in the feeding direction A as shown in Figures 19 to 23, so as to advance the bar 2 sequentially onto the spindle. Due to the sleeve unit 12, particularly the fixed portion of the sleeve 12 that protrudes outward from the front end 10 flange, the bar 2 is screened at the portion facing outward from the drum structure 6, thus achieving an even higher level of safety.

[0083] In the position shown in Figure 23, the bar 2 has been fully fed into the spindle and the carriage units 4 and 5 are already in the correct position to begin loading a new bar 2. Advantageously, this way there is no downtime waiting for the next bar to be loaded, unlike prior art systems which require the bar thruster to be fully retracted and a subsequent thrust to feed the new bar before loading can proceed.

[0084] As can be seen from what has been disclosed above, the device 1 comprises: Advantageously ensures high speed operation, significantly shortening bar supply cycle times, In addition to being smaller overall in size than the prior art, it has a significantly simplified structural and functional configuration; Low manufacturing and maintenance costs and time.

[0085] Depending on the use for which the device 1 may be intended, the device 1 may be configured and dimensioned in any desired manner.

[0086] The components that are part of the device 1 according to the present invention may be replaced by other equivalents, both structurally and functionally, and the materials may be suitably selected as required and in accordance with the available prior art, to suit the particular application for which they are intended.

[0087] Modifications and / or additions to what is disclosed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are possible without thereby departing from the claimed area of ​​protection.

Claims

1. An apparatus for advancing and feeding a bar material (2) to a machine tool, comprising: - a number of tubular elements (3) longitudinally accommodating each of said bars (2); at least one first carriage unit (4) and a second carriage unit (5) for supporting said tubular elements (3) and for moving said tubular elements (3) parallel to the advancing direction (A) of said bar (2); a drum structure (6) extending from a front end (EA) located adjacent to the spindle of said machine tool to a rear end (ER) located remote from said machine tool; a feed finger unit (7) for clamping and stretching a respective one of said bars (2) on each of said plurality of tubular elements (3) and for advancing said bars (2) in said advancing direction (A); Equipped with The tubular element (3) is longitudinally movable on the drum structure (6), The drum structure (6) includes a front end flange (10) with a plurality of openings (11) at the front end (EA), The tubular element (3) slidably traverses the front end flange (10) through each of the openings (11) and projects beyond the front end (EA) into the spindle of the machine tool.

2. The apparatus described in claim 1, wherein each feed finger unit (7) is arranged at the front end (8) of a respective tubular element (3) so as to be closer to the spindle of the machine tool, and each tubular element (3) has a length (L) approximately equal to or greater than half the total length (L T ) of the drum structure (6).

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein each feed finger unit (7) has a gripping element (9) with a conical coupling surface and a gripping surface for clamping and pulling the respective bar material (2).

4. An apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein the gripping elements (9) have gripping surfaces configured to create gripping contact with the surface of each bar (2) thereby pushing each bar (2) in the forward direction (A) towards the machine tool, and wherein the gripping elements (9) are configured to relax their clamping action on the surface of the bar (2) to enable relative sliding of the feed finger units (7) along the surface of each bar (2) in a direction opposite to the feed direction of the bar (2) when each tubular element (3) is moved away from the machine tool.

5. An apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular elements (3) are axially integral with a part of the second carriage unit (5) and are axially movable relative to each part of the first carriage unit (4), and the first carriage unit (4) and the second carriage unit (5) are movable from a close-to-each-other configuration packed at the front end (EA) so that the tubular elements (3) protrude towards the machine tool to a spaced-apart configuration at a greater distance from the front end (EA) so that the tubular elements (3) can be dragged to the rear end (ER) and the bar material (2) can be gradually inserted into each tubular element (3).

6. An apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the front end (8) of the tubular element (3) has a radially widened shape that prevents it from moving away from the first carriage unit (4) and enables it to be dragged towards the rear end (ER) of the first carriage unit (4).

7. An apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the tubular elements (3) further comprises a sleeve unit (12) and is structurally configured to act as a protective screen for at least a portion of the advancing rod (2).

8. An apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein at least one of the sleeve units (12) is defined by several adjacent parts (12A, 12B) that are longitudinally slidable relative to one another, thereby defining a longitudinally expandable type of storage structure that can be moved from a contracted storage configuration (CC) to an expanded storage configuration (EC).

9. The device described in Claim 8, wherein the several adjacent parts (12A, 12B) constituting at least one of the sleeve units (12) comprise a first fixed sleeve part (12A) arranged to shield the part of the bar material protruding outward beyond the front end (EA), and a second movable sleeve part (12B) arranged to shield the part of the bar material (2) included between the first carriage unit (4) and the front end (EA) of the drum structure (6).

10. The first fixed sleeve portion (12A) extends from the front end (EA) towards the outside of the drum structure (6) towards the machine tool, and the second movable sleeve portion (12B) is connected to the first carriage unit (4) so ​​as to be dragged to the rear end (ER) for moving from the contracted storage configuration (CC), 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second movable sleeve portion (12B) is coupled to the first carriage unit (4) so ​​as to move from the contracted storage configuration (CC) where it is gathered and aligned on the first fixed sleeve portion (12A) to the expanded storage configuration (EC) where it is spaced apart from the first fixed sleeve portion (12A).

11. An apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first carriage unit (4) and the second carriage unit (5) each consist of several carriage elements (15) arranged in a ring shape around the longitudinal axis of the drum structure (6) and slidable along the drum structure (6), and the carriage elements (15) have respective openings (16) equipped with bearings (17) into which the respective tubular elements (3) are inserted.

12. An apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first carriage unit (4) and the second carriage unit (5) are slidable along a horizontal guide bar (27), and the carriage elements (15) of the first carriage unit (4) and the second carriage unit (5) are integrally connected to each other to form a ring-shaped structure, and a connecting element (26) is interposed between one carriage element (15) and another carriage element (15) within the ring-shaped structure, and is arranged to slide along the horizontal guide bar (27).

13. An apparatus as described in Claim 11, wherein the carriage elements (15) of the first carriage unit (4) are drivable and slidably movable independently of each other, and the carriage elements (15) of the second carriage unit (5) are drivable and slidably movable independently of each other, thereby enabling multiple rod materials (2) to be supplied independently of each other.

14. An apparatus as described in Claim 12, wherein a longitudinal support and guide channel (18) is provided along the drum structure (6), and the carriage elements (15) of the first carriage unit (4) and the second carriage unit (5) are provided with wheel elements (19) arranged further inside the annular structure, the wheel elements (19) being slidable along the longitudinal support and guide channel (18).

15. A chain or belt element (21), a drive (13) arranged to move the first carriage unit (4) and the second carriage unit (5) longitudinally along the drum structure (6) by means of the chain or belt element (21) and to rotate the drum structure (6) about its longitudinal axis; Furthermore, An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive (13) further comprises a pinion (23) and a gear wheel (22) for rotating the tubular element (3).

16. The drive device (13) further comprises a chain element (24) interposed between the pinion (23) and the gear wheel (22), The chain element (24) is driven by the pinion (23) to mesh with the gear wheel (22) each time, 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the chain elements (24) are wound around and slide along a support (25) having an arched guide contour (26) so as to be able to engage with the gear wheel (22) over a wider angular portion traveled by the gear wheel (22) during rotation of the drum structure (6).

17. An apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising a lever unit (20) for horizontally supporting and loading each bar material (2) into its respective tubular element (3), said lever unit (20) being rotatable about a rotation axis (R) parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum structure (6) and moving each bar material (2) to a loading height in which it is axially aligned on its respective tubular element (3).

18. A control and synchronization unit (U) operatively connected to sensors (25) for detecting the position of the first carriage unit (4) and the second carriage unit (5), and connected to a further sensor for detecting the position of a lever unit (20), the control and synchronization unit (U) is programmed to synchronously drive the drum structure (6), the lever unit (20), and the first and second carriage units (4, 5) to load each bar (2) into a respective tubular element (3) and advance the bar (2) into the machine tool by a series of back and forth reciprocating movements of the second carriage unit (5) so that the bar (2) is fully fed into the spindle; The control and synchronization unit (U) is further programmed to transport and release the remaining part of the processed bar (2) in an internal area (Z) of the device (1) located further upstream of the front end (EA) than the machine tool, said remaining part being ejected from each feed finger unit (7) by the action of a thrust exerted by a new bar (2) introduced into each tubular element (3).

18. The apparatus of claim 17.

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