JP2001192108A - Conveying device and conveying-direction changing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To guide a plurality of rows of articles 12 with partitions between the rows during a conveyance, and allow a movement of the articles 12 in the direction crossing a conveying direction by removing partitions during direction change. SOLUTION: Guide bodies 27 appearing/disappearing over conveying surfaces 37 of a plurality of rows of conveying parts 21 are provided among the rows of the conveying parts 21. The guide bodies 27 are projected over the conveying surfaces 37, partition the plurality of rows of conveying parts 21 every row, and guide the articles 12 conveyed in each conveying part 21. The guide bodies 27 are dropped to make flat between the upper surfaces of the guide bodies 27 and the conveying surfaces 37, and the partitions among the plurality of rows of conveying parts 21 are removed. In a decent state of the guide bodies 27, a pressing/moving device moves the articles 12 on the conveying surfaces 37 of the conveying parts 21 in the direction crossing the conveying direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting a plurality of rows of articles, and a transport direction changing device using the transport device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a conveying apparatus for conveying a plurality of rows of articles, for example, in the case of a belt conveyor using an endless belt wide in the belt width direction, a belt width direction crossing the conveying direction of the belt conveyor is used. Since a plurality of rows of articles are placed in parallel and conveyed integrally, it is necessary to prevent the articles from falling down on the belt or between rows.

[0003] In order to prevent the articles from falling down or the gaps between the rows on the belt, there is a method using a guide plate which partitions and guides a plurality of rows of articles on the belt.
Since this guide plate cannot be installed unless it is above the belt conveyor, the guide plate must be installed in a suspended state from above the belt conveyor.

[0004] In order to prevent articles from falling down or gaps between rows on a belt without using a guide plate, there is a method of reducing the conveying speed of a belt conveyor.

[0005]

However, for example, such a transfer device is used as a transfer direction changing device for changing a direction by moving a plurality of rows of articles conveyed on a belt conveyor in a direction intersecting the transfer direction. When used, the guide plate hinders the movement of the articles on the belt conveyor in a direction intersecting the transport direction. Even if an attempt is made to raise and lower the guide plate, since a pushing device is installed above the belt conveyor, it is difficult to install a mechanism to raise and lower the guide plate, and even if it can be installed, the structure is complicated Have problems.

In some cases, the guide plate can be made unnecessary by lowering the conveying speed of the belt conveyor so that the articles do not fall down and the rows are not lost, but there is a problem that the processing capacity is reduced. I have.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and can cope with high-speed conveyance of a plurality of rows of articles to be conveyed on a conveyance surface, improve processing capacity, and increase the area above the conveyance surface. It is an object to provide a transfer device and a transfer direction changing device that can be used.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport device having a transport surface on which articles are placed and transported, and a plurality of rows of transport sections arranged in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the articles. And guide members provided along the rows of the plurality of transport sections and protruding and retracting on the transport surface.

[0009] By providing a guide body that protrudes and disappears on the transport surface between the rows of the transport units in a plurality of rows, the guide body protrudes on the transport surface, thereby providing a plurality of rows of transport units. It is possible to cope with high-speed conveyance of articles conveyed through each conveyance section, improve processing capacity, and lower the guide body from the position protruding on the conveyance surface, so that multiple rows of conveyance sections The upper area of the transport surface is made available, for example, by removing partitions between rows, for example, to allow movement of articles between rows.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the transporting apparatus of the first aspect, each of the transporting units has an endless belt having a forward path constituting a transport surface and a return path passing below the forward path. A plurality of support plates disposed between the belts of adjacent conveyance units and having a guide body at an upper end; an elevating unit for supporting and lowering the lower ends of these support plates; an upper end of the plurality of support plates passing between the outward and return paths of the belt It is provided with an elevating body having a connecting portion for connecting the sides.

When each transport unit transports an article by a belt, it is possible to prevent interference with the belt by using a support plate having a guide body at the upper end, and to connect the upper end side of the support plate by a connection unit. Thus, the displacement of the guide body is prevented.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the transport device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the guide body has a transfer surface on an upper surface and a guide position protruding above the transport surface;
The transfer surface is protruded and retracted between the retreat position where the transfer surface is flush with the transfer surface.

The transfer surface on the upper surface of the guide body can be made flush with the transfer surface, thereby allowing movement of the article between the transfer surface and the transfer surface.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the guide body is raised to the guide position when the article is carried into the carrying section, and the guide body is lowered to the retracted position after carrying the article onto the carrying section. And a pushing device for moving an article on the transport unit in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the transport unit with the guide body of the transport device lowered to the retracted position. Is what it is.

Then, the guide body is raised to the guide position by the transfer device according to the third aspect, and the article is loaded onto the transport section. After the article is loaded onto the transport section, the guide body is lowered to the retracted position, and is pushed. By moving the article on the transport surface of the transport unit in the direction intersecting with the transport direction by the moving device,
Efficient loading of a plurality of rows of articles and smooth change of direction.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 shows an article aligning machine 11, which handles containers such as PET bottles for beverages as articles 12, and arranges a plurality of articles 12 supplied in a single row in a plurality of rows. The articles 12 in the aligned state are sent to a loading device for loading on a pallet for transportation. The PET bottle has a container body and a mouth provided at an upper end of the container body, and a neck ring is protruded around the mouth.

The article aligning machine 11 is arranged linearly and
A first transfer device 14, a second transfer device 15, and a third transfer device as a transfer device for transferring the same 12 in the same transfer direction a.
The first transport device 14 transports the articles 12 in a single row, and the second transport device 15 and the third transport device 16 transport the articles 12 in a direction intersecting the transport direction a. Convey as rows.

At the end on the upstream side of the second transport device 15, the articles 12 transported in a single row by the first transport device 14 are arranged in a plurality of rows in a direction intersecting the transport direction a. A sorting device 17 for sorting is provided. The second transport device 15 has a plurality of rows of transport units 18 in a direction intersecting the transport direction a, and receives and transports the articles 12 sorted by the sorting device 17 to each of the transport units 18. Each transport section 18 has a belt 19 common to each transport section 18 that transports the article 12 thereon, and a neck rail 20 that fits the mouth of the article 12 and guides it via a neck ring.

The third transport device 16 has a plurality of rows of transport portions 21 in a direction intersecting the transport direction a, and each transport portion 21 is transported from each transport portion 18 of the second transport device 15 to each transport portion 21. The received article 12 is received and transported to the direction change position x on the downstream side. Each of these transport sections 21 has an endless belt 22, and each of these belts 22 is rotatably disposed on the downstream side with each pulley 23 rotatably disposed on the upstream side of the third transport device 16. The belts 22 are wound around the respective pulleys 24 provided, and the respective pulleys 24 on the downstream side are rotationally driven by the respective motors 25, whereby the respective belts 22 are independently rotated corresponding to the transport direction a. The position of each pulley 24 on the downstream side is sequentially shifted in the downstream direction toward one side in a direction intersecting the transport direction a, so that a motor 25 for rotating and driving each pulley 24 can be arranged. In addition, along the rows of these transport units 21,
Guide members 26 and 27 for guiding the lower side of the container 12 by separating the rows are provided, and the guide member 27 on the downstream side is arranged in the area of the direction change position x and protrudes and retracts on the transport surface of the transport unit 21. It is configured to be possible.

A pushing device 28 for moving the article 12 in one pushing direction b intersecting with the carrying direction a is provided above the direction changing position x of the third carrying device 16. , Third
One side of the direction changing position x of the transfer device 16 is provided with a pushing device 28.
An unloading conveyor 29 is provided for receiving the goods 12 to be moved by the above and transporting the goods 12 to the loading device when the goods 12 are aligned for loading.

Then, the third transfer device 16 and the pushing device
At 28, a transport direction changing device 30 is configured to change the direction of the article 12 transported to the direction changing position x by the third transport device 16 in the pushing direction b intersecting the transport direction a.

Next, FIGS. 1 to 3 show a third transfer device.
16, the third transporting device 16 has a frame 31, which includes side frame portions 32 on both sides, a plurality of horizontal connecting portions 33 connecting these side frame portions 32, and side frame portions on both sides. It has legs 34 for supporting the 32 against the installation surface.

The belt 22 of each transport section 21 is configured such that a belt portion passing in the transport direction a through the upper side is an outbound path 35, and a belt portion passing through the lower side in the direction opposite to the transport direction a is defined as the return path 36. The upper surface of 35 is formed as a transport surface 37 on which the article 12 is placed and transported. The lower surface of the outward path 35 of the belt 22 is supported by a belt receiving portion 38 spanning a plurality of horizontal connecting portions 33, and the return path 36 is supported by a plurality of guide rollers 39 rotatably supported between the side frame portions 32 on both sides. Supported.

Each guide body 27 has a transfer surface 41 on its upper surface.
An elevating body 43 which is formed in a rectangular shape in cross section having a rectangular shape along the carrying direction a and is disposed between the outward paths 35 of the belts 22 of the adjacent carrying parts 21 and which is moved up and down with respect to the base 42.
At this time, the guide portion protrudes above the transfer surface 37 of the transfer portion 21 and the retreat position where the transfer surface 41 is substantially flush with the transfer surface 37.

The base 42 has a rectangular frame-shaped frame portion 45 whose longitudinal direction is the transport direction a. Guide portions 46 are erected at four corners of the frame portion 45, and guide rails 47 are provided on each of the guide portions 46.
And a rack 48 are attached along the vertical direction. Each rack 48 is located inside a guide rail 47 attached to the guide portion 46, and is attached so that the teeth of each rack 48 along the transport direction a face each other. A main body 50 of a cylinder 49 for elevating and lowering the elevating body 43 is attached to both ends of the frame 45 in the longitudinal direction (a direction corresponding to the transport direction a). The tip is attached to the elevating body 43.

The elevating body 43 has a table 55 as a rectangular plate-like elevating part whose longitudinal direction is the transport direction a. A pair of support pieces 56 are provided on the lower surface of the table 55 in the longitudinal direction (corresponding to the transport direction a). Along each of these support pieces
At both ends of 56, slide members 57 that are slidably engaged with the respective guide rails 47 along the vertical direction are attached. Rotating shafts 58 are rotatably supported between the pair of support pieces 56 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the table 55, and gears 59 meshing with the respective racks 48 are fixed to both ends of each of the rotating shafts 58. A bevel gear 60 is fixed to an intermediate portion of each of the rotating shafts 58, and an interlocking shaft 62 having bevel gears 61 meshing with the respective bevel gears 60 fixed at both ends is rotatably supported below the table 55. . Therefore, the table 55 is raised and lowered by the operation of each cylinder 49 via the slide member 57 that engages with the guide rail 47, and the rack 48, the gear 5
9, via the interlocking mechanism 63 constituted by the rotating shaft 58, bevel gears 60 and 61 and the interlocking shaft 62, the ascending and descending is maintained while maintaining the parallel state.

A plurality of support plates 65 are erected on the table 55 so as to correspond to the spaces between the belts 22 of the adjacent transport sections 21, and the guides 27 are attached to the upper ends of the support plates 65, respectively. Further, on the table 55, there are side guide plates on both sides corresponding to between the belts 22 and the side frame portions 32 on both sides.
Each of the side guide plates 66 has an upper end formed at a transition surface 41 of the guide body 27 attached to the support plate 65.
And substantially the same plane. Near the upper ends of the support plate 65 and the side guide plate 66, the forward path 35 and the backward path 36
Are connected to each other by a plurality of connecting portions 67. Each support plate 65 and each side guide plate 66 are formed with a cutout portion 68 for avoiding interference with the lateral connecting portion 33, the guide roller 39, and the like.

The direction changing position x of the third transfer device 16
A stopper (not shown) for stopping the article 12 at the direction changing position x is provided on the downstream side, and a lock plate (not shown) for holding the article 12 between the stopper and the upstream side of the direction changing position x has a holding position. It is arranged movably between the article 12 and a retreat position that does not interfere. The stoppers are configured so that the articles 12 of the adjacent transport units 21 are alternately shifted by the radius of the articles 12 so that they are staggered when aligned.

The direction changing position x of the third transfer device 16
On the more upstream side, a detecting means for counting the articles 12 conveyed in each conveying section 21, each time the count value detected by this detecting means reaches a predetermined number to be aligned for each row of each conveying section 21, Stop means is provided for temporarily stopping the article 12 and releasing the stop of the article 12 after the completion of the movement of the article 12 from the direction change position x to restart transport and counting.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a pushing device 28. The pushing device 28 has a frame 71 which extends over the direction changing position x of the third transfer device 16. A pair of elongated guide rails 72 are attached to the frame 71 along the pushing direction b intersecting the transport direction a at both sides corresponding to the transport direction a of the third transport device 16, First to third moving bodies 74a to 74c which are moved along the pushing direction b via respective sliding members 73a to 73c slidably engaged with the respective guide rails 72 are provided.
On the frame 71 side above each of the moving bodies 74a to 74c,
Each of the screw shafts 75a to 75c corresponding to 74a to 74c is rotatably supported along the pushing direction b, and each of the moving bodies 74a to which the screw members 76a to 76c screwed to these screw shafts 75a to 75c correspond. Mounted on the upper surface of ~ 74c. Motors 77a to 77c are connected to the respective screw shafts 75a to 75c, and the respective screw shafts 75a to 75c are rotated by the driving of the respective motors 77a to 77c.
Each of the moving bodies 74a to 74c independently moves in the pushing direction b via 76a to 76c.

Each of the moving bodies 74a to 74c has a third transfer device 16
Attached to first to third push plates 78a to 78c which are vertically slidable between a lower position where the side surface of the upper article 12 can be pushed and an upper position where the upper article 12 is retracted above the article 12. In addition, cylinders 79a to 79c for vertically moving the push plates 78a to 78c are attached.

The carry-out conveyor 29 is constituted by a belt conveyor, and sequentially receives a plurality of rows of articles 12 moved by the pushing device 28 on the upper surface of the belt conveyor, and is brought into an aligned state corresponding to the loaded state. It is configured to carry out.

Next, the process of arranging the articles 12 by the arranging device 11 will be described.

The articles 12 are conveyed in a line by the first conveying device 14, and the articles 12 conveyed from the first conveying device 14 by the sorting device 17 are transferred to the conveying sections 18 of the second conveying device 15. Sorting, the article 12 is transported by each transport section 18 of the second transport apparatus 15 and delivered to each transport section 21 of the third transport apparatus 16, and the article 12 is transported by the third transport apparatus 16.

In the third conveying device 16, the lifting body 43 is raised by the operation of the cylinder 49, and each guide body 27 is raised to the guide position to partition between the rows of the plurality of rows of the transporting parts 21 and to form the side guides. The plate 66 is lifted to partition the side surfaces of the transport unit 21 on both sides. Thereby, in each transport unit 21, the lower side of the article 12 is received between the adjacent guide bodies 27 and between the guide body 27 and the side guide plate 66, and the article 12 is placed on the transport surface 37 of the belt 22 in the direction. It is transported to the conversion position x. At this time, by partitioning and guiding the rows of the transport units 21 in a plurality of rows, it is possible to prevent the articles 12 from falling down, and to convey the articles 12 transported through the transport units 21 at high speed.

At the direction changing position x of the third transfer device 16,
Stop the leading article 12 in the transport direction a by the stopper,
Subsequent articles 12 are also sequentially stopped. On the upstream side of the direction change position x, when the passage of a predetermined number of articles 12 is detected for each of the transport units 21 by the stop unit that operates based on the detection of the detection unit, the subsequent transport is temporarily stopped.

When a predetermined number of articles 12 have been conveyed to each of the transfer sections 21 at the direction changing position x, a lock plate is advanced into the upstream side of the direction changing position x, and the articles 12 are held between the lock plate and the stopper. I do. The elevating body 43 is lowered by the operation of the cylinder 49, and the guide bodies 27 and the side guide plates 66 are lowered to make their upper surfaces flush with the transport surface 37.

Pushing plates of the first and second moving bodies 74a and 74b of the pushing device 28 are provided on the sides of the transport section 21 on both sides of the direction changing position x.
78a and 78b are respectively lowered, and these pushing plates 78a and 78b are moved in a direction approaching each other, and while moving the article 12 through the conveying surface 37 of the belt 22 and the transfer surface 41 of the guide body 27, a plurality of rows The articles 12 are combined in a staggered manner. The first and second moving bodies 74a and 74a remain in this combined state.
4b is moved in the pushing direction b, and is transferred from the third transfer device 16 onto the unloading conveyor 29.

When the article 12 is transferred from the third transfer device 16 onto the unloading conveyor 29, the third transfer device 16 retracts the lock plate, raises the elevating body 43 again, and raises the guide body 27. And the side guide plate 66 is made to protrude above the transport surface 37. This allows the subsequent transfer of the article 12 to the direction change position x, and repeats the direction change process.

When the article 12 is transferred from the third conveyor 16 onto the unloading conveyor 29, the pushing plates 78a, 78b of the first and second moving bodies 74a, 74b of the pushing device 28 are moved. The first moving body 74a is returned to the original position on one side of the direction change position x. The second moving body 74b is moved to the upstream side in the pushing direction b of the article 12 transferred onto the unloading conveyor 29, and the third moving body 74c is pushed onto the unloading conveyor 29. It is moved to the downstream side in the moving direction b, and the pushing plates 78b, 78c of the second and third moving bodies 74b, 74c are moved.
Is moved down in the direction in which the pushing plates 78b and 78c approach each other to hold the article 12, and in this state, the second and third moving bodies 74b and 74c are moved in the pushing direction b to carry out. It is moved to one side on the conveyor 29 away from the third conveyor 16. In this way, every time the articles 12 are transferred from the third conveyor 16 onto the unloading conveyor 29, the articles 12 are sequentially aligned while being moved to one side, and when the articles 12 are in the aligned state corresponding to the loading, the loading is performed. Unload the device.

As described above, in the third transporting device 16, the guides 27 that appear and disappear on the transport surface 37 are provided between the rows of the transport units 21 in a plurality of rows, so that the guides 27 By protruding above 37, it is possible to support high-speed transport of articles 12 transported through each transport section 21 by partitioning between rows of transport sections 21 in a plurality of rows, improve processing capacity, and increase the guide body 27. Transfer surface 37
By descending from the position protruding upward, partitions between the rows of the plurality of rows of the transport units 21 can be eliminated, and the movement of the articles 12 between the rows can be allowed, and the upper area of the transport surface 37 can be used effectively.

When each of the transporting units 21 transports the article 12 by the belt 22, the support plate 65 having the guide body 27 at the upper end can prevent interference with the belt 22.
By connecting the upper end side of the support plate 65 with the connecting portion 67, the displacement of the guide body 27 can be prevented.

Further, by making the transfer surface 41 on the upper surface of the guide body 27 flush with the transfer surface 37, the movement of the article 12 between the transfer surface 37 and the transfer surface 41 can be made smooth.

Then, by using the third transfer device 16 as the transfer direction changing device 30, the guide body 27 is raised to the guide position to load the article 12 onto the transfer section 21 and to place the article 12 on the transfer section 21. After the guide 12 has been loaded, the guide body 27 is lowered to the retracted position, and the pushing device 28 moves the article 12 on the transport surface 37 of the transport section 21 in a direction intersecting with the transport direction a. And the direction change can be made smoothly.

The guide body 27 also functions as a spacer for maintaining a predetermined interval between the articles 12 of the adjacent transport section 21. When the interval between the articles 12 of the adjacent transport units 21 may be small, the width of the guide body 27 may be reduced, or the upper part of the support plate 65 may function as the guide body 27. Guide body 27
When the width of the guide member 27 is small, that is, when the interval between the adjacent belts 22 is small and there is no obstacle to the transfer of the article 12, the guide body 27 may be lowered below the transport surface 37.

The transport means for transporting the articles 12 by the transport section 21 is not limited to the belt 22. For example, a bottom plate having an upper surface as a transport surface is provided, and the articles on this bottom plate are pushed from the upstream side in the transport direction. You may be provided with the pushing means which performs.

The articles to be handled are not limited to containers such as PET bottles, but may be containers such as bottles and cans, or articles other than containers.

[0049]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the guide body which is protruded and retracted on the transport surface is provided between the rows of the plurality of transport units, the guide body is projected on the transport surface. Thereby, it is possible to cope with high-speed conveyance of articles conveyed through each conveyance section by partitioning between the rows of the plurality of conveyance sections, improving the processing capacity, and lowering the guide body from a position protruding above the conveyance surface. This eliminates partitions between the rows of the plurality of transport units and allows the use of the upper area of the transport surface, for example, to allow movement of articles between rows.

According to the transport device of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the transport device of the first aspect, when each transport unit transports an article by a belt, a support plate having a guide body at an upper end is used. Thus, the interference with the belt can be prevented, and the displacement of the guide body can be prevented by connecting the upper end side of the support plate with the connecting portion.

According to the transfer device of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the transfer device of the first or second aspect, the transfer surface on the upper surface of the guide body can be made flush with the transfer surface. The movement of the article on the transfer surface can be allowed.

According to the transport direction changing device of the fourth aspect, the guide body is raised to the guide position by the transport device of the third aspect, and the article is loaded on the transport section and the article is loaded on the transport section. Later, the guide body is lowered to the retracted position, and the pushing device moves the articles on the conveying surface of the conveying section in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, so that a plurality of rows of articles can be efficiently loaded and the direction change can be smoothly performed. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the transfer device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the transfer device.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the transfer direction changing device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the transport direction changing device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an article aligning machine using the transport direction changing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Article 21 Transport section 22 Belt 27 Guide body 28 Pushing device 30 Transport direction changing device 35 Outgoing path 36 Return path 37 Transfer surface 41 Transfer surface 43 Elevating body 55 Table as elevating part 65 Support plate 67 Connecting part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page F term (reference) 3F016 AA01 CB03 3F017 AA03 AA08 AB01 AB05 BA14 BA18 BA23 3F025 BA03 BB04 BC05

Claims (4)

[Claims] A plurality of conveying sections arranged in a direction intersecting a conveying direction of the articles, the conveying sections having a conveying surface on which the articles are placed and conveyed; And a guide member that is provided on the transfer surface and protrudes and retracts on the transfer surface. 2. Each transport section has an endless belt having a forward path constituting a transport surface and a return path passing below the forward path, and is disposed between belts of adjacent transport sections and has a guide body at an upper end. A plurality of supporting plates, an elevating unit supporting and supporting the lower ends of these supporting plates, and an elevating body having a connecting unit connecting the upper ends of the plurality of supporting plates through between the outward path and the backward path of the belt. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The guide body has a transfer surface on an upper surface, and is protruded and retracted between a guide position protruding above the transfer surface and a retreat position where the transfer surface is flush with the transfer surface. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The transport device according to claim 3, wherein the guide body is raised to the guide position when the article is loaded onto the transport section, and the guide body is lowered to the retracted position after loading the article onto the transport section. And a pushing device for moving an article on the transport section in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the transport section with the guide body of the transport apparatus lowered to the retracted position. apparatus.