JP2000246583A - Chip conveyer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To extend the service life of a cleaning member such as a brush with a simple structure. SOLUTION: This conveyor device is provided with a cleaning member 11 such as a brush slidably abutted against a transport face S of an endless conveyer body 6 having chip transport plates 8. A cleaning member support body 12 supporting the cleaning member 11 is tilted freely in a refuge direction when pushed by the chip transport plate 8. The cleaning member support body 12 is energized in a rising direction by an elastic body 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chip conveyor device which is installed in a machine tool such as a lathe which generates chips by machining and discharges chips generated inside the machine to the outside of the machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in an example in FIG. 4, in a machine tool such as a lathe for generating chips, a chip conveyor device 52 for discharging chips generated inside the machine 51 to the outside of the machine 51 is provided. Is provided. Chip conveyor device 52
In the conveyor body 53 composed of a belt, a slat, or the like, a chip conveying plate 54 is provided at predetermined intervals so as to protrude from the conveying surface in order to surely convey the chip. In addition, low protrusions (not shown) are formed at short pitches between the chip transport plates 54 as well. Since the chips are carried by the circulation operation of the conveyor body 53 and are supported between the chip transport plates 53 at this time, the conveyor inclined portion 52
There is no slip even at a. Conveyor turnover part 52b
A chip collecting box 55 is provided below the box, and the chips fall into the box 55. There is a case where chips are clogged in the conveyor body 53 and do not fall into the collection box 55, but reach the other turn-back portion 52c and gradually accumulate.
In order to scrape off such adhered chips, the conveyor body 5
A brush 56 that is in sliding contact with the conveyor body 53 is installed on the return path portion 3, that is, the path portion where the transport surface faces downward.

[0003]

The base 56b for supporting the brush bristles 56a does not interfere with the chip transport plate 54 and can clean the transport surface of the conveyor body 53 so as not to hinder the transport. A hair length is required. As described above, since the brush bristles 56a need to be long, the life of the brush bristles 56a is likely to be shortened due to deterioration of elasticity. So-called brush hair 56
a's waist is likely to be weak.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a chip conveyor device capable of extending the life of a cleaning member. Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to extend the life of a cleaning member with a simple configuration.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a chip conveyor apparatus comprising: an endless conveyor body having a plurality of chip conveying plates spaced at a conveying surface; and a cleaning member slidingly contacting the conveying surface of the conveyor body. And a cleaning member support that supports the cleaning member and is retractable in the traveling direction of the conveyor body so that the cleaning member does not interfere with the chip transport plate. For example, a brush is used as the cleaning member. According to this configuration, the chips remaining on the conveying surface without falling at the conveyer turn-back section are scraped off by the sliding contact of the cleaning member. The cleaning member is located at a position in sliding contact with the conveyor surface of the conveyor body, but when the chip conveying plate of the conveyor body passes through the installation position of the cleaning member, the cleaning member retracts together with the cleaning member support and contacts the chip conveying plate. Interference is avoided. As described above, since the cleaning member does not interfere with the chip transport plate, there is no problem of deterioration caused by repeated contact with the chip transport plate, and deterioration hardly occurs. Further, the cleaning member does not need to be in a form that allows passage of the chip conveying plate while the position is fixed. For example, a brush with a short bristle or any other material and shape can be freely selected. This also makes it easier to improve the life.

In the present invention, the cleaning member support may be tiltably supported so as to be retractable in the traveling direction. In this manner, by being supported so that it can be tilted, the configuration is simpler than, for example, a device that performs a retreat operation by linearly moving forward and backward.

[0007] When the cleaning member can be tilted in this manner, the cleaning member support body is erected by an elastic body so as to maintain a position where the cleaning member is in sliding contact with the conveying surface of the conveyor body, and the cleaning member support is provided. As the chip transport plate pushes the cleaning member support as it proceeds, the cleaning member support may be tilted. As described above, in a configuration in which the chip is pressed by the chip transport plate to be tilted and elastically returned, a driving source for performing the tilting and the returning operation is unnecessary, and the configuration is simple.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This chip conveyor device 1
It is provided extending from the inside of the machine tool 2 to the outside. The machine tool 2 is composed of a lathe, and includes a main shaft 3 for gripping and rotating the work W, and a tool rest 4. The chip conveyor device 1 includes a substantially horizontal chip receiving section 1a passing below a chip drop region R near the main shaft 3 and the tool rest 4 of the machine tool 1, and an inclined section 1b extending upward from the section 1a.
And a portion that extends further horizontally from the tip of the inclined section 1b or the inclined section 1b becomes the conveyer turning-back section 1c on the chip discharge side. A chip recovery box 5 is arranged below the conveyer turn-up portion 1c.

In the chip conveyor device 1, an endless conveyor body 6 is mounted on a rotating part (not shown) such as a pulley or a sprocket, and the conveyor body is driven by a driving source (not shown) such as a motor via the rotating part. 6 is rotated. The arrow in FIG. 1 indicates the forward rotation direction of the conveyor body 6. The conveyor body 6 is covered with a duct-shaped conveyor cover 7, and the conveyor cover 7 has an upper surface portion corresponding to the chip falling region R and a conveyor turn-up portion 1c on the chip discharge side. The conveyor body 6 is configured by connecting slats, a belt, a net, or the like. A chip conveying plate 8 is provided on the conveying surface of the conveyor body 6 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. The chip conveying plate 8 extends over the entire width of the conveyor body 6. In addition, a large number of protrusions 9 having a protruding height sufficiently lower than the chip conveying plate 8 are provided on the conveying surface S of the conveyor body 6, whereby the conveying surface S has an uneven surface. The protrusions 9 are formed by ridges extending in the width direction of the conveyor body 6, and are arranged at intervals sufficiently shorter than the arrangement interval of the chip transport plates 8. The cross-sectional shape of the projection 9 is, for example, a semicircle.

[0010] A conveyor body cleaning device 10 is provided so as to face a path portion on the return side of the rotation path of the conveyor body 6, that is, a path portion in which the transport surface S faces downward. The conveyor cleaning device 10 includes a cleaning member 11 that slides on the transport surface S of the conveyor 6 and a cleaning member support 12 that supports the cleaning member 11. The cleaning member 11 is a member that can elastically bend or expand and contract and has a cleaning effect. In this example, the cleaning member 11 is made of a brush, but may be a sponge-like body. Further, the cleaning member 11 includes the conveyor body 6.
Of the entire width of the The cleaning member support 12 is a plate-shaped member extending in the width direction of the conveyor body 6. The cleaning member support 12 is supported by the support member 13 with a hinge part 14 such as a hinge so as to be tiltable.
The conveyor 6 can be retracted in the traveling direction a so as not to interfere with the chip transport plate 8. Hinge part 14
Has an elastic body 14a such as a spring member, and urges the elastic body in a direction in which the cleaning member support 12 stands.

The support member 13 is supported on a fixing member 15 by a hinge part 16 such as a hinge so as to be tiltable in a direction opposite to the direction in which the cleaning member support 12 is tilted. The fixing member 15 is a conveyor frame (not shown). Is fixedly installed. The hinge component 16 also has an elastic body 16a, and the support member 13 is urged in the upright direction. The fixing member 15
At both ends, mounting plate portions 15a are provided in a bent state, and fixing to the conveyor frame is performed via the mounting plate portions 15a. Each of the hinge members 14 and 16 is
Are provided in the width direction, and are arranged in a staggered pattern with respect to each other (FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 1B, the length of the cleaning member 11 protruding from the brush base 11b of the brush bristles 11a is shorter than the protruding width of the chip conveying plate 8. The cleaning member support 12 is provided on the more upstream side of the conveyor body traveling direction a than the cleaning member 11, that is, the cleaning member 11 is provided on the back surface of the cleaning member support 12, and the cleaning member support 12 is The distal end 12a protrudes more distally than the base end of the brush bristles 11a of the cleaning member 11. The cleaning member support 12 has a base extension 12b extending from the base end thereof, and the base extension 12b is engaged with the stopper surface 13a of the support member 13 so that the cleaning member support 12 is provided. 12 is restricted from falling in a direction opposite to the evacuation direction from a predetermined standing posture in which it is substantially upright. Stopper surface 13a
Is formed on the upper surface of the support member 13 in the conveyor body advancing direction a.

In the natural state where no load is applied, the cleaning member 11 has a length protruding above the transport surface S of the conveyor body 6 in the upright posture as shown in FIG. 2A, the cleaning member 11 is in the state shown in FIG.
, And the leading end thereof is bent in contact with the conveying surface S of the conveyor body 6.

The operation of the above configuration will be described. Chips generated in the chip drop region R due to the processing fall on the conveyor body 6 and are conveyed by the rotation of the conveyor body 6. At this time, there is no slippage between the chip transport plates 8 while passing through the inclined conveyor section 1b. The transported chips fall into the chip recovery box 5 from the conveyer turn-back section 1c. Chips remaining on the conveyor body 6 without dropping are scraped off by the cleaning member 11 when passing through the cleaning member 11. Therefore, accumulation of the remaining chips on the conveyor body 6 is prevented.

The cleaning member 11 is normally pressed against the conveying surface S of the conveyor body 6 (FIG. 2A), but the chip conveying plate 8 is turned by the rotation of the conveyor body 6.
2, the chip transport plate 8 pushes the cleaning member support 12 as shown in FIGS. As a result, the cleaning member 11 falls along with the cleaning member support 12 in the traveling direction a of the conveyor body and retreats, so that interference with the chip transport plate 8 is avoided. Since the cleaning member 12 protrudes from the brush base end of the cleaning member 11, FIGS.
As shown in (1), interference of the cleaning member 11 with the chip transport plate 8 is avoided as much as possible. When the chip conveying plate 8 passes through the cleaning member 11, as shown in FIG.
The cleaning member 11 is returned to the standing position together with the cleaning member support 12 by the elastic member 14a attached to the hinge part 14.

The conveyor 6 may be rotated in the opposite direction for maintenance or the like. During this reverse rotation, the cleaning member 11
When pressed by the chip transport plate 8, together with the cleaning member support 12 and the support member 13, the hinge component 16 inclines in the opposite direction with respect to the fixing member 15, and the chip transport plate 8
Allow the passage of.

According to the chip conveyor device 1, since the cleaning member 11 can avoid the interference with the chip transport plate 8 as described above, there is no problem of deterioration caused by repeated contact with the chip transport plate, and the deterioration is reduced. Hard to occur. Also,
The cleaning member 11 keeps the position of the chip conveying plate 8 fixed.
It does not need to be in a form that permits the passage of a brush, and a brush with short hair can be used. As a result, the life of the cleaning member 11 can be extended. When the distal end 12a of the cleaning member support 12 extends beyond the brush base end of the cleaning member 11, interference of the chip transport plate 8 with the cleaning member 11 can be avoided as much as possible, as described above. The life of the cleaning member 11 is further improved. When the base extension portion 12b of the cleaning member support 12 is brought into contact with the stopper surface 13a of the support member 13, the standing posture of the cleaning member 11 does not go too far from the upright posture, and the cleaning member 11 is moved. The cleaning function can be enhanced by strongly pressing the conveyor body 6 with the elastic body 14a.

[0018]

The chip conveyor apparatus of the present invention is provided with a cleaning member which slides on the conveying surface of the conveyor body, and supports the cleaning member which can be retracted in the traveling direction of the conveyor body so that the cleaning member does not interfere with the conveyor body. Since the body is provided, the life of the cleaning member can be extended. When the cleaning member support is made retreatable by tilting, the retreatable configuration is simplified. In a case where the cleaning member support is erected and urged by the elastic body and pushed by the chip transport plate to defeat the cleaning member support, a driving source is not required for tilting and returning, and the configuration is further simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a front view of a machine tool equipped with a chip conveyor device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cutaway side view of the conveyor body cleaning device.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory view of a conveyor body cleaning device in the chip conveyor device.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the conveyor body cleaning apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Chip conveyor apparatus 12 ... Cleaning member support body 2 ... Machine tool 13 ... Support member 5 ... Chip recovery box 14 ... Hinge parts 6 ... Conveyor body 14a ... Elastic body 7 ... Conveyor cover 15 ... Fixed member 8 ... Chip conveyance Plate 15b Fixed part 9 Projection 16 Hinge part 10 Conveyor body cleaning device 16a Elastic body 11 Cleaning member a Conveyor body advancing direction 11a Brush bristles S Transfer surface 11b Brush base

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An endless conveyor body having a number of chip transport plates spaced apart on a transport surface, a cleaning member slidably in contact with the transport surface of the conveyor body, and a cleaning member supporting the cleaning member and comprising a cleaning member. A chip conveyor device comprising: a cleaning member support that can retreat in the traveling direction of the conveyor so as not to interfere with the chip transport plate. 2. The chip conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member support is tiltably supported so as to be retractable in the traveling direction. 3. The cleaning member support is erected by an elastic body so as to maintain a position where the cleaning member slides on the conveying surface of the conveyor body, and the cutting chips are moved as the conveyor body advances. The chip conveyor device according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning member support is tilted by a transport plate pressing the cleaning member support.