JP2003104490A - Apparatus and method of adjusting position of article processing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method of adjusting a position of an article processing machine with which an operation of setting a reference position of a follower machine when starting an operation of the article processing machine can be simply done to prevent degradation in working efficiency of an entire system of the article processing machine. SOLUTION: The apparatus and the method of adjusting a position of the article processing machine comprise steps of detecting a container 8 on a work conveyance track of a conveyer 6 by a photo sensor 61 provided on a working unit 18, driving the working unit 18 to advance when the conveyer 6 stops to measure by a measuring device 62 a detection range between a point in time when the detection of the container 8 is started by the sensor 61 and a point in time when the detection of the container 8 is completed, thereafter determining a place where the working unit 18 is retreated from the point in time when the detection is completed in the container detection range measured by the measuring device 62 by a distance of a half of a distance of the detection range, and setting the place as the reference position of the working unit 18 when starting the operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a conveyer for conveying a work such as a container, and a follow-up device which linearly reciprocates within a predetermined feeding range so as to follow the conveying operation of the container on the conveyer. And a position adjusting method for the article processing machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a liner such as a rinser for automatically cleaning a container, a filling machine for filling a cleaned container with a liquid, or a capper for mounting a cap on a liquid-filled container is connected in series. A system for an article processing machine has been conventionally developed. In this type of article processing machine system, a conveyor (work transfer device) for transferring a work such as a container is provided. Further, a line-type packaging machine such as a capper is provided with a working unit (following device) that moves following the container conveying operation of the conveyor.

Further, a line type packaging machine such as a capper is provided with a working unit carrying path having an appropriate length range parallel to the container carrying path of the conveyor. Then, the working unit moves from the starting point position to the ending point position of the working unit transport path following the container transport operation of the conveyor, and during this following operation, operations such as mounting a cap on the container are synchronized with the container transport operation of the conveyor. I am supposed to do it.
Further, when the work unit reaches the end point position of the work unit conveyance path, the follow-up operation is stopped, and then the work unit is driven in the opposite direction to the follow-up operation and returned to the start point position of the work unit conveyance path.

During operation of the system of the article processing machine, in a line type packaging machine such as a capper, the work unit that conveys the work unit from the start point position to the end point position of the work unit conveying path follows the container conveying operation of the conveyor. After the follow-up operation and the follow-up operation are stopped at the end point position of the work unit conveyance path, the returning operation of returning the work unit to the start point position of the work unit conveyance path is alternately repeated.

As a conveyor for conveying containers, for example, a container conveying system which conveys at a constant pitch by an attachment chain has been conventionally used. This attachment chain is formed by rotatably connecting a number of chain constituent elements with pins.

[0006]

By the way, in the system of the above-mentioned article processing machine, when the attachment chain is used and the containers are conveyed at an equal pitch, the wear of the pins or the like occurs due to the aging, and the chains are connected. The chain pitch may be extended due to rattling of the existing pin or expansion of the chain due to temperature. In such a case, the pitch of the containers being conveyed at equal intervals by the attachment is deviated by the elongation of the chain pitch. Here, when the chain is long, the deviation of the pitch at both ends becomes very large.

Therefore, it is preferable to use a chain having a small linear expansion coefficient, but a metal chain that is generally used generally has a small linear expansion coefficient, but has a problem of poor precision due to sheet metal working. Further, although the resin chain has relatively good manufacturing accuracy, it has a problem that it has a large linear expansion coefficient and a large elongation.
It is possible to make a metal chain with higher accuracy, but it will take longer to deliver the product and the cost will increase.

Further, in a container conveying system for a conveyor which conveys at an equal pitch, a cap is mounted on the container in synchronism with a container which is conveyed at an equal pitch by a working unit which moves following the container conveying operation of the conveyor. It is supposed to do work such as doing. However, if the container conveying pitch of the conveyor is shifted due to the elongation of the chain, the container pitch is deviated, and it becomes impossible to perform the cap mounting work by the working unit that moves following the container conveying operation of the conveyor. In this case, the larger the number of heads incorporated in the working unit, the greater the deviation of the container pitch.

Therefore, conventionally, in order to minimize the deviation of the container pitch, it is necessary to perform a troublesome work of visually correcting the chain extension whenever the chain extension becomes large. Therefore, there is a problem that the work efficiency of the entire system of the article processing machine is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to easily perform a work of setting a reference position of a tracking device at the start of work in an article processing machine. An object of the present invention is to provide a position adjusting device for an article processing machine and a position adjusting method thereof that can prevent the work efficiency of the entire system from being lowered.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article processing machine including a work transfer device and a follow-up device which moves following the work transfer operation of the work transfer device at the start of work. In a position adjusting device of an article processing machine for setting a reference position of a follower device, a work detector disposed in the follower device for detecting a work on a work transfer track of the work transfer device, and a stop of the work transfer device. Occasionally, the tracking device is driven forward to measure the detection range between the detection start time of the work and the detection end time of the work by the work detector, and the work measured by the measurement means. The position where the follow-up device is retracted by a half of the distance of the detection range of the work from the position at the end of detection of the work in the detection range is determined by calculation. And a position adjusting device for an article processing machine, characterized by comprising a reference position setting means for setting the location as a reference position of the work at the start of the follow-up device. Further, in the invention of claim 1, during the work of setting the reference position of the tracking device at the time of starting the work in the article processing machine, first, the tracking device is driven forward while the work transfer device is stopped, and the work detector of the tracking device. The work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device is detected by. At this time, the measuring means measures the detection range between the time when the work detector starts detecting the work and the time when the work detection ends. After that, the position where the tracking device is retracted by a distance of ½ of the distance in the work detection range from the position at the end of the work detection in the work detection range measured by the measuring means is determined by calculation, and the position is determined. Is set as the reference position of the tracking device at the start of work by the reference position setting means.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the work detector is
It is formed by a photoelectric switch having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element are arranged to face each other with a work on a work transfer track of the work transfer device interposed therebetween, and the measuring means. The position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring device measures a distance shielded by the work during movement of the tracking device. And this claim 2
In the invention described above, the light from the light emitting elements that are arranged to face each other with the work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device sandwiched is detected by the light receiving element, and the distance shielded by the work is measured during the movement of the tracking device. It was done like this.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the work detector is
The light receiving element is formed by a photoelectric switch having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the light receiving element receives light reflected from the work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device. It is a position adjusting device of the article processing machine according to claim 1 characterized by things. Then, in the invention of claim 3, while the follower is moving, the light from the light emitting element of the work detector receives the reflected light reflected by the work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device by the light receiving element, and emits light. The distance from the device where the light is reflected by the work is measured.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the work detector is
A laser type photodetector.
The position adjusting device of the article processing machine according to 1. And
According to the invention of claim 4, the laser light from the laser light emitting portions, which are arranged so as to face each other with the work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device, interposed therebetween, is detected by the laser type photodetector, and the follower is moved. Inside, it measures the distance shielded by the work.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the work detector is
2. The position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the position adjusting device is a contact type probe having a pressure sensor. Further, according to the invention of claim 5, the position of the work is detected by the pressure-sensitive sensor of the contact type probe which is arranged so as to face the work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the work detector is
The position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the position adjusting device is an electrical length measuring device. In the invention of claim 6, the position of the work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device is detected by the electrical length measuring instrument.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the reference position of the follower device at the start of work in an article processing machine including a work conveyer device and a follower device that moves following the work conveyer operation of the work conveyer device is set. In the position adjusting method of the article processing machine to be set, when the work transfer device is stopped, the follow-up device is driven forward to detect a work on a work transfer track of the work transfer device, and the follow-up device is moved forward. A measurement step of measuring a detection range between the detection start time of the work and the detection end time of the work in operation, and the position of the detection end time of the work in the detection range of the work measured in this measurement step From the above, the place where the follow-up device is retracted by a distance of ½ of the work detection range is determined by calculation, and the place is set at the time of starting the work. A position adjustment method of the article processing machine, characterized by comprising a reference position setting step of setting a reference position of the serial follow-up device. Further, in the invention of claim 7, during the work of setting the reference position of the tracking device at the time of starting the work in the article processing machine, first, the tracking device is driven forward when the work transfer device is stopped to move the work of the work transfer device. The work on the orbit is detected (work detection process). At this time, the detection range between the work detection start time and the work detection end time during the forward movement of the tracking device is measured (measurement step). After that, the position where the tracking device is retracted by a distance half the distance of the work detection range from the position at the end of work detection in the work detection range measured in the measurement process is determined by calculation, and that position is determined. Is set as the reference position of the tracking device at the start of work (reference position setting step).

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 show a schematic configuration of a line type packaging machine, for example, a capper 2, which is an example of an article processing machine. The capper 2 includes a frame 4 that supports a work unit (following device) 18 described later. A conveyor (work transfer device) 6 for transferring a work such as a container 8 is provided on the frame 4, and the containers 8 arranged at a predetermined interval (pitch) are transferred at a constant speed.

Further, on the frame 4, a rack 12 extending in parallel with the conveying direction of the container 8 by the conveyor 6 is provided.
And a pair of guide shafts 13 are provided. On these guide shafts 13, a working unit 18 that moves following the container transport operation of the conveyor 6 is slidably arranged. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, both ends of each guide shaft 13 are respectively provided with a shaft block 15.
It is fixed on the frame 4 via. The pair of guide shafts 13 form a working unit carrying path having an appropriate length range parallel to the container carrying path of the conveyor 6.

Further, the work unit 18 is provided with a first servo motor 16 and its drive shaft is directed downward. A pinion 14 is attached to the drive shaft, and the pinion 14 is meshed with the rack 12.

Therefore, when the pinion 14 is rotationally driven by the first servomotor 16, the working unit 18 is moved along the guide shaft 13 by the driving force transmitted through the meshing portion between the rack 12 and the pinion 14. It has become. At this time, when the first servomotor 16 is rotationally driven in the forward direction, the work unit 1
8 follows the container carrying operation of the conveyor 6 and is moved substantially linearly within a certain moving range by the pair of guide shafts 13.

When the first servomotor 16 is rotationally driven in the opposite direction, the working unit 18 is moved (returned) substantially linearly in the direction opposite to the container carrying direction of the conveyor 6. That is, the working unit 18 is reciprocally driven on the frame 4 along the rack 12 and the guide shaft 13 within a fixed working unit transport path.

The speed at which the working unit 18 moves following the container carrying operation of the conveyor 6 is feedback-controlled by the first servomotor 16 and adjusted to the carrying speed of the container 8 by the conveyor 6. Further, when the pinion 14 reaches a predetermined position near the end of the rack 12 from the center of the rack 12, the first servomotor 16 is controlled so as to be temporarily stopped and rotated in the opposite direction or stopped. Whether to be performed is selected. The driving speed of the work unit 18 by the first servomotor 16 is different between when the work unit 18 moves following the container transport operation of the conveyor 6 and when the work unit 18 is driven back. The speeds may be approximately the same or may be significantly different.

Further, the work unit 18 has the first
The second servo motor 20 is attached adjacent to the servo motor 16 and the drive shaft is arranged in the opposite direction (upward). A gear 22 is attached to the drive shaft of the second servomotor 20, and a timing belt 24 is meshed with the gear 22.

A capping head 34 is arranged above the working unit 18. At the front end of the capping head 34, as shown in FIG. 2, three cap chuck units 36 extending downward are arranged in parallel. These three cap chuck units 36 are arranged in a line in a line along the container carrying direction of the conveyor 6.

At the rear end of the capping head 34, an elevating / lowering drive unit 32A capable of ascending / descending is arranged.
A ball screw 26 extending vertically is attached to the up-and-down drive unit 32A. At the lower end of the ball screw 26, a gear 28 arranged at substantially the same height as the gear 22 on the drive shaft of the second servomotor 20.
Is installed. The timing belt 24 is meshed with the gear 28.

Further, a bearing 30 is provided on the upper end of the ball screw 26, and the working unit 1 is mounted through the bearing 30.
Eight base members 32 are attached. For this reason,
The rotation torque due to the rotation of the servo motor 20 is
2 is transmitted to the timing belt 24 meshed with the gear 22. Further, this rotational torque is transmitted to the ball screw 26 via the gear 28, and the ball screw 26 is rotationally driven. This ball screw 26
The rotational movement of the base member 32 is converted into the vertical movement of the base member 32 through the meshing portion between the ball screw 26 and the bearing 30. As a result, when the ball screw 26 is rotated in a predetermined direction, the entire capping head 34 is driven up and down via the base member 32. Then, the cap chuck unit 36 is linearly moved up and down together with the capping head 34.

Further, the cap chuck unit 36
During the up-and-down driving, the second servo motor 20 is feedback-controlled to appropriately control the vertical movement amount (up-and-down amount).

Also, three cap chuck units 3
A spindle 41 is arranged at the center of the shaft 6. A gear 38 is attached to the upper end of the spindle 41,
A chuck part 40 that can be opened and closed and rotated is provided at the lower end.

Further, the capping head 34 is provided with three motors 42, preferably servo motors, arranged side by side in a row. Gears 44 are attached to the rotating shafts of the motors 42, respectively.
The timing belts 46 are meshed with each other. The timing belts 46 mesh with the gears 38 at the upper end of the cap chuck unit 36. Therefore, when the motors 42 are rotated, the rotation torque of the motors 42 is transmitted to the timing belt 46 via the gear 44. Further, this rotational torque is transmitted to the spindle 41 via the gear 38, the spindle 41 is rotated, and the chuck portion 40 at the lower end of the cap chuck unit 36 is rotated.

The chuck portion 40 is covered by the motor 42, when the cap 48 is attached to the container 8 during capping, the tightness of the cap 48 is optimally controlled.

Therefore, the cap chuck unit 3
6 is moved up and down linearly with a free stroke, and is rotated so that the cap 48 is capped on the container 8 with an appropriate force.

As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 4 of the capper 2 is provided with a cap chute 50 (cap transport path) to which a cap is supplied. The cap chute 50 is arranged on the upper surface of the frame 4, and its end portion is arranged in the vicinity of the conveyor 6 along the container transport path of the conveyor 6.
Then, the caps 48 sequentially sent from the cap supply unit (not shown) to the cap chute 50 are naturally dropped so as to slide down while being aligned along the cap chute 50, and are conveyed to the terminal end side of the cap chute 50. It On the terminal end side of the cap chute 50, a scratch piece unit 60 parallel to the upper surface of the frame 4 is arranged with a space. This scratch piece unit 60 has three scratch pieces 58
Is placed.

The scratch piece unit 60 is moved by a scratch piece transport mechanism 52. And the scratch piece unit 6
With the movement of 0, the cap 48 at the end position of the cap chute 50 has three scratch pieces 58 one by one.
It is designed to be transferred by being hooked on each.

When the capper 2 is in operation, the working unit 18 moves from the starting point position (left end position of the guide shaft 13 in FIG. 2) of the working unit conveying path formed by the pair of guide shafts 13 to the end point position (FIG. 2). Among them, the container 8 moves to the right end position of the guide shaft 13 following the container transport operation of the conveyor 6, and during this following operation, the cap 48 is attached to the container 8 by the chuck portion 40 at the lower end of the cap chuck unit 36. The work is performed in synchronization with the container transport operation of the conveyor 6.

Further, when the working unit 18 reaches the end position of the working unit carrying path, the follow-up operation of the conveyor 6 to the container carrying operation is stopped, and then the working unit 18 is driven back in the opposite direction to the working unit carrying path. It is designed to be returned to the starting point position of. Then, thereafter, following the container carrying operation of the conveyor 6 described above, the following operation of the working unit 18 that carries the working unit 18 from the starting point position to the ending point position of the working unit carrying path and the ending point position of the working unit carrying path are followed. After the operation is stopped, the returning operation of returning the work unit 18 to the starting point position of the work unit transport path is alternately repeated.

FIG. 3 shows the work unit 18 at the start of work in the line type packaging machine such as the capper 2 described above.
2 shows a position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to the present embodiment, which performs the work of setting the reference position. In FIG. 3, 6
Reference numeral 1 is an optical sensor as a work detector attached to the work unit 18 of the capper 2. This optical sensor 61
Is arranged at a position opposed to the container transport path of the conveyor 6 in the working unit 18 while being separated therefrom.

Further, a measuring device (measuring means) 62 is connected to the optical sensor 61. A detection signal from the optical sensor 61 is input to the measuring device 62 when the working unit 18 is driven forward when the conveyor 6 is stopped, and based on the detection signal from the optical sensor 61, the detection start time point L1 of the container 8 and Detection range S between the detection end point L2 of the container 8
Is measured. Note that L0 is the origin position of the optical sensor 61 during the position adjustment work by the position adjusting device.

Further, the measuring device 62 is connected to a control unit (reference position setting means) 63. The control unit 63 further includes a drive motor 64 for the conveyor 6 and a work unit 18
The first servomotor 16, which is the drive motor of the above, and the position detector 66 that detects the position of the attachment 65 of the container 8 on the conveyor 6 are connected. Here, in the control unit 63, the working unit 18 is moved backward by a distance ½ of the distance of the detection range of the container 8 from the position of the detection end point L2 of the container 8 in the container detection range S measured by the measuring device 62. The calculated place is determined by calculation, and the place is set as the reference position P of the work unit 18 at the time of starting the work.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
During the work of setting the reference position of the work unit 18 at the start of work in the article processing machine such as the capper 2 by the position adjusting device of the article processing machine according to the present embodiment, first, when the conveyor 6 is stopped at an arbitrary fixed position. The work unit 18 is driven forward. During the forward drive of the work unit 18, the light from the optical sensor 61 is blocked by the container 8 on the container transport path of the conveyor 6 to detect the container 8 (workpiece detection step). At this time, the time when the light from the optical sensor 61 is shielded by the container 8 during the forward movement of the work unit 18 is the detection start time L1 of the container 8. Further, after the light from the optical sensor 61 is blocked by the container 8, the time when the light is incident again becomes the detection end time L2 of the container 8. The detection range S between the detection start time L1 of the container 8 and the detection end time L2 of the container 8 during the forward movement of the working unit 18 is the measuring device 62.
Is measured by (measurement process). Further, the measuring device 62
The measurement signal from is input to the control unit 63.

After that, the control unit 63 works by the distance of 1/2 of the detection range S of the container 8 from the position of the detection end point L2 of the container 8 in the detection range S of the container 8 measured by the measuring device 62. The place where the unit 18 is retracted is determined by calculation, and the place is the work unit 18 when the work is started.
Is set as a reference position (reference position setting step). As a result, when the chain pitch is extended due to rattling of the pin portion connecting the chains during operation of the conveyor 6 or expansion of the chain due to temperature, and the displacement of the position of the conveyor 6 occurs, the conveyor 6 and the capper It is possible to easily correct the misaligned size between the work unit 18 and the work unit 18 of the article processing machine such as 2.

Therefore, the following effects are obtained with the above-mentioned structure. That is, in the position adjusting device of the article processing machine according to the present embodiment, when the containers are conveyed by the conveyor 6 at an equal pitch, wear of the pins occurs due to aging, and rattling of the pin portion connecting the chains and ,
Even when the chain pitch is extended due to the expansion of the chain due to temperature, the position adjusting device of the article processing machine according to the present embodiment causes the work unit 18 to move relative to the conveyor 6 at the start of work in the article processing machine such as the capper 2. The work of setting the reference position can be easily performed. Therefore, when the elongation of the chain of the conveyor 6 becomes large, the conveyor 6 at the time of starting the work in the article processing machine is compared with the conventional case where the troublesome work of visually correcting the chain expansion is performed each time. It is possible to easily perform the work of setting the reference position of the work unit 18, and it is possible to prevent the work efficiency of the entire system of the article processing machine from decreasing.

When setting a work station such as the work unit 18 that moves in synchronization with the attachment chain of the conveyor 6 at a predetermined position, set it so that the position of the chain and the work station does not shift when moving in synchronization, Since the relative speed becomes 0 by detecting during synchronization, the detection accuracy increases.

Further, when the displacement of the position of the working unit 18 with respect to the conveyor 6 in operation is detected and the displaced dimension is corrected, if the attachment pitch of the attachment is slightly displaced, the dimension is detected at several places, The averaged dimensions may be corrected.

Further, in the working unit 18 having a large number of heads, in order to reduce the error at both ends as much as possible, it is preferable to attach the optical sensor 61 for detecting the positional deviation to the central portion of the working unit 18 and distribute the error to both sides.

Further, since the center of the head of the working unit 18 is predetermined, the position of the attachment 65 needs to be moved by ½ of the difference in container diameter when the container diameter changes.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above method, the work unit 1
Although the center of the eight heads is predetermined, a compensating device may be incorporated between the heads to detect the elongation of the chain and correct the dimension between the heads.

Further, the work detector is formed by a photoelectric switch having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element are arranged so as to face each other with the container 8 on the container conveying path of the conveyor 6 interposed therebetween. The measuring device 62
May measure the distance shielded by the container 8 while the working unit 18 is moving. further,
The work detector is formed by a photoelectric switch having a light emitting element and a light receiving element and a reflecting plate that reflects light from the light emitting element, and the light receiving element is a reflected light that reflects the light from the light emitting element by the reflecting plate. May be received. Further, the work detector may be a laser type photodetector, a contact type probe provided with a pressure sensitive sensor, or an electrical length measuring device.

Further, in addition, various modifications such as a packaging machine such as a filling machine, a rinser, a container supply device, a container removal device, or an article processing device using a robot can be implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention. Of course you can.

[0050]

According to the present invention, the work of setting the reference position of the tracking device at the start of work in the article processing machine can be easily performed, and the work efficiency of the entire system of the article processing machine can be prevented from decreasing. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of an entire line-type capper.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the entire line-type capper.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a position adjusting device of the article processing machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a connection state of a control unit according to the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

6 Conveyor (work transfer device) 8 containers (work) 18 work unit (following device) 61 Optical sensor (workpiece detector) 62 Measuring instrument (measuring means) 63 control unit (reference position setting means)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hisato Iga             2-8-1, Tenjin, Shimizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture             Inside the company F term (reference) 2F065 AA02 AA07 BB05 BB15 DD19                       EE00 FF02 GG04 GG13 HH13                       HH15 JJ01 JJ05 JJ09 LL11                       PP15                 2F069 AA01 AA06 EE02 EE04 EE22                       GG01 GG04 GG06 GG07 GG12                       GG63 PP07                 3E056 AA11 AA17 CA08 EA09 GA10                       HA05                 3E080 AA07 CD06 DD12 EE10 FF11

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An article processing machine, comprising: a work transfer device; and a tracking device that moves following a work transfer operation of the work transfer device. The article processing machine sets a reference position of the tracking device at the start of work. In the position adjusting device, the work detector is provided in the follower device, and detects the work on the work transfer path of the work transfer device, and the work device is driven forward to drive the follower device when the work transfer device is stopped. Measuring means for measuring a detection range between a detection start time of the work by the detector and a detection end time of the work, and a position of the detection end time of the work in the detection range of the work measured by the measurement means From the above, the place where the follow-up device is retracted by a distance ½ of the distance of the detection range of the work is determined by calculation, and the place is set at the time of starting the work. A position adjusting device for an article processing machine, comprising: a reference position setting means for setting the reference position of the tracking device. 2. The work detector is formed by a photoelectric switch including a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element sandwich a work on a work transfer path of the work transfer device. 2. The position of the article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the measuring means measures a distance shielded by the work while the follower is moving. Adjustment device. 3. The work detector is formed by a photoelectric switch including a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and a reflecting plate for reflecting light from the light emitting element, and the light receiving element is configured to detect the light from the light emitting element. The position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the position adjusting device receives the reflected light reflected by the reflecting plate. 4. The position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the work detector is a laser type photodetector. 5. The position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the work detector is a contact type probe having a pressure sensitive sensor. 6. The position adjusting device for an article processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the work detector is an electrical length measuring device. 7. An article processing machine, comprising: a work transfer device; and a tracking device that moves following the work transfer operation of the work transfer device. The article processing machine sets a reference position of the tracking device at the start of work. In the position adjusting method, a work detection step of driving the follower device forward when the work carrier device is stopped to detect a work on a work carrying path of the work carrier device, and the work device during the forward motion of the follower device. Measurement step for measuring the detection range between the detection start time point and the detection end time point of the work, and the detection of the work piece from the position at the detection end time point of the work piece in the detection range of the work piece measured in this measurement step A place where the follower is retracted by a distance of 1/2 of the range is determined by calculation, and that place is determined by the base of the follower when starting the work. And a reference position setting step of setting the position as a quasi-position.