JP2009132516A - Article conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article conveying device having an extensive general purpose range capable of holding a container 2 with an adequate holding force irrespective of the size of the container 2 and conveying it, and enhancing the durability of the device. <P>SOLUTION: A gripper mechanism 6 has a pair of arms 5a, 5b connected to rotary shafts 34a, 34b. The arms 5a, 5b are opened/closed interlockingly with a cam mechanism 35 via a piercing shaft 46 pivotably supported by an oscillating member 38. The oscillating member 38 can be oscillated with the first rotary shaft 34b and a second rotary shaft 51. When changing the size of the container 2, the piercing shaft 46 is turned by oscillating the oscillating member 38 by the predetermined angle, and the space between the pair of arms 5a, 5b is adjusted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an article conveying apparatus, and more particularly to an article conveying apparatus capable of conveying articles having different sizes.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed an article transport apparatus that can also transport containers having different sizes (for example, Patent Document 1).
In the article conveying apparatus of Patent Document 1, two disc-shaped cam members are arranged in a vertically superposed manner, and when necessary, the cam members are rotated relative to each other by a required angle so that each pair of cam members is rotated. The open / close position of the clamp arm is adjusted.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-61813

  By the way, in the article conveying apparatus of the above-mentioned patent document 1, the opening / closing amount of the clamp arm requires an opening amount that can grip the largest article to be used as well as a closing amount and a gripping force that can grip the smallest article. It becomes. Therefore, the largest article is gripped with a gripping force that is more than necessary, and it is difficult to select a spring that applies the gripping force and to adjust the proper gripping force, and the article is not gripped. Then, since the clamp arm is always opened to the maximum open state, when it corresponds to the smallest article, the opening / closing amount becomes large and the amount of expansion / contraction of the spring also becomes large, so that the life of the spring is shortened. there were. In addition, due to these, there is a disadvantage that the size width that can be used in combination is limited to a narrow range.

In view of the circumstances described above, the present invention described in claim 1 is a rotatable rotating body and a pair of rotating shafts that are pivotally supported by the rotating body and rotated in opposite directions. And a pair of arms provided on each pivot shaft and opened and closed by the pivoting operation, and the article is gripped by the pair of closed arms and conveyed in the rotation direction of the rotating body. In the device
Any one of the rotation shafts is a first rotation shaft, and the second rotation shaft is disposed on the axial extension of the first rotation shaft and is pivotally supported by the rotating body. A pivot shaft, a pivot member supported by the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis so as to be pivotable, and any one of the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis. A first gear provided on one side, a second gear provided on the other of the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft, a third gear meshing with the first gear, and one end side A through shaft provided with the third gear and rotatably supported through the rocking member, a fourth gear provided on the other end side of the through shaft, and rotatable with respect to the rocking member A fifth gear meshed with the second gear and the fourth gear, an operating means for rotating the second rotating shaft, and an adjustment for swinging the swinging member. And means,
The second rotating shaft is rotated by the actuating means, and the rotation is transmitted to the first rotating shaft through the penetrating shaft to open and close the pair of arms. In a state in which the opening / closing operation by the means is stopped, the through-shaft is rotated by swinging the swinging member by the adjusting means, and the rotation is transmitted to the first rotating shaft. The arm spacing can be adjusted.

  According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to grip and transport an article with an appropriate gripping force regardless of the size of the article, and to provide an article transport apparatus with a wide dual purpose range that improves the durability of the apparatus. can do.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. In FIGS. 1 to 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a rotary article conveying apparatus that holds and conveys a container 2 as an article. The container 2 is conveyed. A container 2 to be transported by the article transporting apparatus 1 is an empty plastic bottle, and has an neck 2B having a diameter smaller than that of the body 2A at the upper part thereof, a flange 2C at the neck 2B, and an upper part thereof. A thread portion 2D is provided.
The article conveying apparatus 1 is provided with a plurality of rotating bodies 4 that are rotated in a predetermined direction and a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions of the rotating bodies 4 and a pair of upper and lower portions of the flange portion 2C of the neck portion 2B of the container 2. A gripper mechanism 6 gripped by the arms 5a and 5b, a driving means 7 for opening and closing the arms 5a and 5b of each gripper mechanism 6, and a first adjustment for adjusting the distance between the gripper mechanisms 6 according to the size of the container 2. Means 8, rear support means 11 provided for each gripper mechanism 6 to support the lower part of the body 2 </ b> A of the container 2 on the rear side in the transport direction, and a rotating body of each rear support member 11 </ b> A provided in the rear support means 11 4 includes a second adjusting unit 12 that adjusts the position of the rotating direction 4 and a lifting unit 13 that simultaneously changes the heights of the gripper mechanisms 6 according to the size of the container 2.

The rotating body 4 is rotated in a predetermined direction via a drive gear 14 by a drive source (not shown). For example, the neck 2B of the container 2 is sequentially held by the arms 5a and 5b of the gripper mechanisms 6 at the first delivery position A on the conveyor (not shown), and the rear support member 11A conveys the body 2A of the container 2 in the trunk 2A. A lower part on the rear side in the direction is supported and conveyed on the conveyance table 3. Thereafter, the container 2 held by each gripper mechanism 6 is transported to the second delivery position B on the rotary transport device (not shown), for example, as the rotating body 4 rotates. The grasping state of the neck 2B of the container 2 is released. As such, the article transporting apparatus 1 sequentially delivers the containers 2 from the first delivery position A to the second delivery position B by each gripper mechanism 6.
In the article conveying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the interval and height position of the arms 5a and 5b of each gripper mechanism 6 can be adjusted according to the size of the container 2, that is, the diameter and height position of the neck 2B to be gripped. In addition, the position of each rear support member 11 in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 4 can also be adjusted according to the size of the container 2, that is, the diameter of the abutting body 2A. Thereby, the gripper mechanism 6 can be used also for the containers 2 having different sizes.

  The rotating body 4 is rotatably supported by a cylindrical portion 15A of a fixed frame 15 via bearings 16 and 16, and an outer cylinder 17 having the drive gear 14 attached to a lower outer peripheral portion thereof. An inner cylinder 18 that is slidably passed through the inner cylinder 18, a shaft member 21 that is disposed so as to penetrate the inner cylinder 18 and that can rotate relative to the inner cylinder 18, and is connected to the upper end of the shaft member 21. Annulus that constitutes the rear support means 11 that is rotatably fitted to the support member 22 having the gripper mechanisms 6 arranged at the center and the cylindrical portion 17A formed on the outer peripheral portion of the axially central portion of the outer cylinder 17. And a member 23.

The shaft member 21 and the support member 22 are integrally connected, and the support member 22 is attached to the outer cylinder 17 so that it can move up and down without being relatively rotated in the rotation direction of the rotating body 4. A plurality of gripper mechanisms 6 are arranged at equidistant positions in the circumferential direction of the support member 22, and driving means 7 is provided on the support member 22.
An enlarged diameter portion 21A and a flange portion 21B are connected to the lower portion of the shaft member 21, and the enlarged diameter portion 18A formed at the lower end portion of the inner cylinder 18 is located above the enlarged diameter portion 21A of the shaft member 21. And is rotatably fitted. The enlarged diameter portion 18A of the inner cylinder 18 is configured as a worm wheel having a gear 18B formed on the outer peripheral surface, and the gear 18B is engaged with a worm 25 of the motor 24 disposed on the flange portion 21B. . The motor 24 is configured as a drive source of the first adjusting means 8 that adjusts the distance between the arms 5a and 5b. When the motor 24 is stopped, the shaft member 21 and the inner cylinder 18 are integrated. To be rotated.

  On the base portion 15B of the fixed frame 15 on the lower side of the shaft member 21, a lifting means 13 made of a conventionally known jack is disposed with the lifting shaft 13A facing vertically upward. A lifting plate 26 in the form of a disk is fitted to the upper end of the lifting shaft 13A in the lifting means 13, and the flange portion 21B of the shaft member 21 is placed on the lifting plate 26 via a thrust bearing 27. It is placed so that it can rotate freely. As a result, the shaft member 21, the inner cylinder 18, the support member 22 and the gripper mechanisms 6 and the driving means 7 provided thereon are supported on the lifting plate 26, and the lifting means 13 is operated when necessary. By raising and lowering the lifting shaft 13A, the gripper mechanisms 6 can be lifted and lowered simultaneously with respect to the outer tube 17 and the transfer table 3 via the shaft member 21, the inner tube 18 and the support member 22. ing. Thus, the height position of each gripper 6 can be adjusted according to the gripping position, that is, the height of the neck 2B of the container 2.

The support member 22 is configured as a hollow cylindrical body whose top and bottom are closed, and includes a circular upper surface portion 22A, a donut-shaped lower surface portion 22B, a main body cylindrical portion 22C that connects the upper surface portion 22A and the lower surface portion 22B, and a lower surface. The lower cylindrical part 22D provided below from the central circular hole of the part 22B is provided. The upper end of the shaft member 21 is connected to the center of the lower surface of the upper surface portion 22A, and the lower cylindrical portion 22D is fitted to the outer periphery of the outer cylinder 17 so as to be movable up and down and integrally rotatable via a key 22E.
The rear support means 11 is provided with a support arm 23A for supporting each rear support member 11A in the radial direction in the circumferential direction around the support member 22 in the circumferential direction, and on the outer peripheral surface. A gear 23B is formed, and an annular member 23 configured as a worm wheel is provided. The gear 23B meshes with a worm 31 of a motor 28 fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the outer cylinder 17. The annular member 23 and the motor 28 constitute second adjusting means 12 that adjusts the position of the rear support member 11 </ b> A in the rotational direction with respect to the rotating body 4, and when the motor 28 is stopped, The outer cylinder 17 can rotate integrally.
A rotary connector 32 is disposed in the enlarged diameter portion 21A of the shaft member 21, and is fed by a cable 32A connected to a power source (not shown). The shaft member is connected to the shaft member via a cable (not shown). Electric power can be supplied to the motor 24 fixed to the outer cylinder 17 via the motor 24 fixed to 21 and the support member 22 rotating integrally with the shaft member 21.

Next, the gripper mechanism 6 and the driving means 7 for opening and closing it will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a pair of rotating shafts 34a and 34b are pivotally supported on the horizontal upper surface portion 22A of the support member 22 for each gripper mechanism 6 via bearings 33a and 33b. The bases 5aA and 5bA of the arms 5a and 5b are horizontally connected to the upper ends of the rotating shafts 34a and 34b. In this embodiment, the rotating body 4 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, and the front side in the transport direction is the rotation shaft 34 a and the rear side is the rotation shaft 34 b. The rotation shaft 34b is the first rotation shaft in the claims.
The front end portions 5aB and 5bB of both arms 5a and 5b are formed in a V shape, and the trough portions are opposed to each other, and the neck portion 2B of the container 2 is gripped from both front and rear sides in the transport direction by both the front end portions 5aB and 5bB It is like that. Sector gears 5aC and 5bC are formed on opposite sides of the bases 5aA and 5bA of the arms 5a and 5b, and they are meshed with each other.
When one of the rotation shafts 34b (first rotation shaft) on the driving side of each arm 5a, 5b is rotated in conjunction with the driving means 7 along with the rotation of the rotating body 4, each arm is rotated. The 5a and 5b are rotated in opposite directions in synchronization with each other with the rotation shafts 34a and 34b as the rotation centers, whereby the tip portions 5aB and 5bB are opened and closed.

  The driving means 7 of this embodiment includes an interlocking mechanism 36 composed of a plurality of gears and the like housed in the support member 22, and an actuating means composed of a cam mechanism 35 interlocked with the interlocking mechanism 36. The swinging operation of the cam lever 37 of the mechanism 35 is transmitted to one of the first rotating shafts 34b of the gripper mechanism 6 via the interlocking mechanism 36, thereby opening and closing both arms 5a and 5b. In the present embodiment, the interlocking mechanism 36 is configured to interlock with the first adjusting means 8, and the first adjusting means 8 causes the end portions 5 aB and 5 bB of the arms 5 a and 5 b of the gripper mechanisms 6 to be connected when necessary. The interval can be adjusted.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support member 22 is extended on the lower side in the axial direction of the first rotation shaft 34 b that is rotatably supported by penetrating the upper surface portion 22 </ b> A of the support member 22. The second rotating shaft 51 is rotatably supported through a bearing 52 through the lower surface portion 22B, and the axis of the first rotating shaft 34b and the second rotating shaft 51 is vertically aligned. The swinging member 38 is pivotally supported by the first rotating shaft 34 and the second rotating shaft 51 so as to be able to swing. The first rotation shaft 34b is provided with a first gear 41 between the upper surface portion 22A and the swing member 38, and the second rotation shaft 51 is provided with a lower surface portion 22B and the swing member 38. A second gear 42 is provided therebetween.
The swinging member 38 is flat and formed in a fan shape, and a bearing 47A is provided on the upper surface side and a bearing 47B is provided on the lower surface side of the essential portion of the fan shape. The lower end of the first rotating shaft 34b is fitted to the bearing 47A, and the upper end of the second rotating shaft 51 is fitted to the bearing 47B, so that the swinging rod member 38 can swing. Is supported horizontally.
The fan-shaped arc portion of the swing member 38 faces the rotation center of the rotating body 4, and a sector gear 38 A is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the arc portion, and this sector gear 38 A meshes with a ring gear 58 provided at the upper end of the inner cylinder 18. I am letting. The swing member 38 can be swung by rotating the inner cylinder 18 due to dust.

The swing member 38 is rotatably supported through a bearing 49 with a penetrating shaft 46 passing through between the pivot position of the first rotating shaft 34b and the second rotating shaft 51 and the arc portion. ing. The penetrating shaft 46 is rotatably supported via a bearing 61B on a bracket 61 whose upper end is attached to the first rotating shaft 34b via a bearing 61A, and the lower end is a second end. A bracket 62 attached to the rotating shaft 51 via a bearing 62A is rotatably supported via a bearing 62B.
A third gear 43 is provided on the upper side of the swinging member 38, which is one end side of the through shaft 46, and meshes with the first gear 41 of the first rotating shaft 34b. Further, a fourth gear 44 is provided on the lower side of the swinging member 38 which is the other end side of the through shaft 46, and the fourth gear 44 is rotatably attached to the lower side of the swinging member 38. Further, the fifth gear 45 and the second gear 45 of the second rotating shaft 51 are meshed with each other. In this way, the second gear 42 and the fourth gear 44 are configured to be rotated in the same direction by interlocking the second gear 42 and the fourth gear 44 via the fifth gear 45 without being directly meshed with each other. Has been.
In the present embodiment, the first rotation shaft 34b, the second rotation shaft 51, the swinging member 38, the through shaft 46, and the first to fifth gears 41 to 45 constitute the interlocking mechanism 36. .

An annular cam member 54 is disposed so as to surround the lower cylindrical portion 22D of the support member 22, and this annular cam member 54 is connected to a support 15C standing on the fixed frame 15 with a detent 55 so as to be connected to the lower cylindrical portion. 22D is supported via a bearing 56, whereby the support member 22 can be rotated while the position of the annular cam member 54 is fixed.
On the other hand, a cam lever 37 provided with a cam follower 53 at the tip is provided at the lower end of the second rotating shaft 51 penetrating the lower surface portion 22B of the support member 22. The cam lever 37 is directed toward the rear side in the transport direction, and is attracted to the rotation center side of the rotating body 4 by a tension spring 57 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the lower cylindrical portion 22D, whereby the cam follower 53 is an annular cam member. The cam surface (outer peripheral surface) 54 is always urged and brought into contact therewith. In the present embodiment, the cam lever 37, the cam follower 53 and the annular cam member 54 constitute a cam mechanism 35 as an operating means for rotating the second rotation shaft 51.

The drive means 7 of the present embodiment is configured as described above. When the cam lever 37 is swung by the cam mechanism 35, the second rotation shaft 51 is rotated, and the rotation is the second gear 42, the fifth. It is transmitted to the through shaft 46 via the gear 45 and the fourth gear 44. At this time, the through shaft 46 is rotated in the same direction as the second rotation shaft 51. Further, the swing member 38 is prevented from swinging by meshing with the ring gear 58 in a state where the sector gear 38A formed in the arc portion stops rotating.
The rotation of the through shaft 46 is transmitted to the first rotation shaft 34 b via the third gear 43 and the first gear 41, and the first rotation shaft 34 b is connected to the through shaft 46, the second rotation shaft 51, and the like. Is rotated in the opposite direction. When the first rotation shaft 34b is rotated, one arm 5b is rotated, and the other arm 5a is rotated in the reverse direction via the sector gears 5aC and 5bC to be opened and closed. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a cam lever 37 is provided on the rear side with respect to the transport direction (the advancing direction of the gripper mechanism 6 associated with the rotating body 4). When the first pivot shaft 34b is pivoted in the direction opposite to the second pivot shaft 51, the first pivot shaft 34b is pivoted in the opposite direction to the second pivot shaft 51. The arms 5a and 5b are swung in the opening direction for separating the respective front end portions 5aB and 5bB. On the other hand, when the cam lever 37 is swung from the dotted line to the solid line so as to approach the rotation center direction of the rotating body 4, the arms 5a and 5b are swung in the closing direction in which the front end portions 5aB and 5bB are approached. It has become so.

The cam surface of the annular cam member 54 of the present embodiment is set so that the arms 5a and 5b of the gripper mechanisms 6 are opened and closed as follows in the movement range of the gripper mechanisms 6 as the rotating body 4 rotates. Yes. That is, in the movement region from the second delivery position B to the first delivery position A (not shown), the cam surface protrudes radially outward in the circular circle formed by the rotating body 4 so that the cam lever 37 is separated from the rotation center. The arms 5a and 5b of the gripper mechanism 6 are opened, and the opened state is maintained. At the first delivery position A, the cam surface is retracted radially inward from the protruded state so that the arms 5a, 5b of each gripper mechanism 6 are closed from the open state. Thereby, the cam lever 37 is brought close to the rotation center direction, and the neck 2B of the container 2 on the conveyor, for example, can be gripped at the first delivery position A by the arms 5a, 5b of the gripper mechanisms 6.
Then, in the moving region of the rotating body 4 from the first delivery position A to the second delivery position, the cam surface is maintained in a state of being retracted radially inward, and the arms 5a and 5b of the gripper mechanism 6 are maintained in a closed state. The container 2 is gripped and transported.
Further, at the second delivery position B, the cam surface is again projected radially outward so that the arms 5a, 5b of each gripper mechanism 6 are released from the closed state. As a result, the gripping state of the container 2 by the arms 5a and 5b of each gripper mechanism 6 is released, and the container 2 is transferred onto, for example, a rotary transfer device at the second transfer position B. .
As described above, the cam surface of the annular cam member 54 is set to open and close the arms 5a and 5b while the gripper mechanisms 6 move as the rotating body 4 rotates. The opening / closing amounts of the arms 5a and 5b by the cam mechanism 35 are set so that the delivery operation of the container 2 in the shared range is possible.

Next, the first adjusting means 8 for adjusting the interval between the arms 5a and 5b of each gripper mechanism 6 will be described.
As described above, the oscillating member 38 of this embodiment is supported by the first rotating shaft 34b and the second rotating shaft 51 whose axes are aligned, and is oscillated in the horizontal forward and reverse directions. It can be moved. A sector gear 38A is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the arc portion of the swing member 38, and the sector gear 38A is engaged with a ring gear 58 connected to the upper end portion of the inner cylinder 18. Further, as described above, the inner cylinder 18 can be rotated forward and backward relative to the shaft member 21 in conjunction with the motor 24 (see FIG. 1). When the size of the diameter of the container 2 to be conveyed by the article conveying device 1 is changed, the cam of the rotating body 4 is stopped according to the changed size of the diameter of the neck 2B of the container 2. In a state where the opening / closing operation of the gripper mechanism 6 by the mechanism 35 is stopped, the motor 24 is rotated by a required amount, and the inner cylinder 18 is rotated forward or backward by a required angle with respect to the shaft member 21. Accordingly, the swing member 38 is swung about the first rotation shaft 34b and the second rotation shaft 51 through the ring gear 58 as the rotation center. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the swing member 38 is swung from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the dotted line, the through shaft 46 and the fifth gear 45 supported by the swing member 38 are also moved. From the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the dotted line, the periphery of the first rotation shaft 34b and the second rotation shaft 51 is moved (revolved) around the first rotation shaft 34b and the second rotation shaft 51. Along with this, the fifth gear 45 rolls around the second gear 42 and rotates, and the through shaft 46 is rotated (rotated) in the opposite direction to the fifth gear 45 via the fourth gear 44. The The rotation of the through shaft 46 is transmitted to the first rotation shaft 34 b via the third gear 43 and the first gear 41. At this time, the first rotation support 34b is rotated in the opposite direction to the through shaft 46, that is, in the same direction as the fifth gear 45, and the one arm 5b is rotated, and the other via the sector gears 5aC and 5bC. The arm 5a is rotated in the reverse direction. As shown in FIG. 4, when changing the interval so that the arms 5a and 5b approach each other, the tip 5bB of one arm 5b attached to the first rotating shaft 34b on the drive side is In this case, the swing member 38 is moved in the same direction as the rotation direction of the arm 5b attached to the first rotation shaft 34b. The ring gear 58 is made to oscillate the oscillating member 38 according to the required approach amount of the both end portions 5aB and 5bB. Rotate in the opposite direction.
Thereby, the space | interval at the time of closing of both arms 5a and 5b can be adjusted so that it may respond | correspond to the magnitude | size of the diameter of the neck part 2B of the container 2 after a change, and the arm 5a, 5b of all the gripper mechanisms 6 can be adjusted. The interval can be changed all at once. In this embodiment, the arms 5a and 5b are swung twice as much as the swinging angle of the swinging member 38.
As can be understood from the above description, the first adjusting means 8 of the present embodiment is constituted by the ring gear 58 that swings the swing member 38.

The rear support means 11 can adjust the position in the rotational direction of the rotating body 4 by the second adjusting means 12 according to the size of the container 2 all at once. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the size of the container 2 to be processed (the diameter of the body portion 2A) is changed from the size indicated by the solid line to the size indicated by the dotted line, for example, In order to match the diameter of the body portion 2A of the container 2, the motor 28 is rotated forward and backward by a required amount to rotate the annular member 23, and the positions of the rear support members 11A indicated by the dotted lines from the positions indicated by the solid lines are simultaneously measured. It is supposed to be changed.
A roller 63 is rotatably attached to the front end of the rear support member 11A, and the roller 63 supports the lower center lower part of the body 2A of the container 2 so that the container 2 can be loaded and unloaded. The roller 63 rotates to guide the movement of the container 2. In this way, the roller 63 of the rear support member 11A supports the vicinity of the bottom of the body portion 2A of the container 2 from the rear in the transport direction, so that the container that is slid on the transport table 3 by gripping the neck 2B. In addition to preventing the container 2 from being tilted forward, the container 2 can be guided and smoothly delivered when the container 2 is delivered at the first delivery position A and the second delivery position B. Moreover, the outer periphery guide etc. which guide 2 A of trunk | drums can be abbreviate | omitted by providing such rear support member 11A.

In the article conveying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, when the size of the container 2 to be conveyed is changed, the following processing is performed. That is, when the rotating body 4 is stopped, the motor 24 of the first adjusting means 8 is rotated forward and backward by a required amount so as to fit the changed container 2. Thereby, the space | interval of a pair of arm 5a, 5b with which each gripper mechanism 6 is provided is changed according to the magnitude | size (diameter of the neck part 2B) of the container 2. FIG. In this case, the pair of arms 5a and 5b are changed all at once regardless of whether they are open or closed. Further, by raising and lowering the elevating shaft 13A of the elevating means 13 and elevating the support member 22, the heights of the arms 5a and 5b of the gripper mechanisms 6 provided thereon are changed to the height of the neck 2B of the container 2 after the change. Adjust to adapt to the height.
Further, the motor 28 of the second adjusting means 12 is rotated forward and backward by a required amount to rotate the rotating body 4 so that the position of the rear support member 11A is adapted to the diameter of the trunk portion 2A of the container 2 after the change. Move a predetermined amount along the direction.

  As described above, the distances and heights of the arms 5a and 5b of the gripper mechanisms 6 are simultaneously adjusted so as to adapt to the size of the container 2 after the change, and the positions of the rear support members 11A are adjusted. It is adjusted all at once.

  According to the article conveying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above, the distance between the arms 5a and 5b of the gripper mechanism 6 (the distance between the arms 5a and 5b in the closed state) is changed to accommodate articles of different sizes. In this case, the swinging amount (opening / closing amount) of each arm 5a, 5b during the opening / closing operation does not change before and after the change, so that the article is gripped with an appropriate gripping force regardless of the size of the article. It is possible to improve the durability of the spring (tension spring 57) by keeping the opening and closing amounts of the arms 5a and 5b constant during the article conveying operation and minimizing the opening and closing. The article transporting apparatus 1 that can also be used can be provided.

  In addition, in the said Example, although the container 2 is assumed as an article conveyed by the article conveyance apparatus 1, even if it is articles other than the container 2, it can be conveyed by the article conveyance apparatus 1 of a present Example. is there. In the above embodiment, the rear support means 11 for supporting the rear of the container 2 is provided. However, this may be omitted, and the conveyance table 3 is omitted and the grasped container 2 is suspended. You may comprise so that it may convey in a state. Further, the second gear 42 is provided on the first rotation shaft 34b, the first gear 41 is provided on the second rotation shaft 51, and the third gear 43, Even when the fourth gear 44 and the fifth gear 45 are provided, the interlocking mechanism 36 that operates in the same manner can be configured. In the above embodiment, the actuating means is configured by directly attaching the cam lever 37 to the second rotating shaft 51. However, the actuating means may be indirectly linked via a gear or the like. It is also possible to adopt other structures such as a groove cam, and not only the cam mechanism but also an actuator such as a servo motor may be used.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows one Example of this invention. The enlarged view of the principal part of FIG. The top view explaining the opening / closing operation | movement of the gripper mechanism. The top view explaining the adjustment action of the gripper mechanism. The top view which shows the arrangement | positioning state of the gripper mechanism 6 and the back support member 11 which were shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Goods conveying apparatus 2 ... Container (goods)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 4 ... Rotating body 5a, 5b ... Arm 8 ... 1st adjustment means (adjustment means) 34b ... 1st rotating shaft 35 ... Cam mechanism (operating means) 38 ... Swing member 41 ... 1st gear 42 ... 2nd gear 43... 3rd gear 44... 4th gear 45... 5th gear 51.

Claims (2)

A rotatable rotating body, a pair of rotating shafts pivotally supported by the rotating body and rotated in opposite directions, and an opening / closing operation provided on each rotating shaft by the rotating operation. A pair of arms, and an article transport apparatus that grips an article with a pair of closed arms and transports the article in the rotation direction of the rotating body.
Any one of the rotation shafts is a first rotation shaft, and the second rotation shaft is disposed on the axial extension of the first rotation shaft and is pivotally supported by the rotating body. A pivot shaft, a pivot member supported by the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis so as to be pivotable, and any one of the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis. A first gear provided on one side, a second gear provided on the other of the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft, a third gear meshing with the first gear, and one end side A through shaft provided with the third gear and rotatably supported through the rocking member, a fourth gear provided on the other end side of the through shaft, and rotatable with respect to the rocking member A fifth gear meshed with the second gear and the fourth gear, an operating means for rotating the second rotating shaft, and an adjustment for swinging the swinging member. And means,
The second rotating shaft is rotated by the actuating means, and the rotation is transmitted to the first rotating shaft through the penetrating shaft to open and close the pair of arms. In a state in which the opening / closing operation by the means is stopped, the through-shaft is rotated by swinging the swinging member by the adjusting means, and the rotation is transmitted to the first rotating shaft. An article conveying apparatus characterized in that an interval between arms can be adjusted.   Back support means for supporting a lower rear portion in the transport direction of each article to be transported is provided so as to be able to rotate integrally with the rotating body and to be adjustable in the rotating direction with respect to the rotating body. 2. The article conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article is conveyed while holding an upper portion and supporting the lower rear portion in the conveying direction by the rear supporting means.

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