JP2009137593A - Method and apparatus for automatically feeding container cap - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To feed smoothly an unstable lid line without applying burden to an operator. <P>SOLUTION: This automatic feeding apparatus includes a lid line conveying device 31 for feeding a lid to an outlet Lo by pressing the back end part of the lid line 2 for conveying on a lid feeding line L by a conveyance pawl 38, a lid line supplementing device 11 for supplementing a lid line 3 for supplementing on the lid feeding line L, and a lid line adding device 65 for holding the lid line 3 for supplementing by pawls 65A and 65B for adding and adding it to the back end part of the lid line 2 for conveying. An device 47 for energizing the pawl for conveying for energizing the pawl 38 for conveying to the inlet side by a constant pressure is provided on the lid line conveying device 31. Devices 36, 41 and 42 for actuating pawls for conveying which pull out the pawl 38 for conveying from the back end part of the lid line 2 for conveying, move it to the back end part of the lid line 3 for feeding and press it after adding the lid line 3 for feeding, and devices 63A, 63B, 66 and 67 for actuating pawls for adding which pull out the pawls 65A and 65B for adding from the lid line 3 for feeding after adding the lid line 3 for feeding, and retreat them to a corresponding position of the lid line supplementing device 11 are provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for automatically supplying a container lid to a seamer device that is attached by winding a lid on an opening of a can or bottle filled with contents, and in particular has a pull ring or push ring on the lid and has a thickness. It is suitable for handling an unstable lid row that has elasticity in the stacking direction when stacked in the direction.

  Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 that discloses a device for continuously supplying a lid to a can seamer device breaks the packaging bag at the inlet end of a chute that supplies the lid row group with the lid stacked in the thickness direction together with the packaging bag. A bag-breaking device (discroser) is disposed, and the bag-breaking bag is broken by this bag-breaking device, taken out in a lid row state, and continuously supplied from the chute to the can seamer device.

  By the way, the lid peels off the lip portion, the outer peripheral edge portion that protrudes to attach to the opening portion of the can on the outer peripheral portion of the main body, the groove for cutting the lip portion to form the opening portion (drinking mouth) Alternatively, a pull ring or push ring for pushing is provided. And as a kind of can lid, there are a partial open end (POE) type in which the opening part is partially and a full open end (FOE) type in which the opening part covers almost the entire surface.

  Usually, in the case of the POE type, since the opening is small, the pull ring or push ring is small and the height of the outer peripheral edge is high, and a plurality of can lids are stacked in the thickness direction to form a lid row. However, the entire pull ring or push ring is completely accommodated in the recess in the outer peripheral edge portion and is relatively stable. On the other hand, in the case of the FOE type, since the opening is large, the pull ring or the push ring is large, and the height of the outer peripheral edge is low. Further, the pull ring or the push ring has a gap for inserting a finger between it and the lid, and has elasticity in the thickness direction. For this reason, when a plurality of lids are stacked in the thickness direction to form a lid row, the can lid floats in the stacking direction due to the elasticity of the pull ring or push ring, and becomes extremely unstable having elasticity in the stacking direction. . And it is accommodated in the packaging bag in the state compressed in the stacking direction. Of course, even with the POE type, there are cases where the lid row becomes unstable.

  Such a lid row, for example, when the packaging bag shown in Patent Document 1 is used to break the packaging bag, the lid row collapses and the lid pops out, and the lid row is stably held in the chute and sent out. There was a problem that it was difficult.

For this reason, for example, in the case of the FOE type, conventionally, a bag breaking device is not used, the packaging bag is broken in advance by hand, the lid row is compressed and held by hand, and is carried into the inclined chute, and further the last of the lid row For example, a rolling weight such as a metal ball is arranged on the tail, and the lid row is compressed by the weight and pushed out to the lower lid outlet. When the lid row was shortened, the operation of manually removing the rolling weight and supplementing the next lid row and placing the rolling weight at the end was performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-080904

  However, the supply speed of the lid to the can seamer device is sufficiently fast, for example, 250 sheets / minute, and the replenishment work of the lid has become a very busy operation, which has burdened the operator. Further, if the rolling balls are removed at the time of replenishment, the remaining lid row tends to become unstable, and the lid row group cannot be supplied smoothly.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an automatic container lid supply method and apparatus that can smoothly supply a container lid without placing a burden on an operator.

  The container lid automatic supply method according to claim 1 is arranged in the lid supply line when the lid row in which a plurality of the container lids are stacked in the thickness direction is supplied from the inlet side to the outlet along the lid supply line. When the rear end of the feeding lid row is pressed by the feeding claws to push out the feeding lid row to supply the lid to the outlet, when the lid of the feeding lid row is reduced, the inlet side of the lid supply line The replenishing lid row is held by a pair of front and rear additional claws, and the additional pawl is moved to the outlet side along the lid supply line to feed the replenishing lid row to the rear end of the feeding lid row After that, the feeding lid row is pressed to the outlet side by the feeding lid row, the feeding claw is pulled out from the rear end of the feeding lid row, and the replenishing lid row is replenished. After moving to the end and pressing the replenishment lid row, each additional claw is pulled out from the replenishment lid row. .

  The container lid automatic supply method according to claim 2 is the configuration according to claim 1, wherein the feeding lid row and the replenishing lid row each have elasticity in the overlapping direction, and the outlet of the lid feeding line is The feeding lid row is pressed toward the outlet side by its own weight, which is formed in a lower inclined direction and is supplied to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row.

  The automatic container lid supply device according to claim 3 is an automatic container lid feeder for supplying a lid row in which a plurality of container lids are stacked in the thickness direction from the inlet side to the outlet along the lid supply line. The lid supply line is formed in an inclined direction with the outlet side at the lower side, and the rear end of the feeding lid row on the lid supply line is pressed by the feeding claws to push the inlet side and supply the lid to the outlet. A lid row feeding device, a lid row replenishing device that replenishes a lid row for replenishment onto the lid supply line on the inlet side, and a replenishing lid row of the lid row replenishing device are held by a pair of front and rear additional claws. A lid row adding device for replenishing the rear end portion of the lid row for feeding on the lid supply line, and a feeding claw for biasing the feeding claw to the inlet side at a constant pressure. After the supply device is replenished with the feeding device and the rear end of the feeding lid row, the feeding claw is inserted into the rear end of the feeding lid row. A feeding claw actuating device that is pulled out from the lid and moved to the rear end of the replenishing lid row and presses the replenishing lid row, and the rear end of the replenishing lid row is fed to the lid row adding device. An additional claw actuating device is provided that, after being pressed by the claw, extracts the additional claw from the replenishment lid row and moves it to the corresponding position of the lid row replenishment device.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the container lid automatic supply device according to the third aspect, wherein the feeding claw and the replenishing claw can be moved back and forth toward the lid supply line at a protruding position on the lid supply line. Forks that can come into contact with the lid row for feeding and the lid row for replenishment on the lid supply line and do not interfere with each other when moved in the direction along the lid supply line and in the direction of exiting and retracting to the lid supply line It is formed into a shape.

  The automatic container lid supply device according to claim 5 is the configuration according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the lid row replenishment device replenishes the endless rotating body wound around the upper rotating body and the lower rotating body in parallel with each other. A plurality of stock lanes capable of supporting a lid row for use are provided at a constant pitch, and one of the stock lanes is positioned on the lid supply line.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the container lid automatic supply device according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, the lid row adding device supports the front and rear additional claws so as to be freely retractable and is provided in the lid supply line. An additional slider that is movable in parallel, and an additional clamper that is disposed so as to be reciprocally movable in parallel with the lid supply line and has an additional engaging / disengaging device that can be freely engaged with and disengaged from the additional slider. The apparatus engages the additional slider when the additional clamper moves from the outlet side to the inlet side, sends the additional clamper to the inlet side, and exits from the inlet side of the additional clamper with the additional slider engaged. When the movement of the additional slider is restricted during the movement to the side, the additional slider is opened.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the container lid automatic supply device according to any one of the third to sixth aspects, the lid row feeding device supports the feeding claws so as to be freely retractable and parallel to the lid feeding line. A movable feeding slider and a feeding clamper having a feeding engagement / disengagement device which is arranged to be reciprocally movable in parallel with the lid supply line and which can be freely engaged with and disengaged from the feeding slider. When the feeding clamper moves from the outlet side to the inlet side, the feeding slider is engaged to feed the feeding clamper to the inlet side, and with the feeding slider engaged, from the inlet side to the outlet side of the feeding clamper When the movement of the feed slider is restricted during the movement, the feed slider is opened.

  The automatic container lid supply apparatus according to claim 8 is the configuration according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the lid includes an outer peripheral edge portion that bulges to the surface side at the outer peripheral portion of the lid main body, An opening ring attached to the surface, and when the lid is overlapped in the thickness direction, the back side of the lid body of the lid to be overlapped fits in the space on the surface side of the lid body in the outer peripheral edge portion, and The opening ring is brought into contact with the back side of the lid body of the lid, and elasticity is generated in the overlapping direction of the lids of the lid row.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, the rear end portion of the feeding lid row arranged in the lid feeding line is pressed and fed by the feeding claws, and the replenishing lid row is supplied by the pair of front and rear additional claws. Holding both ends, the rear end of the feeding lid row is replenished, and the feeding claw is pulled out from the rear end of the feeding lid row and returned to the rear end of the feeding lid row and pressed. After that, by pulling out the additional claw and returning it to the corresponding position of the original lid row replenishing device, each lid row can be supplied and supplied while being pressurized, and the lid row can be supplied and supplied stably and smoothly. be able to.

  According to the configuration of claim 2, by tilting the lid supply line to the lower side on the outlet side, the lid row is pressurized using the dead weight of the lid row, and even if it is an unstable lid row, It can be held and transported. In addition, since the feeding lid row can be pressed using the dead weight of the replenishing lid row, the apparatus can be simplified.

  According to the configuration of the third aspect, the rear end portion of the lid row for feeding on the lid supply line is pressed by the feeding claws of the lid row feeding device to supply the lid to the outlet, and the lid row adding device The replenishment lid row is held by the additional claw and replenished to the rear end of the feeding lid row, and the feeding claw is pulled out from the rear end portion of the feeding lid row by the feeding claw actuating device. The lid is moved and pressed to the rear end of the lid row, and the additional pawl actuator removes the additional pawl from both ends of the lid row for replenishment and returns it to the corresponding position of the lid row supplement device. It is possible to smoothly supply and replenish the lid row unstable in the direction.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the feeding claw and the front and rear additional claws are formed into a fork shape that does not interfere with the direction along the lid supply line and the withdrawing / retracting direction. It is possible to smoothly exit and leave and replenish the replenishment lid row.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of stock lanes holding the replenishment lid row are rotated and moved sequentially onto the lid supply line by the lid row replenishing device, Even if the supply speed of the lid is fast, it can be easily handled, and the load on the worker can be greatly reduced.

  According to the configuration of the sixth aspect, after the replenishing lid row is replenished to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row, the additional clamper is detached from the additional slider by the additional engagement / disengagement device, and further the feeding By pulling out the claw from the rear end of the feeding lid row, the feeding lid row can be pressed with a predetermined pressing force by using the weight of the replenishing lid row and the additional slider. A device for pressing the lid row for feeding when the claw is pulled out becomes unnecessary, and the device can be simplified.

  According to the configuration of claim 7, when the feeding slider is moved from the inlet side to the outlet side along the lid supply line, the feeding claw is brought into contact with the replenishing lid row to move the feeding slider. Is regulated, the feeding claws are moved to the rear end of the replenishing lid row by the feeding claw biasing device by detaching the feeding clamper from the feeding slider by the feeding engagement / disengagement device. By pressing the replenishing lid row and the feeding lid row replenished via a constant pressure, the lid can be supplied stably.

  According to the structure of Claim 8, the unstable lid row | line | column which has elasticity in the overlap direction of a lid | cover can be stably and smoothly supplied by the depth of an outer peripheral edge part, and the elasticity of the opening ring.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Embodiment 1]
An automatic lid feeder according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this automatic lid feeder is a feed formed by overlapping a lid 1 in a thickness direction on a seamer device C that attaches the lid 1 to a mouth portion of a cylindrical bowl, for example, a beverage container. The lid row 2 is pushed along the lid supply line L, and the lid 1 is supplied to the outlet Li.

  This lid 1 is, for example, a full open end (FOE) type, and as shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), it is bulged on the outer peripheral portion of the circular flat portion 1a and fastened to the mouth of the heel. Outer peripheral edge portion 1b, a flat portion 1a inside the outer peripheral edge portion 1b, a groove 1d formed along the outer peripheral portion of the flat portion 1a at the inner peripheral portion of the outer peripheral edge portion 1b, and a predetermined portion of the flat portion 1a. A pull ring (or push ring) 1e which is an opening ring attached to the position so as to be foldable upward is provided. In addition, the flat part 1a inside the groove | channel 1d is comprised by the circular lip part 1c which forms a drinking mouth by being peeled off by the pull ring 1e. Reference numeral 1f denotes a recess that is formed at a position overlapping the pull ring 1e on the surface of the flat portion 1a (lip portion 1c) for inserting a fingertip.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (c), when one lid 1 and the other lid 1 are stacked in the thickness direction, the flat portion 1a of the other lid 1 is formed on the surface side in the outer peripheral edge portion 1b of the one lid 1. The back surface side is fitted, and the pull ring 1e of one lid 1 comes into contact with the back surface of the flat portion 1a of the other lid 1 to generate elasticity in the overlapping direction. The replenishing lid row 3 handled by the automatic lid feeder is formed by, for example, stacking about 600 lids 1 in the thickness direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this automatic lid supply apparatus uses the dead weight of the lid rows 2 and 3 to realize stable feeding so that the lid supply line L is located on the outlet Lo side lower side from the inlet Li. It is inclined at an inclination angle θ. Then, the feeding lid row 2 held in the lid supply line L is pressed toward the outlet Lo side, and the lids 1 of the feeding lid row 2 are sequentially sent out. Further, the lids 1 of the feeding lid row 2 are few. Then, the replenishment lid row 3 is replenished from the inlet Li side. That is, this automatic lid supply device is arranged on the inlet Li side of the lid supply line L, moves the plurality of stock lanes 16 sequentially onto the lid supply line L, and supplies the lid row 3 for replenishment held in the stock lane 16. The lid row replenishing device 11 that feeds the lid 1 on the lid supply line L, and the lid row feeding device 31 that pushes the feeding lid row 2 on the lid feeding line L to the inlet Li side by the feeding claws 38 and feeds the lid 1. And a lid row adding device 61 for feeding the replenishment lid row 2 of the stock lane 16 to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2 by a pair of front and rear additional claws 65A and 65B.

  The inclination angle θ of the lid supply line L is selected from a range of 5 ° or more and 30 ° or less, and is indicated by 8 ° in the drawing. This is because when the inclination angle θ is less than 5 °, the pressing force due to the weight of the lid rows 2 and 3 is small. When the inclination angle θ exceeds 30 °, the height of the device increases, and further toward the inlet Li side of the member. This is because there is a problem that a large amount of power is required for movement.

(Cover row replenishment device 11)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lid row replenishing device 11 includes a replenishment base 13 on which a replenishment drive shaft 13 A parallel to the lid supply line L is rotatably supported on the top of the replenishment base 12. A pair of front and rear replenishment driven shafts 13B parallel to the replenishment drive shaft 13A is rotatably supported at the lower portion of the motor 12. A pair of front and rear replenishment pulleys (upper rotating bodies) 14A are attached to the replenishing drive shaft 13A, and a replenishment pulley (lower rotating body) 14B is attached to each of the replenishment driven shafts 13B. 14B, replenishment belts (endless rotating bodies) 15 are wound around the belts. A pair of replenishment receiving plates 16a and 16b are stretched over the front and rear replenishing belts 15 at a constant pitch through the mounting member 15a, and can be held by the replenishing lid row 3. A plurality of stock lanes 16 are formed. Each stock lane 16 can hold a replenishment lid row 3 composed of 600 lids 1, for example. In front of and behind the stock lanes 16, replenishment guide rails 17 </ b> A and 17 </ b> B that guide both ends of the replenishment lid row 3 of each stock lane 16 are arranged. A replenishing drive device (electric motor with speed reducer) 19 is connected to the front end portion of the replenishing drive shaft 13A via a winding transmission device 18 comprising a timing gear and a timing belt.

  The lid row replenishing device 11 is installed in the upper part of the upstream path on the front side so that the front of the turning portion coincides with the lid supply line L, and the outlet of the stock lane 16 corresponding to the lid supply line L is refilled. A guide rail 17F is cut out, and a replenishment opening / closing device 20 is provided.

  This replenishing opening / closing device 20 is provided with a single fork-like opening / closing stopper 20a capable of locking the lid 1, and the opening / closing stopper 20a is freely rotatable via a support pin whose lower end is orthogonal to the lid supply line L. It is supported by. A stopper opening / closing drive device (air cylinder) 20b is swingably disposed below the opening / closing stopper 20a, and a piston rod of the stopper opening / closing drive device (air cylinder) 20b is connected to the opening / closing stopper 20a via a pin. The opening / closing stopper 20a can be rotated between the closed position in the standing posture and the open position in the lying posture, so that the outlet of the stock lane 16 can be opened and closed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, the stopper opening / closing drive device 20b is provided with a closing detector 20c for detecting the closing position of the opening / closing stopper 20a and an opening detector 20d for detecting the opening position. Further, a stock detector (photoelectric tube detector) 21 for detecting the presence or absence of the replenishing lid row 3 on the lid supply line L is provided at the outlet of the stock lane 16.

  The replenishing drive device 19 incorporates a rotary encoder 19a shown in FIG. 9, and after the replenishment lid row 3 is sent out from the stock lane 16 on the lid supply line L, the stock detector 21 stores the stock. If the replenishment lid row 3 in the lane 16 is not detected, a replenishment drive device 19 is activated by a lid supply controller 81 to be described later, and the stock lane 16 holding the lower replenishment lid row 3 is stored for one pitch. The replenishment lid row 3 is moved onto the lid supply line L by moving upward. The replenishment lid row 3 is replenished to the empty stock lane 16 at the lowest stage which has been turned from the rearward down path to the front up path.

(Cover row feeder 31)
The lid row feeding device 31 includes a plurality of feeding rods which are lid row guide members for movably supporting the lid rows 2 and 3 along the lid supply line L, as shown in FIGS. 34, a feed claw 38 that supports the feed claw 38 on the lid supply line L so as to be freely retractable and movable along the lid feed line L, and a feed clamper that is detachable from the feed slider 36. A feeding slide device 42 that reciprocates 41 parallel to the lid supply line L, and a feeding claw that presses the lid rows 2 and 3 to the outlet Lo side with a constant pressure by the feeding claw 38 via the feeding slider 36. And an urging device 47.

  For example, four feed rods 34 are arranged at symmetrical positions around the lid supply line L, and the two feed rods 34 on the back side are supported by the feed frame 32 via support members 34a. At the same time, two feeding rods 34 on the front side are supported by the lower cover body 33D via the support members 34b.

  Below the lid supply line L, a single feed plate rail (guide member) 35 supported by the feed frame 32 is arranged in parallel to the lid supply line L. A feed slider 36 is movably supported via a guide roller 39. The feeding slider 36 includes the feeding claw 38 and a feeding claw retracting device 37 that can move the feeding claw 38 back and forth between a downward retracted position and a protruding position on the lid supply line L. A passive block 36a is provided that allows the feeding clamper 41 to be freely engaged and disengaged.

  The feeding claw retracting device 37 is constituted by a rack and pinion type double speed feeding mechanism. That is, the intermediate retracting frame 36e is supported by the slider main body 36d of the feeding slider 36 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and the intermediate retracting frame 36e has a feeding pawl 38 at the upper end. The rod 36f is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. Then, a fixing rack 37a fixed to the slider body 36d, an extension / retraction rack 37b attached to the sending / retracting rod 36f and facing the fixing rack 37a, and the intermediate extension / retraction frame 36e are rotatably supported. The retracting and retracting pinion 37c meshing with the fixing rack 37a and the retracting and retracting rack 37b, and the feeding pawl retracting and driving device (air type) provided on the intermediate retracting frame 36e for rotating the retracting and retracting pinion 37c forward and backward Actuator) 37d is provided to constitute a double speed feed mechanism. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, a feed claw protrusion detector (limit switch) 37f for detecting that the feed claw 38 is in the protruding position, and detecting that the feed claw 38 is in the retracted position. A feed claw retraction detector (limit switch) 37e is provided.

  The feeding clamper 41 is provided with a feeding engagement / disengagement device 51 that can be engaged with and detached from the passive block 36 a of the feeding slider 36. As shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D, the feed engaging / disengaging device 51 includes a clamper main body 52 to which a feed belt 44 is connected, and a fixing erected on the outlet Lo side of the clamper main body 52. A clamp block 53, a movable clamp block 55 supported by a bracket 54 provided on the inlet Li side via a horizontal pin 54a so as to be able to stand up and down, a pin 55b at a free end of the movable clamp block 55, and a clamper body 52 An undulation coil spring 56 connected to the pin 52a is provided. A passive piece 55a is provided below the movable clamp block 55 so as to protrude toward the inlet Li in a standing posture. Further, the pin 55b of the movable clamp block 55 to which the undulation coil spring 56 is connected is set so as to pass through a transition point P at which the undulation coil spring 56 is shortest at an intermediate position between the standing posture and the lying posture. Yes. On the other hand, on the entrance Li side of the passive block 36a, a striker 36b that protrudes in contact with the passive piece 55a of the movable clamp block 55 in the lying posture is provided. Further, the feed slider 36 is provided with a feed slider connection detector (proximity sensor) 36 c that detects the fixed clamp block 53 and detects the connection / disengagement state of the feed clamper 41 and the feed slider 36.

  The feed slide device 42 for reciprocating the feed clamper 41 in parallel with the lid supply line L is disposed at the inlet Li and the outlet Lo of the lid supply line L as shown in FIGS. Feed pulleys 43A and 43B, a feed belt 44 wound around the feed pulleys 43A and 43B and connected to the feed clamper 41, and a detour portion by a tension pulley 43C on the return path of the feed belt 44 And a feed drive device (electric motor) 45 for driving the feed belt 44 via the drive pulley 43D, and a feed clamper guide member 46 for guiding the feed clamper 41 below the feed belt 44. Yes.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b), the feeding engagement / disengagement device 51 is opened while the feeding slide device 42 moves on the return path in which the feeding clamper 41 moves from the outlet Lo to the inlet Li. In this state, the movable clamp block 55 is in a lying posture, and the passive piece 55a protrudes upward. When the feed clamper 41 approaches the passive block 36a of the feed slider 36 and the striker 36b contacts the passive piece 55a, the movable clamp block 55 is raised against the undulation coil spring 56, and the transition point P is set. After that, the movable clamp block 55 is erected by the undulating coil spring 56. As a result, the passive block 29 is sandwiched between the fixed clamp block 53 and the movable clamp block 55 so that the feed engagement / disengagement device 51 is clamped, and the feed clamper 41 and the feed slider 36 are connected to each other. Then, the feeding slider 26 is moved along the return path by the feeding slide device 42 via the feeding clamper 41.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, the feed clamper 41 is connected to the feed slider 36 by the feed engagement / disengagement device 51 while the feed clamper 41 is moving on the forward path from the inlet Li to the outlet Lo. In this state, when the feeding claw 38 is brought into contact with the rear end portion of the replenishing lid row 3 and the movement is restricted, the movable clamp block 55 in the standing posture is moved up and down by the passive block 36a. When the transition point P is passed, the movable clamp block 55 is tilted by the hoisting coil spring 56. As a result, the feed engagement / disengagement device 51 is in an unclamped state, the fixed clamp block 53 and the movable clamp block 55 are released and the passive block 36a is detached, and the feed clamper 41 is detached from the feed slider 36.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding claw urging device 47 has a horizontal urging shaft 47a fixed in the vicinity of the outlet Lo of the lid supply line L, and a feeding clamper 41 is connected to the urging shaft 47a. A fixed end of a helical spring 47b that can be expanded and contracted within the moving range is attached and wound. The biasing belt 47c connected to the movable end of the helical spring 47b extends to the inlet Li side and is connected to the feeding slider 36. As a result, the feeding claw 38 is urged toward the outlet Lo via the feeding slider 36, and a constant pressing force can be applied to the lid rows 2 and 3. Of course, the feeding claw urging device 47 is replaced with such a spring type, and a gravity type, an air type or a hydraulic type in which a weight that can be raised and lowered via a guide sheave is connected to the tip of the urging belt 47c. It is also possible to adopt a mechanical type using a linear drive device such as a cylinder or rack and pinion type.

  The lid supply line L includes an origin position detector (photoelectric tube detector) 48 for detecting the movement limit on the inlet Li side of the feeding slider 36 at the outlet Lo of the lid row replenishing device 11, and an intermediate portion closer to the outlet Lo side. In addition, an additional position detector (photoelectric tube detector) 49 for detecting the limit position where the lid row 2 for feeding is reduced and replenished, and an outlet detector (photoelectric tube detector) 50 for detecting the presence or absence of the lid 1 at the outlet Lo are provided. Is provided.

  In the lid row feeding device 31, the feeding claw 38 is retracted from the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2 after the feeding lid row 3 is replenished to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2. The feeding claw actuating device that is moved and pushed to the rear end of the replenishing lid row 3 includes a feeding slider 36, a feeding claw retracting device 37, a feeding clamper 41, a feeding slide device 42, and a feeding device. The engagement / disengagement device 51 is used.

(Cover row adding device 61)
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in the lid row adding device 61, an additional plate rail (guide member) 62 supported by the feeding frame 32 is parallel to the lid supply line L above the lid supply line L. Is arranged. A pair of front and rear additional sliders 63A and 63B are movably disposed on the additional plate rail 62 via additional guide rollers 69, and additional claws 65A and 65B are disposed on the front and rear additional sliders 63A and 63B. Are provided with an additional nail retracting device 64 having the same structure for retracting and retracting between the protruding position on the lid supply line L and the upper retracted position.

  These additional claws 65A and 65B are formed in a double fork shape whose tip ends extend on both sides of the lid supply line L. On the other hand, the feeding claws 38 have tip ends extending toward the lid supply line L. It is formed in a single fork shape that fits freely in the spaces 65A and 65B. Thereby, when moving in the direction along the lid supply line L or moving in the retracting direction, the additional claws 65A and 65B and the feeding claws 38 at the protruding positions do not interfere with each other.

  Further, an additional clamper 66 having an additional engagement / disengagement device 75 that can be freely engaged with and disengaged from the passive block 63a provided on the back side of the previous addition slider 63A, and the additional sliders 63A, 63B via the additional clamper 66. And an additional slide device 67 that reciprocates along the lid supply line L.

  The front and rear additional sliders 63A and 63B are arranged at a distance corresponding to both ends of the replenishment lid row 3 accommodated in the stock lane 16 by the front and rear additional claws 65A and 65B. Are connected and fixed together. The additional sliders 63A and 63B are moved to the additional plate rail 62 supported by the feeding frame 32 at the upper part of the lid supply line L and parallel to the lid supply line L via a plurality of feed guide rollers 69, respectively. It is supported freely. The additional sliders 63A and 63B are provided with additional claws 65A and 65B that can hold the additional lid row 3 from both ends, and the additional claws 65A and 65B are projected upward on the lid supply line L. Additional claw extension / retraction devices 64da and 64ab that can be moved back and forth between positions, and a passive block 63a to which the additional clamper 66 can be engaged are provided.

  The additional nail retracting device 64 is configured by a rack and pinion type double speed feeding mechanism. That is, an intermediate extension / retraction frame 63e that is slidably supported in the vertical direction on the slider body 63d of the additional slider 63, and an additional claw 65A on the lower end portion that is slidably supported on the intermediate extension / retraction frame 63e. , 65B, and a fixing rack 64a fixed to the additional sliders 63A, 63B, and a protruding rack attached to the additional retracting rod 63f so as to face the fixing rack 64a. The retractable rack 64b, the retractable pinion 64c that is rotatably supported by the intermediate retracting frame 63e and meshes with the fixing rack 64a and the retractable rack 64b, and the intermediate retracting frame 63e are provided for the retracting operation. It has additional nail extension / retraction drive devices (air motors) 64da and 64db for rotating the pinion 64c forward and backward. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, additional claw protrusion detectors (limit switches) 64fa and 64fb for detecting that the additional claw 65A and 65B are in the protruding position, and the additional claw 65A and 65B are in the retracted position. There are provided additional nail retraction detectors (limit switches) 64ea and 64eb for detecting the presence of the sensor.

  The additional slide device 67 is connected to the additional pulleys 71A and 71B disposed at the inlet Li and the outlet Lo of the lid supply line L, and the additional clamper 66 is wound around the additional pulleys 71A and 71B. The additional belt 72, the additional drive device (electric motor) 73 with a reduction gear that drives the additional belt 72 via the additional pulley 71B, and the additional clamper 66 on the upper path of the additional belt 72 It is composed of an additional clamper guide member 74 for guiding from below.

  The additional clamper 66 includes an additional engagement / disengagement device 75 that engages and disengages the additional clamper 66 and the additional slider 63A by engaging with the passive block 63a of the additional slider 63A, and FIGS. An additional slider connection detector 63c shown in FIG. Although the shape and arrangement of the passive block 63a, the striker 63b, and the additional slider connection detector 63c are different, the replenishment engagement / disengagement device 75 is the same as the feed engagement / disengagement device 51 shown in FIGS. Since it is a structure, it attaches | subjects the same code | symbol and shows to FIG.8 (e)-(h), and abbreviate | omits description.

  In the lid row adding device 61, after the rear end of the replenishing lid row 3 is pressed by the feeding claw 38, the additional claws 65A and 65B are retracted from the replenishing lid row 3 to replenish the lid row. The additional claw actuating device for retreating to the corresponding position of the device 11 includes the additional sliders 63A and 63B, the additional claw retracting device 64, the additional clamper 66, the additional slide device 67, and the feed engaging / disengaging device 75. The

(Cover supply controller 81)
As shown in FIG. 9, the lid supply controller 81 for operating the container lid supply device includes a detection signal input from the detectors 19 a, 20 c, 20 d, and 21 of the lid row replenishing device 11 and the lid row feeding device 31. On the basis of the detection signals inputted from the detectors 36c, 37e, 37f, 48 to 50 and the detection signals inputted from the detectors 63c, 64ea, 64eb, 64fa, 64fb of the lid row adding device 61 The replenishing driving device 19 of the feeding device 31, the feeding rotation driving device 45 of the lid row feeding device 31, and the additional driving device 73 of the lid row adding device 61 are respectively operated, and the lid is further connected via the air control valve 82. Stopper opening / closing drive device 20b of the row feed device 31, feed claw withdrawal / retraction drive device 37d of the lid row feed device 31 and claw drive / retraction drive devices 64da, 6 for the lid row addition device 61. And db are configured to operate respectively.

(Description of operation)
Next, operation | movement of this container lid supply apparatus is demonstrated.
1) Prior to activation, the lid row 2 for feeding is manually loaded between the feeding rods 34 of the lid row feeding device 31 along the lid supply line L, and the upstream path on the front side of the lid row replenishing device 11 Each of the stock lanes 16 is loaded with the replenishment lid row 3. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, with the feeding slider 36 and the feeding clamper 41 detached, the feeding pawl 38 is brought into contact with the rear end of the feeding lid row 2 as a protruding position. After the claw urging device 47 urges the feeding claw 38 to the outlet Lo side via the feeding slider 36 and presses the feeding lid row 2, the seamer device C and the lid row feeding device are activated. The lid 1 of the feeding lid row 2 is sequentially supplied to the outlet Lo.

  2) As shown in FIG. 10, when the lid 2 for feeding the lid supply line L decreases and is detected by the additional position detector 49, the lid supply controller 81 operates the air valve controller 82 to operate the lid row. The front and rear additional nail extension / retraction drive devices 64da and 64db of the additional device 61 are driven to project the front and rear additional claws 65A and 65B to the lower protruding position.

  3) When the additional claws 65A and 65B are projected to the projecting limit, the supplementary claw rows 3 in the stock lane 16 on the lid supply line L of the lid row replenishing device 11 are held by the additional claws 65A and 65B. Detected by the additional nail protrusion detectors 64fa and 64fb. Next, based on the detection signals of the additional nail protrusion detectors 64fa and 64fb, the air supply controller 81 is operated by the lid supply controller 81 to contract the stopper opening / closing driving device 20b of the replenishing opening / closing device 20 to open the opening / closing stopper 20a. The outlet of the stock lane 16 on the lid supply line L is opened.

  4) When the opening detector 20d detects that the outlet of the stock lane 16 is opened, the lid supply controller 81 drives the replenishing drive device 19 to add the additional belt 72, the additional clamper 66, and the additional The sliders 63A and 63B are respectively moved, and the replenishment lid row 3 held by the additional claws 65A and 65B is conveyed along the lid supply line L to the outlet Lo side.

  4 ′) As shown in FIG. 11, when the supply lid row 3 is unloaded from the stock lane 16 and the load detector 21 detects that the supply lid row 3 is lost, the lid supply controller The air valve controller 82 is operated by 81 and the outlet of the stock lane 16 is closed by the replenishing switchgear 20. Further, the replenishment driving device 19 is driven to move the stock lane 16 upward by one pitch, and the replenishment lid row 3 of the lower stock lane 16 is moved to the lid supply line L to replenish. The replenishment lid row 3 is detected by a stock detector 21.

  5) As shown in FIG. 11, when the front additional claw 65A is brought into contact with the rear end of the lid row 2 for feeding and the movement is restricted, the additional engagement / disengagement device 75 is released and the additional claw device 75 is released. The additional clamper 66 is detached from the passive block 63a of the slider 63A. The additional clamper 66 is moved to the exit Lo side and stopped at a predetermined position. At this time, since the lid supply line L is inclined downward on the outlet Lo side, the feeding lid row 2 is pressed to the outlet Lo side by the weights of the additional sliders 63A and 63B and the replenishing lid row 3. become.

  6) When the additional slider connection detector 63c detects that the additional clamper 66 has been detached from the additional slider 63A, the lid supply controller 81 operates the air valve controller 82 to The feeding claw retracting drive device 37d of the feeding slider 36 is driven, and the feeding claw 38 is retracted from between the feeding lid row 2 and the replenishing lid row 3 and extracted. Further, when the feed claw retraction detector 37e detects the retraction of the feed claw 38, the lid supply controller 81 drives the feed drive device 45 to move the feed slider 36 to the inlet Li side.

  7) When the origin position detector 48 detects that the feed slider 36 has reached the origin, the lid supply controller 81 stops the feed drive device 45 and operates the air valve controller 82 to drive the feed pawls. The device 37d is driven to project the feeding claw 38 to the projecting position. When the protrusion of the feed claw 38 is detected by the feed claw protrusion detector 37f, the lid supply controller 81 reversely drives the feed drive device 45 to move the feed slider 36 to the outlet Lo side.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, when the feeding claw 38 comes into contact with the rear end portion of the replenishing lid row 3, the feeding engagement / disengagement device 51 is released and the feeding clamper 41 is detached from the feeding slider 36. The The feeding clamper 41 is further moved to the inlet Li side and stopped at a predetermined position.

  8) When the feed slider coupling detector 36c detects that the feed clamper 41 is detached from the feed slider 36, the lid supply controller 81 operates the air valve controller 82 to move the front and rear of the lid row adding device 61. The additional nail extension / retraction drive devices 64da and 64db of the additional nail extension / retraction device 64 are respectively driven to retract the front and rear additional claws 65A and 65B to the upper retreat positions. When the retraction of the additional claws 65A and 65B is detected by the additional nail retraction detectors 64ea and 64eb, the replenishing drive device 19 is driven by the lid supply controller 81 to retreat the additional clamper 66 toward the inlet Li side. Let Then, the additional clamper 66 is connected to the additional slider 63A by the additional engaging / disengaging device 75, and the additional sliders 63A and 63B are moved backward toward the inlet Li side to stand by at a position corresponding to the lid row replenishing device 11.

  9) When the additional pawls 65A and 65B are retracted, the replenishing lid row 3 is connected to the feeding lid row 2 and integrated, and the feeding pawl biasing device 47 causes the feeding pawl 38 to be connected to the outlet Lo. The rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2 urged to the side and integrated is pressed, and the lid 1 is supplied to the outlet Lo.

(effect)
According to the above embodiment, the rear end of the feeding lid row 2 on the lid supply line L is pressed by the feeding claw biasing device 47 of the lid row feeding device 31 via the feeding claw 38 for feeding. The lid 1 of the lid row 2 is supplied to the outlet Lo. When the number of the lids 1 of the feeding lid row 2 is reduced, the lid row replenishing device 11 supplies the replenishment hold from the stock lane 16 on the lid supply line L by the additional claws 65A and 65B of the lid row adding device 61. The lid row 3 is conveyed and replenished to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2, and the feeding lid row 2 is pressurized by the weight of the replenishing lid row 3 and the feeding slider 36. Then, the feeding claw 38 is pulled out from the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2 by the feeding claw retracting device 37, and then the feeding claw 38 is moved to the rear end portion of the replenishing lid row 3 and pressed. . Further, after the additional claws 65A and 65B are pulled out from both ends of the replenishing lid row 3, the additional claws 65A and 65B are returned to the corresponding positions of the stock lane 16 on the lid supply line L of the lid row replenishing device 11. Thus, the unstable supply and replenishment of the lid rows 2 and 3 on the lid supply line L can be performed smoothly.

  Further, by inclining the lid supply line L downward at the outlet Lo side at θ °, it is possible to pressurize the lid row 2 for feeding using the dead weight of the lid row 3 for supply, and the unstable lid row 2 Even so, it can be handled stably. Further, the feeding claw 38 is formed in a single fork shape, and the front and rear additional claws 65A and 65B are respectively formed in a double fork shape having a space in which the feeding claw 38 can be loosely fitted, and added to the feeding claw 38. Since the claw 65A and 65B are formed so as not to interfere with each other when moving in the direction along the lid supply line L or when moving out and out, the claw 65A and 65B and the claw 65 3 can be smoothly performed.

  Furthermore, the lid row replenishing device 11 holds the lid row 3 for replenishment in a plurality of stock lanes 16 arranged at regular intervals on the endless belt 15 for replenishment. By moving and moving onto the lid row supply line L, even if the processing speed of the seamer device C is high, the supplementary lid row 3 is additionally replenished to the rear end of the feeding lid row 2 sufficiently early. And the burden on the worker can be greatly reduced.

  Furthermore, when the front additional claw 65A is brought into contact with the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2 by the additional engagement / disengagement device 75, the additional clamper 66 is detached from the additional slider 63A. Therefore, even if the feeding claw 38 is pulled out from the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2 after the feeding lid row 3 is replenished to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row 2, the feeding lid row 3 Further, the supply of the lid 1 can be continued by pressing the lid row 2 for feeding using the own weight of the additional sliders 63A and 63B. Therefore, the pressing device for the feeding lid row 2 when the feeding claw 38 is extracted from the feeding lid row 2 is not necessary, and the device can be simplified.

  Further, when the feeding claw 38 is brought into contact with the replenishing lid row 3 and the movement of the feeding slider 36 is restricted by the feeding engagement / disengagement device 51, the feeding clamper 41 is detached from the feeding slider 36. Thus, the feeding claw urging device 47 allows the feeding claw 38 to press the rear end portion of the replenishing lid row 3 with a constant pressing force via the feeding slider 36, which is stable. Thus, the lid 1 can be supplied.

  Furthermore, according to the container lid automatic supply device, even the unstable lid rows 2 and 3 that generate elasticity in the overlapping direction of the lid 1 due to the depth of the outer peripheral edge portion 1b and the elasticity of the pull ring 1e are stable. Can be supplied smoothly.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lid supply line L is inclined so that the outlet Lo side is at the lower side, and the feeding lid row 2 and the replenishing lid row 3 that are elastic in the overlapping direction are stabilized. However, when the stability of the lid rows 2 and 3 is high, the lid supply line L can be set horizontally. In this case, a device having the same configuration as the feeding claw urging device 47 may be provided in order to urge the additional sliders 63A and 63B toward the outlet Lo.

It is a schematic side view which shows embodiment of the automatic supply apparatus of the container lid which concerns on this invention. The lid of a container is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (c) is a longitudinal sectional view showing a lid row. It is a side view of a lid row replenishment device. It is a cross-sectional view of the front view of the lid row supplement device. It is a side view of a lid row feeding device and a lid row adding apparatus. It is a cross-sectional view of the front view of the lid row feeding device. It is a cross-sectional view which shows a lid row addition apparatus, (a) shows the front slider for addition, (b) shows the back slider for addition. It is explanatory drawing of the engaging / disengaging apparatus for feeding, and the engaging / disengaging apparatus for addition, (a) is a side view of the detachment | leave state of the engaging / detaching apparatus for feeding, (b) is a top view of the detaching state of the engaging / detaching apparatus for feeding, (c ) Is a side view of the connecting state of the feed engaging / disengaging device, (d) is a plan view of the connecting state of the additional engaging / disengaging device, (e) is a side view of the disengaging state of the additional engaging / disengaging device, and (f) is FIG. 5 is a plan view of the additional engagement / disengagement device in a detached state, (g) is a side view of the connection state of the additional engagement / disengagement device, and (h) is a plan view of the connection state of the additional engagement / disengagement device. It is a block diagram which shows a lid | cover supply controller. It is a schematic side view explaining the feeding operation | movement of the lid row for sending in the automatic supply apparatus of a container lid. It is a schematic side view explaining the replenishment operation | movement of the lid row for replenishment in the automatic supply apparatus of a container lid. It is a schematic side view explaining the return operation | movement of the nail | claw for a feed in the automatic supply apparatus of a container lid. It is a schematic side view explaining the return operation | movement of the nail | claw for an addition in the automatic supply apparatus of a container lid.

Explanation of symbols

L lid supply line Li inlet Lo outlet 1 lid 1b outer peripheral edge 1e pull ring 2 feeding lid row 3 replenishing lid row 11 lid row replenishing device 14A, 14B replenishing pulley 15 replenishing belt 16 stock lanes 17A, 17B replenishing Guide rail 19 Replenishment drive device 20 Replenishment opening / closing device 21 Stock detector 31 Cover row feeder 34 Feed rod 35 Feed plate rail 36 Feed slider 37 Feed claw retracting device 38 Feed claw 39 Feed Guide roller 41 Feeding clamper 42 Feeding slide device 45 Feeding drive device 47 Feeding claw urging device 47b Towing spring 51 Feeding engagement / disengagement device 61 Lid row adding device 62 Additional plate rails 63A, 63B Additional slider 64 Additional nail retracting device 66 Additional clamper 67 Additional sliding device 68 Connecting rod 72 Additional bell 73 additional drive device 75 for the additional engaging and disengaging device 81 cover supply controller 82 air valve controller

Claims (8)

When supplying the lid row in which a plurality of lids of the container are stacked in the thickness direction from the inlet side to the outlet along the lid supply line,
The rear end portion of the lid row for feeding arranged in the lid supply line is pressed by the feeding claws to push out the lid row for feeding and supply the lid to the outlet,
When the lid of the feeding lid row decreases, the replenishing lid row arranged on the inlet side of the lid supply line is held by a pair of front and rear additional claws,
Move the additional claw to the outlet side along the lid supply line to replenish the replenishment lid row to the rear end of the feeding lid row,
Further, the feeding lid row is pressed to the outlet side by the replenishing lid row,
Pull out the feeding claw from the rear end of the feeding lid row, move it to the rear end of the replenished lid row, press the replenishing lid row, and then refill each additional claw A method for automatically supplying a container lid, wherein the container lid is extracted from the lid row. Each of the lid row for feeding and the lid row for replenishment has elasticity in the overlapping direction,
The lid supply line is formed in an inclined direction with the outlet at the lower side,
2. The container lid automatic supply method according to claim 1, wherein the feeding lid row is pressed toward the outlet side by the weight of the feeding lid row replenished to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row. A container lid automatic supply device that supplies a lid row in which a plurality of container lids are stacked in the thickness direction, and supplies the lid from the inlet side to the outlet along the lid supply line,
The lid supply line is formed in an inclined direction with the outlet side at the bottom,
A lid row feeding device that pushes the rear end portion of the lid row for feeding on the lid feeding line by the feeding claws to push the lid to the inlet side and feed the lid to the outlet, and the lid row for supplying the lid row for replenishment A lid row replenishing device for replenishing the top, and a lid for replenishing the rear end portion of the lid row for feeding on the lid supply line by holding the lid row for replenishment of the lid row replenishing device with a pair of front and rear additional claws A column adding device,
After the feeding claw urging device for urging the feeding claw to the inlet side at a constant pressure on the lid row feeding device, and after the replenishing lid row is replenished to the rear end portion of the feeding lid row, A feeding claw actuating device for pulling out the feeding claw from the rear end of the feeding lid row and moving it to the rear end of the feeding lid row to press the feeding lid row;
In the lid row adding device, after the rear end of the replenishing lid row is pressed by the feeding claw, the additional claw is removed from the replenishing lid row and moved to the corresponding position of the lid row replenishing device. A container lid automatic supply device, characterized in that a claw actuating device is provided. The feeding claw and the replenishing claw can be moved back and forth toward the lid supply line, and can be brought into contact with the feeding lid row and the replenishing lid row on the lid feeding line at the protruding position on the lid feeding line. 4. The automatic container lid supply device according to claim 3, wherein the container lid is formed in a fork shape that does not interfere with each other when moved in a direction along the lid supply line and in a direction of exiting and retracting to the lid supply line. The lid row replenishing device has a plurality of stock lanes that are parallel to each other and can support a lid row for replenishment at fixed pitches on an endless rotating body wound around an upper rotating body and a lower rotating body. The container lid automatic supply device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein each stock lane can be moved on a lid supply line by moving a moving body. The lid row adding device supports the front and rear additional claws so as to be retractable and movable in parallel to the lid supply line, and is arranged to be reciprocally movable in parallel to the lid supply line. An additional clamper having an additional engaging / disengaging device that can be freely engaged and disengaged,
The additional engagement / disengagement device engages the additional slider when the additional clamper moves from the outlet side to the inlet side, sends the additional clamper to the inlet side, and engages the additional slider with the additional slider engaged. The container lid according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein when the movement of the additional slider is restricted during movement from the inlet side to the outlet side, the additional slider is opened. Automatic feeding device. The lid row feeding device supports the feeding claw so that it can be moved back and forth and is movable in parallel with the lid supply line, and is reciprocally moved in parallel with the lid supply line, and is engaged with and disengaged from the feeding slider. A feeding clamper having a flexible feeding engagement / disengagement device,
The feeding engagement / disengagement device engages the feeding slider when the feeding clamper moves from the outlet side to the inlet side, feeds the feeding clamper to the inlet side, and engages the feeding slider with the feeding slider engaged. The container lid according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein when the movement of the feeding slider is restricted during movement from the inlet side to the outlet side, the feeding slider is opened. Automatic feeding device. The lid has an outer peripheral edge portion that bulges to the surface side at the outer peripheral portion of the lid main body, and an opening ring attached to the surface of the lid main body. When the lid is stacked in the thickness direction, the lid in the outer peripheral edge portion In the space on the front side of the main body, the back side of the lid body of the overlapped lid is fitted, and the opening ring is brought into contact with the back side of the lid body of the lid so that the lids in the lid row overlap The automatic supply device for a container lid according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein elasticity is generated.

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