JP2020045204A - Head vegetable transporting device and preparation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a transporting device and a preparing device for head vegetables capable of transporting by aligning root heights of head vegetables such as onions having different sizes.SOLUTION: The transporting device for transporting a head vegetable having a head portion, an outer leaves, and roots, includes: an upper-stage transporting unit for sandwiching the outer leaves and transporting them from an upstream side to a downstream side; a lower-stage transporting unit, arranged below the upper-stage transporting unit, for sandwiching the outer leaves of the head vegetables released by the upper-stage transporting unit and transporting them further downstream; and a support member, arranged below the lower-stage transporting unit, for supporting bottom portions of the head portions of the head vegetables transported by the lower-stage transporting unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 38

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting and preparing head vegetables such as onions, for example.

Conventionally, an onion processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.
The onion processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a transport unit that transports onions, and a root cutting unit that cuts a root portion of the onion during the transport of the onion. The transporting means includes an alignment roller that transports the onion in a root downstream orientation, and a feed roller that transports the onion by changing from the root downstream orientation to the root upward orientation.

Japanese Patent No. 5649042

However, in the above-mentioned onion processing apparatus, when onions having different sizes are conveyed in a mixed manner, the root position (height) is different for each onion, so that the root is cut at an appropriate position. It is difficult.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and provides a transporting apparatus and a preparing apparatus for head vegetables, which can transport head vegetables such as onions having different sizes at the same root height.

  A head vegetable transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a transport device for transporting a head vegetable having a head portion, an outer leaf, and a root, and transports the outer leaf from an upstream side to a downstream side while sandwiching the outer leaf. An upper conveying section, a lower conveying section disposed below the upper conveying section, for nipping the outer leaves of the head vegetables released from being pinched by the upper conveying section, and conveying the outer leaves further downstream, and a lower conveying section. And a support member disposed below and supporting a bottom portion of the head portion of the head vegetables conveyed by the lower conveyance unit.

Preferably, the lower transport section overlaps with the upper transport section in the transport direction, and is disposed downstream of the overlap section in the transport direction and overlaps the upper transport section in the transport direction. And a non-overlapping portion, wherein the support member is provided from below the overlapping portion to below the non-overlapping portion.
Preferably, the upper conveying section has an endless upper belt and a plurality of upper pulleys around which the upper belt is stretched, and the lower conveying section includes an endless lower belt and the lower belt. , A plurality of lower pulleys, and wherein the plurality of lower pulleys includes a first lower pulley disposed in the overlapping portion, and the plurality of upper pulleys are located above the first lower pulley. And a first upper pulley supported on the same rotation shaft as the first lower pulley.

Preferably, the support member includes a first support member disposed on one side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and a second support member disposed on the other side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. An insertion portion into which the root can be inserted is formed between the first support member and the second support member.
Preferably, the first support member has an endless first support belt having a first support surface movable in the transport direction, and the second support member has a second support belt movable in the transport direction. An endless second support belt having a support surface is provided.

Preferably, the first support surface and the second support surface are made of an elastic body.
Preferably, the first support member has one support surface capable of supporting the bulb portion from the one side of the first support belt, and the second support member is provided on the other side of the second support belt. And the other support surface capable of supporting the head portion from above, and the one support surface and the other support surface are inclined surfaces that move upward as the distance from the insertion portion increases in the orthogonal direction.

A head vegetable preparation device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the transport device and a first cutting device that cuts the root of the head vegetable transported by the transport device.
Preferably, the preparation device includes a second cutting device that cuts the outer leaves of the head vegetables transported by the transport device.

According to the transport device, the bottom portion of the head vegetables transferred from the upper transport portion to the lower transport portion can be supported by the support member. Therefore, even if the height of the bottom portion of the head vegetables is not constant in the upper transport portion, the height of the bottom portion of the head vegetables becomes substantially constant when moving from the upper transport portion to the lower transport portion. It is possible to carry the roots at the same height.
According to the preparation device described above, the roots of the head vegetables that have been transported by the transport device with the root heights aligned can be cut by the first cutting device. For this reason, the cutting positions of the roots of the head vegetables can be aligned.

It is a top view which shows one Embodiment of the preparation apparatus of vegetables (head vegetable). It is a side view which shows one Embodiment of the preparation apparatus of vegetables (head vegetable). FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a supply device, a first transport unit, and a second transport unit. It is the figure which looked at the 1st conveyance part from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from the front). It is the figure which looked at the upstream of the 1st conveyance part and the 2nd conveyance part from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from the back). FIG. 4 is a view of a first transport unit as viewed from an upstream side in a transport direction. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an upstream side of a first transport unit and a second transport unit. It is the figure which looked at the downstream of the 1st conveyance part and the 2nd conveyance part from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from back). It is the figure which looked at the downstream of the 1st conveyance part, and the upstream of the 2nd conveyance part from the projection direction of the projection part. It is the figure which looked at the lower stream side of the 1st conveyance part, and the upper stream side of the 2nd conveyance part from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from back). It is a perspective view showing a 2nd conveyance part. It is the figure which looked at the 2nd conveyance part from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from the back). It is the figure which looked at the 2nd conveyance part from the conveyance direction of the 1st conveyance part (from the left). It is a figure showing movement of vegetables (heading vegetables) which move from a 1st conveyance part to a 2nd conveyance part. It is the figure which looked at the 3rd transportation part from the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction of the 3rd transportation part concerned (from the left). It is a top view of a 3rd conveyance part. It is the figure which looked at the 3rd transportation part from the downstream of the transportation direction of the 3rd transportation part concerned. It is the figure which looked at the 3rd transportation part from the upper stream side of the transportation direction of the 3rd transportation part concerned. It is the figure which looked at the 1st roller and the 2nd roller which carried vegetables (heading vegetable) in the downward posture from the direction of the central axis. It is a top view which shows the movement of vegetables (headed vegetables) in a 3rd conveyance part. It is a perspective view showing composition of a guidance member in a 3rd conveyance part, etc. It is a figure which shows the movement of the vegetables (headed vegetables) in a 3rd conveyance part seen from the direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction (from left). It is the figure which looked at the 4th conveyance part from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from the left). It is a perspective view of a 4th conveyance part. It is the figure which looked at the 4th conveyance part from the upstream of the conveyance direction. It is a top view of a 4th conveyance part. It is a figure showing composition of the 2nd pinching belt. It is a perspective view which shows the movement of vegetables (headed vegetables) in a 4th conveyance part. It is a figure which shows the movement of the vegetables (headed vegetables) in a 4th conveyance part seen from the direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction (from left). It is a figure which shows the latter half of the movement of vegetables (headed vegetables) in a 4th conveyance part seen from the downstream of a 4th conveyance part. It is the figure which looked at the lower stream side of the 4th conveyance part, and the upper stream side of the 5th conveyance part from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from the left). FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a downstream side of a fourth transport unit and an upstream side of a fifth transport unit. It is a top view showing the lower stream side of the 4th conveyance part, and the upper stream side of the 5th conveyance part. It is a top view of a support member. It is a perspective view of a support member. It is a perspective view which shows a support member by omitting the other support body. FIG. 13 is a view of a support member as viewed from an upstream side in a transport direction of a fifth transport unit. It is a figure which shows the flow of vegetables (headed vegetables) from the downstream of a 4th conveyance part to the upstream of a 5th conveyance part. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a downstream side of a fourth transport unit and a fifth transport unit. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a downstream side of a fourth transport section and a fifth transport section. It is a top view which shows a lower belt and a lower pulley. It is a perspective view of the 1st cutting device (root cutting device) and the 2nd cutting device (outer leaf cutting device). It is a perspective view showing a 3rd motor and a power transmission mechanism. It is the figure which looked at the 1st cutting device and the 2nd cutting device from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from the left). It is a perspective view of a 1st cutting device. It is the figure which looked at the 1st cutting device from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (from the left). It is a perspective view which expands and shows a 1st cutting device. It is a top view of a 1st cutting device. It is a figure showing operation of a root alignment part. It is a figure which shows the movement of the vegetables (headed vegetables) in a 1st cutting apparatus seen from the direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction (from left). It is a figure which shows the effect | action of a root retracting part. It is a top view of a 1st cutting device and a 2nd cutting device. It is a perspective view of the back of a 1st cutting device, and a 2nd cutting device. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism etc. of an outer-leaf cutting part. It is a figure showing an onion as an example of vegetables (head vegetables).

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the vegetable preparation device 1, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing one embodiment of the vegetable preparation device 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the vegetable preparation device 1. 1 to 3 show a part of the configuration of the preparation apparatus 1. FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show the entire configuration of the preparation apparatus 1.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the direction of arrow X1 in FIGS. 1 to 3 is referred to as front, and the direction of arrow X2 in FIGS. 1 to 3 is referred to as rear. The arrow X direction in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the front-rear direction, the arrow Y direction in FIGS. 1 and 3 is the device width direction, the arrow Y1 direction is the left direction, and the arrow Y2 direction is the right direction.
The vegetables prepared by the preparation device 1 according to the present invention are mainly head vegetables. The head vegetables are, for example, bulb bulbs whose roots swell underground or on the ground to become spherical. Specifically, for example, onions, rakkyo, garlic, lily root and the like. Hereinafter, a description will be given assuming that the vegetable VG to be processed according to the present invention is a head vegetable VG.

  As shown in FIG. 55, a head vegetable (bulb) VG includes a head part (bulb) VG1, an outer leaf VG2 extending upward from an upper part of the head part VG1, and a root VG3 extending downward from a lower part of the head part VG1. ,have. FIG. 55 shows onions as a representative example of the head vegetables VG. The head vegetables VG to be treated in the present invention are preferably those that have been harvested or pretreated in a state where the length of the outer leaves VG2 is longer than the length of the roots VG3.

First, the overall configuration of the preparation device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the preparation device 1 includes a supply device 2, a transport device 3, a first cutting device 44, and a second cutting device 5.
The supply device 2 is a device that receives the head vegetable VG before preparation and supplies it to the transport device 3. The transport device 3 is a device that transports the head vegetables VG. The first cutting device 4 is a root cutting device that cuts the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG. The second cutting device 5 is an outer leaf cutting device that cuts the outer leaf VG2 of the head vegetable VG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport device 3, the first cutting device 4, and the second cutting device 5 are supported by a frame 6. The frame 6 is configured by combining a plurality of linear frame members (for example, steel members). The frame 6 has a first frame 6A, a second frame 6B, a third frame 6C, a fourth frame 6D, a fifth frame 6E, and a sixth frame 6F. The first frame 6 </ b> A is arranged on the most upstream side in the transport direction of the head vegetables by the transport device 3. The second frame 6B is arranged downstream of the first frame 6A. The third frame 6C is arranged downstream of the second frame 6B. The fourth frame 6D is arranged downstream of the third frame 6C. The fifth frame 6E is arranged downstream of the fourth frame 6D. The sixth frame 6F is arranged downstream of the fifth frame 6E. Below the frames 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, a plurality of casters 6G each having wheels are attached.

Hereinafter, the configurations of the supply device 2, the transport device 3, the first cutting device 4, and the second cutting device 5 will be sequentially described.
First, the configuration of the supply device 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The supply device 2 is supported by the first frame 6A. The supply device 2 has a hopper 7 and a supply conveyor 8. The hopper 7 is formed in a box shape having an open upper surface and a rear surface, and receives head vegetables before preparation. The bottom surface 7a of the hopper 7 is a downward inclined surface from the front to the rear. The supply conveyor 8 is composed of a belt conveyor 8a. The supply conveyer 8 can convey the head vegetables from the front to the rear (toward the arrow X2 direction). The front end of the supply conveyor 8 is located behind and below the hopper 7.

The head vegetables received by the hopper 7 roll or slide on the downwardly inclined bottom surface 7a, move rearward, and fall from the rear of the hopper 7. The dropped head vegetables are conveyed from the front to the back on the supply conveyor 8 and supplied to the conveyance device 3.
However, the preparation device 1 may not include the supply device 2. When the preparation device 1 does not include the supply device 2, the head vegetables are manually supplied to the upstream side of the transport device 3.

Next, the configuration of the transport device 3 will be described.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transport device 3 includes a first transport unit 3A, a second transport unit 3B, a third transport unit 3C, a fourth transport unit 3D, a fifth transport unit 3E, and a sixth transport unit 3F. have.
In the drawing, the direction of conveyance by the first conveyance unit 3A is indicated by an arrow A1, the direction of conveyance by the second conveyance unit 3B is indicated by an arrow A2, the direction of conveyance by the third conveyance unit 3C is indicated by an arrow A3, and the direction of conveyance by the fourth conveyance unit 3D is indicated by an arrow A4. The direction of conveyance by the fifth conveyance unit 3E is indicated by an arrow A5, and the direction of conveyance by the sixth conveyance unit 3F is indicated by an arrow A6.

First, the first transport unit 3A will be described with reference to FIGS.
The first transport unit 3A is supported on the upper part of the second frame 6B.
The first transport unit 3A includes a first belt 9F, a second belt 9R, a first side plate 10F, a second side plate 10R, a start end plate 11, and a gate device 12.
The first belt 9F is arranged on one side (front side) in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A1 of the first transport section 3A (hereinafter, referred to as a “first orthogonal direction”). The second belt 9R is disposed on the other side (rear side) in the first orthogonal direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the first transport direction A1 is the device width direction, and the first orthogonal direction is the front-rear direction.

The first belt 9F and the second belt 9R are elastic belts such as rubber belts, and are formed in an endless shape (loop shape). The first belt 9F and the second belt 9R may be round belts or V belts.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R are arranged in parallel at an interval. The distance between the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R is set smaller than the outer diameter of the head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG. Thereby, the first transport unit 3A can support and transport the head portion VG1 above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R.

  The first belt 9F is wound around a plurality of first pulleys 13F. The second belt 9R is wound around the plurality of second pulleys 13R. The plurality of first pulleys 13F include a pulley 13F1 located on the most downstream side of the first transport unit 3A, a pulley 13F2 located on the most upstream side of the first transport unit 3A, and a pulley located between the pulleys 13F1 and 13F2. 13F3. The plurality of second pulleys 13R include a pulley 13R1 at the most downstream side of the first transport section 3A, a pulley 13R2 at an upstream side of the first transport section 3A, and a pulley located between the pulleys 13R1 and 13R2. 13R3.

  The first pulley 13F and the second pulley 13R rotate by power transmitted from an interlocking mechanism 30 described later. The first belt 9F and the second belt 9R rotate in vertical planes parallel to each other as the first pulley 13F and the second pulley 13R rotate. When the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R rotate, the upper part of the first belt 9F and the upper part of the second belt 9R move from left to right (in the direction of arrow A1). The first belt 9F and the second belt 9R move (rotate) at the same speed.

  The first side plate 10F and the second side plate 10R are attached to an upper part of the second frame 6B. The first side plate 10F is provided on one side (front side) in the first orthogonal direction. Specifically, the first side plate 10F is provided in front (outside) of the first belt 9F, and extends in parallel with the first belt 9F. The second side plate 10R is provided on the other side (rear side) in the first orthogonal direction. Specifically, the second side plate 10R is provided behind (outside) the second belt 9R, and extends in parallel with the second belt 9R.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first side plate 10F has a vertical portion (first vertical portion) 10Fa and an inclined portion (first inclined portion) 10Fb. The second side plate 10R has a vertical portion (second vertical portion) 10Ra and an inclined portion (second inclined portion) 10Rb. The first vertical portion 10Fa and the second vertical portion 10Ra are disposed in parallel to each other with the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R interposed therebetween. The first inclined portion 10Fb extends upward and forward (diagonally forward and upward) from the first vertical portion 10Fa. The second inclined portion 10Rb extends upward and rearward (obliquely rearward and upward) from the second vertical portion 10Ra. The upper end of the first inclined portion 10Fb and the upper end of the second inclined portion 10Rb are located above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. The first inclined portion 10Fb and the second inclined portion 10Rb are inclined so as to gradually approach each other as going downward from a position above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. The upper end of the second inclined portion 10Rb is located above the upper end of the first inclined portion 10Fb. That is, the height of the second side plate 10R is higher than the height of the first side plate 10F.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, bearings 65 that rotatably support the central axes of the first pulley 13F and the second pulley 13R are attached to the first vertical portion 10Fa and the second vertical portion 10Ra.
The central axes of the first pulley 13F and the second pulley 13R are rotatably supported by bearings 65.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a plurality of columnar pins 14 are rotatably supported by the first vertical portion 10Fa and the second vertical portion 10Ra. The pin 14 is arranged in parallel with the central axis of the first pulley 13F and the central axis of the second pulley 13R. The pin 14 is disposed between pulleys adjacent to each other in the transport direction A1 of the first transport unit 3A. In the case of the present embodiment, two pins 14 are arranged between the pulleys 13F1 and 13R1 and the pulleys 13F3 and 13R3, and between the pulleys 13F3 and 13R3 and the pulleys 13F2 and 13R2, respectively.

  The pins 14 support the upper lower surface of the first belt 9F and the upper lower surface of the second belt 9R from below. The pin 14 rotates (rotates) around the central axis with movement of the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. As a result, the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R can move smoothly with the head vegetable VG placed thereon without being greatly slackened by the weight of the head vegetable VG even when the head vegetable VG is placed thereon. it can.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal end of the supply conveyor 8 of the supply device 2 is disposed close to the upstream side of the first transport unit 3A in the transport direction A1. The transport direction of the supply conveyor 8 is a direction perpendicular to the transport direction A1 of the first transport unit 3A. The end of the transport surface of the supply conveyor 8 is located on the first side plate 10F side of the first transport unit 3A, and is located above the first side plate 10F. Thereby, the head vegetables transported by the supply conveyor 8 are supplied from above the first side plate 10F of the first transport unit 3A to the upstream side of the first transport unit 3A.

  The head vegetables supplied to the first transport unit 3A from above the first side plate 10F roll down toward the second side plate 10R, but the upper end of the second inclined portion 10Rb is higher than the upper end of the first inclined portion 10Fb. Is also located at the upper side, and thus the head vegetables are prevented from falling over the second side plate 10R. In addition, the head vegetables transported by the first transport unit 3A are collected on the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R by the inclination of the first inclined part 10Fb and the inclination of the second inclined part 10Rb, so that the first vegetables are surely collected. The sheet is conveyed while being placed on the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7, the starting end plate 11 is provided at the starting end (the end on the upstream side) in the conveying direction A1 of the first conveying unit 3A. The start end plate 11 connects the first side plate 10F and the second side plate 10R at the start end of the first transport unit 3A. This prevents the head vegetables supplied to the upstream side of the first transport unit 3A from falling from the start end of the first transport unit 3A.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the gate device 12 is provided in the middle of the first transport unit 3A in the transport direction A1. The gate device 12 is disposed downstream of the supply conveyor 8 in the transport direction A1 of the first transport unit 3A. The gate device 12 allows or blocks the movement of the head vegetables VG carried by the first carrying unit 3A to the downstream side in the carrying direction A1. The gate device 12 has a shaft support plate 12a, a rotating shaft 12b, a gate plate 12c, and a sensor 12d.

  The shaft support plate 12a extends upward from the first side plate 10F and the second side plate 10R, respectively. The shaft support plate 12a rotatably supports the rotation shaft 12b. The rotation shaft 12b extends in the first orthogonal direction (front-back direction) above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. The rotating shaft 12b rotates around the axis by driving a motor (not shown). The gate plate 12c is attached to the rotation shaft 12b, and extends downward (toward the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R) from the rotation shaft 12b. As shown by an arrow D1 in FIG. 5, the gate plate 12c rotates upward or downward about the rotation axis 12b with the rotation of the rotation axis 12b. In a state where the gate plate 12c extends downward from the rotating shaft 12b (closed state), the movement of the head vegetables VG to the downstream side is prevented by the gate plate 12c. When the gate plate 12c rotates upward, a state where the downward movement of the head vegetable VG is allowed (open state) is achieved. An extension 12c1 extending toward one side (front) in the first orthogonal direction is provided on an upper portion of the gate plate 12c.

  The sensor 12d is attached to the shaft support plate 12a. The sensor 12d detects the amount of head vegetables VG downstream of the gate plate 12c (whether or not head vegetables are accumulated). In the case of the present embodiment, the sensor 12d includes a limit switch. The terminal of the limit switch comes into contact with or separates from the extending portion 12c1, whereby the limit switch is switched on and off. The limit switch is electrically connected to the motor, and the motor is driven or stopped by the on / off switching of the limit switch.

  When head vegetables VG are accumulated (stopped) on the downstream side of the gate plate 12c of the first transport unit 3A, the gate plate 12c is in a state of being pushed downstream by the head vegetables. Therefore, the terminal of the limit switch comes into contact with the extended portion 12c1. In this state, the motor is not driven, and the gate plate 12c remains closed. Therefore, the head vegetables VG are not conveyed to the downstream side of the first transport unit 3A, and the head vegetables VG are prevented from being excessively supplied to the second transport unit 3B.

  When head vegetables are not accumulated (stopped) on the downstream side of the gate plate 12c, the gate plate 12c is in a state of not being pushed toward the downstream side by the head vegetables. In this state, when the head vegetables transported from the upstream side come into contact with the gate plate 12c, the gate plate 12c is pushed forward (downstream side), and the terminal of the limit switch is separated from the extension 12c1. It will be in the state of having done. In this state, the motor is driven to open the gate plate 12c. Therefore, the head vegetables VG are transported downstream of the first transport unit 3A.

The configuration of the gate device 12 is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the configuration may be such that the gate plate 12c is slid upward or downward with respect to the shaft support plate 12a to be in an open state or a closed state. Further, the sensor 12d is not limited to a limit switch, and may be another sensor (for example, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, or the like).
As described above, the head vegetables VG that have been transported by the supply conveyor 8 of the supply device 2 are supplied to the upstream side in the transport direction A1 of the first transport unit 3A and are located above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. It is transported downstream with the head portion VG1 on it. The head vegetable VG that has reached the downstream end (end) in the transport direction A1 of the first transport unit 3A subsequently moves to the second transport unit 3B.

Next, the second transport unit 3B will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and the like, the second transport section 3B is supported on the upper part of the second frame 6B. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and the like, the second transport section 3B is disposed downstream of the first transport section 3A in the transport direction A1. The transport surface of the second transport unit 3B (the surface on which the head vegetables VG are supported) moves obliquely upward from the downstream side to the upstream side in the transport direction A2. Thus, the second transport unit 3B transports the head vegetables VG transported by the first transport unit 3A upward (specifically, diagonally upward).

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 14, the second transporting unit 3 </ b> B has a moving body 15, a projecting part 16, and a driving mechanism 17.
The moving body 15 has an endless rope 18 and a moving plate 19 attached to the rope 18. The cord 18 is a chain in the present embodiment. The cord 18 includes a first cord 18F and a second cord 18R. The first cord 18F and the second cord 18R are arranged parallel to each other with an interval. The first cord 18F is arranged on one side (front side) in a direction (hereinafter, referred to as a “second orthogonal direction”) orthogonal to the transport direction A2 of the second transport unit 3B. The second cord 18R is disposed on the other side (rear side) in the second orthogonal direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the second transport direction A2 is the device width direction and is a direction that is inclined upward from left to right, and the second orthogonal direction is the front-back direction.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 13, the first rope 18F and the second rope 18R are wound around a driving sprocket 20 and a driven sprocket 21. The first rope 18F and the second rope 18R rotate in vertical planes parallel to each other as the drive sprocket 20 rotates.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the driven sprocket 21 is disposed below the first transport unit 3A. More specifically, the driven sprocket 21 is disposed below pulleys 13F1 and 13R1 at the most downstream side of the first transport unit 3A (hereinafter, referred to as “downstream pulleys”). The drive sprocket 20 is located above the driven sprocket 21 and above the first transport unit 3A. Further, the driving sprocket 20 is disposed at a position farther from the first transport unit 3A than the driven sprocket 21. The upper portions (upper portions of the loops) of the first cable body 18F and the second cable body 18R move obliquely upward by rotation as indicated by an arrow A2.

  As shown in FIGS. 9, 13, and the like, the moving plate 19 connects the first cord 18F and the second cord 18R. The plurality of moving plates 19 are provided side by side along the length direction of the first rope body 18F and the second rope body 18R (the transport direction A2 of the second transport unit 3B). The plurality of moving plates 19 are arranged at intervals along the transport direction of the second transport unit 3B. The pitch (interval) of the arrangement of the plurality of moving plates 19 is preferably set to be equal, but may be partially different. The pitch at which the moving plates 19 are arranged is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG.

  The moving plate 19 moves obliquely upward with the rotation of the first rope 18F and the second rope 18R on the transport surface side of the second transport unit 3B. Here, since the driven sprocket 21 is disposed below the first transport unit 3A and the driving sprocket 20 is disposed above the first transport unit 3A, the moving plate 19 is provided with the first rope 18F and the second rope 18F. It moves from a lower position (a position lower than the first transporter 3A) of the first transporter 3A to an upper position (a position higher than the first transporter 3A) together with the cord 18R. In other words, the moving body 15 (the rope 18 and the moving plate 19) moves from the lower position to the upper position of the first transport unit 3A. Hereinafter, a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving body 15 (the conveying direction A2 of the second conveying unit 3B) is also referred to as “the width direction of the moving body 15”.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 and the like, a side plate (third side plate) 22F and a side plate (fourth side plate) 22R are provided outside the moving body 15. The third side plate 22F is arranged on one side (front side) of the moving body 15 in the width direction. The fourth side plate 22R is disposed on the other side (rear side) of the moving body 15 in the width direction. The third side plate 22F and the fourth side plate 22R are arranged to face each other with the first cable body 18F and the second cable body 18R interposed therebetween.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, a cover member 23 is provided in the second transport unit 3B. The cover member 23 is disposed between the first cord 18F and the second cord 18R and below the moving plate 19. The cover member 23 has a strip shape, and extends along the length direction of the first cable body 18F and the second cable body 18R (the transport direction A2 of the second transport unit 3B) below the movable plate 19. I have. The cover member 23 is fixed to the third side plate 22F and the fourth side plate 22R. The cover member 23 fills a space between the movable plates 19 arranged at intervals along the transport direction A2 of the second transport unit 3B. This prevents head vegetables from falling from between the movable plates 19.

  The protrusion 16 protrudes from the moving body 15 toward the first transport unit 3A. Specifically, the protruding portion 16 protrudes from the moving body 15 toward the first transporting portion 3A in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction A2 on the transporting surface side of the second transporting portion 3B. Specifically, the protrusion 16 protrudes from the surface of the moving plate 19 at right angles to the surface. The protrusion 16 has a columnar or cylindrical shape. The protruding portion 16 is made of, for example, an elastic pipe or tube. However, the shape of the protrusion 16 may be another shape such as a curved plate shape or a flat plate shape.

  The protrusion 16 is provided on each of the plurality of moving bodies 15. Accordingly, the protruding portions 16 are provided intermittently at intervals along the moving direction of the moving body 15 (the transport direction A2 of the second transport portion 3B). The distance (interval) DL1 (see FIG. 9) between the protruding portions 16 adjacent to each other in the transport direction A2 is set to be at least equal to or larger than the diameter of the head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG. The specific distance is set according to the type and size of the transported head vegetable VG.

One moving body 15 is provided with three protrusions 16. The three protrusions 16 provided on one moving body 15 are collectively referred to as “one set of protrusions 16”. One set of protrusions 16 includes a first protrusion 161, a second protrusion 162, and a third protrusion 163.
As shown in FIG. 9 and the like, the first protrusion 161 is provided at the center of the moving body 15 in the width direction. The second protrusion 162 is provided on one side (front side) in the width direction of the moving body 15. The third protrusion 163 is provided on the other side (rear side) of the moving body 15 in the width direction. The second protrusion 162 and the third protrusion 163 are provided at the same height position. The first protrusion 161 is provided at a position lower than the second protrusion 162 and the third protrusion 163. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the first protrusion 161, the second protrusion 162, and the third protrusion 163 are arranged in a V-shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular (perpendicular) to the surface of the movable plate 19. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the first protrusion 161 is located between the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R in the width direction of the moving body 15. The second protrusion 162 is located outside the first belt 9F (the side opposite to the second belt 9R side) in the width direction of the moving body 15. The third protrusion 163 is located outside the second belt 9R (the side opposite to the first belt 9F side) in the width direction of the moving body 15. In other words, the first belt 9F is located between the first protrusion 161 and the second protrusion 162 in the width direction of the moving body 15. The second belt 9R is located between the first protrusion 161 and the third protrusion 163 in the width direction of the moving body 15.

  The first protruding portion 161, the second protruding portion 162, and the third protruding portion 163 move diagonally upward due to the movement of the moving body 15 accompanying the rotation of the first rope 18F and the second rope 18R. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the first protrusion 161 passes between the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R as the moving body 15 moves. The second protruding portion 162 passes outside (the front side) of the first belt 9F as the moving body 15 moves. The third protrusion 163 passes outside (rear side) of the second belt 9 </ b> R with the movement of the moving body 15.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the head vegetables VG conveyed on the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R of the first conveyance unit 3A have a head part VG1 of the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. It is located between. Therefore, as the first projecting portion 161 passes between the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R with the movement of the moving body 15, the head portion VG1 is pushed up from below by the first projecting portion 161 and It is supported from below by the one protrusion 161. Also, the second protrusion 162 passes outside the first belt 9F, and the third protrusion 163 passes outside the second belt 9R, so that the ball-shaped portion VG1 becomes the second protrusion 162 and the third protrusion. 163 also supports it from below.

  As a result, the head portion VG1 of the head vegetable VG is supported and lifted from below by the first projecting portion 161, the second projecting portion 162, and the third projecting portion 163 (see FIG. 10). At this time, since the first protruding portion 161, the second protruding portion 162, and the third protruding portion 163 are arranged in a V-shape, the head portion VG1 can be supported at three points and reliably lifted. In the head vegetable VG lifted by the first protrusion 161, the second protrusion 162, and the third protrusion 163, the head VG 1 is supported by the first protrusion 161, the second protrusion 162, and the third protrusion 163. It is conveyed diagonally upward in the state of being turned. This completes the transition of the head VG1 from the first transport unit 3A to the second transport unit 3B.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 14, the drive mechanism 17 of the second transport unit 3B includes a first motor 24 and a power transmission mechanism 25. The first motor 24 is disposed below the drive sprocket 20 and between the third side plate 22F and the fourth side plate 22R. The power transmission mechanism 25 transmits the rotational driving force of the first motor 24 to the driving sprocket 20. The power transmission mechanism 25 includes a first sprocket 26, a second sprocket 27, a third sprocket 28, and a chain 29. The first sprocket 26 is attached to an output shaft of the first motor 24. The second sprocket 27 is attached to a rotation shaft of the driving sprocket 20. The third sprocket 28 is a sprocket for adjusting the tension of the chain 29, and is attached to a rotary shaft provided at a position different from the first motor 24 and the driving sprocket 20. The chain 29 is wound around the first sprocket 26, the second sprocket 27, and the third sprocket 28. Thus, the driving sprocket 20 is rotated by the driving of the first motor 24. With the rotation of the driving sprocket 20, the first rope 18F, the second rope 18R, and the driven sprocket 21 rotate, and the moving body 15 moves together with the first projection 161, the second projection 162, and the third projection 163. Moving.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, an interlocking mechanism 30 is provided below the second transport unit 3B. The interlocking mechanism 30 is provided across the downstream side of the first transport unit 3A in the transport direction A1 and the upstream side of the second transport unit 3B in the transport direction A2. The interlocking mechanism 30 is a mechanism for interlocking the movement of the first transport unit 3A and the movement of the second transport unit 3B.
The interlocking mechanism 30 includes a fourth sprocket 31, a fifth sprocket 32, a sixth sprocket 33, and a chain. The fourth sprocket 31 is attached to a rotation shaft of the driven sprocket 21. The fifth sprocket 32 is attached to the rotation shaft of the pulleys 13F1 and 13R1 on the downstream side of the first transport unit 3A. The sixth sprocket 33 is a sprocket for adjusting the tension of the chain 34, and is attached to a rotating shaft provided at a position different from the driven sprocket 21 and the downstream pulleys 13F1 and 13R1. The chain 34 is wound around the fourth sprocket 31, the fifth sprocket 32, and the sixth sprocket 33. When the driven sprocket 21 rotates together with the first rope 18F and the second rope 18R with the rotation of the drive sprocket 20 of the second transport unit 3B, the fourth sprocket 31, the fifth sprocket 32, and the sixth The sprocket 33 rotates together with the chain 34. Thereby, since the downstream pulleys 13F1 and 13R1 of the first transport unit 3A rotate, the first pulley 13F and the second pulley 13R rotate together with the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R.

As described above, the first transport section 3A and the second transport section 3B operate in conjunction with each other by the interlocking mechanism 30. Thereby, the transition of the head vegetables VG from the first transport unit 3A to the second transport unit 3B is performed smoothly.
Note that the configuration of the second transport unit 3B is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the case of the above embodiment, the number of the first protrusion 161, the second protrusion 162, and the third protrusion 163 is one each, but any or all of the protrusions may be two or more. For example, two or more first protrusions 161 can be provided between the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. In addition, in the case of the above-described embodiment, the first protrusion 161, the second protrusion 162, and the third protrusion 163 are respectively formed of different members, but may be integrally formed of one member. In this case, for example, by forming two notches in a single plate at an interval in the width direction of the moving body 15, the first protruding portion 161, the second protruding portion 162, and the third protruding portion are formed. 163 can be configured.

Next, the third transport unit 3C will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 2, 15 to 17, the third transport unit 3C is supported on the upper part of the third frame 6C. The third transport section 3C has two rollers 35L and 35R arranged in parallel. One of the two rollers 35L and 35R (hereinafter, referred to as a "first roller 35L") is disposed on the left side, and the other roller (hereinafter, referred to as a "second roller 35R") is disposed on the right side. . The first roller 35L and the second roller 35R extend in the front-rear direction, respectively. The first roller 35L and the second roller 35R are cylindrical members having the same diameter and the same length, and are supported on the third frame 6C so as to be rotatable around the longitudinal axis. The third transport unit 3C transports the head vegetables VG in the direction of the rotation axis of the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R (from front to back).

  The first roller 35L and the second roller 35R are rotated by driving a second motor 36 (see FIG. 15) supported at the front of the third frame 6C. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 21, a first gear 37 is attached to a front portion of a rotation shaft (center axis) 35La of the first roller 35L. A second gear 38 is attached to a front portion of a rotation shaft (center axis) 35Ra of the second roller 35R. The first gear 37 and the second gear 38 mesh with each other. The first gear 37 meshes with a third gear 39 disposed below the first gear 37. The second gear 38 meshes with a fourth gear 40 disposed below the second gear 38. The fourth gear 40 meshes with a fifth gear 41 attached to the output shaft of the second motor 36. The rotational driving force of the second motor 36 is transmitted to the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R via a gear mechanism including the first gear 37 to the fifth gear 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 18 and 21, the front end of the rotation shaft 35La of the first roller 35L and the front end of the rotation shaft 35Ra of the second roller 35R are rotatably supported by the front plate 42. The front plate 42 is fixed to the front end of the third frame 6C. As shown in FIG. 18, the front plate 42 has a first insertion hole 42a into which the front end of the rotation shaft 35La of the first roller 35L is inserted, and the front end of the rotation shaft 35Ra of the second roller 35R. The second insertion hole 42b is formed. The first insertion hole 42a and the second insertion hole 42b are long holes extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C (hereinafter, referred to as a "third orthogonal direction").

  As shown in FIG. 17, the rear end of the rotation shaft 35La of the first roller 35L is rotatably supported by the first rear plate 43L. The first rear plate 43L is attached to a first fixed plate 44L fixed to a left portion of a rear end of the third frame 6C by a first fixture 45L. The first fixture 45L is inserted into through holes formed in the first rear plate 43L and the first fixing plate 44L. The first through hole 44a, which is a through hole formed in the first fixing plate 44L, is a long hole extending in the third orthogonal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the rear end of the rotation shaft 35Ra of the second roller 35R is rotatably supported by the second rear plate 43R. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 21, the second rear plate 44R is attached to the second fixing plate 44R fixed to the right portion of the rear end of the third frame 6C by the second fixture 45R. I have. The second fixture 45R is inserted into through holes formed in the second rear plate 43R and the second fixing plate 44R. The second through-hole 44b, which is a through-hole formed in the second fixing plate 44R, is an elongated hole extending in the third orthogonal direction.

Since the first insertion hole 42a, the second insertion hole 42b, the first through hole 44a, and the second through hole 44b are elongated holes extending in the third orthogonal direction, the rotation shaft 35La of the first roller 35L and the second roller The distance between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R can be adjusted by moving the rotation shaft 35Ra of the 35R along the elongated hole.
As shown in FIG. 19, the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R rotate inward (the opposite sides are downward) around the central axis with the driving of the second motor 36. The mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the second motor 36 to the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R is not limited to the gear mechanism described above, and may be, for example, a mechanism using a chain and a sprocket.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 22, the first roller (one roller) 35L has a first spiral portion 46 spirally provided along the surface of the first roller 35L. The first spiral part 46 has a first brush part 47 and a first elastic tube 48. The first brush portion 47 projects in a brush shape from the surface of the first roller 35L. The first brush portion 47 has a plurality of hair bundles in which a number of hairs are bundled. The first brush portion 47 is configured by arranging the plurality of hair bundles in a spiral. The plurality of bristle bundles constituting the first brush portion 47 are respectively planted in a number of holes formed in a spiral shape on the surface of the first roller 35L.

  The first elastic tube 48 is made of, for example, a rubber tube. The first elastic tube 48 is spirally wound around the surface of the first roller 35L. The first brush portion 47 and the first elastic tube 48 are arranged so as to be shifted (not overlapped) in the direction of the central axis of the first roller 35L. The first brush portions 47 and the first elastic tubes 48 appear alternately along the direction of the central axis of the first roller 35L. In other words, the first brush portions 47 are arranged between the first elastic tubes 48 that appear at intervals in the direction of the central axis of the first roller 35L.

As shown in FIG. 22, in the length direction of the first roller 35L (transport direction A3), the width W1 of the area where the first brush portion 47 is provided is larger than the width W2 of the first elastic tube 48. The height of the first elastic tube 48 (the height from the surface of the first roller 35L) is the same as or higher than the height of the first brush portion 47.
As shown in FIG. 16, the second roller (the other roller) 35R has a second spiral portion 49 provided spirally along the surface of the second roller 35R. The second spiral part 49 has a second brush part 50 and a second elastic tube 51. The second brush portion 50 projects in a brush shape from the surface of the second roller 35R. The second brush unit 50 has a plurality of hair bundles in which many hairs are bundled. The second brush unit 50 is configured by arranging the plurality of hair bundles in a spiral shape. The plurality of bristle bundles constituting the second brush unit 50 are respectively planted in a large number of holes formed in a spiral shape on the surface of the second roller 35R.

  The second elastic tube 51 is made of, for example, a rubber tube. The second elastic tube 51 is spirally wound around the surface of the second roller 35R. The second brush portion 50 and the second elastic tube 51 are arranged so as to be shifted (not overlapped) in the direction of the central axis of the second roller 35R. The second brush portions 50 and the second elastic tubes 51 appear alternately along the direction of the central axis of the second roller 35R. In other words, the second brush unit 50 is disposed between the second elastic tubes 51 that appear at intervals in the direction of the central axis of the second roller 35R.

As shown in FIG. 16, in the length direction of the second roller 35 </ b> R (the transport direction A <b> 3), the width W <b> 3 of the area where the second brush portion 50 is provided is larger than the width W <b> 4 of the second elastic tube 51. The height of the second elastic tube 51 (the height from the surface of the second roller 35R) is the same as or higher than the height of the second brush portion 50.
The width W1 of the region where the first brush portion 47 is provided is equal to the width W3 of the region where the second brush portion 50 is provided. The width W2 of the first elastic tube 48 is equal to the width W4 of the second elastic tube 51. The directions of the spirals of the first spiral part 46 and the second spiral part 49 are opposite to each other. The first elastic tube 48 and the second elastic tube 51 are displaced from each other in the transport direction A3 (front-back direction) of the third transport unit 3C.

  As shown in FIG. 15 to FIG. 17, FIG. 20, and FIG. 22, a guide member 52 is disposed above the third transport unit 3C. The guide member 52 extends in the transport direction A3 (front-back direction) of the third transport unit 3C. The guide member 52 has a first guide 521 and a second guide 522. In the case of the present embodiment, the first guide portion 521 and the second guide portion 522 are formed by bending a single plate. The first guide portion 521 and the second guide portion 522 are erected vertically (vertically).

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 20, the first guide portion 521 extends from one roller (first roller 35L) side as it extends from upstream to downstream in the transport direction A3 (front-rear direction) of the third transport portion 3C. It has shifted to the other roller (second roller 35R) side. The downstream end (rear end) of the first guide portion 521 is located above the second roller 35R. The upstream end (front end) of the first guide portion 521 is located above or to the right of the center position in the width direction of the second roller 35R (in the direction extending to the side opposite to the first roller 35L side). It is located above. The upstream end (front end) of the first guide portion 521 may be located between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R.

  As shown in FIGS. 15, 16, 20, and 22, the second guide portion 522 is provided on the upstream side (front side) of the third transfer portion 3 </ b> C in the transfer direction A3 with respect to the first guide portion 521. . The second guide section 522 is provided on one roller (first roller 35L) side of the first guide section 521. The second guide section 522 extends from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C above the second roller 35R. The second guide 522 extends parallel to the center axis 35La of the first roller 35L and the center axis 35Ra of the second roller 35R, and is continuous with the upstream end of the first guide 521.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the length L1 of the first guide portion 521 and the length L2 of the second guide portion 522 above the second roller 35R in the transport direction A3 (front-back direction) of the third transport portion 3C. The relationship is set to L1 ≧ L2. Further, in the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C, the length L3 of the guide member 52 above the second roller 35R is shorter than the length L4 of the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R, and the length L4 (L4> L3 ≧ L4 / 2). In addition, the height of the first guide portion 521 and the second guide portion 522 is set to be larger than the diameter of the head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 21, the guide member 52 is attached to an attachment member 53. The attachment member 53 has a first attachment portion 531 and a second attachment portion 532. The first attachment portion 531 is attached to the third frame 6C outside (to the right of) the second roller 35R. The second attachment portion 532 is attached to the surface of the guide member 52 on the second roller 35R side. Thus, the guide member 52 is attached to the third frame 6C via the attachment member 53.

  The first mounting portion 531 has an elongated hole 531a extending in the transport direction A3 of the third transport portion 3C. The first attachment portion 531 is attached to the third frame 6C by inserting the bolt B1 into the elongated hole 531a and screwing it into a screw hole formed in the third frame 6C. Therefore, by changing the position of the bolt B1 with respect to the elongated hole 531a, the first mounting portion 531 can be moved in the transport direction A3 of the third transport portion 3C. Thereby, the guide member 52 can be moved in the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C, and the position in the transport direction A3 can be adjusted.

The second mounting portion 532 has an elongated hole 532a extending in the third orthogonal direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the third transport direction A3 is the front-back direction, and the third orthogonal direction is the device width direction.
The second attachment portion 532 is attached to the first attachment portion 531 by inserting the bolt B2 into the elongated hole 532a and screwing into the screw hole formed in the first attachment portion 531. Therefore, by changing the position of the bolt B2 with respect to the elongated hole 532a, the second mounting portion 532 can be moved in the third orthogonal direction. Thereby, the guide member 52 can be moved in the third orthogonal direction to adjust the position in the third orthogonal direction.

  The second attachment portion 532 is attached to the second guide portion 522 of the guide member 52. The second guide portion 522 has an elongated hole 522a extending vertically. The second attachment portion 532 is attached to the first attachment portion 531 by inserting the bolt B3 into the elongated hole 522a and screwing into the screw hole formed in the first attachment portion 531. Therefore, the guide member 52 can be moved upward or downward with respect to the first mounting portion 531 by changing the position of the bolt B3 with respect to the elongated hole 522a. Thereby, the vertical position (height) of the guide member 52 can be adjusted.

Note that the guide member 52 preferably has the first guide portion 521 and the second guide portion 522, but may have only the first guide portion 521. In this case, as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 20, the upstream end (front end) of the first guide section 521 is arranged at the most upstream position of the third transport section 3C, and the third guide section 521 It is preferable to increase the length in the transport direction A3.
As shown in FIGS. 16, 17, and 21, a second guide member 54 is provided downstream (rearward) of the guide member 52. The second guide member 54 is disposed above the third transport unit 3C. The second guide member 54 extends in the transport direction A3 (front-back direction) of the third transport unit 3C. The second guide member 54 has a fixed member 55 and a moving member 56. The fixing member 55 has a horizontal portion 551 and an inclined portion 552. The horizontal portion 551 and the inclined portion 552 are formed by bending a single plate. The horizontal portion 551 is attached to the third frame 6C. The inclined portion 552 is inclined with respect to the horizontal portion 551. The lower end of the inclined portion 552 is located above the second roller 35R. Specifically, the lower end portion of the inclined portion 552 is located above the center position in the width direction of the second roller 35R or above the center position to the right. The inclined portion 552 is inclined so as to move rightward (in a direction away from the first roller 35L) as going upward.

  The moving member 56 is movably attached to the fixed member 55. The moving member 56 has a flat plate shape and is attached to the inclined portion 552 of the fixed member 55. Thus, the moving member 56 is inclined at the same angle as the inclined portion 552. The moving member 56 is disposed upstream of the fixed member 55 in the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C. In other words, the moving member 56 is disposed closer to the guide member 52 than the fixed member 55.

  An elongated hole 551a extending in the third orthogonal direction is formed in the horizontal portion 551 of the fixing member 55. The horizontal portion 551 is attached to the third frame 6C by inserting a bolt B4 into the elongated hole 551a and screwing it into a screw hole formed in the third frame 6C. Therefore, by changing the position of the bolt B4 with respect to the elongated hole 551a, the fixing member 55 can be moved in the third orthogonal direction. Thus, the position in the third orthogonal direction can be adjusted by moving the second guide member 54 in the third orthogonal direction.

  The moving member 56 has an elongated hole 56a extending in the transport direction of the third transport unit 3C. The moving member 56 is attached to the fixing member 55 by inserting the bolt B5 into the elongated hole 56a and the through hole formed in the fixing member 55 and screwing a nut to the bolt B5. Therefore, the moving member 56 can be moved in the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C by changing the position of the bolt B5 with respect to the elongated hole 56a. Thereby, the moving member 56 can be moved in the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C to adjust the position in the transport direction. The moving member 56 can be brought into contact with or close to the guide member 52 by moving the moving member 56 upstream in the transport direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 and 20, a third guide member 57 is provided upstream (rearward) of the guide member 52. The third guide member 57 is disposed above the third transport unit 3C. The third guide member 57 has a mounting plate 571 and an inclined portion 572. The mounting plate 571 and the inclined portion 572 are formed by bending a single plate. The attachment portion 571 is attached to the third frame 6C in front of the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R. The inclined portion 572 is inclined with respect to the mounting portion 571. The inclined portion 572 extends so as to move rightward (the second roller 35R side) as going from the attachment portion 571 to the downstream side (rearward) in the transport direction A3 in plan view. The extending end of the inclined portion 572 is in contact with or close to the surface (left surface) of the guide member 52 on the first roller 35L side.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 and 21, the third transport unit 3 </ b> C has a side plate 58. The side plate 58 is attached to the upper part of the third frame 6C on the first roller 35L side. The side plate 58 is arranged in parallel with the first roller 35L, and extends in the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C. The side plate 58 has a horizontal portion 581 and an inclined portion 582. The horizontal portion 581 and the inclined portion 582 are formed by bending a single plate. The horizontal portion 581 is attached to the third frame 6C. The inclined portion 582 is inclined with respect to the horizontal portion 581. The lower end of the inclined portion 582 is located above the first roller 35L. Specifically, the lower end of the inclined portion 582 is located to the left and above the center position in the width direction of the first roller 35L. The inclined portion 582 is inclined so as to move leftward (in a direction away from the second roller 35R) as going upward.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the horizontal portion 581 has an elongated hole 581a extending in the third orthogonal direction. The horizontal portion 581 is attached to the third frame 6C by inserting a bolt B6 into the elongated hole 581a and screwing it into a screw hole formed in the third frame 6C. Therefore, by changing the position of the bolt B6 with respect to the elongated hole 581a, the side plate 58 can be moved in the third orthogonal direction. Thereby, the side plate 58 can be moved in the third orthogonal direction to adjust the position in the third orthogonal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a downstream end of the second transport unit 3B in the transport direction A2 is disposed upstream of the third transport unit 3C in the transport direction A3. The downstream end of the second transport section 3B in the transport direction A2 is disposed on the first roller 35L side of the third transport section 3C. The transport direction A2 of the second transport unit 3B is perpendicular to the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C in plan view. As shown in FIG. 14, the downstream end of the second transport unit 3B in the transport direction A2 is disposed above the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R of the third transport unit 3C.

As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 20, the head vegetable VG transported from the second transport unit 3B is supplied from the left side (opposite to the second roller 35R) of the first roller 35L to above the first roller 35L. Is done. That is, the second transport unit 3B functions as a supply unit that supplies the head vegetables VG above the first roller (one roller) 35L.
As shown in FIG. 16, the transport device 3 includes a communication member 60 extending from the second transport unit (supply unit) 3B toward the guide member 52. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 11 to 14, the communication member 60 is attached to the downstream end of the second transport unit 3B in the transport direction A2. The communication member 60 has a connection portion 61, an inclined plate 62, and a side wall 63. The connection unit 61 is connected to the third side plate 22F and the fourth side plate 22R of the second transport unit 3B by bolts or the like. As shown in FIG. 14, the inclined plate 62 is inclined downward from the downstream end of the second transport section (supply section) 3B toward the third transport section 3C. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 20, the inclined plate 62 extends from the second transport unit (supply unit) 3B toward the guide member 52, and extends from the second transport unit (supply unit) 3B side to the guide member. It is inclined downward toward the 52 side. The side walls 63 rise from one side (front side) and the other side (rear side) in the width direction of the inclined plate 62, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, the inclined plate 62 has a plurality of notches cut out from the second connection portion 3B side to the third transport portion 3C side (from left to right). 62a are formed. The number of the notches 62a corresponds to the number of the protruding portions 16 provided on one moving plate 15. In the case of the present embodiment, since the number of the protrusions 16 provided on one moving plate 15 is three, the number of the notches 62a is also three. The three notches 62a are formed at intervals in the width direction of the inclined plate 62 (the same direction as the width direction of the moving body 15). The three protruding portions (the first protruding portion 161, the second protruding portion 162, and the third protruding portion 163) move together with the moving body 15 and move from the transport surface side (front side) to the opposite side (rear side) to the transport surface. Sometimes, it passes through each of the three notches 62a.

By providing such a notch 62a, interference between the protruding portion 16 and the communication member 60 is avoided, so that the second transport portion 2B can be arranged closer to the third transport portion 3C.
The width direction of the inclined plate 62 (the direction orthogonal to the inclined direction) matches the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 20, the inclined plate 62 overlaps the guide member 52 in the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C. Specifically, in the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C, the inclined plate 62 overlaps with the second guide section 522 of the guide member 52. In the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C, the inclined plate 62 also overlaps the inclined section 572 of the third guide section 57. In the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C, the inclined plate 62 also overlaps the first guide section 521 of the guide member 52. Further, in the transport direction A3 of the third transport section 3C, the other end (rear end) in the width direction of the inclined plate 62 is located closer to the rear end of the second guide section 522 (the front end of the first guide section 521). Is also located at the rear (downstream side).

  As illustrated in FIG. 14, the head vegetables VG supported and transported by the protrusion 16 of the second transport unit 3B move from the downstream end of the second transport unit 3B in the transport direction A2 to the inclined plate 62, By sliding down (or rolling down) along the inclination of the inclined plate 62, it is supplied to the third transport section 3C. As shown in FIG. 20, the head vegetables VG supplied to the third transport unit 3C move toward the surface (left surface) of the second guide unit 522 of the guide member 52 on the first roller 35L side. In other words, the second transport unit (supply unit) 3B supplies the head vegetables VG toward the surface of the second guide unit 522 on the first roller 35L side.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the head vegetables VG supplied from the second transport section 3B to the third transport section 3C via the inclined plate 62 are prevented from moving toward the second roller 35R by the second guide section 522. As a result, it is put on the first roller 35L. The head vegetable VG placed on the first roller 35L rotates without a stable posture due to the rotation of the first roller 35L. Thus, the head vegetable VG is transported along the second guide portion 522 to the downstream side in the transport direction A3 while repeating the rotation on the first roller 35L. As the head vegetables VG are transported to the downstream side, they move toward the second roller 35R along the inclination of the first guide portion 521 in plan view. In the process in which the head vegetable VG is conveyed along the second guide portion 522 and the first guide portion 521, there is an opportunity that the outer leaves VG2 have a downward posture in which the outer leaves VG2 face downward by repeating the rotation. When the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG face downward, the outer leaves VG2 are drawn between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R.

FIG. 19 shows a state in which the outer leaf VG2 is drawn between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R. As illustrated in FIG. 19, the head vegetable VG in which the outer leaf VG2 is drawn between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R has a downward posture in which the outer leaf VG2 is downward.
As shown in FIG. 20, the head vegetable VG in which the outer leaf VG2 is drawn between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R is rotated by the first spiral portion 46 and the second spiral portion 49 to form the third transport portion. The paper is transported downstream in the transport direction A3 of 3C. In other words, the third transport unit 3C sandwiches the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R, and forms the head vegetables VG in the axial direction (front-back direction) of the rollers 35L and 35R. Is transported.

As described above, the head vegetables VG supplied from the second transport unit 3B to the third transport unit 3C have a downward posture in which the outer leaves VG2 are downward while being transported by the third transport unit 3C. The head vegetable VG in the downward posture is further transported to the downstream side in the transport direction A3 of the third transport unit 3C, and shifts from the third transport unit 3C to the fourth transport unit 3D in the downward attitude. .
Next, the fourth transport unit 3D will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 23, and 24, the fourth transport unit 3D is supported on the upper part of the fourth frame 6D. The fourth transport unit 3D is disposed downstream of the third transport unit 3C in the transport direction A3. The fourth transport unit 3D transports the head vegetables VG transported by the third transport unit 3C further downstream (backward).
As shown in FIG. 26 and the like, the fourth transport unit 3D includes a holding belt 70 that transports the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG. The holding belt 70 includes a first holding belt 71 and a second holding belt 72. The first holding belt 71 and the second holding belt 72 are made of an elastic material such as rubber.

  As shown in FIGS. 23 to 26 and the like, the first sandwiching belt 71 is disposed close to the downstream end of the third transport unit 3C, and is lower than the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R. It is located in. The second holding belt 72 is arranged downstream of the first holding belt 71 and is located below the first holding belt 71. In the transport direction A4 (front-back direction) of the fourth transport unit 3D, the rear part of the first nipping belt 71 and the front part of the second nipping belt 72 overlap.

  The first sandwiching belt 71 includes a one-side belt 71L and a second-side belt 71R. The one-side belt 71L is arranged on one side (left side) in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport unit 3D (hereinafter, referred to as a “fourth orthogonal direction”). The other belt 71R is disposed on the other side (right side) in the fourth orthogonal direction. The fourth transport direction A4 is a front-rear direction, and the fourth orthogonal direction is a device width direction. The one-side belt 71L and the other-side belt 71R are endless, and are each wound around a plurality of pulleys.

  One side belt 71L is wound around third pulley 73, fourth pulley 74, and fifth pulley 75. The third pulley 73 and the fourth pulley 74 are arranged side by side in the fourth orthogonal direction. The fourth pulley 74 and the fifth pulley 75 are arranged side by side in the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport unit 3D. The fourth pulley 74 rotates with the rotation of a ninth pulley 79 (described later) attached to the same rotation shaft 79a as the fourth pulley 74. With the rotation of the fourth pulley 74, the third pulley 73, the fifth pulley 75, and the one-side belt 71L rotate.

  The other side belt 71R is wound around a sixth pulley 76, a seventh pulley 77, and an eighth pulley 78. The sixth pulley 76 and the seventh pulley 77 are arranged side by side in the fourth orthogonal direction. The seventh pulley 77 and the eighth pulley 78 are arranged side by side in the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport unit 3D. The seventh pulley 77 rotates with the rotation of a twelfth pulley 82 (described later) attached to the same rotation shaft 82a as the seventh pulley 77. With the rotation of the seventh pulley 77, the sixth pulley 76, the eighth pulley 78, and the other side belt 71R rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 26 and the like, the fourth pulley 74 and the seventh pulley 77, and the fifth pulley 75 and the eighth pulley 78 are close to each other. Thereby, the one side belt 71L and the other side belt 71R are in contact with each other. The one-side belt 71L and the other-side belt 71R move rearward (toward the fourth transport direction A4, which is a direction away from the third transport unit 3C) on the side where they abut each other.

  As shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, the first holding belt 71 holds the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG between the one side belt 71L and the other side belt 71R and moves while holding the outer leaves VG2. By doing so, the head vegetables VG are transported from the downstream side (front) to the upstream side (rearward) (toward the transport direction A4). In the conveyance of the head vegetables VG by the first holding belt 71, the posture at the time of shifting from the third conveyance unit 3C is maintained. That is, the posture of the head vegetable VG conveyed by the first holding belt 71 is a downward posture in which the outer leaves VG2 are downward.

  The second sandwiching belt 72 transports the head vegetables VG transported by the first sandwiching belt 71 further downstream. The second holding belt 72 is formed of one belt. As shown in FIG. 27, the second sandwiching belt 72 is an endless belt in which one belt is twisted by 720 ° (two rotations), and both ends 72a and 72b of the twisted belt are joined to each other. . The second sandwiching belt 72 is stretched over a plurality of pulleys in a figure eight shape in plan view.

26 and 28, the plurality of pulleys include a ninth pulley 79, a tenth pulley 80, an eleventh pulley 81, a twelfth pulley 82, a thirteenth pulley 83, and a fourteenth pulley 84.
The ninth pulley 79, the tenth pulley 80, and the eleventh pulley 81 are arranged on one side (left side) in the fourth orthogonal direction. The ninth pulley 79 is disposed below the fourth pulley 74, and is attached to the same rotation shaft 79 a as the fourth pulley 74. Thus, the fourth pulley 74 and the ninth pulley 79 rotate in the same direction around the rotation shaft 79a. The tenth pulley 80 is arranged behind the ninth pulley 79. The ninth pulley 79 and the tenth pulley 80 are arranged side by side in the transport direction of the fourth transport unit 3D. The eleventh pulley 81 is disposed between the ninth pulley 79 and the tenth pulley 80 and to the left of the ninth pulley 79 and the tenth pulley 80 in the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport unit 3D. I have.

  The twelfth pulley 82, thirteenth pulley 83, and fourteenth pulley 84 are arranged on the other side (right side) in the fourth orthogonal direction. The twelfth pulley 82 is disposed below the seventh pulley 77, and is attached to the same rotation shaft 82a as the seventh pulley 77. As a result, the seventh pulley 77 and the twelfth pulley 82 rotate in the same direction around the rotation shaft 82a. The thirteenth pulley 83 is arranged behind the twelfth pulley 82. The twelfth pulley 82 and the thirteenth pulley 83 are arranged side by side in the transport direction of the fourth transport unit 3D. The fourteenth pulley 84 is disposed between the twelfth pulley 82 and the thirteenth pulley 83 and to the left of the twelfth pulley 82 and the thirteenth pulley 83 in the transport direction of the fourth transport unit 3D. .

  The fourth transport unit 3D includes a moving device 85 that moves the second nipping belt 72 from the upstream side to the downstream side (from front to back). The moving device 85 includes a plurality of pulleys (a ninth pulley 79, a tenth pulley 80, an eleventh pulley 81, a twelfth pulley 82, a thirteenth pulley 83, and a fourteenth pulley 84) around which the second holding belt 72 is stretched. And a rotating device 86 (see FIG. 43) for rotating the plurality of pulleys.

  As shown in FIG. 43, the rotation device 86 has a third motor 95. As will be described later, the tenth pulley 80 and the thirteenth pulley 83 rotate by the rotation driving force of the third motor 95. With the rotation of the tenth pulley 80, the ninth pulley 79 and the eleventh pulley 81 rotate. In addition, with the rotation of the thirteenth pulley 83, the twelfth pulley 82 and the fourteenth pulley 84 rotate. The rotation of the plurality of pulleys (the ninth pulley 79, the tenth pulley 80, the eleventh pulley 81, the twelfth pulley 82, the thirteenth pulley 83, and the fourteenth pulley 84) rotates (moves) the second holding belt 72. .

  As shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, the ninth pulley 79 and the twelfth pulley 82, and the tenth pulley 80 and the thirteenth pulley 83 are close to each other. Accordingly, the second holding belt 72 is sandwiched between the tenth pulley 80 and the thirteenth pulley 83 from the position sandwiched between the ninth pulley 79 and the twelfth pulley 82 in the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport unit 3D. In the section Z1 to the position, they are in contact with each other. Hereinafter, the section Z1 is referred to as “contact section Z1”. The second sandwiching belt 72 moves from the front to the rear (toward the direction away from the third transport unit 3C) in the contact section Z1.

  The second holding belt 72 is a belt having a convex cross section, a flat surface, and a protruding portion formed on the back surface. The second sandwiching belt 72 sandwiches the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG on the flat surface side. The protrusions formed on the back surface of the second holding belt 72 are connected to a plurality of pulleys (a ninth pulley 79, a tenth pulley 80, an eleventh pulley 81, a twelfth pulley 82, a thirteenth pulley 83, and a fourteenth pulley 84). Each fits into the formed groove.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 23, 24, etc., a cover plate 87 is provided above the fourth transport unit 3D. The cover plate 87 is attached to an upper part of the fourth frame 6D. A plurality of bearings are attached to the lower surface of the cover plate 87. The plurality of bearings include an upper portion of the rotary shaft 79a of the fourth pulley 74 and the ninth pulley 79, an upper portion of the rotary shaft 82a of the seventh pulley 77 and the twelfth pulley 82, and an upper portion of the rotary shaft 80a of the tenth pulley 80, respectively. The upper part of the rotating shaft 81a of the eleventh pulley 81, the upper part of the rotating shaft 83a of the thirteenth pulley 83, and the upper part of the rotating shaft 84a of the fourteenth pulley 84 are supported. A substrate 90 is provided above the fourth transport unit 3D and below the cover plate 87. The lower portions of the rotating shafts 79a, 80a, 81a, 82a, 83a, 84a are supported by a plurality of bearings attached to the lower surface of the substrate 90, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 26, 28 and 29, the second holding belt 72 has a downward holding portion 72a, an upward holding portion 72b, and a reversing holding portion 72c. The downward holding portion 72a, the reverse holding portion 72c, and the upward holding portion 72b are provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport portion 3D. As shown in FIG. 26, the downward holding portion 72a, the upward holding portion 72b, and the reversing holding portion 72c are provided in the contact section Z1. Specifically, the downward holding portion 72a is provided at an upstream portion of the contact section Z1. The upward holding portion 72b is provided downstream of the contact section Z1. The reversing holding portion 72c is provided in the middle part of the contact section Z1. In the reversing holding portion 72c, the second holding belt 72 is twisted around an axis extending in the transport direction A4, and the second holding belt 72 is turned upside down in a process from the upstream side to the downstream side.

The downward holding portion 72a holds the outer leaf VG2 downward. The upward holding portion 72b holds the outer leaf VG2 upward. As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the inversion holding portion 72c inverts the head vegetable VG from the downward posture to the upward posture in which the outer leaves VG2 are located downstream of the downward holding portion 72a and upstream of the upward holding portion 72b. Let it.
As shown in FIGS. 24 and 26, the fourth transport unit 3 </ b> D has a press roller 88 that presses the second holding belt 72. The pressing roller 88 is mounted on the upper part of the fourth frame 6D by the mounting plate 66. The pressing roller 88 is rotatable around an axis in the fourth orthogonal direction. The outer peripheral surface of the pressing roller 88 is in contact with the second holding belt 72 at the reversing holding portion 72c. The pressing roller 88 presses the second holding belt 72 from above or below (in the illustrated example, from above) in the reversing holding section 72c. The pressing roller 88 rotates (self-rotates) with the movement of the second holding belt 72. As a result, the state (direction) of the twist of the second holding belt 72 in the reversing holding portion 72 c is appropriately maintained by the pressing force from the pressing roller 88.

  In the illustrated example, the second holding belt 72 is sharply twisted from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the fourth transport unit 3D, but may be twisted more gradually than in the illustrated example. That is, the length of the reversing holding portion 72c (the length in the transport direction of the fourth transport portion 3D) in the contact section Z1 may be longer than the downward holding portion 72a or the upward holding portion 72b. Further, the direction of the rotation axis of the pressing roller 88 is preferably the fourth orthogonal direction, but may be inclined with respect to the orthogonal direction according to the torsion state of the second holding belt 72.

  As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the head vegetables VG conveyed by the first holding belt 71 move to the contact zone Z1 of the second holding belt 72 with the outer leaves VG2 facing downward, and the contact is made. In the section Z1, the outer leaves VG2 are conveyed while being sandwiched. In the head vegetables VG that have moved to the contact section Z1 of the second holding belt 72, first, the outer leaves VG2 are clamped by the downward clamping section 72a on the upstream side of the contact section Z1. The head vegetables VG are transported in the downward holding portion 72a with the outer leaves VG2 facing downward. Subsequently, the head vegetables VG move from the downward holding portion 72a to the reversing holding portion 72c with the movement (rotation) of the second holding belt 72. In the head vegetables VG, the outer leaves VG2 are reversed from the downward posture to the upward posture in the reversing holding portion 72c. Subsequently, the head vegetables VG move from the inverted holding portion 72c to the upward holding portion 72b with the movement (rotation) of the second holding belt 72. The head vegetables VG are transported in the upward holding portion 72b with the outer leaves VG2 facing upward. As described above, the head vegetables VG move while being held by the second holding belt 72, and the outer leaves VG2 are inverted from the downward posture to the upward posture with the movement.

  As shown in FIGS. 23, 24, 26, 28, and the like, the fourth transport unit 3D includes a support plate 89. The support plate 89 supports, from below, a head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG that is inverted with the movement of the second holding belt 72. The support plate 89 is arranged below the second holding belt 72. As shown in FIG. 26, the support plate 89 holds the outer leaf VG2 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the second sandwiching belt 72 (the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport unit 3D). Is located at a position deviated from the part shown). In other words, the support plate 89 is disposed at a position shifted leftward or rightward from the center of the fourth transport unit 3D in the device width direction. The direction of displacement of the support plate 89 is set in the direction in which the head vegetables VG are twisted in the inversion holding portion 72c. In the case of the present embodiment, the head vegetables VG are twisted leftward in the reversing sandwiching portion 72c, and thus the support plate 89 is arranged at a position shifted leftward from the sandwiching position of the outer leaves VG2. When the head vegetable VG is twisted rightward in the reversing sandwiching portion 72c, the support plate 89 is arranged at a position shifted to the right of the sandwiching position of the outer leaves VG2.

In the case of the present embodiment, the support plate 89 does not overlap with the holding position of the outer leaves VG2 in the direction (fourth orthogonal direction) orthogonal to the direction of movement of the second holding belt 72, but does not overlap. It may be. For example, the support plate 89 may extend both to the left and right from the holding position of the outer lobe VG2 (the center of the fourth transport unit 3D in the device width direction).
The support plate 89 has an upright portion 891, a horizontal portion 892, and a transition portion 893. The upright portion 891, the horizontal portion 892, and the transition portion 893 are formed by bending a single plate. As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the upright portion 891 is fixed to a substrate 90 provided below the second sandwiching belt 72 with bolts or the like, and rises upward from the substrate 90. The upright portion 891 includes a front upright portion 891a and a rear upright portion 891b. The front upright portion 891a is disposed below the seventh pulley 77 and the twelfth pulley 82. The rear upright portion 891b is disposed between the twelfth pulley 82 and the fourteenth pulley 84. The height of the front upright portion 891a is higher than the height of the rear upright portion 891b. The horizontal portion 892 extends horizontally rearward from the upper end of the front upright portion 891a. The transition portion 893 extends from the rear end of the horizontal portion 892 to the upper end of the rear upright portion 891b. The transition portion 893 transitions downward from the front (upstream side) to the rear side (downstream side). In other words, the transition portion 893 is inclined downward from the rear end of the horizontal portion 892.

  As shown in FIG. 26, the support plate 89 is provided in an area overlapping the downward holding section 72a and the reverse holding section 72c in the direction of movement of the second holding belt 72 (the transfer direction A4 of the fourth transfer section 3D). Have been. The support plate 89 is provided at least in an area overlapping with a part of the downward holding part 72a and a part of the reversing holding part 72c in the direction of movement of the second holding belt 72 (the transfer direction A4 of the fourth transfer part 3D). It may be provided as long as it is provided, but it may be provided in a region overlapping with all of the downward holding portion 72a and all of the reversing holding portion 72c.

  As shown in FIGS. 28 to 30, the support plate 89 supports the head portion VG <b> 1 of the head vegetables VG that is inverted with the movement of the second holding belt 72 from below. In the process in which the outer leaf VG2 is inverted from the downward position to the upward position in the reversing pinching portion 72c, the head vegetables VG assume a lateral or oblique position in which the head portion VG1 projects to the left of the second pinching belt 72. . The support plate 89 can contact the head portion VG1 of the head vegetable VG in the horizontal or oblique posture from below and receive the weight of the head portion VG1. For this reason, when the head vegetable VG is in the horizontal or oblique posture, it is possible to prevent the outer leaf VG2 from being bent or broken due to the weight of the head part VG1.

As described above, in the process of transporting the head vegetables VG by the fourth transport unit 3D, the outer leaves VG2 are inverted from the downward posture to the upward posture. Then, the head vegetable VG in which the outer leaves VG2 are in the upward orientation is released from the holding of the outer leaves VG2 at the downstream end in the transport direction A4 (the downstream end of the upward holding portion 72b) and moves to the fifth transport portion 3E. .
As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 39, and the like, the fifth transport unit 3E is supported by a fifth frame 6E. The fifth transport unit 3E is disposed below the fourth transport unit 3D. Hereinafter, the fourth transport unit 3D may be referred to as “upper transport unit 3D” and the fifth transport unit 3E may be referred to as “lower transport unit 3E”.

The fifth transport unit (lower transport unit) 3E clamps the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG released from being clamped by the fourth transport unit (upper transport unit) 3D, and transports the outer leaves VG2 further downstream (rearward). .
As shown in FIGS. 31 and 41, the fifth transport unit 3E includes an overlapping part 91 overlapping the fourth transport unit 3D and a fourth transport unit 3D in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. And a non-overlapping portion 92 that does not overlap. The non-overlapping portion 92 is disposed downstream (rearward) in the transport direction A5 from the overlapping portion 91. The transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E is the front-rear direction similarly to the transport direction A4 of the fourth transport unit 3D, and specifically, is a direction from the front to the rear.

As shown in FIG. 41, the fifth transport unit 3E includes an endless belt 93 (hereinafter, referred to as a “lower belt 93”) and a plurality of pulleys 100 around which the lower belt 93 is stretched (hereinafter, “lower pulley 100”). ").
The lower belt 93 includes a lower belt 93L and a lower belt 93R. Each of the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R is an elastic belt such as a rubber belt. The lower belt 93L is disposed on one side (left side) in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E (hereinafter, referred to as a “fifth orthogonal direction”). The lower belt 93R is disposed on the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the fifth transport direction A5 is the front-back direction, and the fifth orthogonal direction is the device width direction.

  The lower belt 93 rotates in a horizontal plane due to the rotation of the lower pulley 100. The other side (left side) of the lower belt 93L and one side (right side) of the lower belt 93R are in contact with each other. In other words, the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R are in contact with each other on the inner side of the apparatus (the center side in the apparatus width direction). The lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R move rearward from the front on the side (inside) where they contact each other.

  The plurality of lower pulleys 100 include a first lower pulley 101, a second lower pulley 102, a third lower pulley 103, a fourth lower pulley 104, a fifth lower pulley 105, a sixth lower pulley 106, a seventh lower pulley 107, 8 includes a lower pulley 108. The first lower pulley 101 to the eighth lower pulley 108 are disposed on one side (left side) and the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. Hereinafter, the lower pulley arranged on one side (left side) in the fifth orthogonal direction is referred to as “first lower pulley 101L” and the like, and the lower pulley arranged on the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction is referred to as “first lower pulley 101L”. Lower stage pulley 101R "and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 39, a first plate 94L is attached to the upper left of the fifth frame 6E, and a second plate 94R is attached to the upper right of the fifth frame 6E. The central axes of the first lower pulley 101L to the eighth lower pulley 108L are rotatably supported by the first plate 94L. The central axes of the first lower pulley 101R to the eighth lower pulley 108R are rotatably supported by the second plate 94R. A gap G1 is formed between the first plate 94L and the second plate 94R. The gap G1 extends in the transport direction A5 (front-back direction) of the fifth transport unit 3E. The gap G1 is formed to have a width through which the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG can pass.

  The lower belt 93L is wound around the first lower pulley 101L to the eighth lower pulley 108L. The eighth lower pulley 108L is for adjusting the tension of the lower belt 93L and is movable in the fifth orthogonal direction. The lower belt 93R is wound around the first lower pulley 101R to the eighth lower pulley 108L. The eighth lower pulley 108R is for adjusting the tension of the lower belt 93R, and is movable in the fifth orthogonal direction.

  The seventh lower pulleys 107L and 107R rotate by the rotational driving force transmitted from the third motor 95 via the power transmission mechanism 110. As shown in FIG. 43, the power transmission mechanism 110 has a seventh sprocket 111, an eighth sprocket 112, a ninth sprocket 113, a tenth sprocket 114, and a chain 115. The seventh sprocket 111 is attached to an output shaft of the third motor 95. The eighth sprocket 112 is attached to the same rotation shaft 107La as the seventh lower pulley 107L, and is arranged below the seventh lower pulley 107L. The ninth sprocket 113 is attached to the same rotation shaft 107Ra as the seventh lower pulley 107R, and is arranged below the seventh lower pulley 107R. The tenth sprocket 114 is attached to a rotation shaft 114a arranged in parallel with the rotation shafts 107La and 107Ra. The tenth sprocket 114 is a sprocket for adjusting the tension of the chain 115. The chain 115 is wound around the seventh sprocket 111, the eighth sprocket 112, the ninth sprocket 113, and the tenth sprocket 114. When the third motor 95 is driven, the seventh sprocket 111, the eighth sprocket 112, the ninth sprocket 113, the tenth sprocket 114, and the chain 115 rotate. With the rotation of the eighth sprocket 112, the seventh lower pulley 107L rotates. With the rotation of the ninth sprocket 113, the seventh lower pulley 107R rotates.

  With the rotation of the seventh lower pulley 107L, the first lower pulley 101L to the sixth lower pulley 106L, the eighth lower pulley 108L, and the lower belt 93L rotate. With the rotation of the seventh lower pulley 107R, the first lower pulley 101R to the sixth lower pulley 106R, the eighth lower pulley 108R, and the lower belt 93R rotate. As described above, the first lower pulley 101L to the eighth lower pulley 108L, the first lower pulley 101R to the eighth lower pulley 108R, the lower belt 93L, and the lower belt 93R rotate by the rotation driving force of the third motor 95.

  As shown in FIG. 41, the lower belt 93L comes into contact with the outer lobe VG2 from one side (left side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The lower belt 93R abuts on the outer leaf VG2 from the other side (right side) in the fifth transport orthogonal direction. Thus, the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG are sandwiched between the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R. Hereinafter, the lower belt 93L may be referred to as a “first holding member 93L”, and the lower belt 93R may be referred to as a “second holding member 93R”.

  Of the plurality of pulleys around which the lower belt 93L is wound, the third lower pulley 103L, the fourth lower pulley 104L, the fifth lower pulley 105L, and the sixth lower pulley 106L form a lower belt (first holding body) 93L. This is a pressing member (hereinafter, referred to as “first pressing member 116L”) that presses toward the outer lobe VG2 side (the lower belt 93R side). The first pressing member 116L rotates (rotates) together with the lower belt 93L.

  Among the plurality of pulleys around which the lower belt 93R is wound, the third lower pulley 103R, the fourth lower pulley 104R, the fifth lower pulley 105R, and the sixth lower pulley 106R form the lower belt (first holding body) 93R. It is a pressing member (hereinafter, referred to as a “second pressing member 116R”) that presses toward the outer leaf VG2 side (the lower belt 93L side). The second pressing member 116R rotates (rotates) together with the lower belt 93R.

  As shown in FIG. 41, the first pressing members 116L and the second pressing members 116R are alternately arranged along the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. Specifically, along the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E, the third lower pulley 103R, the third lower pulley 103L, the fourth lower pulley 104R, the fourth lower pulley 104L, the fifth lower pulley 105R, the fifth lower pulley 105R. The lower pulley 105L, the sixth lower pulley 106R, and the sixth lower pulley 106L are arranged in this order.

By arranging the first pressing member 116L and the second pressing member 116R alternately along the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E, the lower belt (first sandwiching body) 93L and the lower belt (second sandwiching body) 93R is elastically deformed by waving. Therefore, the outer leaves VG2 can be reliably held between the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R.
As shown in FIGS. 31 and 41, among the plurality of lower pulleys 100, the first lower pulleys 101 </ b> L and 101 </ b> R located at the most upstream side are arranged in the overlapping portion 91. In other words, the plurality of lower pulleys 100 include the first lower pulleys 101L and 101R arranged in the overlapping portion 91.

  As described above, the second holding belt 72 provided in the fourth transport unit 3D includes a plurality of pulleys (a ninth pulley 79, a tenth pulley 80, an eleventh pulley 81, a twelfth pulley 82, a thirteenth pulley 83, Fourteenth pulley 84). Hereinafter, the second holding belt 72 may be referred to as an “upper belt 72”, and the plurality of pulleys around which the second holding belt (upper belt) 72 is wound may be referred to as an “upper pulley”. In addition, among the plurality of upper pulleys, the upper pulleys (the tenth pulley 80 and the thirteenth pulley 83) arranged on the most downstream side are referred to as “first upper pulleys 80 and 83”.

  As shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, the first upper pulley 80 is disposed above the first lower pulley 101L. The first upper pulley 83 is disposed above the first lower pulley 101R. The first upper pulley 80 is supported on the same rotating shaft 80a as the first lower pulley 101L. The first upper pulley 83 is supported by the same rotation shaft 83a as the first lower pulley 101R. The rotation shaft 80a and the rotation shaft 83a are arranged in parallel with each other, and extend in the up-down direction, respectively. A first upper pulley 80 is attached to an upper portion of the rotating shaft 80a, and a first lower pulley 101L is attached to a lower portion of the rotating shaft 80a. Further, a first upper pulley 83 is attached to an upper portion of the rotating shaft 83a, and a first lower pulley 101R is attached to a lower portion of the rotating shaft 83a. Thus, the first upper pulley (tenth pulley) 80 and the first lower pulley 101L integrally rotate at the same angular velocity with the rotation of the rotating shaft 80a. Further, the first upper pulley (the thirteenth pulley) 83 and the first lower pulley 101R integrally rotate at the same speed (angular speed) with the rotation of the rotating shaft 83a.

As described above, the first lower pulleys 101L and 101R are rotated by the rotational driving force of the third motor 95 (see FIG. 25), and the first upper pulley (the tenth pulley) is rotated with the rotation of the first lower pulleys 101L and 101R. 80, the thirteenth pulley 83) also rotates.
As shown in FIG. 31, FIG. 32, FIG. 38, and the like, the transport device 3 includes a support member 117 that supports the bottom of the head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG transported by the fifth transport portion (lower transport portion) 3E. Have. The support member 117 is arranged below the fifth transport unit 3E. As shown in FIG. 31, the support member 117 is provided from below the overlapping portion 91 to below the non-overlapping portion 92 in the transport direction A5 (the front-back direction) of the fifth transport portion 3E.

  As shown in FIGS. 34 to 37, the support member 117 includes a first support member 117L and a second support member 117R. The first support member 117L is arranged on one side (left side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The second support member 117R is arranged on the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. An insertion portion 118 into which the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG can be inserted is formed between the first support member 117L and the second support member 117R. The insertion section 118 extends along the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport section 3E. In FIG. 36, a part of the second support member 117R (the other support member 130R) is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 34 to 37, the first support member 117L has a first support belt 119L. The first support belt 119L is endless and has a first support surface 120L that is movable in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. The second support member 117R has a second support belt 119R. The second support belt 119R is endless and has a second support surface 120R that is movable in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. The first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R are arranged parallel to each other with an interval. An insertion portion 118 is formed between the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R.

  The first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R are made of an elastic material such as rubber. The first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R are made of an elastic body such as rubber or sponge. In the case of the present embodiment, the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R are parts (surfaces) of the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R. However, the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R may be configured by joining separate members to the surfaces of the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R. For example, a first support surface 120L and a second support surface 120R can be configured by attaching a sponge to the surface of a rubber belt.

  As shown in FIG. 36, the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R are respectively stretched over a plurality of pulleys. Specifically, the first support belt 119L is stretched around a fifteenth pulley 121, a sixteenth pulley 122, and a seventeenth pulley 123. The second support belt 119R is stretched around an eighteenth pulley 124, a nineteenth pulley 125, and a twentieth pulley 126. The fifteenth pulley 121 and the eighteenth pulley 124 are attached to the first rotation shaft 127. The sixteenth pulley 122 and the nineteenth pulley 125 are attached to the second rotation shaft 128. The seventeenth pulley 123 and the twentieth pulley 126 are attached to the third rotation shaft 129. The seventeenth pulley 123 and the twentieth pulley 126 are pulleys for adjusting the tension of the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R, and are movable in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 34, 35, and 37, the first support member 117L has one-side support 130L. The second support member 117R has the other support 130R. On the other hand, the support 130L is disposed on one side (left side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The other support 130R is disposed on the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The first rotating shaft 127, the second rotating shaft 128, and the third rotating shaft 129 are rotatably supported by the one support 130 and the other support 130R.

On the other hand, the support 130L has a vertical plate portion 131L and an inclined plate portion 132L. On the other hand, the support 130R has a vertical plate portion 131R and an inclined plate portion 132R.
The vertical plate portion 131L and the vertical plate portion 131R are arranged to face each other in parallel with the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R interposed therebetween. The first rotating shaft 127, the second rotating shaft 128, and the third rotating shaft 129 are bridged between the vertical plate 131L and the vertical plate 131R.

  As shown in FIG. 37 and the like, the inclined plate 132L extends upward and to the left from the upper end of the vertical plate 131L. The inclined plate 132R extends upward and to the right from the upper end of the vertical plate 131R. The upper surface of the inclined plate portion 132L is a one-side support surface 132La that can support the head portion VG1 from one side (left side) of the first support belt 119L. The upper surface of the inclined plate portion 132R is the other support surface 132Ra that can support the ball-shaped portion VG1 from one side (right side) of the first support belt 119R. The one support surface 132La and the other support surface 132Ra are inclined surfaces that move upward as the distance from the insertion portion 118 increases in the fifth orthogonal direction. Specifically, the one support surface 132La is an inclined surface that shifts leftward as it goes upward. On the other hand, the support surface 132Ra is an inclined surface that shifts rightward as going upward.

As shown in FIGS. 34 and 35, a cutout 132Lb is formed in the inclined plate 132L. A cutout 132Rb is formed in the inclined plate 132R. As shown in FIGS. 32 and 35, the rotary shaft 80a is inserted into the notch 132Lb. The rotating shaft 83a is inserted into the cutout 132Rb.
As shown in FIGS. 32 and 38, the vertical plate portion 131L and the vertical plate portion 131R are attached to the fifth frame 6E by bolts B7. An elongated hole 67 extending in the up-down direction is formed in the fifth frame 6E. The vertical plate 131L and the vertical plate 131R are attached to the fifth frame 6E by a bolt B7 inserted into the elongated hole 67 and a nut screwed into the bolt B7. By moving the bolt B7 along the elongated hole 67, the vertical plate 131L and the vertical plate 131R can be moved upward or downward with respect to the fifth frame 6E. Thereby, the height position of the support member 117 can be changed.

As shown in FIG. 38, a first bevel gear 133 is attached to one end side (the vertical plate portion 131L side) of the first rotating shaft 127. The first bevel gear 133 meshes with the second bevel gear 134. The second bevel gear 134 is attached to a lower end of a rotating shaft 80a that rotates the first upper pulley 80 and the first lower pulley 101L.
As shown in FIGS. 35 and 36, an eleventh sprocket 135 is attached to the other end side (the vertical plate portion 131R side) of the second rotating shaft 128. The twelfth sprocket 136 and the thirteenth sprocket 137 are rotatably supported by the vertical plate portion 131R. A chain 138 extends around the eleventh sprocket 135, the twelfth sprocket 136, and the thirteenth sprocket 137. The thirteenth sprocket 137 is a sprocket for adjusting the tension of the chain 138, and is movable in the vertical direction.

  The rotational power of the rotating shaft 80a is transmitted from the second bevel gear 134 to the first bevel gear 133, and the first bevel gear 133 rotates. With the rotation of the first bevel gear 133, the first rotating shaft 127, the fifteenth pulley 121, and the eighteenth pulley 124 rotate. As the first rotation shaft 127 rotates, the eleventh sprocket 135, the twelfth sprocket 136, the thirteenth sprocket 137, and the chain 138 rotate. With the rotation of the eleventh sprocket 135, the sixteenth pulley 122 and the nineteenth pulley 125 rotate. Thereby, the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R rotate. By the rotation of the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R, the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R move from the front to the rear (the direction of the arrow A5).

  As shown in FIGS. 34 to 36, a plurality of (four) pins 139 are provided between the vertical plate portion 131L and the vertical plate portion 131R. The plurality of pins 139 extend in the fifth orthogonal direction. As shown in FIG. 36, the plurality of pins 139 are connected to the most upstream pulley (the fifteenth pulley 121 and the eighteenth pulley 124) and the most downstream pulley (the fifth pulley 121 in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E). 16 pulley 122 and 19th pulley 125). The plurality of pins 139 are arranged parallel to each other with an interval. The pin 139 is rotatable around the center axis of the pin 139. The pins 139 are in contact with the lower surfaces of the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R, and support the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R from below. The pin 139 rotates (rotates) with the rotation of the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R.

  As shown in FIGS. 33 and 38, the head vegetables VG transported by the fourth transport unit (upper transport unit) 3D are located at the downstream end (first upper pulleys 80, 83) of the fourth transport unit 3D in the transport direction A4. ), The outer leaf VG2 is released from being held by the second holding belt 72. Therefore, although the head vegetables VG descend by their own weight, they are supported by the overlapping portion 91 (see FIGS. 31 and 41) of the fifth transport portion 3E overlapping the fourth transport portion 3D. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 37 and FIG. 38, in the head vegetable VG, the outer leaves VG2 are sandwiched between the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R, and the head part VG1 is the fifth transport part 3E. It is supported by a support member 117 arranged below.

  The bulb portion VG1 supported by the support member 117 is supported from below by the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R, and is formed between the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119R. The root VG3 is inserted into the part 118. Thus, the posture (upward posture) of the head vegetable VG is stabilized. Further, when the head portion VG1 is large, the head portion VG1 is supported by the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R from diagonally lower left and diagonally lower right, and thus the posture of the head vegetable VG (upward posture). ) Becomes stable.

  The head portion VG1 supported by the support member 117 has a stable posture (upward posture), so that the height of the base end (root) of the root VG3 of the head portion VG1 is independent of the size of the head portion VG1. It is almost constant. The head vegetables VG are attached to the lower belt 93L and the lower belt in a state where the outer leaves VG2 are sandwiched between the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R, and the head VG1 is supported by the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R. As the belt 93R moves (rotates), it is transported downstream (rearward) in the transport direction A5.

  As shown in FIGS. 39, 40, and 44, the first cutting device 4 and the second cutting device 5 are disposed on the downstream side (rearward) of the support member 117 in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. ing. The first cutting device 4 and the second cutting device 5 are arranged side by side from the front to the rear. Specifically, the first cutting device 4 is disposed relatively forward, and the second cutting device 5 is disposed relatively rear. The first cutting device 4 and the second cutting device 5 are arranged below the fifth transport unit 3E.

As shown in FIGS. 40, 42, and 50, the first cutting device (root cutting device) 4 is disposed below the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R. In FIG. 42, the illustration of the lower pulley 100 is omitted. The first cutting device 4 cuts the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG suspended while the outer leaves VG2 are sandwiched by the lower belts 93L and 93R.
As shown in FIGS. 45 to 48, the first cutting device 4 includes a root aligning unit 140, a root retracting unit 170, and a root cutting unit 180. The root alignment unit 140, the root retracting unit 170, and the root cutting unit 180 are arranged below the fifth transport unit 3E.

First, the root alignment unit 140 will be described.
The root alignment unit 140 is disposed downstream of the support member 117 and upstream of the root retracting unit 170 in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. The root alignment unit 140 aligns the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG transported by the fifth transport unit 3E.
The root alignment unit 140 includes a first rotating body 141L, a second rotating body 141R, a first elastic plate 142L, a second elastic plate 142R, and a rotation driving mechanism 143.

  The first rotating body 141L is disposed on one side (left side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The second rotating body 141R is disposed on the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The first rotator 141L and the second rotator 141R are cylindrical with the same diameter and the same length. The first rotating body 141L is externally fitted to the first shaft 141La. The second rotating body 141R is externally fitted to the second shaft 141Ra. The first rotating body 141L and the first shaft 141La, and the second rotating body 141R and the second shaft 141Ra may be integrally formed. The first shaft member 141La and the first rotating member 141L and the second shaft member 141Ra and the second rotating member 141R are arranged at intervals in parallel with each other, and extend in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport portion 3E. ing.

The first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic member 142R are made of an elastic material such as rubber or sponge, and are made of a thin plate (elastic plate) that can be flexibly deformed. In the case of the present embodiment, the number of the first elastic plates 142L and the number of the second elastic bodies 142R are each one, but may be two or more.
As shown in FIG. 49, the first elastic plate 142L protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the first rotator 141L in a radially outward direction (a direction away from the rotation axis of the first rotator 141L (the first shaft 141La)). ing. The second elastic plate 142R protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the second rotator 141R in a radially outward direction (a direction away from the rotation axis (second shaft 141Ra) of the second rotator 141R). The first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic plate 142R extend in directions opposite to each other. Specifically, in a state in which the first rotating body 141L and the second rotating body 141R are not rotating, the first elastic plate 142L extends to the left, and the second elastic plate 142R extends to the right.

As shown in FIG. 48, the protrusion amount L5 of the first elastic plate 142L from the outer peripheral surface of the first rotary body 141L is equal to the protrusion amount L6 of the second elastic plate 142R from the outer peripheral surface of the second rotary body 141R. . The protrusion amount L5 is larger than the outer diameter of the first rotating body 141L. The protrusion amount L6 is larger than the outer diameter of the second rotating body 141R.
As shown in FIG. 48, the first elastic plate 142L has a rectangular shape, and one side is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body 141L via the fixing member 144. The second elastic plate 142R has a rectangular shape, and one side is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 141R via the fixing member 144.

  A plurality of slits 142La cut toward one side are provided on the other side opposite to one side of the first elastic plate 142L. The plurality of slits 142La are provided side by side in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E with an interval therebetween. A plurality of slits 142Ra cut toward one side are provided on the other side opposite to one side of the second elastic plate 142R. The plurality of slits 142Ra are provided at intervals in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. The slit 142La and the slit 142Ra are provided alternately in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E. These slits 142La and 142Ra allow the first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic plate 142R to be deformed into a curved shape along the outer surface of the bulb VG1.

As shown in FIG. 49, the first elastic plate 142L rotates around the axis of the first shaft 141La with the rotation of the first rotating body 141L. The second elastic plate 142R rotates around the axis of the second shaft 141Ra with the rotation of the second rotating body 141R.
As shown in FIGS. 45, 46, and 50, the rotation drive mechanism 143 (hereinafter, referred to as “first rotation drive mechanism 143”) includes a fourth motor 145, a first transmission mechanism 146, a second transmission mechanism 147, It has a third transmission mechanism 148, a fourth transmission mechanism 149, and a fifth transmission mechanism 150.

  The first transmission mechanism 146 includes a fourteenth sprocket 151 attached to an output shaft of the fourth motor 145, a fifteenth sprocket 152 and a sixteenth sprocket 153 attached to different rotation shafts, and a first chain 154. It is configured. The first chain 154 is wound around the fourteenth sprocket 151, the fifteenth sprocket 152, and the sixteenth sprocket 153.

  The second transmission mechanism 147 includes a seventeenth sprocket 155, an eighteenth sprocket 156, a nineteenth sprocket 157, and a second chain 158. The seventeenth sprocket 155 is attached to the same rotation shaft 153a as the sixteenth sprocket 153. The eighteenth sprocket 156 and the nineteenth sprocket 157 are attached to different rotating shafts, respectively. The second chain 158 is wound around the seventeenth sprocket 155, the eighteenth sprocket 156, and the nineteenth sprocket 157.

The third transmission mechanism 148 includes a third bevel gear 159 and a fourth bevel gear 160. The third bevel gear 159 is attached to the same rotation shaft 157a as the nineteenth sprocket 157. The fourth bevel gear 160 meshes with the third bevel gear 159.
The fourth transmission mechanism 149 includes a twentieth sprocket 161, a twenty-first sprocket 162, a twenty-second sprocket 163, and a third chain 164. The twentieth sprocket 161 is attached to the same rotation shaft 160 a as the fourth bevel gear 160. The 21st sprocket 162 and the 22nd sprocket 163 are attached to different rotating shafts, respectively. The third chain 164 is wound around the twentieth sprocket 161, the twenty-first sprocket 162, and the twenty-second sprocket 163.

The fifth transmission mechanism 150 includes a sixth gear 165 and a seventh gear 166. The seventh gear 166 meshes with the sixth gear 165. The sixth gear 165 is arranged on the same axis as the 22nd sprocket 163, and is attached to the front of the first shaft 141La. The seventh gear 166 is attached to a front portion of the second shaft 141Ra.
Hereinafter, the operation (operation) of the first rotation drive mechanism 143 will be described.

  When the fourth motor 145 is driven, the fourteenth sprocket 151, the fifteenth sprocket 152, the sixteenth sprocket 153, and the first chain 154 rotate. When the sixteenth sprocket 153 rotates, the rotating shaft 153a and the seventeenth sprocket 155 rotate, and the eighteenth sprocket 156, the nineteenth sprocket 157, and the second chain 158 rotate. When the nineteenth sprocket 157 rotates, the rotating shaft 157a and the third bevel gear 159 rotate, and the fourth bevel gear 160 and the rotating shaft 160a rotate. When the rotation shaft 160a rotates, the twentieth sprocket 161 rotates, and the third chain 164, the twenty-first sprocket 162, and the twenty-second sprocket 163 rotate. When the 22nd sprocket 163 rotates, the sixth gear 165 rotates, and the first shaft 141La rotates. When the sixth gear 165 rotates, the seventh gear 166 rotates, and the second shaft 141Ra rotates. As a result, the first shaft 141La and the second shaft 141Ra rotate inward (the opposite side is downward) around the central axis. Accordingly, the first rotator 141L and the second rotator 141R also rotate inward about the central axis.

  As shown in FIG. 49, when the first rotating body 141L and the second rotating body 141R rotate inward about the central axis, both the first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic plate 142R inward around the central axis. To rotate. The first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic plate 142R rotate inward from each other, and move downward from above while contacting the surface of the head vegetable VG.

  More specifically, the first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic plate 142R rotate inwardly from each other and come into contact with the head VG1 of the head vegetable VG from opposite sides (see virtual lines 142L1 and 142R1). Subsequently, the first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic plate 142R move downward along the curved surface of the bulb portion VG1 while bending and bending, and contact the root VG3 so as to press the root VG3 from opposite sides, and move downward. (See virtual lines 142L2 and 142R2). Thereby, the expansion of the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG can be suppressed and aligned. At this time, the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG are firmly held between the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R that are curved in a wave shape. Therefore, the root VG3 can be aligned while preventing the head vegetables VG from falling.

Next, the root retracting unit 170 will be described.
The root retracting unit 170 retracts the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG transported by the fifth transport unit 3E downward.
As shown in FIGS. 45 to 51 and the like, the root retracting unit 170 includes a first retracting roller 171L, a second retracting roller 171R, and a rotation drive mechanism 172. The first pull-in roller 171L is disposed on one side (left side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The second pull-in roller 171R is arranged on the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The first pull-in roller 171L and the second pull-in roller 171R are formed in a cylindrical shape having the same diameter and the same length.

  The first pull-in roller 171L is fitted around the first shaft 141La. The second pull-in roller 171R is fitted around the second shaft 141Ra. The first pull-in roller 171L rotates around an axis (around the first shaft 141La) extending in the transport direction (the front-rear direction) of the fifth transport unit 3E. The second pull-in roller 171R rotates around an axis (around the second shaft 141Ra) extending in the transport direction (the front-back direction) of the fifth transport unit 3E. The outer peripheral surface of the first pull-in roller 171L and the outer peripheral surface of the second pull-in roller 171R are in contact with or close to each other. Note that the first pull-in roller 171L and the first shaft 141La, and the second pull-in roller 171R and the second shaft 141Ra may be integrally formed.

The rotation drive mechanism 172 (hereinafter, referred to as “second rotation drive mechanism 172”) is the same as the above-described first rotation drive mechanism 143. That is, the first rotation drive mechanism 143 and the second rotation drive mechanism 172 are configured by a common mechanism.
Hereinafter, the operation (operation) of the second rotation drive mechanism 172 will be described.
When the fourth motor 145 is driven, the fourteenth sprocket 151, the fifteenth sprocket 152, the sixteenth sprocket 153, and the first chain 154 rotate. When the sixteenth sprocket 153 rotates, the rotating shaft 153a and the seventeenth sprocket 155 rotate, and the eighteenth sprocket 156, the nineteenth sprocket 157, and the second chain 158 rotate. When the nineteenth sprocket 157 rotates, the rotating shaft 157a and the third bevel gear 159 rotate, and the fourth bevel gear 160 and the rotating shaft 160a rotate. When the rotation shaft 160a rotates, the twentieth sprocket 161 rotates, and the third chain 164, the twenty-first sprocket 162, and the twenty-second sprocket 163 rotate. When the 22nd sprocket 163 rotates, the sixth gear 165 rotates, and the first shaft 141La rotates. When the sixth gear 165 rotates, the seventh gear 166 rotates, and the second shaft 141Ra rotates. Therefore, the first shaft 141La and the second shaft 141Ra rotate inward (the opposite side is downward) around the central axis. As a result, the first pull-in roller 171L and the second pull-in roller 171R rotate inward (the opposite side is downward) around the central axis.

  As shown in FIG. 51, the first pulling roller 171L and the second pulling roller 171R rotate inward around the central axis, so that the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG is pulled by the first pulling roller 171L and the second pulling roller. 171R. At this time, as shown in FIG. 41, since the outer leaf VG2 of the head vegetable VG is firmly held between the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R that are curved in a wavy manner, the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG is lower. Is extended linearly toward. Accordingly, even when the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG is spreading downward, the root VG3 can be linearly extended.

The head vegetables VG whose roots VG3 have been extended by the root retracting unit 170 are conveyed further downstream (rearward) in a state where the outer leaves VG2 are hung by the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R and are hung. It is sent to the root cutting part 180.
As shown in FIGS. 45 to 48, 50, and 52, the root cutting part 180 has a root cutting blade 181 and a root feeding part 182.

  The root cutting blade 181 cuts the root VG3 of the head vegetables VG transported by the fifth transport unit 3E. The root cutting blade 181 is a disk-shaped cutting blade having a large number of cutting edges formed on the outer periphery thereof, and rotates around a vertical central axis. The direction of the center axis of the root cutting blade 181 is orthogonal to the movement direction of the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R. In other words, the root cutting blade 181 is arranged in a horizontal plane.

The root feeder 182 pinches and moves the root VG3 of the head vegetables VG transported by the fifth transporter 3E to the root cutting blade 181 side. The root feeder 182 includes a first feed roller 183L, a second feed roller 183R, and a rotation drive mechanism 184.
The root cutting blade 181, the first feed roller 183L, and the second feed roller 183R are rotatably supported on a support plate 185 attached to the fifth frame 6E. The outer diameter of the root cutting blade 181 is larger than the outer diameters of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R.

  As shown in FIG. 48 and the like, the first feed roller 183L is disposed below the root cutting blade 181 and in front of the first pull-in roller 171L. The second feed roller 183R is arranged in front of the second pull-in roller 171R. The center axis 183La of the first feed roller 183L and the center axis 183Ra of the second feed roller 183R are vertically oriented, and these center axes 183La and 183Ra are behind the center axis 181a of the root cutting blade 181 (root retracting portion). 170 side). The inner peripheral surfaces of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R (the sides facing each other) are in contact with or close to each other, and rotate in opposite directions (the opposite sides move forward). As shown in FIGS. 45 and 48, the position where the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R come into contact with or approach each other substantially coincides with the outer periphery of the root cutting blade 181 in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 48, the position where the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R come into contact with or approach each other is on an extension of the center line CL1 between the first draw roller 171L and the second draw roller 171R. positioned.
The rotation drive mechanism 184 (hereinafter, referred to as “third rotation drive mechanism 184”) includes a fourth motor 145 and a sixth transmission mechanism 186.

  As shown in FIGS. 44 to 46, FIG. 54, and the like, the fourth motor 145 is supported by a lower portion of the support plate 185. The sixth transmission mechanism 186 transmits the rotational driving force of the fourth motor 145 to the root cutting blade 181, the first feed roller 183L, and the second feed roller 183R. The sixth transmission mechanism 186 includes a 23rd sprocket 187, a 24th sprocket 188, a 25th sprocket 189, a 26th sprocket 190, a 27th sprocket 191 and a chain 192. The twenty-third sprocket 187 is attached to the output shaft of the fourth motor 145. The twenty-fourth sprocket 188 is attached to the center shaft 181a of the root cutting blade 181. The twenty-fifth sprocket 189 is attached to the center shaft 183La of the first feed roller 183L. The twenty-sixth sprocket 190 is attached to the center shaft 183Ra of the second feed roller 183R. The 27th sprocket 191 is provided for adjusting the tension of the chain 192. The chain 192 is wound around the 23rd sprocket 187 to the 27th sprocket 191.

  When the fourth motor 145 is driven, the 23rd sprocket 187 rotates, so that the 24th sprocket 188, the 25th sprocket 189, the 26th sprocket 190, and the chain 192 rotate. With the rotation of the 24th sprocket 188, the root cutting blade 181 rotates around the central axis 181a. With the rotation of the 25th sprocket 189, the first feed roller 183L rotates around the central axis 183La. With the rotation of the twenty-sixth sprocket 190, the second feed roller 183R rotates around the central axis 183Ra. The first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R rotate in opposite directions at the same rotation speed. The rotation direction of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R is a direction from the front to the rear (the same direction as the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E) on the side (inside) in contact with or close to each other. .

  The head VG3 is drawn into the first feeding roller 183L and the second feeding roller 183R by moving to the root feeding part 182 in a state where the root VG3 is extended by the root drawing part 170. Is sandwiched. The root VG3 sandwiched between the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R moves rearward (to the root cutting blade 181) by the rotation of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R, and cuts the root. The cutting is performed by the rotation of the blade 181.

  Here, the moving speed of the root VG3 due to the rotation of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R is faster than the transport speed of the fifth transport unit 3E. That is, the rotation speed (peripheral speed) of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R is higher than the moving speed of the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R. As a result, the head vegetables VG move relative to the moving speed of the outer leaf VG2 that is pinched and moved by the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R, and the root VG3 moves with the rotation of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R. Speed increases.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 50, the head vegetable VG swings forward like a pendulum with the portion sandwiched by the outer leaves VG2 as a fulcrum. By this swing, the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG moves forward with a downwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory C1. Therefore, the root VG3 moves toward the root cutting blade 181 along an arc-shaped trajectory C1 and is cut. Since the root portion of the head vegetable VG is a curved surface, the root VG3 moves toward the root cutting blade 181 in an arc-shaped trajectory, thereby cutting off the root VG3 with a minimum amount of uncut portion. be able to.

As shown in FIGS. 47, 48, 52, 53, and the like, the root cutting section 180 includes a cover 193 that covers the root cutting blade 181. The cover 193 has a function of preventing a worker from contacting the root cutting blade 181.
The cover 193 includes an upper plate 193a that covers the upper part of the root cutting blade 181 and a side plate 193b that covers the side of the root cutting blade 181. The side plate 193b is attached to an upper portion of the support plate 185 via a receiving member 194. As shown in FIGS. 42 and 47, the receiving member 194 has a side wall 194a, a first upper plate 194b, and a second upper plate 194c. The side wall 194a is provided upright on the upper surface of the support plate 185. The first upper plate 194b is attached to the upper end of the side wall 194a, and is disposed below the upper plate 193a and above the support plate 185. The second upper plate 194c is extended from the rear end of the first upper plate 194b, and is inclined so as to shift downward from the rear end to the rear.

  As shown in FIG. 47, FIG. 48, FIG. 53, and the like, the cover 193 has a cutout portion 193c cut out from the root retracting portion 170 side (front side) to the root cutting portion 180 side (rear side). I have. The notch 193c is formed in the upper plate 193a. As shown in FIG. 48, the cutout portion 193c is provided on an extension of the center position between the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R. Further, the notch 193c is provided on an extension of the center line CL1 between the first pull-in roller 171L and the second pull-in roller 171R.

  The notch 193c is provided from the downstream side to the upstream side of the center of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport section 3E. That is, one end of the notch 193c is located downstream of the center of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R in the transport direction A5. The other end of the notch 193c is located upstream of the center of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R in the transport direction A5.

By providing such a cutout portion 193c, when the root VG3 moves toward the root cutting blade 181 along an arc-shaped trajectory C1 (see FIG. 50), the bulbous portion VG1 moves against the cover 193. Can be avoided.
The head vegetable VG from which the root VG3 has been cut by the root cutting blade 181 is transported further rearward (downstream in the transport direction A5) in a state where the outer leaves VG2 are sandwiched and suspended by the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R. , To the second cutting device (outer leaf cutting device) 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 42 and 44, the second cutting device 5 is disposed below the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R. The second cutting device 5 cuts the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG suspended and conveyed by the lower belt 93L and the lower belt 93R. As shown in FIGS. 52 and 53, the second cutting device 5 has an outer leaf guide section 200 and an outer leaf cutting section 210.

As shown in FIGS. 43, 52, and 53, the outer lobe guide section 200 includes a first guide member 201, a second guide member 202, and a contact member 203.
The first guide member 201 and the second guide member 202 are arranged side by side in the fifth orthogonal direction. Specifically, the first guide member 201 is disposed on one side (left side) in the fifth orthogonal direction. The second guide member 202 is arranged on the other side (right side) in the fifth orthogonal direction.

  The first guide member 201 has a first intermediate part 201a, a first front part 201b, and a first rear part 201c. The first intermediate portion 201a extends in the front-rear direction, and is inclined so as to move downward as it goes forward. The first front part 201b is bent from the front end of the first intermediate part 201a and extends to the left. The first rear part 201c is bent from the rear end of the first intermediate part 201a and extends to the left. The ends of the first front part 201b and the first rear part 201c are attached to a first vertical plate 204 (see FIG. 54) fixed to the fifth frame 6E.

  The second guide member 202 has a second intermediate part 202a, a second front part 202b, and a second rear part 202c. The second intermediate portion 202a extends in the front-rear direction, and is inclined so as to move downward from the front to the rear (toward the downstream side in the transport direction A5). The second front part 202b is bent from the front end of the second intermediate part 202a and extends rightward. The second rear part 202c is bent from the rear end of the second intermediate part 202a and extends rightward. The ends of the second front part 202b and the second rear part 202c are attached to a second vertical plate 205 fixed to the fifth frame 6E.

  The first intermediate portion 201a and the second intermediate portion 202a are arranged in parallel at an interval in the apparatus width direction. The angle of inclination of the first intermediate portion 201a can be adjusted by changing the attachment positions of the first front portion 201b and the first rear portion 201c with respect to the first vertical plate 204. The angle of inclination of the second intermediate portion 202a can be adjusted by changing the attachment positions of the second front portion 202b and the second rear portion 202c with respect to the second vertical plate 205.

  As shown in FIGS. 52 and 53, the contact member 203 has a first portion 203a, a second portion 203b, and a third portion 203c. The first portion 203a and the second portion 203b are formed continuously in a U-shape in a side view. The first portion 203a includes two straight portions 203a1 and 203a2, and a curved portion 203a3 connecting the two straight portions 203a1 and 203a2. The second portion 203b includes two straight portions 203b1 and 203b2. The straight portion 203a1 and the straight portion 203a2 and the straight portion 203b1 and the straight portion 203b2 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction.

The first portion 203a is inclined with respect to the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport section 3E in a plan view. More specifically, the first portion 203a moves from the upstream side (front side) in the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport section 3E to the downstream side (rear side) in the transport direction A5 on one side in the fifth orthogonal direction orthogonal to the transport direction A5 ( From the left side) to the other side (right side).
The second portion 203b is bent from the rear end of the first portion 203a and extends rearward (in a direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the fifth transport portion 3E). The second portion 203b is arranged at a position between the first intermediate portion 201a and the second intermediate portion 202a in the fifth orthogonal direction (the width direction of the device).

The third part 203c is bent from the rear end of the second part 203b and extends downward. The lower end of the third portion 203c is attached to an attachment plate 206 fixed to an upper portion of the fifth frame 6E. By attaching the third portion 203c to the attachment plate 206, the position of the contact member 203 is fixed.
As shown in FIGS. 52 to 54 and the like, the outer leaf cutting unit 210 has an outer leaf cutting blade 211 and a drive mechanism 212 that rotates the outer leaf cutting blade 211. The outer lobe cutting blade 211 is a disk-shaped cutting blade having a large number of cutting edges formed along the outer periphery, and rotates around a central axis 211a that faces in the up-down direction.

The outer leaf cutting blade 211 is disposed in front of the first guide member 201 and the second guide member 202. One side portion (right portion) of the outer blade cutting blade 211 is inserted between the straight portion 203b1 and the straight portion 203b2 of the second portion 203b of the contact member 203.
As shown in FIG. 54, the drive mechanism 212 includes a fourth motor 145, a 28th sprocket 213, a 29th sprocket 214, a 30th sprocket 215, and a chain 216. The twenty-eighth sprocket 213 is attached to the central shaft 181a of the root cutting blade 181. The 29th sprocket 214 is connected to the center axis of the outer blade cutting blade 211. The thirtieth sprocket 215 is connected to the rotation shaft 215a. The rotation shaft 215a is rotatably supported by the support plate 185. The chain 216 is stretched around the 28 th sprocket 213, the 29 th sprocket 214, and the 30 th sprocket 215.

  As described above, the central shaft 181a of the root cutting blade 181 is rotated by the driving of the fourth motor 145. When the center shaft 181a of the root cutting blade 181 rotates, the 28th sprocket 213, the 29th sprocket 214, the 30th sprocket 215, and the chain 216 rotate. Thereby, the outer leaf cutting blade 211 rotates. That is, the root cutting blade 181 and the outer leaf cutting blade 211 can be rotated by the driving of the fourth motor 145.

Hereinafter, the operation (operation) of the second cutting device 5 will be described.
After the outer leaves VG2 are introduced from the rear between the first intermediate portion 201a and the second intermediate portion 202a, the head vegetables VG that have been conveyed while sandwiching the outer leaves VG2 by the lower belts 93L and 93R are first inserted. It moves rearward (fifth transport direction A5) while being sandwiched between the intermediate part 201a and the second intermediate part 202a. Here, the first intermediate portion 201a and the second intermediate portion 202a are inclined so as to shift downward as going forward. Therefore, the position where the first intermediate portion 201a and the second intermediate portion 202a sandwich the outer leaf VG2 gradually shifts downward with the movement of the head vegetable VG.

The outer leaf VG2 of the head vegetable VG that has been moved rearward while being sandwiched between the first intermediate part 201a and the second intermediate part 202a has a base end portion (a part close to the head portion VG1) of the first contact member 203 near the base end. It abuts on the part 203a and moves diagonally right rearward along the first part 203a.
The vicinity of the base end of the outer lobe VG2 moves along the first portion 203a and then moves rearward along the second portion 203b. Thereby, the outer leaf cutting blade 211 cuts the vicinity of the base end of the outer leaf VG2. The head vegetable VG, whose vicinity near the base end of the outer leaf VG2 has been cut, falls because it is not sandwiched by the fifth transport unit 3E.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sixth transport unit 3F is disposed downstream of the fifth transport unit 3E in the transport direction A5. The sixth transport section 3F is supported by a sixth frame 6F. The transport direction A6 of the sixth transport unit 3F is the front-rear direction similarly to the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E, and specifically, is a direction from the front to the rear.
The sixth transport section 3F is a belt conveyor, and the upstream side of the belt is disposed below the outer blade cutting blade 211. As a result, the head vegetables VG that have been cut by the outer leaf cutting blade 211 and fallen off the outer leaf VG2 are placed on the upstream side of the belt of the sixth transport unit 3F, transported to the downstream side by the movement of the belt, and collected. You. The collected head vegetable VG is a head vegetable VG in which the outer leaves VG2 and the root VG3 are cut at appropriate positions.
<Effect>
According to the transport device 3, the root cutting device 4, and the preparation device 1 of the above embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

  The transport device 3 is a transport device that transports the vegetables VG, and has a first belt 9F and a second belt 9R that are arranged in parallel at an interval from each other, and a vegetable is provided above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. A first transport unit 3A that supports and transports the VG, and a first transport unit 3A that is disposed downstream of the first transport unit 3A in the transport direction A1 and transports the vegetable VG transported by the first transport unit 3A upward. A second transport unit 3B, wherein the second transport unit 3B moves from a lower position to an upper position than the first transport unit 3A, and from the movable unit 15 toward the first transport unit 3A. And a protruding portion 16 that protrudes and includes a first protruding portion 161 that passes between the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R as the moving body 15 moves.

  According to this configuration, the vegetables VG supported and transported above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R of the first transport unit 3A are transferred from the moving body 15 of the second transport unit 3B to the first transport unit 3A. , And can be lifted and conveyed upward. Further, since the first protruding portion 161 is configured to pass between the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R, the second transport portion 3B approaches the first transport portion 3A without interfering with the first transport portion 3A. Can be arranged. Therefore, the vegetables VG transported by the first transport unit 3A can be transferred to the second transport unit 3B one by one reliably and smoothly.

Further, the protruding portions 16 are provided intermittently at intervals along the moving direction of the moving body 15.
According to this configuration, the plurality of vegetables VG transported by the first transport unit 3A can be intermittently shifted to the second transport unit 3B by the protrusions 16 and transported. Therefore, a large number of vegetables VG can be efficiently transported one by one.

Further, the projecting portion 16 includes a second projecting portion 162 provided on one side in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving body 15 and a third projecting portion 163 provided on the other side in the orthogonal direction. The second protrusion 162 passes through one side of the first belt 9F as the moving body 15 moves, and the third protrusion 163 moves as the other side of the second belt 9R moves as the moving body 15 moves. Pass through.
According to this configuration, the vegetables VG transported by the first transport unit 3A can be lifted by the first projection 161, the second projection 162, and the third projection 163 and transferred to the second transport unit 3B. it can. Therefore, the transfer of the vegetables VG from the first transport section 3A to the second transport section 3B can be reliably performed.

Further, the second protrusion 162 and the third protrusion 163 are provided at the same height position, and the first protrusion 161 is provided at a position lower than the second protrusion 162 and the third protrusion 163. .
According to this configuration, since the first projecting portion 161, the second projecting portion 162, and the third projecting portion 163 are arranged in a substantially V shape, the vegetables VG are surely lifted without dropping and the second transport portion 3B. Can be transferred to

  The first transport unit 3A includes a first side plate 10F disposed outside the first belt 9F and a second side plate 10R disposed outside the second belt 9R in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A1. The first side plate 10F and the second side plate 10R have inclined portions 10Fb and 10Rb that are inclined so as to gradually approach each other as they go downward from positions above the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R. I have.

According to this configuration, the vegetables VG conveyed by the first conveying unit 3A can be collected toward the first belt 9F and the second belt 9R by the inclination of the inclined portions 10Fb and 10Rb, so that the vegetables VG are in the first state. It is transported smoothly without dropping off from the transport section 3A.
Further, the second transport unit 3B includes a third side plate 22F disposed on one side in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving body 15 and a third side plate 22F disposed on the other side in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving body 15. And a fourth side plate 22R.

According to this configuration, the vegetables VG conveyed by the moving body 15 of the second conveyance unit 3B by the third side plate 22F and the fourth side plate 22R are prevented from dropping. Therefore, the vegetables VG can be smoothly and reliably transported by the second transport section 3B.
In addition, the preparation device 1 includes the transport device 3 and a first cutting device 4 that cuts the root VG3 of the vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3.

According to this configuration, the roots VG3 of the vegetables VG transported one by one by the transport device 3 can be cut by the first cutting device 4, so that the cutting processing of the roots VG3 of the vegetables VG can be performed reliably and accurately. It can be carried out.
In addition, the preparation device 1 includes a second cutting device 5 that cuts the outer leaves VG2 of the vegetables VG transported by the transport device 3.

According to this configuration, since the outer leaves VG2 of the vegetables VG transported one by one by the transport device 3 can be cut by the second cutting device 5, the cutting process of the outer leaves VG2 of the vegetables VG is surely performed. Can be done accurately.
The transporting device 3 is a transporting device that transports a head vegetable VG having a head portion VG1, an outer leaf VG2, and a root VG3, and two rollers 35L and 35R that are arranged in parallel and rotate inward each other. A transporting unit (third transporting unit) 3C that sandwiches the outer leaf VG2 between the two rollers 35L and 35R and transports the head vegetables in the direction of the rotation axes 35La and 35Ra of the rollers 35L and 35R; And a guide member 52 disposed above the section 3C and extending in the transport direction A3 of the transport section 3C. And a first guide portion 521 that moves from the first roller 36R to the other roller 36R side.

  According to this configuration, the head vegetables VG rotate in the process of being guided from the one roller (first roller) 35L side to the other roller (second roller) 35R side by the first guide portion 521 of the guide member 52. Is repeated in a short time, the outer leaf VG2 faces downward and is drawn between the first roller 35L and the second roller 35R, and the outer leaf VG2 is stabilized in the downward posture. Thereby, the posture of the head vegetable VG can be stabilized at a short transport distance.

In addition, the guide member 52 has a second guide portion 522 provided on the upstream side of the first guide portion 521, and the second guide portion 522 extends in parallel with the rotation shafts 35La and 35Ra, and the first guide portion 522 extends in parallel to the first and second rotation shafts 35La and 35Ra. It is continuous with the upstream end of the guide 521.
According to this configuration, when the head vegetable VG is supplied to the upstream side of the first guide part 521, the movement of the head vegetable VG to the other roller (second roller) 35R side is prevented by the second guide part 522. Therefore, the head vegetables VG can be conveyed to the second guide portion 522 while being placed on the one roller (first roller) 35L. Therefore, the head vegetables VG are conveyed to the downstream side along the second guide portion 522 while repeating the rotation on the first roller 35L, and it becomes easy to obtain an opportunity for the outer leaves VG2 to face downward, and the first roller 35L The outer leaves VG2 can be reliably drawn in between the first roller 35R and the second roller 35R.

In addition, a supply unit (second transport unit) 3B that supplies head vegetables VG above one roller 35L of the transport unit 3C is provided. The supply unit 3B is provided on a surface of the second guide unit 522 on the one roller 35L side. Supplies head vegetables VG for the target.
According to this configuration, the head vegetable VG supplied by the supply part 3B hits the surface of the second guide part 522 on the one roller 35L side, and the head vegetable VG moves to the other roller (second roller) 35R side. Will be blocked. Therefore, the head vegetables VG can be surely placed on the first roller 35L and rotated.

Further, a communication member 60 extending from the supply unit 3B toward the guide member 52 is provided, and the communication member 60 has an inclined plate 62 that is inclined downward from the supply unit 3B side toward the guide member 52 side.
According to this configuration, the head vegetables VG supplied from the supply unit 3B can be directed to the guide member 52 side by sliding or rolling on the inclined plate 62 of the communication member 60. Therefore, the head vegetables VG can be reliably transported along the guide member 52.

  Further, a first spiral portion 46 spirally provided along the surface of one roller 35L and a second spiral portion 49 spirally provided along the surface of the other roller 35R are provided. One helical portion 46 has a first brush portion 47 protruding in a brush shape from the surface of one roller 35L, and the second helical portion 49 has a second brush portion protruding in a brush shape from the surface of the other roller 35R. 50.

According to this configuration, the head vegetables VG can be smoothly transported from the upstream side to the downstream side along the spirals of the first spiral part 46 and the second spiral part 49. Further, the first brush portion 47 and the second brush portion 50 can be hooked on the outer leaf VG2, and the outer leaf VG2 can be reliably drawn between the one roller 35L and the other roller 35R.
The first spiral portion 46 has a first elastic tube 48 spirally wound around the surface of one roller 35L, and the second spiral portion 49 spirally winds around the surface of the other roller 35R. And a second elastic tube 51.

  According to this configuration, the first elastic tube 48 and the second elastic tube 51 wound spirally rotate, so that the head vegetables VG are transported along the first elastic tube 48 and the second elastic tube 51. It can be moved in the direction A3. Therefore, a high conveying force can be obtained, and even if the outer leaves VG2 are not sufficiently drawn between the one roller 35L and the other roller 35R, the head vegetables VG can be surely conveyed.

In addition, the preparation device 1 includes the transport device 3 and a first cutting device 4 that cuts the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3.
According to this configuration, the transport device 3 that can stabilize the posture of the head vegetable VG at a short transport distance is provided, and the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3 can be cut. The preparation device 1 can be realized. Therefore, the preparation device 1 capable of cutting the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG can be downsized.

In addition, the preparation device 1 includes a second cutting device 5 that cuts the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG transported by the transport device 3.
According to this configuration, the transport device 3 that can stabilize the posture of the head vegetable VG with a short transport distance is provided, and the outer leaf VG2 and the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3 are cut. It is possible to realize a preparation apparatus 1 that can perform the preparation. Therefore, the preparation device 1 capable of cutting the outer leaves VG2 and the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG can be reduced in size.

  The transporting device 3 is a transporting device 3 for transporting a head vegetable VG having a head portion VG1, an outer leaf VG2, and a root VG3, and a holding belt (second holding belt) for holding the outer leaf VG2 of the head vegetable VG. ) 72, and a moving device 85 for moving the holding belt 72 from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the holding belt 72 holds the outer leaf VG2 downward and the downward holding part 72a and the outer leaf VG2 upward. And an inversion holding portion 72c that turns the head vegetable VG from the downward position to the upward position with the outer leaf VG2 on the downstream side of the downward holding portion 72a and on the upstream side of the upward holding portion 72b. Have.

According to this configuration, the head vegetables VG are held by the holding belt 72 and conveyed, whereby the head vegetables VG 2 can be conveyed with the outer leaves VG2 inverted from the downward posture to the upward posture. Therefore, it is possible to realize a head vegetable transport device that can transport the head vegetable VG upside down with a simple configuration.
The moving device 85 includes a plurality of pulleys (a ninth pulley 79, a tenth pulley 80, an eleventh pulley 81, a twelfth pulley 82, a thirteenth pulley 83, and a fourteenth pulley 84), and a rotating device 86 that rotates the pulleys. The holding belt (second holding belt) 72 is an endless belt in which both ends of a belt twisted by 720 ° are joined to each other, and a plurality of the holding belts are arranged in a figure 8 shape in plan view. It is hung on a pulley.

According to this configuration, since the holding belt 72 can be formed of one endless belt, the number of components can be reduced, and the configuration of the moving device 85 can be simplified. Therefore, the moving device 85 having the function of reversing the head vegetables VG up and down can be reduced in size.
In addition, a support plate 89 is provided to support the head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG, which is inverted with the movement of the holding belt (second holding belt) 72, from below, and the support plate 89 is from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction A4. Has a transition portion 893 that transitions downward as going toward.

According to this configuration, the transition portion 893 of the support plate 89 can support, from below, the head portion VG1 of the head vegetable VG that is inverted with the movement of the sandwiching belt 72. Therefore, when the head vegetable VG is inverted, the outer leaf VG2 is prevented from being bent or broken due to the weight of the head part VG1.
Further, the support plate 89 is provided in an area overlapping with the downward holding portion 72a and the reverse holding portion 72c in the movement direction (transport direction A4) of the holding belt (second holding belt) 72.

According to this configuration, in the downward holding portion 72a and the reversing holding portion 72c, the head portion VG1 of the head vegetables VG that is inverted with the movement of the holding belt 72 can be supported from below by the support plate 89. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the outer leaves VG2 from being bent or broken due to the weight of the head portion VG1 when the head vegetables VG are inverted.
Further, the support plate 89 is arranged at a position shifted from the holding position of the outer leaves VG2 in a direction orthogonal to the direction of movement of the holding belt (second holding belt) 72.

According to this configuration, in the process in which the head vegetable VG is reversed from the downward posture to the upward posture in the reversing holding part 72c, the head VG1 is moved leftward or rightward from the holding position of the outer leaf VG2. When the head is in a protruding posture (horizontal or oblique posture), the ball-shaped portion VG1 can be reliably supported by the support plate 89.
Further, the holding belt (second holding belt) 72 is made of an elastic body.

According to this configuration, the outer leaves VG2 can be reliably held by the holding belt 72 without damaging the outer leaves VG2.
In addition, a pressing roller 88 is provided which is in contact with the holding belt (second holding belt) 72 in the reversing holding portion 72c and rotates with the movement of the holding belt 72.
According to this configuration, the twisting state (direction) of the second holding belt 72 in the inversion holding section 72 c is appropriately maintained by the pressing force from the pressing roller 88. Therefore, the posture of the head vegetable VG can be surely reversed in the reversing holding portion 72c.

In addition, the preparation device 1 includes the transport device 3 and a first cutting device 4 that cuts the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3.
According to this configuration, a preparation is provided that includes the transport device 3 that can transport the head vegetable VG by inverting the posture of the head vegetable VG, and that can cut the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3. The device 1 can be realized.

In addition, the preparation device 1 includes a second cutting device 5 that cuts the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG transported by the transport device 3.
According to this configuration, the head device VG includes the transport device 3 that can transport the head vegetables VG upside down, and cuts the outer leaves VG2 and the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG transported by the transport device 3. Can be realized.

  The transport device 3 is a transport device 3 that transports a head vegetable VG having a head portion VG1, an outer leaf VG2, and a root VG3. The upper transport that sandwiches the outer leaf VG2 and transports it from the upstream side to the downstream side. Unit (fourth transport unit) 3D and a lower transport unit that is disposed below the upper transport unit 3D and that sandwiches the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG that have been released from being nipped by the upper transport unit 3D and transports the outer leaves VG2 further downstream. (Fifth transport unit) 3E, and a support member 117 disposed below the lower transport unit 3E and supporting the bottom of the head VG1 of the head vegetables VG transported by the lower transport unit 3E.

  According to this configuration, the bottom portion of the head vegetable VG that has been transferred from the upper conveying section 3D to the lower conveying section 3E can be supported by the support member 117. Therefore, even if the height of the bottom portion of the head vegetable VG is not constant in the upper transport portion 3D, the height of the bottom portion of the head vegetable VG becomes substantially constant when shifting from the upper transport portion 3D to the lower transport portion 3E. Can be transported with the height of the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG different from each other.

The lower transport section 3E is overlapped with the upper transport section 3D in the transport direction A5, and is disposed downstream of the overlap section 91 in the transport direction A5 and overlaps the upper transport section 3D in the transport direction A5. And a non-overlapping portion 92 that does not overlap. The support member 117 is provided from below the overlapping portion 91 to below the non-overlapping portion 92.
According to this configuration, the support member 117 can support the bottom of the head portion VG1 in a range from below the overlapping portion 91 to below the non-overlapping portion 92. Therefore, the transfer of the head vegetables VG from the upper transport section 3D to the lower transport section 3E can be performed reliably and smoothly.

  The upper conveying section 3D includes an endless upper belt (second holding belt) 72 and a plurality of upper pulleys (the ninth pulley 79, the tenth pulley 80, the eleventh pulley 81, The lower transport section 3E includes an endless lower belt 93, a plurality of lower pulleys 100 around which the lower belt 93 is stretched, and a plurality of lower pulleys 100. The plurality of lower pulleys include first lower pulleys 101L and 101R arranged in the overlapping portion 91, and the plurality of upper pulleys are arranged above the first lower pulley and are the same as the first lower pulley. The first pulleys 80 and 83 are supported by the rotating shafts 80a and 83a.

According to this configuration, since the first upper pulley and the first lower pulley are supported by the same rotating shafts 80a and 83a, the upper belt 72 and the lower belt 93 are overlapped to easily form the overlapping portion 91. can do. In addition, the upper belt 72 and the lower belt 93 can be reliably driven in association with each other.
The support member 117 includes a first support member 117L disposed on one side in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A5, and a second support member 117R disposed on the other side in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A5. An insertion portion 118 into which the root VG3 can be inserted is formed between the first support member 117L (first support belt 119L) and the second support member 117R (second support belt 119R).
According to this configuration, in the head vegetable VG, the head part VG1 is supported by the support member 117, and the root VG3 is inserted into the insertion part 118 formed between the first support member 117L and the second support member 117R. Therefore, it is transported in a stable upward posture.

The first support member 117L has an endless first support belt 119L having a first support surface 120L movable in the transport direction A5, and the second support member 117R is movable in the transport direction A5. It has an endless second support belt 119R having two support surfaces 120R.
According to this configuration, the head vegetables VG move with the rotation of the first support belt 119L and the second support belt 119L in a state where the head part VG1 is supported by the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R. can do. For this reason, it is possible to support the outer leaf VG2 while being pinched and transported by the lower transport section 3E while moving the bottom of the transported vegetable VG, and to transport the transported vegetable VG in a stable posture.

The first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R are made of an elastic body.
According to this configuration, the bottom portion of the head portion VG1 is elastically supported by the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R when the head vegetable VG shifts from the upper transport portion 3D to the lower transport portion 3E. This prevents the bottom of the bulb VG1 from being damaged.
Further, the first support member 117L has one support surface 132La that can support the ball-forming portion VG1 from one side of the first support belt 119L, and the second support member 117R has a ball from the other side of the second support belt 119L. The other support surface 132Ra that can support the portion VG1 is provided. The one support surface 132La and the other support surface 132Ra are inclined surfaces that move upward as the distance from the insertion portion 118 increases in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A5.

According to this configuration, the head portion VG1 is supported by the first support surface 120L and the second support surface 120R from diagonally lower left and diagonally lower right, so that the posture (upward posture) of the head vegetable VG is stabilized.
In addition, the preparation device 1 includes the transport device 3 and a first cutting device 4 that cuts the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3.

According to this configuration, the first cutting device 4 can cut the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG that have been conveyed by the conveying device 3 with the root heights aligned. Therefore, the cutting positions of the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG can be aligned.
In addition, the preparation device 1 includes a second cutting device 5 that cuts the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG transported by the transport device 3.

According to this configuration, the outer leaves VG <b> 2 of the head vegetables VG, which have been transported with the roots aligned by the transport device 3, can be cut by the second cutting device 5. Therefore, the outer leaves VG2 of the head vegetables VG can be reliably cut.
The preparation device 1 is a preparation device for preparing a vegetable VG having an outer leaf VG2 and a root VG3, and includes a transport section (fifth transport section) 3E for nipping and transporting the outer leaf VG2, and a transport section 5E. And a root retraction unit 170 that is disposed below the root and draws the root VG3 of the vegetable VG that is being transported by the transport unit 5E downward.

According to this configuration, the root VG3 at the lower part of the vegetable VG can be pulled downward by the root pull-in part 170 in a state where the outer leaf VG2 at the upper part of the vegetable VG is sandwiched by the transport unit 3E. Thereby, the vegetable VG can be stabilized (processed) with the root VG3 facing down.
The transport unit (fifth transport unit) 3E includes a first sandwiching body 93L that contacts the outer leaves VG2 from one side in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A5 and an outer leaf from the other side in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A5. A second holding member 93R that contacts the VG2, a plurality of first pressing members 116L that press the first holding member 93L toward the outer leaf VG2, and a second pressing member 93R that presses the second holding member 93R toward the outer leaf VG2. It has a plurality of second pressing members 116R, and the first pressing members 116L and the second pressing members 116R are alternately arranged along the transport direction A5.

  According to this configuration, the first pressing member 116L and the second pressing member 116R are alternately arranged along the transport direction A5 of the fifth transport unit 3E, so that the first holding member 93L and the second holding member 93R are formed. Are curved and deformed in a wave shape. Therefore, the outer leaves VG2 are securely held between the first holding body 93L and the second holding body 93R, and the root VG3 can be satisfactorily drawn in by the root drawing-in section 170.

Further, the first holding member 93L and the second holding member 93R are configured by endless elastic belts.
According to this configuration, the outer leaves VG2 can be held by the first holding member 93L and the second holding member 93R being elastically deformed by the pressing force of the first pressing member 116L and the second pressing member 116R. Therefore, the outer leaves VG2 can be reliably clamped between the first clamping member 93L and the second clamping member 93R.

The first pressing member 116L is a pulley 103L, 104L, 105L, 106L around which an elastic belt constituting the first holding member 93L is wound and rotates together with the elastic belt, and the second pressing member 116R is a second pressing member 116R. Pulleys 103R, 104R, 105R, and 106R around which the elastic belt constituting the holding body 93R is wound and rotate together with the elastic belt.
According to this configuration, the pulleys for rotating the elastic belts forming the first holding member 93L and the second holding member 93R can be used as the first pressing member 116L and the second pressing member 116R. The holding body 93L and the second holding body 93R can be reliably and efficiently pressed. Also, there is no need to separately prepare a member for pressing the first holding member 93L and the second holding member 93R, and the number of components can be reduced.

  The root retracting unit 170 includes a first retracting roller 171L that rotates around an axis extending in the transport direction A5, and a second retracting roller that is arranged in parallel with the first retracting roller 171L and rotates around an axis extending in the transport direction A5. It has a roller 171R and a rotation drive mechanism 172 for rotating the first drawing roller 171L and the second drawing roller 171R inward each other.

  According to this configuration, the root VG3 can be drawn between the first drawing roller 171L and the second drawing roller 171R by rotating the first drawing roller 171L and the second drawing roller 171R inward each other. . Further, since the first pull-in roller 171L and the second pull-in roller 171R rotate around an axis extending in the transport direction A5, the root VG3 is drawn between the first pull-in roller 171L and the second pull-in roller 171R. , Vegetables VG can be transported.

In addition, a root aligning unit 140 for aligning the roots VG3 of the vegetables VG being transported by the transport unit (fifth transport unit) 3E is provided, and the root aligning unit 140 is located upstream of the root retracting unit 170 in the transport direction A5. Is provided.
According to this configuration, after the roots VG3 are aligned by the root alignment unit 140, the vegetables VG are conveyed to the root retracting unit 170, and the roots VG3 are retracted. Therefore, the root VG3 can be reliably pulled in by the root drawing-in section 170.

In addition, the preparation device 1 includes the transport device 3 and a first cutting device 4 that cuts the root VG3 of the vegetable VG transported by the transport device 3.
According to this configuration, the first cutting device 4 can cut the root VG3 of the vegetable VG that has been stabilized and transported by the transport device 3 with the root VG3 facing downward. Therefore, the cutting process of the root VG3 of the vegetable VG can be favorably performed.

In addition, the preparation device 1 includes a second cutting device 5 that cuts the outer leaves VG2 of the vegetables VG transported by the transport device 3.
According to this configuration, the outer leaves VG2 of the vegetables VG that have been stabilized and transported by the transport device 3 with the root VG3 facing downward can be cut by the second cutting device 5. Therefore, the outer leaves VG2 of the vegetables VG can be reliably cut.

  The root cutting device (first cutting device) 4 is a device that cuts a root VG3 of a head vegetable VG having a head portion VG1, an outer leaf VG2, and a root VG3, and a transport unit that sandwiches and transports the outer leaf VG2. (Fifth transport unit) 3E, a root cutting blade 181 that is disposed below the transport unit 3E and rotates around a central axis that faces in the vertical direction, and is disposed upstream of the root cutting blade 181 in the transport direction A5, A root feeding unit 182 that holds the root VG3 of the head vegetables VG being transported by the transport unit 5E and moves toward the root cutting blade 181 at a speed higher than the transport speed of the transport unit 3E. .

According to this configuration, the feeding speed of the root VG3 by the root feeding unit 182 becomes faster than the feeding speed of the outer leaf VG2 by the transporting unit 3E, so that the head vegetables VG support the portion where the outer leaf VG2 is sandwiched. As it swings forward like a pendulum. Due to this swing, the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG moves toward the root cutting blade 181 along a downwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory C1, and is cut.
As a result, the root cutting blade 181 moves in a curved shape to cut the root VG3 with respect to the head vegetable VG having a curved root portion, so that the root VG3 is cut with a minimal amount of uncut portion. be able to.

  In addition, the root feeding portion 182 includes a first feed roller 183L that rotates around a central axis that faces in the vertical direction, and a central axis that is arranged side by side in the direction orthogonal to the first feed roller 183L and the transport direction A5 and faces in the vertical direction. A second feed roller 183R that rotates around, a rotation drive mechanism 184 that rotates the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R such that the side sandwiching the root VG3 moves toward the root cutting blade 181; ,have.

  According to this configuration, the root VG3 is sandwiched between the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R by the rotation of the first feed roller 183L and the second feed roller 183R by the rotation drive mechanism 184, and the root VG3 Can be moved toward the root cutting blade 181 side. Therefore, the root VG3 can be reliably pinched and moved toward the root cutting blade 181.

In addition, a root retraction unit 170 is provided below the transport unit 5E and pulls the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG that is being transported by the transport unit 5E downward. It is provided on the upstream side in the transport direction A5.
According to this configuration, after the root VG3 is drawn into the root drawing-in section 170, the root VG3 can be moved toward the root cutting blade 181 by the root feeding section 182. Therefore, the root VG3 moves in the transport direction A5 and is sent to the root feeder 182 in a state where the root VG3 is extended downward by the root pull-in part 170, so that the root feeder 182 surely feeds the root VG3. be able to.

The root aligning unit 140 is provided below the transport unit 5E and aligns the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG transported by the transport unit 5E. Is provided on the upstream side.
According to this configuration, the head vegetables VG are transported to the root retracting unit 170 in a state where the roots VG3 are aligned by the root aligning unit 140, so that the root retracting unit 170 can reliably pull in the root VG3. .

  Further, the root aligning unit 140 includes a first rotating body 141L that rotates around an axis extending in the transport direction A5, and a second rotating body that is arranged in parallel with the first rotating body 141L and rotates around an axis that extends in the transport direction A5. Body 141R, a rotation drive mechanism 143 for rotating the first rotating body 141L and the second rotating body 141R inward each other, and a first elastic plate protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body 141L. 142L, and a second elastic plate 142R protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 141R.

According to this configuration, the first elastic plate 142L and the second elastic plate 142R rotate inward each other to move downward along the curved surface of the surface of the head portion VG1 while bending and bending, and the root VG3 Are moved downward while touching each other from the opposite sides. Thereby, the expansion of the roots VG3 of the head vegetables VG can be suppressed and aligned.
In addition, a cover 193 that covers the upper part of the root cutting blade 181 is provided, and the cover 193 has a notch 193 c cut out from the root retracting part 170 side toward the root cutting blade 181 side.

According to this configuration, the operator can be prevented from contacting the root cutting blade 181 by the cover 193, and the notch 193c is provided, so that the root VG3 draws an arc-shaped locus C1. When moving toward the root cutting blade 181, it is possible to prevent the head VG1 from hitting the cover 193 and hindering the movement.
Further, the preparation device 1 includes the root cutting device 4 and an outer leaf cutting device 5 that cuts the outer leaf VG2 of the head vegetable VG from which the root VG3 has been cut.

According to this configuration, it is possible to cut the root VG3 of the head vegetable VG by the root cutting device 4 while minimizing the amount of uncut residue, and to cut the outer leaf VG2 of the head vegetable VG by the outer leaf cutting device 5. can do.
As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, it should be considered that Embodiment disclosed this time is an illustration and restrictive at no points. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

1 Preparation device 3 Transport device 3D Upper transport unit (fourth transport unit)
3E Lower transport section (fifth transport section)
4 First cutting device 5 Second cutting device 72 Upper belt (second holding belt)
79 Upper pulley (9th pulley)
80 1st upper pulley (10th pulley)
80a Rotary shaft 81 Upper pulley (11th pulley)
82 Upper pulley (12th pulley)
83 1st upper pulley (13th pulley)
83a Rotary shaft 84 Upper pulley (14th pulley)
91 Overlapping part 92 Non-overlapping part 93 Lower belt 100 Lower pulley 101L First lower pulley 101R First lower pulley 117 Support member 117L First support member 117R Second support member 118 Insertion section 119L First support belt 119R Second support belt 120L First support surface 120R Second support surface 132La One support surface 132Ra The other support surface VG Head vegetable VG1 Head part VG2 Outer leaf VG3 Root

Claims (9)

A transport device that transports a head vegetable having a head portion, an outer leaf, and a root,
An upper-stage transport unit that sandwiches the outer lobe and transports the downstream from the upstream side,
A lower transport unit that is disposed below the upper transport unit and that further sandwiches and transports the outer leaves of the head vegetables that have been released from being nipped by the upper transport unit,
A support member that is disposed below the lower transport unit and supports a bottom of a head portion of the head vegetable that is transported by the lower transport unit,
A transport device for head vegetables that is equipped with: The lower transport section is overlapped with the upper transport section in the transport direction, and is a non-overlapping portion that is disposed downstream of the overlap section in the transport direction and does not overlap with the upper transport section in the transport direction. And a part,
The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is provided from below the overlapping portion to below the non-overlapping portion. The upper conveying section has an endless upper belt and a plurality of upper pulleys around which the upper belt is stretched,
The lower conveying section has an endless lower belt, and a plurality of lower pulleys around which the lower belt is stretched,
The plurality of lower pulleys include a first lower pulley arranged in the overlapping portion,
The transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of upper pulleys include a first upper pulley disposed above the first lower pulley and supported on the same rotation shaft as the first lower pulley. The support member includes a first support member disposed on one side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and a second support member disposed on the other side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction,
The transport device according to claim 2, wherein an insertion portion into which the root can be inserted is formed between the first support member and the second support member. The first support member has an endless first support belt having a first support surface movable in the transport direction,
The transport device according to claim 4, wherein the second support member includes an endless second support belt having a second support surface movable in the transport direction.   The transport device according to claim 5, wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are formed of an elastic body. The first support member has one support surface that can support the bulb portion from the one side of the first support belt,
The second support member has another support surface that can support the ball-shaped portion from the other side of the second support belt,
The head vegetable transportation device according to claim 5, wherein the one support surface and the other support surface are inclined surfaces that move upward in a direction perpendicular to the insertion portion in a direction away from the insertion portion. A transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A first cutting device for cutting the roots of head vegetables transported by the transport device,
An apparatus for preparing head vegetables, comprising:   The head vegetable preparation device according to claim 8, further comprising a second cutting device that cuts an outer leaf of the head vegetable transported by the transport device.

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