JP2876919B2 - Package storage device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a package storage device used in a package transport system and capable of storing various types of packages in a divided manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ordinary package transport system is fully automatic, and a package wound from an automatic winder or the like is transported by an overhead conveyor or the like, sorted by product type and stored in a package storage device. A package of a desired type is sequentially sent from the package storage device to an inspection device common to various types, and the inspected packages are packed in a box. As a conventional package storage device used in this package transport system, a package wound up so that it can be easily inspected by an inspection device is arranged vertically and horizontally on a flat conveyor divided by type in a state where the package is inserted into a tray. Things to store are known.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional package storage device, the installation space only becomes large in a plane and the whole system becomes large.
Especially in an automatic winder that processes many kinds of thin yarn,
Since it takes time to form one package, using the above-described fully automatic package transport system requires a large-scale system even though the number of packages to be processed in inspection and packing is small. Therefore, in order to store the packages in a three-dimensional manner, that is, in a vertical direction, a storage conveyor may be arranged in two or more stages vertically.

[0004] However, the storage conveyor is moved up and down by two.
If more than one stage is provided, a distribution device for distributing packages delivered from an automatic winder or the like by an overhead conveyor or the like to one end of a storage conveyor at each stage must be provided, and the structure becomes complicated. There is.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to save space in two or more upper and lower stages and to provide a simple structure for taking a package in and out. It is intended to provide a package storage device that can be carried out in the above.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a package storage device according to the present invention comprises two or more vertically arranged storage conveyors for sequentially storing packages, and one end of the storage conveyor. The package receiving tray of the package, which can be moved horizontally and retracted to the conveyor side, is attached to the second or higher storage conveyor from the bottom.

[0007]

According to the above-mentioned means, when a package is loaded from above into a specific upper stage, the moving cradle advances to one end of the conveyor to receive the package, retracts to the conveyor side, and places the package on the conveyor. When the package is put into one end of the lowermost storage conveyor from the upper side, the transfer pedestal of the upper storage conveyor retracts to the conveyor side to open a passage. Also, the package can be taken out from a specific stage by performing the reverse operation.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The storage conveyor 3, which is a package storage device, will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1A is a front view of the storage conveyor 3, and FIG.
2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.
It is sectional drawing. In FIG. 1, 41 and 42 are storage units which are storage conveyors, 51 is a swing table which is a movement receiving table, 1
Reference numeral 4 denotes an elevating lift, and 58 denotes a small round belt.

The storage sections 41 and 42, which are storage conveyors, are supported in two vertical stages by columns 40, and one end of the storage sections 41 and 42 is disposed so as to face the lift 14. The storage sections 41 and 42 are composed of two turn pulleys 43 and 44
Two round belts 45 are stretched between the belts, and the round belts 45 can travel at every pitch P by a driving device (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, guide rods 46 are arranged at predetermined intervals below the two round belts 45, and side guides 47 are also arranged on both sides of the two round belts 45. The package P is stored in a state of being placed horizontally on the round belt 45, and the package is simultaneously transported in the direction of arrow b in FIG.

A swing table 51 as a movement receiving table is provided so as to be retractable with respect to one end side of the upper storage section 41.
The pair of parallel links 52 are pivotally supported at the upper ends. The lower ends of the pair of parallel links 52 are pivotally supported by brackets 53 extending from the columns 40, and an air cylinder 54 is connected to one lower end extension 52 a of the parallel link 52. When the air cylinder 54 is shortened, the swing table 51 is at the position indicated by the solid line, and receives the package from the lift 14. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the swing table 51 is located outside the swivel table 35 and does not interfere with the swing table 51, and only the package moves. When the air cylinder 54 extends, the swing table 51 moves horizontally to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line, and the package P
Is placed on the storage section 41 and can be retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the lift 14. When the package is taken into the lower storage section 42, the swing table 51 is kept in the state of the two-dot chain line. In this case, the swivel 35 of the lift 14 can pass through the storage section 41 while the package P is placed thereon.

As shown in FIG. 3, the small round belt 58 includes two pulleys 56 integrally provided outside the turn pulley 43 of the storage section 42, a tip pulley 57, and
It is stretched between the pulley 56 and the tip pulley 57 in a protruding state, and is located in the inner space 35 a of the swivel base 35. When the swivel 35 descends, the package P moves on the small round belt 58.

The elevating lift 14 has a lift 36 having a swivel 35 attached to a column 37 so as to be able to move up and down. A hanger 62 is placed on the lift 14.
Read / write device 6 for storage medium 66 attached to
8 are provided. The read / write device 68 is a storage medium 66
The product data of the overhead conveyor 11
If the package P hung on the hanger 62 is of a desired type, the turntable 35 is raised to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line, and the package P is left on the turntable 35. Then, the swivel 35 turns 90 ° and the lift 36 descends.

The operation of the storage portions 41 and 42 having the above structure will be described with reference to FIG. When a specific type of package P is stored in the upper storage section 41, the storage medium 6 of the hanger 62 is stored.
The type data written in 6 is read by the read / write device 68. If the package P is a specific type of package P, the swing table 51 moves up to the position indicated by the solid line. The package P of the hanger 62 is left on the swivel base 35. Then, the lift 36 descends while the package P is placed on the swivel table 35, and the package is transferred from the swivel table 35 to the swing table 51. At the same time as the swing table 51 swings to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line, the round belt 45 runs intermittently by the pitch P, the package is placed on the round belt 45, and the swing table 51 returns to the original solid line position. . Meanwhile, the lift 36 moves up and receives a new package P from the overhead conveyor 11. And lift 36
Descends. By repeating the above, the upper storage section 4
In one, packages P of a specific type are stored in a line.

When a package of a specific type is stored in the lower storage section 42, the swing table 51 of the upper storage section 41 is retracted to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line. When the swivel 35 on which the package P is placed is lowered, the package P passes through the upper storage section 41 and is transferred onto the small round belt 58 of the lower storage section 42. When the round belt 45 of the lower storage section 42 travels by the pitch P, the small round belt 57 provided on the small round belt 58 also travels, as shown in the drawing. Then, the lift 36 moves up and receives a new package P from the overhead conveyor 11. Then, the lift 36 descends. By repeating the above, the packages P of the specific type are stored in a row in the lower storage section 42.

The packages from the storage sections 41 and 42 can be selectively returned to the overhead conveyor 11 in an operation completely opposite to the operation for storage. In this case, the direction of the hanger 62 is reversed by 180 ° using the cross bar 67.
Then, the data such as the type of the package is written into the storage medium 66 again by the read / write device 68. That is,
The swing table 51 at one end of the storage sections 41 and 42 and the small round belt 58
Functions as a loading / unloading port.

As described above, the storage conveyor 3 is provided with two or more storage units 41 and 42 arranged vertically,
Space saving is achieved, and the package can be taken in and out with a simple structure. Then, it is possible to select and store the two upper and lower storage units 41 and 42 for each type. Also, since the package is placed horizontally, it can be stored in a packed state. It is to be noted that three or more upper and lower stages may be provided, and in that case, the swing table 51 is provided on all of the second and higher stages from the bottom.

Next, a package transport system using the storage conveyor 3 of the present invention will be described. 4 is a top view of the package transport system, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of an overhead conveyor, and FIG. 6 is a side view of a tray circulation conveyor and a palletizing device.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 11 denotes an overhead conveyor, which is provided along the automatic winder 1 and the air spinning machine 2, and is installed so as to be connected to the first and second storage conveyors 3, 4 and the tray circulation conveyor 5. ing. In order to transfer the package, lifting / lowering lifts 12, 13, 1 are provided at a connection point between the overhead conveyor 11 and each device.
4, 15, and 16 are installed. As shown in FIG. 5, the overhead conveyor 11 runs a circulation chain (not shown) in a rail frame 61 erected on the ceiling,
A large number of hangers 62 are suspended from the circulation chain at predetermined intervals. The hanger 62 includes a hanging stand 63,
The rotating bar 64 and the U-shaped arm 65 are sequentially connected. A storage medium 66 such as a magnetic plate is
Is attached, so that data on the type of package can be written. A cross bar 67 protrudes from the rotary bar 64. When the cross bar 67 is engaged with a guide (not shown), the arm 65 rotates by 180 ° to change the direction. When the arm 65 travels in the direction shown in the figure and in the direction of arrow a, the package is being transported and stored. The type of package is written in the storage medium 66, and when transferring to the lift 14 or the like, a package of a specific type can be selected. When the arm 65 rotates by 180 ° from the illustrated direction and travels in the direction of arrow a, it is in an empty state without a package. When a package is transferred from the lift 12 or the like, the type of the package is written to the storage medium 66.

The automatic winder 1 has a number of winding units arranged in three zones arranged in a line. The packages of three types, A, B and C, are divided into blocks for each type and passed through an on-machine conveyor 17. It is carried to the elevating lift 12 and sequentially transferred to the hanger of the overhead conveyor 11. The pneumatic spinning machine 2 has a large number of spinning units in which a sliver unwound from a can 18 is used as a bundled spun yarn. It is sequentially transferred to 11 hangers. The four types of packages A, B, C, and D are conveyed in a state of being randomly stored on a hanger of the overhead conveyor 11. However, at the time of transfer from the lifts 12 and 13, the type, machine number, production weight, and the like are written in the storage medium 66 in FIG. 5, and the information is transmitted to the inspection device 6 via the lift 16. Is transmitted. The lifting lifts 14 and 15 select a package based on this information, transfer the package to the storage conveyors 3 and 4, and transfer the packages from the storage conveyors 3 and 4 via the lifting lifts 14 and 15 to the overhead conveyor 11. When returning to the above, the same information is written to the storage medium 66 in FIG.

The first and second storage conveyors 3 and 4 are connected on the way to the connection section X between the overhead conveyor 11 and the tray circulation conveyor 5 and each have a storage section composed of an upper and lower two-stage intermittent operation conveyor. . In the first storage conveyor 3, the packages are transferred via the lifting / lowering lifts 14, and the packages of the type A are sorted in the upper stage, and the packages of the type B are sorted in the lower stage and stored in a horizontal line. Also in the second storage conveyor 4, the packages are transferred via the lifting / lowering lifts 15, the packages of the C type are stored in the upper row in a horizontal line, and the lower row is reserved. Also, one end 3a, 4a of the storage conveyor 3, 4
Is a package entrance and exit.

At a connection portion X between the overhead conveyor 11 and the tray circulation conveyor 5, an elevating lift 16 and a transfer device 20 are installed. The lift 16 passes the package received from the hanger of the overhead conveyor 11 to the transfer device 20, and the transfer device 20 inserts the package into the tray. The tray circulation conveyor 5 has an empty tray return line 21 → a storage line 22 → an inspection line 23 →
A circulation line is formed from the alignment line 24 to the empty tray return line 21, the transfer device 20 is provided at the end of the empty tray return line 21, and the inspection line 23 is provided with the inspection device 6 common to all types of packages. ing. In addition, 25 is a bypass line. The alignment line 24 aligns the inspected packages in five rows.

A rail 9 is provided just above the alignment line 24 of the tray circulating conveyor 5, the palletizing table 7, and the pallet component placing table 8, and the first ceiling transport vehicle 10A and the second ceiling transport vehicle 10B connect the rail 9 with the rail 9. It is provided so that it can run freely. This part will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. In the alignment line 24, 5 of the package inserted in the tray 25
Individuals are sequentially arranged in multiple rows. On the lift 26 of the first ceiling carrier 10A, two rows of five chucks 27 project downward. Therefore,
The first ceiling carrier 10A is 5 pieces x 2 rows or 5 pieces x 1 at a time.
The packages in the row can be removed from the tray 25 and transported. On the palletizing table 7, a bottom plate 28 is placed.
5 × 5 = 25 packages on 8 are aligned. Further, the middle plate 29 is placed, and the packages are aligned on the middle plate 29. In the illustrated example, when the first ceiling transport vehicle 10A transports the remaining five rows, 5 × 5 = 25. Second
The ceiling transport vehicle 10B transports the bottom plate 28, the intermediate plate 29, and the top plate 30, which are stacked on the pallet component placing table 8, to the palletizing table 7 in a desired order. Have been.

Next, the procedure of transporting a package by the above-described package transport system will be described with reference to FIG. The automatic winder 1 and the pneumatic spinning machine 2 are normally operated for 24 hours, but the inspection device 6 and the palletizing table 7 are appropriately operated by an operator during the normal 8-hour operation. for that reason,
When the inspection device 6 and the like are not moved, it is necessary to store the packages from the automatic winder 1 and the air spinning machine 2 so that the type can be identified. Therefore, overhead conveyor 1
Convey while storing in the 1 hanger. As described above, the storage medium is provided on the hanger, and the type of the package and the like are written therein. Therefore, automatic winder 1
A, B, and C types from the air spinning machine 2 and the D type packages from the air spinning machine 2 are stored in the overhead conveyor 11 in a random state. However, for example, when doffing of the automatic winder 1 is concentrated, the automatic winder 1 may overflow from the overhead conveyor 11. In this case, the lifting / lowering lift 14 selects the type A package of the automatic winder 1 and stores the package in the upper stage of the storage conveyor 3 via the lifting / lowering lift 14. Similarly,
The package of the B type of the automatic winder 1 is stored in the lower stage of the storage conveyor 3, and the package of the C type of the automatic winder 1 is stored in the upper stage of the storage conveyor 4.
The lower stage of the storage conveyor 4 is reserved. Thus, the storage conveyors 3 and 4 are buffers for storing packages. When the number of packages on the overhead conveyor 11 decreases due to the operation of the inspection device 6, the packages are returned from the storage conveyors 3 and 4 to the overhead conveyor 11. At this time, what kind of packages are arranged in order in the storage conveyors 3 and 4 is stored in the control device, and data such as product type is written to the storage medium 66 in FIG. .

When the inspection device 6 is operated, for example, the D type is sequentially transferred from the overhead conveyor 11 to the storage line 22 of the tray circulation conveyor 5 via the lifting / lowering lift 16 and the transfer device 20, and a predetermined inspection is performed. . The packages that have passed the inspection and pass are aligned in five rows on the alignment line 24, and are transported by the first ceiling transport vehicle 10A in five rows, two rows, or five each. On the palletizing table 7,
The bottom plate 28 is placed, the packages are arranged in 5 × 5 = 25 packages, the middle plate 29 is placed to further align the packages, and finally the top plate is placed and packed. In addition, on the overhead conveyor 11, packages of the A type are returned from the storage conveyor 3 to the overhead conveyor 11 via the elevating lift 14. Then, the package of the A type is inspected. Similarly, the packages of the B type and the C type are inspected. An operator manually transports a package of a specific type from the other end 3b, 4b of the storage conveyor 3, 4 to the entrance of the storage zone 22 of the tray circulation conveyor 5 using a wagon or the like, and manually inserts the package into the tray. You can also make it stand. In this case, it is preferable to arrange the storage conveyors 3 and 4 so that the other ends 3b and 4b of the storage conveyors 3 and 4 and the connection portion X are as close as possible. Thus, based on the simple transport system for transporting and storing the packages on the overhead conveyor 11, the simple storage conveyor 3,
4 is a transport system that has an effective buffer function, it takes a long time to form a package with thin yarn,
It is most suitable for the transport system which is most suitable for producing small lots of many kinds.

[0025]

The package storage device of the present invention has two or more stages of storage conveyors at the top and bottom, and one end of the storage conveyor is used as a carry-in port and a carry-out port by the second or more moving receiving pedestal. The installation space of the device can be reduced, and the connection configuration between the lift and the like and the package storage device can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a storage conveyor of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a package transport system using the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of the overhead conveyor.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a tray circulation conveyor and a palletizing device.

[Description of Signs] 3 Package storage device (storage conveyor) 4 Package storage device (storage conveyor) 41 Storage conveyor (storage section) 42 Storage conveyor (storage section) 51 Movement receiving table (swing table) P package

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A storage conveyor for storing packages so as to be able to sequentially forward packages is provided in two or more stages, and a package transfer cradle which can be moved horizontally to one end of the storage conveyor and retracted to the conveyor side from the bottom. A package storage device, wherein the package storage device is attached to a storage conveyor of a higher rank.