JP3042900B2 - Container supply stop 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 conveyor system for use in a bottling line for beer or the like, which is disposed upstream of an infeed screw of a filling machine or the like to stop the supply of containers being conveyed. The present invention relates to a container supply stopping device used as a means of (1).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conveyor system of this kind, such as a bottling line, the supply of containers to be conveyed due to a shortage of materials such as crowns, the arrival of a label exchange time or the occurrence of troubles in downstream processes, etc. May need to be stopped. In such a case, there is a method of stopping the supply of the container by inserting and locking the stopper member between the containers based on the stop command signal. A stopped container and the following container collide one after another, and the collision situation becomes more severe, especially as you move backwards, which may cause noise and trouble such as falling of the container, and sometimes damage to the container such as broken bottles. there were.

In order to cope with the above, it is conceivable to gradually lower the conveyor speed and stop the operation. However, as in the case of filling beer, foaming is performed in the empty space between filling and capping. In the case where a process involving certain processing conditions is included, such as when it is necessary to remove oxygen, if the conveyor speed is reduced, the processing conditions fluctuate. Therefore, as a countermeasure, while the conveyor speed is maintained as it is, the stopper member itself inserted between the containers based on the stop command signal is moved along the conveying direction of the conveyor to gradually stop the container. By doing so, a measure for alleviating the impact between the containers has been disclosed (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-17629, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
No. 138015).

[0004]

However, in the prior art, although the impact between the containers upstream of the stopper member is reduced, no consideration is given to the flow of the downstream container. The supply state of the container on the side became unstable, which also caused the new container to fall or break. That is, when the container supply stop device starts operation, the pressing force on the downstream container by the upstream container itself does not act due to the intervention of the stopper member,
No pressing force from behind acts on the container downstream of the stopper member, particularly on the container immediately before the stopper member. For this reason, especially when an in-feed screw is used as a feed mechanism, the bite is deteriorated and the supply state is unstable. In addition, the container supply stopping device employs a movable stopper mechanism for gradually stopping the stopper member. As a result, a certain moving distance is required between the start and the end of the stopping operation. As a result, the above-mentioned unstable supply state occurs for the downstream container included within a certain moving distance until the stop operation is completed, and the stop completion position is adjusted to the inlet position of the infeed screw. This is a new problem that cannot be avoided.

[0005] In view of the above technical circumstances, the present invention solves the drawbacks of the prior art with a simple configuration and not only reduces the impact between the containers upstream of the stopper member but also reduces the impact.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a container supply stopping device capable of maintaining a good biting state of the downstream container with respect to the infeed screw and improving the supply state of the downstream container.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is to lock the container supply stopping device to a container being conveyed on a conveyor, and to move the container supply stopping device along the conveying direction of the conveyor. A movable stopper mechanism having a stopper member for gradually stopping the container, and a container locked on the conveyor being conveyed on the conveyor in synchronization with the stopper member, and a container downstream from the stopper member is moved forward. A technical means comprising a container pressing mechanism provided with a support member for pressing and disposed as an upstream side of the infeed screw and used as a stopping means for the container being conveyed is employed.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the impact between the upstream containers is reduced by a movable stopper mechanism for gradually stopping the containers being conveyed while moving the stopper members along the conveying direction of the conveyor. Thus, the container pressing mechanism for applying an appropriate pressing force to the container on the downstream side improves the biting of the container with respect to the infeed screw serving as a feed mechanism. As a result, an accurate feeding action by the in-feed screw is ensured, so that the unstable supply state of the container downstream of the stopper member according to the above-described conventional technique is eliminated, and an extremely smooth stop operation is realized. It has a function.

[0008]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are plan views of main parts showing the progress of a stop operation in the apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 1A shows a state of waiting before operation, FIG. 1B shows a state of operation, and FIG. The state of each is shown. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a container such as a bottle which is conveyed on a conveyor 2, and an in-feed screw 3 connected to a filling machine or the like (not shown) is connected downstream of the conveyor 2. 4 and 5 indicate conveyor guides. In the drawing, 6A and 6B denote bases, respectively, which are disposed in two stages, upper and lower, as shown in a state (b), and are respectively installed between support plates 7 and 8 fixed to the conveyor guide 5. While being guided by the guide rods 9A and 10A or 9B and 10B, it is configured to be able to move freely between them. An actuator 11 driven by a fluid pressure source such as an air pressure source (not shown) or an electric motor is provided on the bases 6A and 6B.
A support member 13A on which base members 6A and 6B are rotatably supported on the bases 6A and 6B by connecting pins A and 11B, connected to the actuator 11A or 11B via connecting pins of the connecting tools 12A and 12B, and supported by fulcrum pins. And the stopper member 13B can be rotated forward or backward in response to a stop command signal or a return command signal.
As shown in FIG. 2, the bases 6A and 6B are connected to rods 15A of an air cylinder 14A or rods 15B of an air cylinder 14A arranged in two stages, respectively, as shown in FIG.
Thereby, the operation of the bases 6A and 6B is regulated. The base 6A, the actuator 11A, the connector 12A, the support member 13A, the air cylinder 14A and the rod 15A are used as main elements to constitute a container pressing mechanism for the container 1 downstream of the stopper member 13B. 6B, actuator 11B,
Connector 12B, stopper member 13B, air cylinder 14
B and the rod 15B as main elements,
A movable stopper mechanism for the container 1 upstream of 3B is configured. FIG. 3 is a diagram of a fluid circuit of the air cylinder 14A. A pipe 19 or 20 is connected to each of the chambers 17 and 18 separated by a piston 16A.
The switching valve 21 is connected to an air pressure source. FIG.
Is a fluid circuit configuration diagram of the air cylinder 14B. A pipe 23 is connected to one of the chambers 22 separated by the piston 16B, and the air is transmitted through a parallel circuit of a check valve 24 and a flow control valve 25 and a switching valve 26. Connected to pressure source. The other chamber 2 separated by the piston 16B
7 is open to the atmosphere.

Next, the manner of operation of this embodiment will be described. First, in a normal transport state in which a stop command signal relating to the supply of the container 1 is not issued, as shown in a state (a) in FIG. 1, the movable stopper mechanism and the container pressing mechanism maintain a standby state. Next, when a supply stop command signal for the container 1 is issued from any request, the actuators 11A and 11B are controlled by control means (not shown).
, An operation command is issued to the switching valves 21 and 26 at the same time. This allows
The support member 13A and the stopper member 13B rotate forward, respectively, and their respective leading end portions are inserted between the containers 1 to be locked to the downstream or upstream containers 1, respectively. At the same time, the switching valve 21 is switched to the lower port in the figure, and the chamber 17 of the air cylinder 14A is connected to the air pressure source and the chamber 18 is opened to the atmosphere. A predetermined pressing force determined by the pressure is generated. The switching valve 26 is also switched to the lower port in the figure, and the air cylinder 14B
Since the chamber 22 is opened to the atmosphere via the flow control valve 25, the rod 15B can move with a predetermined braking force determined by the throttle amount of the flow control valve 25 acting. . Therefore, since the base 6B connected to the rod 15B also moves in a state where a predetermined braking force is applied, the base 6B moves at a predetermined speed while applying a predetermined brake to the flow of the container 1 located upstream of the stopper member 13B. Is gradually lowered, and the state (c) in FIG.
The stop operation is terminated at the stop completion position of. On the other hand, since a predetermined pressing force acts on the base 6A connected to the rod 15A, the base 6A is downstream from the support member 13A via the support member 13A, ie, the stopper member 1A.
A predetermined pressing force acts on the container 1 located on the downstream side of 3B. Therefore, the container 1 on the downstream side of the stopper member 13B accurately bites into the infeed screw 3 by the pressing force, so that the pressing force on the container 1 on the downstream side by the container 1 on the upstream side of the stopper member 13B is reduced. Troubles associated with the above-described related art, such as falling or breakage of the container due to poor biting caused by disappearance, can be avoided. The support member 13A
Is set so as to be equal to the pressing force by the rear container 1 itself in the normal transport state, so that the container 1 downstream of the support member 13A is normally kept even after the start of the stop operation. Is supplied at the transfer speed of. The state in the middle of this operation is shown in the state (b) of FIG.
The state (c) in FIG. 1 shows a state in which both of the B have reached the operation completion position and all the stop operations have been completed. Further, when a return command signal is issued, the actuators 11A and 11B perform a return operation, the support members 13A and 13B rotate back and return, respectively, and the switching valves 21 and 26 are respectively connected to the upper ports in the figure. To the air cylinder 1
The state is switched to a state in which the pressure of the air pressure source acts on the chamber 18 of 4A and the chamber 22 of the air cylinder 14B, so that the bases 6A and 6B respectively return to the standby state of the state (a) in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a main part of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus of this embodiment is different from the apparatus of the above embodiment in that a star wheel type rotary type is adopted as a specific structure of a stopper member, and a movable stopper mechanism and a container pressing mechanism are sandwiched by a conveyor 2 respectively. The feature is that it is arranged on both sides. In the figure, reference numeral 28 denotes the star wheel type stopper member, which is rotatably supported by a shaft 29 installed on the base 6B. Also,
In the drawing, reference numeral 30 denotes a locking member reciprocally driven by the actuator 11B, which engages and disengages with respect to the pocket of the stopper member 28 based on a control signal for the actuator 11B, thereby controlling the freedom of rotation of the stopper member 28. By performing the control, supply stop control for the container 1 is performed. The apparatus according to the present embodiment uses the star wheel type stopper member 2.
Although there is a difference in the specific operation method of No. 8, other operations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be modified, for example, by changing the structure of the air cylinder or the type of working fluid, or changing the installation location to a lower portion of the base. Needless to say, the control mode relating to the actuator, the flow control valve, and the like can be selected in design.

[0012]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained based on the above constitution. (1) The impact between the containers on the upstream side can be reduced by the movable stopper mechanism that gradually stops the container being transported while moving the stopper member along the transport direction of the conveyor. It is possible to prevent troubles such as breakage and reduce noise. (2) At the same time, an appropriate pressing force is applied to the downstream container by the support member of the container pressing mechanism, so that the pressing force by the subsequent container interrupted by the stop operation of the movable stopper mechanism is complemented, A good biting state with respect to the infeed screw of the container is maintained. Therefore, the supply state of the container on the downstream side is improved, and furthermore, the container can be prevented from tipping over or damaged due to poor biting or the like. (3) The operation of the movable stopper mechanism and the container pressing mechanism described above can be combined to realize an extremely smooth and stable supply stop operation of the container as a whole.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a main part of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a progress of operation.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an arrangement relationship of air cylinders in the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a fluid circuit configuration diagram relating to an air cylinder for a container pressing mechanism in the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a fluid circuit configuration diagram relating to an air cylinder for a movable stopper mechanism in the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of a device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Container, 2 ... Conveyor, 3 ... Infeed screw, 6A, 6B ... Base, 7, 8 ... Support plate, 9A, 9B,
10A, 10B: Guide rod, 11A, 11B: Actuator, 12A, 12B: Connector, 13A: Support member, 13B: Stopper member, 14A, 14B: Air cylinder, 21, 26 ... Switching valve, 28: Star wheel type Stopper member, 30 ... locking member

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A movable stopper mechanism comprising: a stopper member for locking a container being conveyed on a conveyor, and for gradually stopping the container while moving along the conveying direction of the conveyor; and the stopper member. And a container pressing mechanism provided with a support member for locking the container on the conveyor being conveyed on the conveyor and pressing the container downstream of the stopper member forward. A container supply stopping device, which is provided and functions as a stopping means for a container being transported.