JP7477737B1 - Right-angle transfer mechanism for conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a right-angle transfer mechanism for carrier bar transport equipped with a right-angle transfer mechanism for saving space in the entire facility in a coating line or a transport line, which improves posture disturbance during lateral transport in order to obtain stability.
[Solution] The right-angle transfer mechanism 1 comprises an outward load bar 5 provided on a trolley 4 attached to a swivel device 3 installed at each end of a carrier bar 2, and a screw feeder 6 having a spiral blade 60 formed in a spiral shape as a spiral feed mechanism. A pair of screw feeders 6 are provided in parallel arrangement along a pair of horizontal rails 8 near the outside of each horizontal rail 8, and when the load bar W is swung by the swivel device 3 and the workpiece 5 travels on the horizontal rails 8, the load bars 5 at both ends of the carrier bar 2 are hooked on the blades 60 of the screw feeder 6 and advanced in the right-angle direction S.
[Selected figure] Figure 4

Description

The present invention belongs to the technical field of right-angle transfer mechanisms in transport conveyors, and more specifically, to a right-angle transfer mechanism in a transport conveyor in a painting line or processing line, where the workpiece to be processed is transferred onto a horizontal rail that is installed horizontally to the running rail when being transported into each of the painting equipment ancillary devices, and transported horizontally into each of the painting equipment ancillary devices.

Conventionally, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a workpiece W suspended from a carrier bar 2 travels along a transport conveyor C (first running rail), then rotates at a predetermined position using a swivel device 3, and the workpiece W suspended from the carrier bar 2 travels along a pair of horizontal rails 8 arranged horizontally relative to the transport conveyor C using a horizontal conveyor C' (horizontal transport device Y). After being transported horizontally and processed in each painting equipment auxiliary device T, when the workpiece W reaches the transport conveyor C (second running rail), it again rotates using the swivel device 3 and travels in the opposite direction G. This is the type of transport conveyor used in painting and processing lines.

With regard to such technology, the applicant has developed device 10 as a right-angle transfer mechanism for the transfer object storage device of Patent Document 1 below. That is, by invoking the reference symbols in Patent Document 1, in storage device 10, carrier 50 brought into the device from receiving port 11 has both ends hung or placed separately on transfer guides 14, 14' with transfer object 40 suspended from rod-shaped support 52. For this carrier 50, a pair of transfer mechanisms 13, 13' are provided within device 10 for transfer, and carrier 50 is pressed and transferred from receiving port 11 toward delivery port 12 by transfer mechanisms 13, 13'. The transport mechanisms 13, 13' are configured to be driven simultaneously by the same drive motor 15, and thus have a pair of moving frames 131, 131' that reciprocate between the receiving port 11 and the sending port 12, and the moving frames 131, 131' are provided with pressing pieces 133 that are vertically attached to both ends of the carrier 50 so as to abut against the receiving port 11 side, and the pressing pieces 133 are pressed by fluid cylinders 135 and pressed against a position-regulating engagement frame 134. The moving frames 131, 131' are set to be stopped by a position detection switch 137 when they are retreated to the receiving port 11 side, and when they are advanced to the sending port 12 side, the internal pressure of the fluid cylinder 135 increases, causing them to stop advancing and reverse and retreat (see claim 1, paragraph [0004], Figures 1, 2, and 5 of the same document 1).

Utility Model Registration No. 2521787

In the conventional right-angle transfer mechanism as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, when the article is transferred laterally into each device, the carrier bar 2 has a rotating mechanism 3, and this part acts as a starting point to generate play to the left and right.
In addition, due to individual differences in the trolleys 4 of the carrier bars 2 or installation errors in the transport rails 8, the left and right sides of the carrier bars 2 run separately, causing the carrier bars 2 themselves to become slanted, resulting in problems with the stopping position, interference during transport, etc. Furthermore, measures have been taken to prevent slanting by using the Y of the lateral transport device, braking devices, stoppers 20, and other external devices, but this increases the number of devices and complicates control.
Moreover, when the carrier bar 2 is fed at a fixed pitch, the lateral conveying device Y stops at a specified position, but the carrier bar 2 may run due to its moment of inertia, causing the sensor 19 to come off. In addition, the stop position may shift due to stretching of the chain of the lateral conveying device Y or deterioration over time, which necessitates periodic adjustment, which is a problem.
The transport mechanisms 13, 13' of the device 10 described in the above-mentioned patent document 1 have the same problem.
Therefore, the present invention has been devised in consideration of the above problems, and its object is to provide a right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor which improves posture disturbance during lateral transport in order to obtain further running stability in relation to carrier bar transport equipped with a right-angle transfer mechanism for saving space in the entire facility in painting lines and transport lines.

As a means for solving the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a conveyor C for a coating line or a processing line, in which a workpiece W, which is a processing object suspended from a carrier bar 2, travels along a first traveling rail 7, and is then transferred to a pair of lateral rails 8 provided laterally with respect to the first traveling rail 7 by a right-angle transfer mechanism 1, and travels along the conveyor C for a coating line or a processing line, in which the workpiece W is conveyed laterally into each coating equipment auxiliary device T,
(a) The right-angle transfer mechanism 1 includes an outward load bar 5 provided on a trolley 4 attached to a rotating device 3 installed at each end of the carrier bar 2, and a screw feeder 6 having a spiral blade portion 60 formed in a spiral shape, which is a spiral feed mechanism.
(b) the screw feeders 6 are arranged in parallel along the pair of horizontal rails 8, and are provided in pairs near the outer sides of each of the horizontal rails 8;
(c) When the load bar 5 is rotated by the rotating device 3 and the workpiece W travels on the horizontal rail 8, the load bars 5 at both ends of the carrier bar 2 are hooked onto the blade portions 60 of the screw feeder 6 and advance in the perpendicular direction S;
This is a right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor, characterized by the above.

In the invention described in claim 2, when the load bars 5 at both ends of the carrier bar 2 are hooked onto the blade portions 60 of the screw feeders 6 and the workpieces W are advanced in the perpendicular direction S, and are transferred to the second traveling rails 9 provided laterally with respect to the horizontal rails 8,
The load bar 5 is rotated by the rotating device 3 so that the workpiece W can freely travel on the second traveling rail 9 in a direction G opposite to the traveling direction K on the first traveling rail 7.
The right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor according to claim 1 is characterized in that:

The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the tip of the load bar 5 is formed into a convex portion 50 that can be hooked onto a blade portion 60 of the screw feeder 6 and can move forward.
3. The right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor according to claim 1 or 2.

The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that the screw feeder 6 is rotated by the rotation of a drive shaft 12 transmitted by a separately provided drive motor 10 via a gear box 11;
3. The right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor according to claim 1 or 2.

The right-angle transfer mechanism in the transport conveyor of the present invention has the following excellent effects.
(1) The tilt can be minimized by pushing and pulling points as close as possible to both ends of the carrier bar.
(2) The running pitch per revolution of the screw feeder, which is a helical feeding mechanism, is always constant, realizing stable running.
(3) The rear side of the carrier bar on the blade of the screw feeder pushes the load bar attached to the trolley, and the front side can act as a stopper if the carrier bar moves ahead alone.
(4) Furthermore, with this screw feeder, there is no play in the chain, so left and right synchronization can be achieved reliably.
(5) The screw feeder of the present invention makes it possible to reverse conveyance, which is impossible with the so-called chain pusher system, and this is effective during maintenance.
(6) It is ideal for use in high temperature environments and environments where falling debris is undesirable.
(7) The mechanism is simple, which improves positioning during installation and ease of maintenance.

FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the basic configuration of a right-angle transfer mechanism in a transport conveyor of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged view showing how the protrusion (tip) of the load bar is hooked onto the blade portion of the screw feeder and moves forward. FIG. 1A is a front view showing a specific configuration of the right-angle transfer mechanism, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the use state (movement) of the right-angle transfer mechanism of FIG. 3. FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a state in which a right-angle transfer mechanism is used in a conventional transport conveyor, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the basic configuration of the conventional right-angle transfer mechanism shown in FIG. 5 .

A preferred embodiment of the right-angle transfer mechanism in the transport conveyor of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The right-angle transfer mechanism 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is implemented in a transport conveyor C of a painting line or processing line, where a workpiece W, which is an object to be processed and hung from a carrier bar 2, travels along a first traveling rail 7, and is then transferred and transported onto a pair of lateral rails 8 arranged laterally relative to the first traveling rail 7, and transported laterally into each painting equipment ancillary device T (pre-treatment device, painting booth, drying oven, processing machine, etc.).

The right-angle transfer mechanism 1 is equipped with an outward load bar 5 attached to a trolley 4 (wheel) that can be rotated by rotating axles arranged vertically in the center in existing general rotating devices 3 (detailed drawing omitted) installed on both ends of a carrier bar 2, and a screw feeder 6 that is a spiral feeding mechanism with a blade portion 60 formed in a spiral shape. The screw feeders 6 are arranged in parallel along the pair of horizontal rails 8, and are provided in a pair on the left and right sides in a casing 15 attached to fixed brackets 80 installed near the outside of each horizontal rail 8 (Figs. 1 and 4).
The outwardly protruding tip of the load bar 5 is formed into a convex portion 50 so as to be hooked onto a blade portion 60 of the screw feeder 6 and to be able to move forward freely, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG.
The point E indicated by the arrow at the top of Figure 1A when viewed in a plan view is the input point, and the workpiece W suspended from the carrier bar 2 by the screw feeder 6 is configured to be able to move freely in the perpendicular lateral direction S (downward in the figure).
In addition, a stopper 20 is provided at the stopping position of the carrier bar 2.
Therefore, by pushing and pulling the protrusions 50 of the load bar 5 at points as close as possible to both ends of the carrier bar 2 running on the horizontal rails 8, the inclination can be kept to a minimum as much as possible.

As shown in Fig. 3, the screw feeder 6 is rotated by the rotation of drive shafts 12, 12a transmitted through gear boxes 11, 11a, 11b, 11c by a drive motor 10 installed on a coating frame T1 (I-beam) of a coating equipment auxiliary device T. In the figure, reference numerals 13, 13a denote couplings of the drive motor 10, and reference numerals 14, 14a, 14b denote bearings, respectively.
That is, in the right-angle transfer mechanism 1 of this embodiment, the rotation speed of the drive motor 10 with a reducer, which serves as the drive source, is controlled by an inverter according to the frequency, and the input of the drive motor 10 is transmitted to the left and right drive shafts 12a via a gear box 11 to rotate them. Gear boxes 11a and 11b are arranged on the left and right, respectively, and the rotational force is converted into a right-angle direction to rotate the right-angle drive shaft 12a. Furthermore, gear boxes 11c are arranged on the left and right at the bottom, respectively, and the rotational force is converted into a right-angle direction and connected to the screw feeder 6 in the casing 15 for transmission.

Thus, with this screw feeder, there is no play in the chain, and the blade portions 60, both ends of which are supported by bearings 14, are rotated to synchronize the left and right screw feeders 6, so that both obtain the propulsive force for conveying.
Furthermore, the running pitch per revolution of the screw feeder, which is a helical feeding mechanism, is always constant, so stable running is achieved.
Furthermore, the rear side of the carrier bar 2 of the blade portion 60 of the screw feeder 6 pushes the load bar 5 provided on the trolley 4, and the front side can act as a stopper when only the carrier bar 2 runs ahead.

Therefore, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 4, when the workpiece W suspended from the carrier bar 2 travels straight along the first running rail 7 of the transport conveyor C in the direction of travel K (from left to right in Fig. 4) and reaches the turning point P on the entrance side, the two turning devices 3 are turned by 90°, and the workpiece W suspended from the carrier bar 2 is ready to travel in the direction changed by 90°. Then, as shown in the right part of Fig. 4, when the carrier bar 2 (workpiece W) travels along the horizontal rail 8 in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction S, the load bars 5 on both ends of the carrier bar 2 are hooked onto the blades 60 of the screw feeder 6.
Therefore, the load bars 5 at both ends of the carrier bar 2 are hooked onto the blade portions 60 of each screw feeder 6, and the workpiece W is advanced in the perpendicular direction S by a spiral feed mechanism that accompanies the rotation of the screw feeder 6, which is operated by the drive motor 10, and processing such as painting is performed in the painting equipment auxiliary device T.
Then, after the above processing, when the workpiece W reaches the turning point P on the exit side of the second running rail 9 arranged laterally to the horizontal rail 8, the turning device 3 again rotates 90° and the workpiece W suspended from the carrier bar 2 travels on the second running rail 9 in the direction G opposite to the traveling direction K on the first running rail 7.

Although the above describes the embodiments based on the drawings, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples, and includes the range of design modifications and application variations that would normally be made by a person skilled in the art, provided that the scope does not deviate from the technical concept.

1 Right-angle transfer mechanism 2 Carrier bar 20 Stopper 3 Swivel device 4 Trolley 5 Load bar 50 Convex portion 6 Screw feeder 60 Blade portion 7 First running rail 8 Horizontal rail 9 Second running rail 10 Drive motor 11 Gear box 12 Drive shaft C Transport conveyor T Painting equipment accessory device T1 Painting frame W Work S Right-angle direction (horizontal rail)
K Direction of travel (first running rail)
G Reverse direction (second running rail)
P Turning point

Claims (4)

In a conveyor for a coating line or a processing line, a workpiece to be processed, which is hung on a carrier bar, travels along a first traveling rail, and is then transferred to a pair of horizontal rails provided laterally with respect to the first traveling rail by a right-angle transfer mechanism, and is then conveyed laterally into each coating equipment auxiliary device,
(a) the right-angle transfer mechanism comprises an outward load bar provided on a trolley attached to a swivel device installed at each end of the carrier bar, and a screw feeder having a spiral blade portion formed in a spiral shape as a spiral feed mechanism;
(b) the screw feeders are arranged in parallel along the pair of horizontal rails, and a pair of screw feeders are provided near the outer sides of each of the pair of horizontal rails;
(c) the load bar is rotated by the rotating device, and when the workpiece travels on the horizontal rail, the load bars at both ends of the carrier bar are hooked onto the blade portions of the screw feeder and advanced in a perpendicular direction;
A right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor, characterized by the above. When the load bars at both ends of the carrier bar are hooked onto the blades of the screw feeders and the workpiece is advanced in a perpendicular direction and transferred to a second running rail provided laterally with respect to the horizontal rail,
the load bar is rotated by the rotating device so that the workpiece can travel freely on the second traveling rail in a direction opposite to a traveling direction on the first traveling rail;
2. The right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor according to claim 1 . a tip of the load bar is formed into a protruding portion that can be hooked onto a blade portion of the screw feeder and freely advanced;
3. The right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor according to claim 1 or 2. The screw feeder is rotated by the rotation of a drive shaft transmitted by a separately provided drive motor via a gear box;
3. The right-angle transfer mechanism for a transport conveyor according to claim 1 or 2.

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