JPH01133872A - Empty can stocker system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the accommodation of empty cans and positively feed the empty cans to the following process by enabling a can box truck on which many empty cans can be loaded to be set at a specified position. CONSTITUTION:Empty cans C are previously loaded on each tray 11 of a can box truck 1 by the hand of an operator, and the can box truck is moved to an empty can stocker 2 and set at a specified position. Then one operator operates a control in a control-box 6 to automatically position and clamp the can box truck 1. And the can box truck 1 is automatically raised to a specified height by a lift 3 so that a upper-most tray 11 reaches the corresponding height of a can transport conveyor 5. After that, air-cylinders are operated to bring a stopper 18 to a release position through a push rod, thus the preparation for supplying the empty cans C is completed. When a supply command is given, the empty cans C are pushed out onto the can transport conveyor 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for automatically supplying empty cans for packaging, etc., for holding and storing empty cans in a supply standby state. This invention relates to a can stocker device.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, an empty can stocker device used for automatically supplying empty cans for packaging products is called a tray-one type, and a tray carrying a large number of empty cans is transferred to an empty can automatic feeding device. Related to this, there is a method in which empty cans are placed manually in a stocker installed at a predetermined location, but in this method, the trays with empty cans are manually set in the stocker, so there are no restrictions on the weight and dimensions of the trays and empty cans. There is a limit. Also, add 1 tray
Since trays are collected one by one and the next empty can placed on them, the tedious task of collecting trays is also required, and an automatic collection method that does this automatically would require larger equipment and higher costs.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] An object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned one-tray type empty can stocker device, and to use a can box truck itself as a can stocker on which a large number of cans are mounted. To make it possible to set the can box, and to make the can box truck configured so that not only cans can be easily placed therein, but also the cans can be reliably fed to the next process.

[Means for Solving the Problems] To achieve the above object, the empty can stocker device of the present invention includes a can box truck on which a large number of empty cans can be placed, and a can box truck that is positioned at a desired position. Equipped with an empty can stocker that sequentially pushes out empty cans on the can box cart according to requests from the next process, and a large number of empty cans can be placed on the can box cart in an aligned state along a guide. A multi-stage tray is provided with a stopper located at the front end of the guide in the can take-out direction and recessed in order to enable movement of empty cans at the empty can stocker's empty can pushing position, and the above empty cans) / The car includes a lifting device equipped with a mechanism for positioning and fixing the can box truck on a mounting base that raises and lowers the can box truck to a height necessary for supplying empty cans, and the can box truck. It is constructed by providing a pusher for pushing out empty cans placed on an upper tray, and a can transfer conveyor for transporting the empty cans pushed out by the pusher to a required position.

[Operation] When setting empty cans, empty cans are placed on each tray of the can box truck in advance, and the truck is transported to the can stocker and set at a predetermined position.

Next, the can box trolley is positioned and clamped,
The can box cart is raised to a predetermined height by the lifting device so that the top tray is at a height corresponding to the can transfer conveyor, and after stopping, the stopper is retracted to the release position, thereby stopping the supply of empty cans. Complete preparations.

This stopper is held in the protruding position except for being held in the released position by the above-described operation.

In the above state, when a supply command is sent from the next process,
When the pusher operates, the empty cans placed on the tray are pressed from behind, and one of the empty cans located in the front row of multiple rows along the guide is pushed onto the rotating can transfer conveyor. Ru.

Thereafter, the empty cans on the tray are repeatedly pushed out with a pusher, and when there are no more empty cans on the tray, the tray stage is automatically raised, and when all the empty cans on the tray are sent out, it returns to its original position and ends the process.

[Example] FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show an example of an empty can stocker device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3 to 8 show its specific configuration.

This empty can stocker device manually places a large number of empty cans C for packaging etc. on a can box cart 1, transports the can box cart to an empty can stocker 2, sets it at a required position, and automatically supplies the empty cans. This device automatically pushes out empty cans C in the front row of a predetermined stage on the can box truck 1 in response to a request from the device, and transports the empty cans C to a predetermined position. Therefore, this empty can stocker device includes a can box truck 1 on which a large number of empty cans C can be placed, and a can box truck 1 that is raised and lowered to a necessary position for supplying empty cans C to the next process. Lifting device 3, pusher 4 for pushing out the empty cans C placed on the tray on the can box truck l, can transfer conveyor 5 for transporting the empty cans C pushed out by the pusher 4 to a required position, and necessary operations. The main components are an operation box 6 equipped with operators for performing the operations, and a control panel 7 equipped with devices for controlling the operations of various parts.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the can box cart 1 is capable of placing, for example, about 80 empty cans C in an array on several trays 11, and the can box cart 1 is capable of placing, for example, about 80 empty cans C in an array on several trays 11. In order to facilitate the manual storage of empty cans, each of the tiers is set at a height that allows the operator to easily place the empty cans. The trolley 1 also has a base 12 and a required number of transport casters 13.
A handle 15 for pushing by hand is attached to a standing wall 14 erected on one side of the base 12.

The vertical wall 14 of the truck 1 has several tray holders 16.
are horizontally protruding, and a tray 11 is installed on each of these tray holders 18, respectively. Each of these trays 11t
±, on which a large number of empty cans C can be placed vertically and horizontally, and a plurality of guides 7 extending in a direction parallel to the surface of the vertical wall 14 are provided protrudingly, and along these guides 17. The guide 17 is formed so that the empty can C can be moved between the guides 17. In addition, in order to facilitate the work of placing empty cans C on this tray II, each tray 11 except the top tray is slid a certain length in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cans are taken out in the guide 17. It is only possible to withdraw it.

The striker 18 provided at the front end of the guide 17 in the can removal direction is attached to the base 1 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
2 so that it can move in and out of the empty can C passage by rotating around a support shaft 19, and normally protrudes into the empty can C passage by a spring 20, but when the air cylinder 21 provided on the empty can stocker 2 is actuated, The push rod 22 is the stopper 1
When the suppressing portion 18a of No. 8 is pressed, it sinks into the position shown by the chain line in FIG. 5, allowing the empty can to move along the guide 17.

The elevating device 3 provided in the empty can stocker 2 includes a mounting table 3o on which the can box cart 1 transferred by casters 13 is placed. This mounting table 30 needs to raise and lower each tray 11 to a certain height in order to supply the empty cans C to the next process. Therefore, as shown in FIG. A mounting table 30 guided by a guide rail 34 is raised and lowered by a screw shaft 33 driven via a screw shaft 32. In addition, it is necessary to accurately position and place the can box cart 1 on this mounting table 30 in relation to the various mechanisms described below, and to keep it fixed in that state. As shown in the figure, a positioning cylinder 3 is provided with a guide groove 35 for placing and guiding the caster 13, and a protrusion 38 for inserting into the positioning conical recess 36 of the can pofukus truck 1 and positioning it.
7. A clamp member 40 and the like is provided which engages with the engaging element 39 of the can box truck 1 and holds the engaging element 39 fixedly by a cylinder or the like (not shown). Note that the mechanism for positioning the can box cart 1 and fixedly holding it on the mounting table 30 is not limited to the above structure, and various positioning and holding mechanisms can be employed.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the pusher 4 provided on the empty can stocker 2 is placed on a can box truck l,
Tray 1 held at a height where empty cans C are sent out
The empty can C on the top of the empty can stocker 2 is sent to the can transfer conveyor 5 by the pusher bar 45, and the empty can C on the empty can stocker 2
As shown in detail in FIG. 8, a timing belt 48 driven by a pusher motor 47 is stretched parallel to the direction in which empty cans C are transported by guide No. 17 at a required height position at point 6. The timing belt 48 is guided by the guide rail 49, and the buttshaver 4s double M,
The pusher bar 45 pushes the empty cans C placed on the tray 】 from behind, and transfers one empty can C located at the front of each of the multiple rows of empty cans along the guide 17. It is extruded onto a conveyor 5. Delivery of only one empty can in the front row is performed by controlling the drive of the pusher motor 47.

As shown in FIG. 4, the can transfer conveyor 5, which delivers the empty cans C sent out by the button shover 45 to a desired position, has a bell 51 driven by a motor 5o for each row of empty cans. When the empty can is transported to a required position, the position of the empty can is detected and the motor 50 is stopped.

In the empty can stocker device having the above-mentioned S configuration, an operator places the empty cans C on each tray 1 of the can box cart 1 in advance by hand, and then transports the cart 1 to the can stocker 2 to place the empty cans C in a predetermined position. set in position. Next, the operator operates the operator in the operation box c to automatically position and clamp the can box cart 1, so that the uppermost tray 11 is at a height corresponding to the can transfer conveyor 5. Then, the can box cart 1 is automatically raised to a predetermined height by the lifting device 3. The stopping position of the can box truck 1 by the lifting device 3 is controlled with high precision. After the stop, the air cylinder 21 is operated and the push rod 22 moves the stopper 18 to the release position, thereby completing the preparation for supplying the empty cans C.

Note that the stopper 18 is held in the protruding position by the spring 20, except for being held in the release position by the actuation of the push rod 22 by the air cylinder 21, so when placing the empty can C on the tray 11, etc. The stopper 18 engages with the empty can C, making it easy to place the can.

In the above state, when a feed command is sent from the next process such as an automatic feeder for empty cans C, the busher 4 operates, that is, the timing belt 48 is driven by the pusher motor 47, and the busher bar 45 drives the tray. The empty cans C placed on the guide 11 are pressed from behind, and one empty can C located at the front of each of the multiple rows of empty cans along the guide 17 is pushed onto the rotating can transfer conveyor 5. be done. When it is confirmed by a photoelectric sensor etc. that the empty cans C in each row have been transferred normally onto the can transfer conveyor 5, the pusher 4 is stopped, and the plurality of empty cans C on the transfer conveyor 5 are then transferred to the end. When it is detected that all the empty cans have been transported, the transfer conveyor 5 is stopped.

After this, for example, all the empty cans are caught by a transfer device (not shown) and transferred onto another conveyor, thereby completing one cycle. After that, the empty cans Ct on the tray 11 are repeatedly pushed out using the pusher, and when there are no more empty cans on the tray 11, the stage of the tray 11 is automatically raised, and when all the empty cans on the final stage are sent out, they return to the original position and finish. do.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the empty can stocker device of the present invention, the can box truck itself carrying a large number of empty cans can be loaded into the can stocker using the can box truck.

This not only makes it easier to place empty cans on the tray on the can box trolley and set the can box trolley on the can stocker, but it also makes it easier to handle larger and heavier items than with conventional tray-only systems. This makes it extremely easy to store empty cans in a can stocker.

In addition, the can box cart is positioned and fixed on the storage table of the lifting device, and in this state the stopper installed at the front end of the tray can be automatically released, allowing empty cans to be fed to the next process. can be done reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are a front view and a plan view schematically showing an embodiment of an empty can stocker device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side view and a partially cutaway side view of a can box truck. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the main parts showing the relationship between the can box cart and the can transfer conveyor, etc., Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the main parts showing details of the stopper provided on the can box cart, and Fig. 6 is the configuration of the lifting device. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a mechanism for positioning and fixing the can box cart on the mounting table of the lifting device, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of essential parts showing the configuration of the pusher. 1. Can box trolley, 2. Empty can stocker, 3. Lifting device, 4φ pusher, 5.φ can transfer conveyor, 11 fist tray,
17・e guide, I8・stopper, 3011# mounting table 30, C・・empty can. Patent applicant Tsumura Juntendo Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A can box truck on which a large number of empty cans can be placed, and a can box truck that can be set at a desired position, and empty cans on the can box truck can be placed in response to requests from the next process. The can box truck is equipped with a multi-stage tray on which a large number of empty cans can be placed in an aligned state along a guide; A recessed stopper is provided in the empty can stocker to enable movement of empty cans at the empty can pushing position, and the empty can stocker is provided with a stopper that is recessed to allow the empty cans to be moved. An elevating device having a mechanism for positioning and fixing a can box cart on a lifting platform; a pusher for pushing out empty cans placed on a tray on the can box cart; and an empty can pushed out by the pusher. An empty can stocker device characterized in that it is equipped with a can transfer conveyor that transfers cans to a required position.