JPH0114126B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a disk feeder attached to a press for supplying material to the press.

The stack feeder loads materials onto pallets, transports them to the material supply station, and takes out the materials on the pallets from the top and supplies them to a press or other material feeding device. This is the device.

``Conventional technology'' Various types of stack feeders have been considered in the past, but in order to efficiently transport pallets loaded with materials to a material supply station, a conveyor is usually arranged in a rectangular shape and one side of the conveyor is placed on one side of the conveyor. Those equipped with a material supply station are often used. Conveyors include a combination of a chain conveyor and a roller conveyor, and a conveyor in which roller conveyors are arranged on two parallel sides, and carts are provided at both ends to carry pallets back and forth between the roller conveyors.

``Problems to be Solved by the Invention'' The above-mentioned conventional device moves one conveyor up and down relative to the other conveyor in order to transfer pallets between conveyors on each side of a rectangle or between a conveyor and a cart. In addition to the drive device for the conveyor or truck, a transfer drive device is required to transfer the material from the conveyor to the truck or from the truck to the conveyor.

Furthermore, since the pallet at the material supply station moves together with other pallets on the conveyor, it is impossible to move other pallets while the pallet at the material supply station is stopped. Therefore, even if a worker notices that there is no pallet loaded with material at the station one station before the material supply station and tries to feed a pallet loaded with material to that station,
It is necessary to wait until the material supply station runs out of material before driving the conveyor, and pallets loaded with materials cannot be lined up at the station one station before the material supply station and at the material supply station. There was a problem in that the pallet could not be smoothly exchanged at the material supply station after all the materials from the pallet were supplied to the press or the like.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks, eliminate the need for a delivery drive, and immediately transfer materials when the operator notices that there is no pallet loaded with materials at the station one station before the material supply station. To provide a stack feeder capable of supplying pallets loaded with materials to its station and smoothly exchanging pallets at a material supply station.

"Means and effects for solving the problems" The structure of the present invention has rollers for running the pallet on its upper surface, and a pair of running tracks that are parallel to each other and have the same length and run the pallets in opposite directions. established,
A material supply station is provided at the end of one of the tracks in the running direction, and a plurality of carts are provided that can freely travel back and forth between both ends of the track at right angles to the pair of tracks, and have rollers for pallet running corresponding to the rollers of the track on the upper surface. A plurality of claws are provided on each of the running paths, and are reciprocally movable along the running paths, are arranged at intervals slightly longer than the length of the pallet in the length direction, and are oriented in the running direction of the pallets and can freely appear and retract from the running paths; A movable body having a U-shaped locking portion at the rear end in the direction is provided, and each of the trolleys is capable of reciprocating in the same direction as the movable body, and at an end thereof in the feeding direction of the pallet on the trolley, It has a U-shaped locking part that engages and disengages with the locking part of the movable body at the rearward end when the trolley is running, and a claw that faces the pallet delivery direction at the other end and is retractable into the running path. The present invention is characterized in that a kicking plate is provided, and a claw disposed at the forefront in the pallet running direction on the movable body provided on one of the running paths is moved to just in front of the material supply station by the advancement of the movable body.

In order to send a pallet loaded with materials to the material supply station, the cart carrying the pallet is moved to engage the locking part of the locking plate with the locking part of the movable body, and the reciprocating movement of the movable body removes the tightness. The plate is also reciprocated, and by this reciprocating movement, the pallet is advanced one pitch at a time by the claws and sent to the material supply station.

When an operator notices that there is no pallet loaded with material at the station one station before the material supply station, the pallet loaded with material is sent to that station by reciprocating the moving body. In this case, the claw placed at the front of the moving body in the pallet traveling direction only reaches just before the material supply station as the moving body moves forward, but does not come into contact with the pallet at the material supply station, so it cannot move the moving body back and forth. Even if the pallet is moved, the pallet of the material supply station will not be pushed by the claw.

Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 5 show the structure of a disk feeder according to the present invention.

In FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, pallets 20, 20', . Runways 1 and 2 are provided on the floor parallel to each other and of equal length, and a plurality of rollers 25 are arranged in parallel on the upper surface to receive the pallet 20 and help it run. A material supply station 6 is provided on the running path 1 at the end of the pallet 20 in the running direction. The material supply station 6 is a place where the materials 8 on the pallet 20 are sucked and taken out by a vacuum cup 7 or the like that moves up and down one by one from above, and delivered to a press or the next feeding device (not shown). A pallet 20 is placed at the material supply station 6.
a stopper 18 for stopping the pallet at a fixed position, and a lifter 19 for pushing up the material 8 on the stopped pallet 20 and keeping the upper surface of the material within a certain height range.
and is provided. The stopper 18 is movable into and out of the running track by a fluid pressure cylinder 18a.

Moving bodies 3 and 3' are located in the center of each of the running paths 1 and 2.
is provided. The movable body 3 travels while being guided by guide rollers 26 rotatably provided on both sides of the guide groove 23, which are provided horizontally along the running path 1. A motor 9 for driving the movable body 3 is fixedly installed on the base of the runway 1, and is driven by a chain and a sprocket.
A pair of sprockets 1 rotatably installed on the machine base
Drives 0,11. A chain 12 is horizontally hung between sprockets 10 and 11 which are spaced apart in the running direction, and a plate 1 is attached to this chain 12.
3 is locked. The locking method is based on the vertical groove 1 of the plate 13 whose upper part is fixed to the movable body 3.
Slider and chain 1 held slidably on 3a
It is rotatably engaged with the second pin 12a.

When the motor 9 is rotated in forward and reverse directions at a certain number of revolutions, the plate 13 rotates approximately 90 degrees to the right from the top of the sprocket 11 from point P, which is approximately 90 degrees to the left from the top of the sprocket 10 in FIG. It reciprocates along the upper trajectory of the chain 12 up to point Q. As the plate 13 moves, the moving body 3 moves
It moves back and forth over a distance equivalent to the distance between PQ. When the motor 9 is rotated at a constant speed, the movable body 3 moves quickly at the intermediate point between points P and Q, and slowly near the points P and Q, so there are few shocks when starting and stopping the movable body 3.

The moving body 3 has a claw 14 for pushing the pallet 20.
is rotatably provided, and is configured by a spring 15 to face the running direction and to be freely retractable from the running surface. When the pawl 14 pushes the pallet 20, it is locked to the rear part of the pallet 20, and when the movable body 3 returns, the pawl 14 is pushed by the lower front part of the pallet 20 and sinks below the running path. Therefore, when the moving body 3 makes one reciprocation, the pallet 20 advances one pitch. A plurality of claws 14 are provided in the longitudinal direction of the movable body 3 at intervals slightly longer than the length of the pallet 20.

Of these claws 14, the claw 14 located at the forefront in the pallet traveling direction is designed to reach just in front of the material supply station 6 when the movable body 3 is moved forward to the right in FIG. 2 by the motor 9.

As shown in FIG. 3, the movable body 3' has the same structure as the movable body 3, with guide rollers 26 and springs 15 that fit into the guide grooves 23' provided horizontally along the running track 2, so that the moving body 3' can freely appear and retract from the running surface. multiple claws 14 of
In order to reciprocate the movable body 3', a motor 9', sprockets 10', 11', a chain 12' and a pin 12'a, and a vertical plate 13' whose upper portion is fixed to the movable body 3' are provided. A slider is provided which slides on the groove 13'a and the vertical groove 13'a and engages with the pin 12'a. Since the running path 2 sends the pallet 20 in the opposite direction to the running path 1, the direction of the claw 14 is opposite to that of the moving body 3.

Carts 4 and 4' are provided at both ends of the tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The bogies 4, 4' can run on rails 22 in a direction perpendicular to the tracks 1, 2, and travel back and forth between the tracks 1, 2. As shown on the right side of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the structure for running the vehicle is similar to the drive structure of the movable bodies 3 and 3', with a motor 9'' and sprockets 10'' and 11'' installed on the floor. ,1
A pin of the chain 12'' is engaged with a sliding element that slides in a vertical groove of a plate 13'' whose upper end is fixed to the carts 4 and 4'.

Rollers 25 corresponding to the rollers 25 installed in parallel on the tracks 1 and 2 are arranged on the upper surface of the carts 4 and 4', and a hard plate 5 is provided in the center thereof, which is movable in the same direction as the movable bodies 3 and 3'. , 5' are provided, respectively. The pusher plates 5, 5' are guided by the carriages 4, 4' and the tracks 1 or 2 in the same way as the moving bodies 3, 3' are guided by the tracks 1, 2, respectively. That is, guide rollers 26 are rotatably provided on both sides of the kicker plates 5, 5', and are adapted to guide grooves 24, 24' for the carriages provided in the carriages 4, 4'. The guide grooves 24 and 24' for the bogie are the guide grooves 23 and 23 of the running track 1 or 2, respectively.
23', and therefore the kicker plates 5, 5' are movable from the carriages 4, 4' to the running path 1 or 2. A U-shaped locking portion 5a is provided at one end of the knocker plate 5, 5' in the direction in which the pallet 20 is delivered to the running path 1 or 2 from the top of the truck 4, 4', and the movable body 3, 3' A locking portion 3a is provided at each rear end. When the carts 4, 4' travel toward the running paths 1, 2, respectively, the locking portions 5a of the locking plates 5, 5' engage with the locking portions 3a of the movable bodies 3, 3' at the rearward ends. When the moving bodies 3, 3' move forward along the running paths 1, 2, the moving bodies 3 and the tight plate 5, which are engaged with each other,
The movable body 3' and the kicker plate 5' both move one pitch and return again. That is, both locking parts 3
a, 5a engage and disengage as the carriages 4, 4' run, and when engaged, the movable bodies 3, 3' and the locking plates 5, 5' reciprocate while being engaged in their longitudinal directions.

A claw 14 having the same structure as the movable bodies 3, 3 is provided at the other end of the knocker plates 5, 5' so as to be able to move in and out from the running surface by means of a spring 15. The pawl 14 serves as a stopper for the pallet 20, and also serves as a stopper for the
pushes out pallet 20.

The carts 4, 4' are provided with stoppers 21, 21', respectively, and as shown in FIG. 5, the stoppers 21, 21', which are biased upward by a spring, protrude and retract from the lower surfaces of the locking plates 5, 5'. The locking plates 5, 5' are positioned at fixed positions on the carts 4, 4', respectively, in a state where the locking plates 5, 5' are freely adapted to the lower surface recesses of the locking plates 5, 5'.

Places G, F, where pallet 20 on runway 2 stops,
E is the material loading yard 16. Holders 17 are provided at the material loading yard 16, other places where the pallets 20 stop, and on both sides of the material supply station 6 to hold the pallets 20 from both sides and prevent them from shifting. This holder 17 is released when moving the pallet 20,
When the pallet 20 is stopped, it is structured to be held from both sides.

The effect will be explained below. A pallet 20 loaded with materials 8 is placed on a material loading yard 16. or an empty pallet 20 in the material loading yard 16
Load material 8 on.

When the motor 9' is started and the movable body 3' is reciprocated, the pallet 20 advances one pitch at a time until it reaches the top of the carriage 4. The motor 9'' corresponding to the bogie 4 is started and the bogie 4 is driven from the left end D of the track 2 to the left end C of the track 1.At this time, the locking portion 5a of the hard plate 5 of the bogie 4 is at the rearward end. The pallet 20 engages with a locking portion 3a of a certain moving body 3.
Each time the hardening plate 5 is reciprocated by the motor 9, it advances one pitch at a time, passes through C, B, and A in order and is fed to the material supply station 6.
The stopper plate 5 returns to the top of the trolley 4, and the stopper 2
1, and the trolley 4 travels from C to D.

The next pallet 20' is moved from E to D by the moving body 3'.
The truck 4 travels from D to C. The pallet 20' is C due to the moving body 3 and the hard plate 5.
It is sent from B to A. The hard plate 5 returns to the truck 4, and the truck 4 travels from C to D. The next pallet 20'' is sent from E to D by the moving body 3', and the cart 4 travels from D to C. In this state, it waits until the material supply station 6 runs out of material 8. That is, B is empty. However, pallet 20'' cannot be moved from C to B.
The reason for this is that if the moving body 3 and the knocker plate 5 are moved forward to move the pallet 20'' from C to B, the pallet 20' will push the pallet 20 and the pallet 20 will come out of the material supply station 6. Even if there is no pallet at B, there is a pallet 20' at A, so there is no problem in exchanging pallets at the material supply station 6.

When the pallet 20 in the material supply station 6 is empty, the pallet 20'' is transferred from C to B by the moving body 3 and the knocker plate 5.
0' is sent from A to the material supply station 6, and the pallet 20 of the material supply station 6 is pushed by the pallet 20' and reaches the truck 4'. Trolley 4'
travels from I to H, and the empty pallet is sent from H to G by the moving body 3' and the cutter plate 5'.
Material 8 is loaded. The trolley 4' travels from H to I and waits. The material 8 can be loaded at any of the material loading yards E, F, and G, depending on the operator's convenience.

The pallet 20'' supplied to B can be supplied to A by the moving body 3, or by the moving body 3 and the knocker plate 5, even after or without the next pallet being supplied to C. Therefore, two pallets loaded with materials can be lined up at station A, which is one place before material supply station 6, and at material supply station 6, and all the materials from the pallet at material supply station 6 are supplied to the press, etc. Pallets can be exchanged smoothly at the material supply station 6 after being replaced.

When the worker notices that there is no pallet loaded with material at A during the work of supplying material from the pallets at the material supply station 6 to a press, etc., the reciprocating movement of the cart 4 and the reciprocating movement of the moving body 3 Send the pallet to A. In this case, the claw disposed at the forefront of the pallet traveling direction of the moving body 3 reaches just before the material supply station 6 as the moving body 3 moves forward, and does not come into contact with the pallet of the material supply station 6, so that the claw is not moved. Even when the body 3 is reciprocated, the pallets on the material supply station 6 are not pushed by the claws 14, so that the pallets can be lined up in a predetermined manner at station A, which is one position before the material supply station 6, and at the material supply station 6. This allows for smooth pallet exchange at the material supply station 6.

``Effects of the Invention'' As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, (1) Since the movable bodies 3 and 3' are provided on the tracks 1 and 2, the pallet is delivered to the station A one position before the material supply station 6; It is possible to avoid a situation where there is no pallet, and it is possible to smoothly exchange pallets at the material supply station, which is extremely efficient.

(2) The truck 4, 4' is provided with a locking plate 5, 5' having a locking portion, and when the truck 4, 4' moves, the movable body 3, which corresponds to the locking plate 5, 5',
3', it is not necessary to provide a device for driving the knocker plate on the truck.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along DI in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along DH in the horizontal direction in FIG. YY sectional view of the figure,
Figure 5 is a front view of the stopper part of the truck. 1 is the running track, 2 is the running track, 3 is the moving body, 4 is the trolley,
5 is a hard plate, 6 is a material supply station, 7 is a vacuum cup, 8 is a material, 9 is a motor, 10 is a sprocket, 11 is a sprocket,
12 is a chain, 13 is a plate, 14 is a claw, 1
5 is a spring, 16 is a material loading yard, 17 is a holder, 18 is a stopper, 19 is a lifter, 20 is a pallet, 21 is a stopper, 22 is a rail, 23
is a guide groove, 24 is a guide groove for the trolley, 25 is a roller, 2
6 is a guide roller.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A pair of running tracks having rollers for running the pallets on their upper surfaces, provided parallel to each other and of equal length, for running the pallets in opposite directions; and a terminal end in the running direction of one of the running tracks. a material supply station provided in the pair of tracks; a plurality of carts provided at right angles to the pair of tracks and capable of reciprocating between both ends of the tracks and having pallet running rollers corresponding to the rollers of the tracks on their upper surfaces; A plurality of claws are provided on the running track so as to be able to reciprocate along the running track, are arranged in the longitudinal direction at intervals slightly longer than the length of the pallet, and can face the running direction of the pallet and can freely appear and retract from the running track. a movable body having a U-shaped locking portion at its rear end; and a movable body provided on each of the trolleys so as to be able to reciprocate in the same direction as the movable body, and a movable body having a U-shaped locking portion at the rear end thereof, and a movable body provided on each of the trolleys so as to be able to reciprocate in the same direction as the moving body; , having a U-shaped locking portion that engages and disengages with the locking portion of the movable body at the rearward end when the truck runs, and a claw that faces the pallet delivery direction and is retractable into the running path at the other end. a kicking plate, and the pawl, which is disposed at the forefront in the pallet traveling direction on the movable body provided on the one running path, reaches just before the material supply station as the movable body moves forward. Day stack feeder.