JPH03195626A - Case transporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To supply empty case to the standby part without using human labor by transferring cases, which are loaded with sheets of paper in standby at the standby part to a transport means, and transferring empty case transported by this means to the standby part in unloaded condition. CONSTITUTION:When carrying-out of a case 21 loaded with mail has been done, a stopper 33 for supply of empty case shall be released. This supplies an empty case 21 to main conveyors 11, 11 from the empty case supply part 32. Immediately before this empty case supplied 21 reaches an appropriate transfer unit 16, it shall be put in contact with a stopper 19 of that transfer unit 16, which is situated downstream the named transfer unit 16, and be stopped on its conveyors 18, 18. Then the first named transfer unit 16 is lifted, and conveyors 14, 14, 18, 18 are operated in the direction moving apart from the main conveyors 11, 11 as opposite to the time when the case is carried out, and the empty case 21 is sent toward the applicable standby unit 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to, for example, a case conveying device for conveying cases containing mail items sorted by a mail sorting device.

(Prior Art) A mail sorting device is equipped with a large number of sorting/accumulating sections, and the mails are sorted and accumulated in these sorting/accumulating sections according to their postal codes.

Further, the mail pieces sorted and stacked in the sorting and stacking section are manually stored in cases or bags, and then transported to the next process.

Incidentally, in recent years, it has become common for cases and bags containing mail items to be mechanically transported to the next process for processing without manual intervention.

This mechanical transport device is a transport conveyor (transport means)
A large number of waiting sections are arranged on both sides of the conveyor along the traveling direction.

Cases for storing mail are set in the waiting section, and mail taken out from the sorting and stacking section are stored in these cases. The case containing the mail is automatically delivered onto the conveyor and transported to the next process.

Furthermore, in the waiting section which has become empty after the cases have been dispensed, empty cases are again set and put on standby.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, conventionally, when setting an empty case in an empty waiting section, the empty case had to be set manually each time, which caused the problem that it was time-consuming. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a case transport device that can supply empty cases to a case standby section without manual intervention.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes an empty case supply unit that supplies empty cases for storing paper sheets, and a system that transports the empty cases supplied from the empty case supply unit. A conveyance means, a plurality of standby parts arranged along the case conveyance direction on the side of the conveyance means for waiting cases for storing paper sheets, and cases with paper sheets stored in these waiting parts. and a transfer means for transferring an empty case transported by the transport means to the empty standby section.

(Function) With the above means, empty cases can be automatically supplied to the empty standby section by simply setting the empty cases in the empty case supply section.

(Example) The present invention will be described below with reference to an example shown in the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a mail sorting device, and numeral 1 in the figure is the main body of the device. An input section 2 into which mail items such as paper sheets are input is provided on one side of the device main body 1, and the mail items input into the input section 2 are taken out one by one by a take-out section 3. There is.

A reading unit 4 is provided at the lower side of the input unit 2, and the postal items taken out from the removal unit 3 are sent to the reading unit 4 via a conveyance path (not shown), and the postal code of the item is automatically read. It is designed to be read by .

A large number of sorted collection boxes 5 are arranged vertically and horizontally next to the reading section 4, and the mails are sorted and accumulated in these sorted collection boxes 5 according to their postal codes. It has become.

Only about 20% of the postal items whose postal codes have been read by the reading unit 4 are sent to the sorting and collecting boxes 5 . This transport system 6
A large number of sorting/accumulating parts 7 are arranged along the conveying direction on both sides of the paper.

In each of the sorting and stacking sections 7, plates 8, which are movable in the horizontal direction, are slidably disposed, and the mails to be sorted and stacked are moved and stacked while being guided.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, a main conveyor 11.11 as a conveying means is provided on the lower side of the conveyance system 6, and is connected to a subsequent process. The main conveyor 11.11 is run endlessly by a free roller chain 12.12 and conveys the case 21.

On both sides of the main conveyor 11.11, a large number of standby units 13 (for example, 40 sets) are arranged along the running direction, and these standby units 13 are provided with transfer means. A constituting conveyor 14.14 is provided. The conveyor 14.14 is configured to run in forward and reverse directions perpendicular to the main conveyor 11.11. The cases 21 are always set on the conveyors 14 and 14 of these standby units 13.

Further, between the main conveyors 11 and 11, a transfer unit 16 constituting a transfer means is installed between the standby units 13 and 11.
A large number (20) are arranged facing each other.

These transfer units 16... are control units (not shown)
The transfer unit 16 is moved up and down by a hydraulic cylinder 17.17 operated by a signal from the transfer unit 16. Furthermore, the transfer unit 16 is provided with a conveyor 18.18 and a stopper 19.

The conveyors 18', 18 are parallel to the conveyors 14.14 of the standby unit 13, i.e. the main conveyor 1
1.11, it is designed to run forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to that of 1.11.

Further, the conveyors 14, 14, 18, and 18 are operated/operated at arbitrary timing by signals from a control section (not shown).
It is designed to perform a stop F.

On the other hand, the main conveyor 11. 11(7) Neighborhood 1.
: is the optical sensor 2 at the installation interval of the transfer unit 16...
5... are arranged, and the position of the case 21 being conveyed is detected from the main conveyors 11, 111.

Also, the presence or absence of the case 21 in the standby unit 13,
An optical sensor 22 for detecting whether the case 21 is installed correctly, and the transfer unit 16.
... includes a sensor 23 for detecting the completion of the merging of the conveyor 14, 14 or the lano case, and a sensor 24 for detecting the upper end and upper end of the up and down reciprocating movement of the transfer unit 16.
etc. are provided.

Incidentally, an empty case supply section 32 is connected to the upstream side of the main conveyor 11.11.

A large number of empty cases 21 are set in this supply section 32,
The most empty case 21 is brought into contact with a stopper 33 and stopped.

By releasing the stopper 21, the empty case 2
1 is sent out one by one to the main conveyor 11.11.

Therefore, the mail 31 that has been sorted by the sorting device is
First, it is stored in the case 21 on the standby unit 13 manually or automatically. Thereafter, a payout button (not shown) of the standby unit 13 is turned on. At this time, the control unit controls the sensor 2 of the main conveyor 11.11.
When the main conveyor 11.11 determines that there is an empty space for merging between the cases 21 being transported by the signal No. 2, the transfer unit 16 moves to the hydraulic cylinder 17.2 in the state shown in FIG. 4(a). It rises due to the action of 17,
The conveyor 18.18 is raised until it reaches its upper end point as shown in FIG. 4(b).

Further, at this time, the case 21 being transported on the upstream main conveyor 11.degree. 11 comes into contact with the stopper 19 of the transfer unit 16 and is temporarily stopped until the transfer is completed.

From this state, the conveyor 14.14 of the standby unit 13 and the conveyor 18.18 of the transfer unit 16 are moved as shown in FIG.
As shown in c), the main conveyor 11. ．． 11 and transports the case 21 containing the mail onto the transfer unit 16. When the completion of the transfer of the case 21 is detected by the signal from the sensor 23, the conveyor 14.14.18.18 is stopped, the transfer unit 16 is lowered, and the conveyor 18.18 is moved to the lower end point. be done. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(d), the case 21 on the conveyor 18.18 is placed on the conveyance surface of the main conveyor 11°11, and the case 21 and the case 21 that was stopped upstream are Main conveyor 1
Due to the conveying force of 1.11, the main conveyor 11.
11 in the downstream direction.

By the way, when the case 21 is delivered and transported, the control section releases the empty case supply stopper 33 which is in the state shown in FIG. 3(c) at the time when the case 21 is delivered. As a result, the empty cases 21 are supplied from the empty case supply section 32 to the main conveyor 11.11. Immediately before the supplied empty case 21 arrives at the corresponding transfer unit 16, as shown in FIG.
Conveyor 18.18 of the unit 16 in contact with 9.
stop at the top. After that, the transfer unit 16 is raised as shown in FIG. 5(b), and the conveyor 14°14.18.18 is moved away from the main conveyor 11.11 in the opposite direction to when discharging cases. Figure 5 (c)
), the empty case 21 is placed in the standby unit 13.
send to the side Then, as shown in FIG. 5(d) and FIG. 3(c), when the transfer of the empty case 21 is completed, the transfer unit 16 descends, and the case 21 is moved downstream again by the main conveyor 11.11. transported to.

As described above, the empty case supply unit 32 is filled with the empty case 21.
By simply supplying the main conveyor 11.11, it can be automatically supplied to the empty standby unit 13, which eliminates the time-consuming process required in the past (and improves work efficiency).

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, by simply replenishing the empty case standby section with empty cases as needed, the cases can be moved to a predetermined location after being dispensed in a short period of time without interfering with the dispensing operation. Moreover, it has the effect of being able to automatically supply empty cases.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conveying means and a transfer means, Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view showing a mail sorting device, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an empty case. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the dispensing operation of a case containing mail items, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the conveyor when an empty case is supplied. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Main conveyor (transportation means), 13... Standby unit (standby part), 14... Conveyor (transfer means), 16... Transfer unit (transfer means), 21...
Empty case, 32... Empty case supply section. (a) (b) (c) Figure J (a) Figure 4 (b) (C) (d) Figure (a) (b) 4 (C) Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] An empty case supply section that supplies empty cases for storing paper sheets, a conveyance means that conveys the empty cases supplied from the empty case supply section, and a conveyance means arranged along the case conveyance direction on the side of the conveyance means. a plurality of standby units in which cases for storing paper sheets are placed on standby, and cases in which paper sheets have been stored, which are waiting in these standby units, are transferred to the above-mentioned conveyance means, and empty cases conveyed by the above-mentioned conveyance means; 1. A case transport device comprising: a transfer means for transferring a case to an empty standby section.