JPH0464968B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention provides a method for inserting a base plate into which a large number of chicken eggs, etc. are placed in rows and columns, from within a case in which the base plates are stacked alternately vertically and horizontally. This invention relates to an automatic transport device for eggs, etc., which picks up eggs one by one from above and sends them out onto a delivery conveyor so that they are aligned vertically or horizontally.

(Conventional technology) When transporting produced eggs in the process up to packing, a special egg platform (pallet) is used to place the eggs in the recesses between the concavities and convexities arranged in parallel vertically and horizontally. Several sheets are stacked alternately in multiple tiers and stored in a case, which is sent from a conveyor.However, when the base plate is taken out from the case and sent to processes such as washing and drying, the base plate is removed from the delivery conveyor (autoloader). Since it is necessary to take out the eggs arranged on the top using an automatic take-out machine, it is necessary to send out the alternating base plates with the vertical and horizontal directions aligned. Therefore, in the past, it was necessary to manually take out the base plates one by one from the case sent from the transfer conveyor, change the orientation, align them, and transfer them to the delivery conveyor, and this point became a problem. It was not possible to completely automate the entire process, which caused a major problem in terms of labor saving.

(Technical Problem) Therefore, in the present invention, when the base plate for placing eggs, etc., which are stored in multiple stacks in an alternating manner, is taken out from the case by grasping it with a chuck, the difference in vertical and horizontal widths of the base plate is utilized. The technical challenge is to detect the difference in width between the chucks and to control the movement of the chuck so that the chucks can be fed in the same vertical and horizontal directions.

(Technical Means) In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, the present invention provides a base plate in which a large number of chicken eggs, etc. are placed in rows and rows, and the base plate is stacked vertically and horizontally alternately in multiple tiers. It is a device that picks up the sheets one by one from the top using a chuck and sends them out onto a delivery conveyor so that they are lined up vertically or horizontally. A chuck, a chuck holder for holding the chuck so that it can move up and down, change direction, and traverse in the front-rear direction, and drive devices for elevating, changing direction, and traversing are provided on a fixed machine frame, and The chuck holder is equipped with a chuck opening/closing device consisting of a link mechanism.

(Function) Recesses 2 are formed vertically and horizontally on the upper surface of the base plate 1, and one chicken egg 3 is placed in each recess. They are stacked in stages and housed in the case 4. The length of one side of the base plate 1 is different in length a and width b, and b is larger than a. One case 4 accommodates base plates in two rows on the left and right. The case 4 has a recess 4a at the front and rear for inserting a chuck claw.

When the case 4 is brought to a position immediately below the chuck 5 and stopped, the elevating cylinder 7 is operated to lower the chuck holder 6 from above and the chuck pawl 5a is inserted into the recess 4a. Next, when the cylinder 8 for opening and closing the chuck is operated and the link piece 9 is pulled up, the link pieces 9, 9 are lifted so that the central joint 11 is bent upward with the left and right pivots 10 as fulcrums. The chucks 5, 5 rotate inwardly to clamp the uppermost base plate 1 from the front and rear directions. When the clamped base plate 1 is oriented vertically, the width b is wide, but when it is oriented horizontally, the width a is narrow, so the link pieces 9, 9 are bent more than when oriented vertically. A limit switch 12 is located at this greatly bent position, and is turned on at the same time as the bending, causing the detector to operate. A direction change command is issued by the action of this detector, and the chuck holder 6 is rotated 90 degrees around the support shaft 15 by the rotary cylinder 13. As a result of this rotation, the base plate 1 which was horizontally pulled up into the chuck becomes vertically oriented. Next, after the turning, the cylinder 16 for traversing is activated to pull the traversing table 17, and the traversing table 17 is guided by the traversing guide 18 and moves backward, so that the base plates 1, 1 held between the chucks are moved to the delivery conveyor 21. The base plate 1 is then lowered onto the conveyor 21 as the lift cylinder 7 is operated to lower it and the opening/closing cylinder is released to open the chuck. In this way, only the bed plates that are oriented horizontally are oriented vertically and are supplied one after another to the delivery conveyor, so that all the bed plates alternately sent from the transfer conveyor 20 can be aligned vertically.

(effect) The present invention has the following unique effects.

When supplying bed plates staggered vertically and horizontally to the delivery conveyor while holding them between chucks, the vertical and horizontal widths of the bed plates can be detected and automatically turned to align them in a fixed direction. It becomes possible to automate the entire process.

The work can be performed easily, reliably, and speedily without using any particularly complicated equipment as a detection device.

There is no need to use a special base plate for placing chicken eggs, etc., and an existing one will suffice.

The base plate is held between chucks, and a series of operations such as taking it out from the case, moving up and down, traversing, and changing direction are performed while being held between the chucks, so it is suitable for transporting easily damaged items such as eggs. It is safe, has no loss, and is highly accurate and reliable.

It has a relatively simple configuration and can be implemented at low cost.

(Example) The transfer conveyor 20 is driven by a motor (not shown) so that the case 4 is loaded from one end 20a and moved intermittently to the other end 20b at a constant speed.

The base plate 1 is a rectangular plate made of plastic or corrugated board, and has concavities and convexities formed vertically and horizontally on its upper surface to form recesses 2 in which eggs 3 are placed between the concavities and convexities. When the recesses 2 are formed in 5 rows vertically and 6 rows horizontally and stacked vertically, the top of the lower protrusion 2a contacts the bottom 2b of the upper recess 2, supporting the upper base plate. so that In this way, the eggs 3 in the lower row fit into the spaces between the unevenness and are held without being subjected to the load of the upper ones.

Although notches 2c are provided on two opposing sides of the base plate 1, this is not always necessary.

The machine frame 22 is fixedly provided so as to straddle the conveyors 20 and 21, and a transverse guide 18 consisting of two parallel rails is provided thereon. The transverse table 17 is held by this guide 18 so as to guide its movement in the front and rear direction.

The chuck holder 6 is suspended from the traverse table 17 in a downward direction via a rotary cylinder 13.

Further, an air cylinder 7 for lifting and lowering the chuck is provided in a downward direction on the traversing table 17, and its piston rod 7a is connected to the lifting table 24 on which the chuck holder 6 is attached.

The chuck 5 is provided with chuck pawls 5a projecting downward from the pivot shaft 10 so as to face each other, and when the chucks 5a are paired and moved outward at the same time, the chuck opens, and when moved inward, the chuck is closed. Become. The link pieces 9, 9 are constructed by connecting intermediate joints 11 with pins 11b through elongated holes 11a.
The pivots 10, 10 at both ends are fixed so that the distance between them does not change.

The cylinder 8 for opening and closing the chuck is operated by air or electromagnetic force to instantly pull up or push down one of the link pieces 9 to open and close the chuck. The cylinder 16 for traverse is horizontally fixed to the rear mounting part 25 of the machine frame 22, and the piston rod 16
a is connected to the traverse table 17.

At the rear of the delivery conveyor 21, there is provided an automatic take-out device (not shown) that takes out the eggs by pressing a suction cup-type take-out device onto the base plate 1 that is sent in the same vertical and horizontal directions. It will be done.

When the case 4 on the transfer conveyor 20 becomes empty after the base plate 1 is removed, it is discharged from the end 20b and collected. Further, the base plate 1 of the sending conveyor 21 is taken out by the egg 3 taking out device, and when it becomes empty, it is discharged from the conveyor end 21b and collected.

In addition, the chuck holder 6 has a hole on the base plate 1 inside the chuck pawl 5 in order to reduce the supporting load when the base plate 1 is held between the chucks, and to prevent intermediate deflection of the base plate due to support at both ends. A holder 27 is provided so as to adsorb and hold the chicken eggs 3 at the same time. A plurality of holders 27 are provided so as to correspond to the number of chicken eggs and the positions in which they are placed, and the number and positions can be increased or decreased as appropriate.

The holder 27 is made of a rubber serpentine suction tool, and it is installed on the bottom surface of the air box 28 so as to communicate with the inside thereof, and negative pressure is applied to the inside of the air box 28 through the piping 29 to apply it to the top of the egg 3. If the suction tool is pressed against the suction tool and air pressure is applied on the opposite side when releasing the suction tool, the suction force will disappear and the suction will be released naturally.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show embodiments of the present invention, the first
The figure is a perspective view of the entire device, the second figure is a plan view of the waist,
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the same, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the case, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the base plate. 1...Bedboard, 2...Recess, 3...Egg, 4...
Case, 5...chuck, 5a...chuck claw,
6... Chuck holder, 7... Lifting cylinder, 8... Opening/closing cylinder, 9... Link piece,
10... Pivot, 11... Joint, 12... Limit switch, 13... Rotary cylinder, 16
...Traversing cylinder, 17...Traversing stand, 18...
...traversing guide, 20, 21...conveyor, 22...
...Machine frame.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A case in which a large number of chicken eggs, etc. are placed in rows and rows, and the base plates are housed in multiple stacks alternately vertically and horizontally, and the base plates are taken out one by one from the upper one using a chuck. A device for sending out items so that they are arranged vertically or horizontally on a sending conveyor,
A pair of chucks that open and close while holding the base plate in the case from opposite sides, a chuck holder that holds the chucks so that they can move up and down, change direction, and move horizontally in the front and back directions, and Each traverse drive device is provided on a fixed machine frame, and the chuck holder is provided with a chuck opening/closing device consisting of a link mechanism, and the chuck opening/closing device is configured to control the opening degree of the chuck by varying the vertical and horizontal widths of the base plate. An automatic transport device for eggs, etc., characterized by being equipped with a limit switch for detection. 2. The automatic transport device for eggs, etc. according to claim 1, wherein one or more chuck holders holding the chucks are provided on one traversing table guided by a traversing guide, or a plurality of chuck holders are provided on the left and right sides. 3. The automatic transport device for eggs, etc. according to claim 1, wherein each driving device for opening/closing the chuck, raising/lowering, and traversing the chuck is constituted by a direct-acting power cylinder.