JPH05208727A - Aligning feeding device for a plurality of articles - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an aligning feeding device for a plurality of articles which prevents an article from falling owing to conveyance and prevents the occurrence of a flaw during conveyance by nipping the front and the rear of the article and performs stable and high-efficient high speed conveyance of articles. CONSTITUTION:An article delivering means 41 for receiving one block of articles 2 from an article outputting means 13 and conveying the articles from one side to the other side is provided and a suppressing member 18 for nipping the article 2 from the front and the rear for conveyance is provided. Thus, the article delivering means 4 for receiving one block of the articles from the article outputting means 13 and conveying the articles from one side to the other side prevents falling of the article owing to conveyance by nipping the front and the rear of the article and prevents the occurrence of a flaw during conveyance, and performs stable and high-efficient high speed conveyance of the articles.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to liquids such as beverages,
The present invention relates to an apparatus for aligning and supplying a plurality of articles used in the packaging industry for filling a predetermined bottle with seasoning liquid or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a supply device for articles, that is, a bottle supply device used in the industry for filling and packaging liquids such as beverages and seasonings into a predetermined bottle, that shown in FIG.

In this device 80, one bottle 81 is provided with a feed conveyor 84 obliquely intersecting with a conveyor belt 83 such as a belt provided with a plurality of rows of guides 82 each having a width of the bottle 81. Arranged so that a transfer path 85 that can pass therethrough is formed, and a large number of bottle groups placed on each row along the guide 82 on the bottle conveyor 83 are sent along with the transfer of the conveyor 83. The conveyor 84 sequentially sends the bottles to the transfer path 85, and the bottles 81 are lined up in the transfer path 85.
Was sent to the desired processing step by the transfer conveyor 86.

When the bottle 81 is transferred by the device 80, since the outer periphery of the bottle 81 moves on the bottle conveyor 83 while contacting the guide 82, the printing surface and the label are scratched and the commercial value of the bottle 81 is increased. Lower.

The last bottle 81 in each row of the bottle conveyors 83 does not receive the supporting force of the rear portion of the next bottle 81, so that the bottles often fall on the conveyor 81 due to vibration or the like. Also, when the bottles are clogged at the starting end of the transfer path 85 when they are sequentially aligned by the feed conveyor 84 and sent to the transfer path 85, the bottle posture must be repaired by the operator each time. The purpose of high-speed transfer of bottles is not achieved,
Further, since the worker must always be on standby in order to deal with bottle transfer failure in the vicinity of the device 80, labor saving cannot be achieved.

[0006] There are various problems such as.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and receives one block of an article from an article unloading means and transfers the article from one side to the other side. In the article delivering means to be held, while holding the front and back of the article to prevent the article from falling due to transportation,
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for aligning and feeding a plurality of articles, which is capable of performing stable and high-speed conveyance of articles at high speed without any scratches generated during transportation.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems The means of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is an article carrying-out means in which a large number of articles are accumulated and an article carrying-out means for connecting articles to the article carrying-out means. Article transfer means for receiving one block and transferring it from one side to the other side, and connecting to the other side of the article transfer means, the articles on the terminal end of the article transfer means are sorted into a predetermined row by a sorting member. And an article sorting and feeding means for transporting the articles to adjacent article feeding members.

The above-mentioned article delivering / receiving means is provided with a transfer member between the article unloading means and the article sorting / introducing means, and is brought into contact with the front and rear portions of one block of the article on the transfer member. A plurality of locking members for preventing the falling of the locking member, an operating member that is linked to the locking members to selectively move the locking members up and down to the side and the upper side of the article, and A restraining member including a moving member that moves forward and backward on the transport member and a stopper that is disposed at the end of the transport member and regulates the stop position of the transported article is provided above the transport member. ..

Further, the above-mentioned article sorting / feeding means is provided with a movable body which is movable forward and backward with respect to a horizontal guide, a movable body which is suspended from the movable body by an elevating member, and an interval between the movable bodies. The article distribution member includes a plurality of rows of suspension bodies connected at a predetermined interval by an adjustment member, and a plurality of gripping members respectively arranged below the suspension body. At the terminal end of the movement, the cradle laterally laid corresponding to each row of the suspension body, and the transport member arranged on the cradle to sandwich and transfer the front and rear of a plurality of articles delivered and received. And an article feeding member which is

[0011]

The apparatus for aligning and feeding a plurality of articles of the present invention constructed as described above has the following operation. The articles on the article unloading means are transferred by the stacking means to the article delivering and receiving means in the state of one block of articles.

In this state, the block-shaped article transferred onto the transfer member in the article transfer means is transferred from the start end to the end of the transfer member while being held between the front and rear by the restraining member, and at the end thereof, the front side thereof. The stop position of the product is positioned by the stopper.

[0013] Then, the gripping member of the suspension body of the article distributing member is made to correspond to a plurality of rows in the container group reaching the end of the transfer member, for example, four rows in a row, and the lifting member lowers the gripping member to lower the article group. After gripping each row in
Again, while moving the elevating member and the advancing / retreating member to move to the starting end of the article feeding member, the gripping member is adjusted by the interval adjusting means to adjust the pitch in the width direction according to the row of articles to be supplied, When the article group is placed on the cradle, preparation for delivery is ready.

Furthermore, if the article feeding member is operated, the number of articles
The products are transferred line by line to a desired process without causing the products to collapse.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an apparatus for aligning and supplying a plurality of articles according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 shows an outline of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention.
Which is provided at the beginning of the liquid filling and packaging line,
The article 2 supplied by the device 1 is a PET bottle or the like for filling and packaging soft drinks, fruit drinks, etc.
Article unloading means 3 in which a large number of items are accumulated, and the article unloading means 3
Basically, the article delivery means 4 connected to the above and the article distribution and delivery means 5 connected to the other side of the article delivery means 4 are connected.

The article unloading means 3 described above is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, one block in which a large number of articles 2 are arranged vertically and horizontally on a pallet 6 is formed, and a plurality of articles 2 are stacked on top of each other via a separator plate 7, and the elevating member 8
The articles are raised and lowered one by one to correspond to the transfer upper surface of the article delivery means 4, and a carry-in means 9 for delivering one block at a time is provided above the article 2 group.

The carrying-in member 9 engages with a lateral guide 11 supported by a column 10 or the like, with a moving body 13 which is movable forward and backward by an advancing and retracting means 12, and the article 2 is attached to one end of the moving body 13. A pushing plate 14 that engages with the rear side of the group is hung down, and a receiving plate 15 that abuts with the front side of the group of articles 2 is rotatably supported by a spindle 16 at the other end. Both plates are attached, and when carrying the articles to the means 4 for delivering articles,
14 and 15 push the group of articles 2 by the advancing / retreating means 12 while holding the group of articles 2.

The advancing / retreating means 12 is shown as a rack and pinion type in FIG. 3, but any conventional means such as a fluid cylinder type or a screw shaft type for advancing / retreating the moving body 13 can be adopted. It is possible, and also the receiving plate 15 described above.
After the second group of articles is transferred onto the article delivery means 4, the operation plate (not shown) flips up the support shaft 16 as a center, and when the moving body 13 retreats, the receiving plate 15 is moved to the second group of articles. It is configured not to come into contact with.

The article delivery means 4 is basically constructed by a transfer member 17 and a restraining member 18, and the transfer member 17 is, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, Provided between the article unloading means 3 and the article sorting / feeding means 5 to be described later to intermittently transfer the group of articles 2 from one side to the other side in a predetermined row, for example, four rows, A belt in which endless belts are stretched around the driving and driven rollers 19 and 20 or a conveyor in which an endless track type circulating member 21 is suspended is used.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the restraining member 18 comes into contact with the front and rear portions of one block of the article 2 group on the transfer member 17 to prevent the article 2 from falling sideways. Multiple (three sets in the figure) locking members 22, 2 to prevent
3, 24 are suspended by operating members 25, 26, 27 such as fluid cylinders so that they can be moved up and down, and the operating members 25, 26, 27 are screw shafts 29 horizontally mounted on front and rear mounting bodies 28, 28. , 30 and 31 are attached to moving pieces 32, 33 and 34 screwed together, and this screw shaft 2
The moving members 35, 36, 37 that can be numerically controlled by stepping, servomotors, fluid cylinders, etc. are linked to one end of 9, 30, 31 and stop them arbitrarily by controlling them. The position is controlled.

Further, a stopper 39 with an adjusting member 38 such as a servo motor is provided at the end of the transfer member 17, and the stop of the transferred article 2 is positioned by the stopper 39. The position can be appropriately adjusted in accordance with the outer shape change, that is, the outer diameter difference.

The above-mentioned article distributing / feeding means 5 is provided at the transfer end of the transfer member 17 in the article delivery means 3 and the start end of the transfer means 40 as shown in FIG. Block-shaped article 2 transferred in multiple rows
A predetermined row, for example, four rows of the group is supplied to the transfer means 40, and as shown in FIG.
41 and an article feeding member 42.

Of these, the article distributing member 41 is, as shown in FIG. 7, a suspension body 43, 43 which is associated with the movable body 42 in each of the rows.
... are connected at a predetermined interval by a space adjusting means 44, and a gripping member 45 of a vacuum type, a mechanical type by rotating the locking claws, or an air tube type is attached to the lower part of the suspensions 43, 43. A large number of 45 ... Are attached, and the movable body 42 is supported by a lateral guide 46.
It is suspended by 48 so that it can be lifted up and down, and by linking the advancing / retreating member 49 such as a servo motor to the moving body 47, as described above, the transfer end of the transfer member 17 and the start end of the transfer means 40 in the article transfer line. Can be moved appropriately.

Further, the interval adjusting means 44 is the suspension body.
The outermost one of 43 is screwed to a screw shaft 50 provided on the movable body 42, and the other one is loosely fitted to the shaft 50, and
A tuning member 51, such as a pantograph, for adjusting the respective spacing adjustments is linked to the upper part of the 43, 43 ...
By controlling and rotating 50 by a driving member 52 such as a stepping motor or a servomotor, an arbitrary pitch of the suspensions 43, 43 ... Can be obtained.

The article feeding member 42 is provided on the starting end side of the transfer means 40, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the pedestal 53 corresponding to each row (for example, four rows). 5 on both sides
4 and 55 are supported in parallel across the row of the second group of articles, and this link 5
Pushing piece 5 that abuts on the front end or the rear end of the second group of articles 4 and 55
6 and 57 are fixedly attached, and further, the connecting rods 54 and 55 are rotated by a rotating member 58 by stepping, a servomotor or the like and an advancing / retreating member 59 controlled by a stepping, servomotor, or a fluid cylinder or the like. Also, it is freely movable in the front-back direction.

Therefore, the operation of one embodiment of the device of the present invention will be described. In the article unloading means 3 in which the articles 2 are piled up in a predetermined manner, the bottom position of the article 2 group to be transferred by operating the elevating member 8 is referred to as the article. Transfer member in delivery means 4
It corresponds to the upper surface of 17.

Then, the pushing plate 14 and the receiving plate 15 of the carry-in member 9 are brought into contact with the front side and the rear side of the group of articles 2 which are one block, and the articles 2 are moved by vibration or inertia force caused by the transfer. Hold it so that it does not fall.

In this state, when the advancing / retreating means 12 is operated to move laterally along the lateral guide 11 onto the transfer member 17, a large number of article groups 2 are placed on the transfer member 17 in one block. It

Then, the restraining member in the article delivery means 4
The locking members 22, 23 of 18 are lowered and come into contact with the front side and the rear side of the group of articles 2 by the operation of the operation members 25, 26, so that they are held again and the transfer of the transfer member 17 is started.

At this time, the moving members 35 and 36 of the restraining member 18 are operated, and the locking members 22 and 23 also move at the same speed in synchronization with the transfer of the transfer member 17, so that it is shown in FIG. 6 (a). The group of articles 2 is transferred from the state to the position shown in FIG. 6 (b).

As shown in FIG. 6 (b), the locking member 23 in contact with the front side of the second group of articles is pulled up to above the articles by the operating member 26, and the moving member 36 is moved.
By means of the moving member 35, the locking member 22 is moved back to the starting end position of the transfer member 17, and at the same time, the locking member 22 is moved back to the locking member 22 located on the rear side of the article 2 group.
24 is also an article 2 which has completed the transfer of one block by the moving member 37
It moves to the rear side of the group and is brought into contact with the rear side of this group of articles 2 by the operation member 27.

By repeating this operation intermittently and sequentially, the group of articles 2 on the article unloading means 3 is transferred to the article delivery means 4.

On the other hand, the gripping members 45, 45 ... Of the suspensions 43, 43 ... Are made to correspond to the four horizontal rows in the article 2 group on the article passing means 4, and the lifting members 48 lower the gripping members 45, 45. After the second group of articles is gripped, the lifting member 48 and the advancing / retreating member are held.
The group of articles 2 is placed on the receiving table 53 by manipulating 49 to move it to the starting end of the transfer means 40 and adjusting the widthwise pitch thereof according to the two rows of articles supplied by the interval adjusting means 44. Then, preparation for the transfer to the transfer means 40 is ready.

Then, one of the connecting rods 54 is drawn out by the advancing / retreating member 49 on one side of the two rows of articles so that the pushing piece 56 is positioned at the front end of the two rows of articles, and the other connecting rod 55 is similarly pushed. After the 57 is positioned at the rear end of the second row of articles, the rotating members 58 are respectively operated to rotate the connecting rods 54, 55, that is, the pushing pieces 56, 57 inward, so that the front and rear ends of the second row of articles are moved. Since they come into contact with each other, when the advancing / retreating members 59, 59 are operated in this state, the article 2 group is smoothly carried to the transfer means 40 while being held by the pushing pieces 56, 57 in the front and back thereof without causing the article 2 to collapse. To be done.

Incidentally, in the pushing pieces 56, 57, the one positioned forward with the transfer, that is, the one that was in contact with the rear end of the preceding article group 2, is the next article supplied to the receiving table 53. By making contact with the front ends of the second group, a cyclical holding operation can be continuously performed. Further, the one positioned forward with the transfer is returned to the starting point by the advancing / retreating means 59 and is again described above. Performs the specified action.

[0037]

As described above, the apparatus for aligning and supplying a plurality of articles according to the present invention is capable of transferring a large number of articles at a time in the case of transferring an article group whose posture is likely to be unstable when placed on a transfer means or the like. In addition, even if the vibration or the inertial force during the transfer is received, the transfer can be surely performed without causing a fall accident of the article.

Further, since the transfer can be carried out without following the guides, there is no contact of the guides with the articles, and the printed surface or the label is scratched and the product value is lowered. There is nothing to do.

It has special effects such as.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing an example of an embodiment of an apparatus for aligning and supplying a plurality of articles according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which a part of FIG. 1 is omitted.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an article carrying-out means in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the article delivery means in FIG.

5 is a plan view of FIG.

6 is an explanatory view showing an operating state of a locking member in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing an article sorting and feeding means 5 in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing a conventional apparatus for aligning and supplying a plurality of articles.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 articles 3 article unloading means 4 article delivering means 5 article allocating / feeding means 17 transfer member 18 restraining member 22,23,24 locking member 32,33,34 operating member 35,36,37 moving member 41a article allocating member 41b Article feeding member 42 Movable body 43 Suspending body 44 Space adjusting member 45 Gripping member 46 Side guide 47 Moving body 48 Elevating member 53 Cradle 56,57 Conveying member

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An article unloading means in which a large number of articles are accumulated,
Article delivery means for connecting one block of articles from the stacking means to the article delivery means and transferring it from one side to the other side, and this article delivery means for connecting the article delivery means to the other side of the article delivery means An apparatus for aligning and feeding a plurality of articles, characterized in that it comprises an article sorting and feeding means for sorting the articles on the terminal end portion in a predetermined row by a sorting member and transferring the articles to an adjacent article feeding member. .. 2. The above-mentioned article delivery means is provided with a transfer member between the article unloading means and the article sorting / introducing means, and is brought into contact with a front portion and a rear portion of one block of the article on the transfer member. A plurality of locking members for preventing the falling of the locking member, an operating member that is linked to the locking members to selectively move the locking members up and down to the side and the upper side of the article, and A restraining member including a moving member that moves forward and backward on the transfer member and a stopper that is provided at the end of the transfer member and restricts the stop position of the transferred article is provided above the transfer member. The apparatus for aligning and feeding a plurality of articles according to claim 1. 3. The article sorting and feeding means described above comprises a movable body that is movable forward and backward with respect to a horizontal guide, a movable body that is vertically hung from the movable body by an elevating member, and an interval between the movable bodies. A plurality of rows of suspension bodies connected at a predetermined interval by an adjusting member,
An article distribution member including a plurality of gripping members respectively arranged at the lower part of the suspension body is provided, and the article distribution member is horizontally laid at the end of movement of the article distribution member so as to correspond to each row of the suspension body. 7. An article feeding member comprising: a pedestal and a carrying member that is arranged on the pedestal and transports a plurality of articles that are delivered and held between them. 1. An apparatus for aligning and supplying a plurality of articles according to 1.