JPH05270590A - Cap transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a cap transfer device which can always keep the center of a cap at the central position of a cap holder even if the diameter of the inner peripheral face of the cap changes. CONSTITUTION:The cap transfer device is provided with an arm 50 which is movable back and forth and a cap holder 42 fitted in the arm 50. The cap holder 42 receives caps from a chute and delivers them to a line type capping head capping them on containers transferred on a line. A plurality of movable members 61 constituting a cap holder 42 are composed of magnets having the same polarity and hence, they are usually kept in the expanded position in which they are separated in the outward radial direction due to mutual repulsive forces. When respective movable members 61 are attracted against the repulsive forces by the magnets 63 having the same polarity, they are brought to the contracted position in which they are gathered to the central part by the cam hole 50a. Respective movable members 61 are fitted to the inner peripheral face of the cap and hence, the cap can be arranged in the central position of the holder in the expanded condition.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cap transfer device for transferring a cap from a sorter or chute to a capping head.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a line type capper has a conveyor for linearly conveying containers and a capping head for capping the containers conveyed by the conveyor. Then, the cap transfer device that delivers the cap supplied from the cap supply device such as a chute to the capping head is provided with a reciprocating operation member that is movable back and forth and a reciprocating operation member that holds the inner peripheral surface of the cap. A line-type system for receiving a cap supplied from the cap supply device by the cap holding means, and capping the cap received by the cap holding means into a container that is conveyed in a straight line. Of the capping head (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-138997). The cap holding means is generally manufactured from a pin-shaped cap holding member that engages with the inner peripheral surface of the cap and conveys it.

In this type of cap conveying device, when the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cap is changed, the center position of the cap with respect to the pin-shaped cap holding member is displaced accordingly. Since the capping head operates in synchronization with the cap holding member, if the center position of the cap with respect to the cap holding member shifts, the center position of the cap with respect to the capping head also shifts. If the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cap is greatly changed for enlargement, there is a risk that the cap cannot be smoothly transferred from the cap holding member to the capping head. In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a cap transporting device that can always maintain the center of the cap at the center position of the cap holding member even if the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cap is changed.

That is, the present invention comprises a reciprocating member provided so as to be movable back and forth, and a cap holding means provided on the reciprocating member for holding an inner peripheral surface of a cap. A cap transport device configured to receive the cap supplied from the device by the cap holding means, and to deliver the cap received by the cap holding means to a line-type capping head that caps the cap on a container that is transported in a straight line. In the above, the cap holding means is located at the contracted position so that the outer diameter of the cap holding means is smaller than the inner peripheral surface of the cap and the cap holding means is located at the expanded position. Provided is a cap transporting device, which is provided with a movable member having an expanded outer diameter larger than an inner peripheral surface of the cap. Than it is.

According to the above construction, by opening the cap holding means in the opened state with the cap received, even if the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cap is changed, the cap holding means brings the cap to the center position. Can be centered. Therefore, the cap can be smoothly transferred from the cap holding means to the capping head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a conveyer conveyor 1 is provided with a push bar 2 for positioning a container at predetermined intervals, and a container 3 is provided on the push bar 2. They come in contact with each other and are continuously conveyed in a state of one row with a certain space therebetween. A capping head 5 for capping the screw caps 4 on each of the five continuous containers 3 at the same time is arranged above the transport conveyor 1. The capping heads 5 are provided on the elevating frame 6 at the same intervals as the containers 3 conveyed by the conveyor 1, and can be driven to rotate in the same direction all at once by interlocking with a common motor 7 provided on the elevating frame 6. I am trying. Compressed air can be supplied to each of the capping heads 5 via a flexible hose 8 so that the cap 4 can be held when the compressed air is supplied and the holding of the cap 4 can be released when the supply is stopped. ing. The lifting frame 6
Is provided to be movable up and down along a guide rod (not shown) provided in the moving frame 9 in the vertical direction, and as shown in FIG. The screw shaft 10 that is axially supported is screwed. The screw shaft 10 is interlocked with a servo motor 14 provided on the moving frame 9 via a pulley 11, a timing belt 12 and a pulley 13 provided on the upper end of the screw shaft 10.
By reversing forward and backward, the elevating frame 6 and the capping head 5 can be raised and lowered according to the rotation direction. The movable frame 9 is arranged parallel to the conveyor 1 so that it can reciprocate along a guide rail 16 attached to the machine frame 15. A screw shaft 17 pivotally supported on the frame 15 is screwed onto the moving frame 9. The screw shaft 17 is a servo motor 18 provided on the machine frame 15 shown in FIG.
And the screw shaft 17 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions by the servo motor 18 so that the movable frame 9 can be reciprocated in synchronization with the container 3 conveyed by the conveyor 1. There is. Further, a support plate 21 is integrally attached to the lower portion of the moving frame 9, the supporting plate 21 is positioned below the transport conveyor 1 across it, and the transport plate 9 is transported along with its movement. It can be reciprocated along the conveyor 1. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the support plate 21 has a pair of container grippers 22a for sandwiching the containers 3 conveyed by the conveyors 1 at positions directly below the capping heads 5 from both sides in the conveying direction. 22b is provided. Of the pair of container grippers 22a and 22b, the transfer conveyor 1
The container gripper 22a located on one side of the movable member 23a
In addition, the container gripper 22b located on the other side has a movable member 23
b, one movable member 23a
Is attached to two parallel rack rods 24a slidably provided on the support plate 21 so as to be orthogonal to the conveyor 1.
The other movable member 23b is attached to each of the two parallel rack rods 24b which are arranged in close proximity to the rack rods 24a from one side. Gears 25 are respectively engaged between the facing surfaces of the rack rod 24a having one movable member 23a attached thereto and the rack rod 24b having the other movable member 23b attached thereto. Large diameter gear 27 and each gear 2 provided on the attached rotating shaft 26
Gears 28, which mesh with 7 in common, are interlocked with servo motors 29 provided on the support plate 21. Therefore, when the gear 25 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions by the servo motor 29, the rack rod 24a,
24b can be moved in mutually opposite directions, whereby the movable members 23a, 23b can be moved in mutually opposite directions, and the container 3 can be held by the pair of container grippers 22a, 22b. However, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each capping head 5 has a cap 4
The cap transfer device 35 for supplying the above-mentioned material is provided with a guide rod 36 provided on the machine frame 15 and a reciprocating operation member 37 provided on the guide rod 36 so as to be movable back and forth. As shown in FIG. 1, the guide rod 36 is arranged in parallel with the conveyor 1 at a position slightly lower than the capping head 5 located at the rising end position, and is adjusted to the height of the container 3. The position can be adjusted vertically. The reciprocating member 37 can be reciprocally driven between a pair of stoppers 38 provided at both ends of the guide rod 36 by a driving means such as a cylinder device (not shown). The reciprocating member 37 includes a conveyor 1
Two rotary shafts 39, which are arranged in parallel with each other, are rotatably supported in the vertical direction, one end of the swing arm 40 is attached to the upper end of the rotary shaft 39, and the above-mentioned transport is carried to the tip of each swing arm 40. A movable plate 41 arranged parallel to the conveyor 1 is rotatably attached, and further, five sets of cap holding means 42 are provided on the movable plate 41 at the same intervals as the capping heads 5 described above. A cylinder device 44 is provided between the lever 43 attached to the lower end of one of the rotary shafts 39 and the reciprocating member 37, and the movable plate 41 is kept parallel to the conveyor 1 by the cylinder device 44. It can be moved to a projecting position projecting to the transport conveyor 1 side and a retracted position retracted from the projecting position. 5 provided on the movable plate 41
The pair of cap holding means 42 are provided at the tip end positions of the arms 50, and each arm 50 is attached to the movable plate 41 so as to be vertically swingable by a pin 51 provided in the horizontal direction. Each arm 50 has a pin 5
It is set so that the side closer to the cap holding means 42 is heavier than that around 1, and the arm 50 is normally rotated counterclockwise in FIG. The side is supported by the movable plate 41 so that each arm 50 is in a horizontal state. Further, the cap holding means 42 is adapted to be moved forward / backward with the forward / backward movement of the reciprocating operation member 37 in a state where the movable plate 41 is located at the retracted position retracted from the transport conveyor 1 side. A chute 52 for supplying the cap 4 to each cap holding means 42 is provided above the central portion of the movement trajectory of the cap holding means 42. The chute 52 constitutes a cap supply device for supplying a cap to each cap holding means 42 together with a sorter (not shown). The chute 52 guides the cap 4 supplied from the sorter in the longitudinal direction, and The top cap 4 can be held at the tip of the chute. The height position of the chute 52 is set so that the cap holding means 42 provided on the arm 50 does not come into contact with the cap 4 when the arm 50 is in a horizontal state. The backward movement of each cap holding means 42 from the leftward end to the rightward end is allowed. In contrast,
When each cap holding means 42 is advanced from the rightward end to the leftward end, each arm 50 is tilted to raise the cap holding means 42, and the respective cap holding means 4 is moved.
2 is engaged with the cap 4 so that the cap 4 can be sequentially taken out from the chute 52. Then, in order to incline the arms 50, cam followers 53 are attached to the end portions of the arms 50, respectively, and the cam followers 5 are provided near the chute 52.
A movable cam 54 that can be engaged with the motor 3 is provided. The movable cam 54 is attached to a fixed rod 55 arranged in parallel with the guide rod 36 so as to be vertically movable via a pair of swing arms 56, and the movable cam 54 is coupled to the movable cam 54. 57 and a cylinder device 59 via an operating arm 58 swingably attached to the fixed rod 55.
The movable cam 54 can be moved up and down by operating the cylinder device 59.
When the movable cam 54 is located at the lower end position, the cam follower 53 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the movable cam 54 so that the arm 50 can be tilted to raise the cap holding means 42. I have to. Next, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, each of the cap holding means 42 is provided with four movable members 61 which are manufactured by dividing an inverted conical magnet into four equal parts in the circumferential direction. An inverted conical cam hole 50a in which the member 61 is formed on the arm 50
It is fitted inside so that it can move up and down. The magnets forming each movable member 61 have the same pole, are separated from each other by the repulsive force thereof, and ascend along the inclined surface of the cam hole 50a to be located at the ascending end. A ring-shaped stopper member 62 is attached to the opening of the cam hole 50a, and a stopper portion 62a formed by projecting radially inward at the upper end of the stopper member 62 is required on the outer peripheral surface of the movable member 61. By engaging with the engaging groove 61a formed at the position, the movable member 61 can be raised and lowered within the range of the engaging groove 61a. When each of the movable members 61 is located at the rising end, the outer diameter of the movable member 61 is larger than that of the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4 and is in an expanded state. On the other hand, the movable member 61
Are attracted by the magnets 63 of different polarities, and when the movable members 61 are lowered against the repulsive force between them, the movable members 61 are brought close to each other along the cam hole 50a, thereby The outer diameter of the movable member 61 is smaller than that of the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4 in a reduced state. The magnet 63
Is provided below the tip of the chute 52 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and as described above, each arm 50 is inclined and each cap holding means 42 is raised, whereby each cap holding means is raised. When the cap 42 of the chute 52 is engaged with the cap 42, the magnets 63 of the cap 52 can reduce the cap holding means 42. In the above structure, the rotation of the capping head 5 is stopped when the moving frame 9 is located at the retracted end, that is, the leftward end in FIG. 1, and the elevating frame 6 and the capping head 5 are located at the ascended end. ing. Further, each cap holding means 42 is in an expanded state to hold the cap 4, and the movable plate 41 is projected toward the transport conveyor 1 side by the cylinder device 44 and is located at the rising end position. 5, the cap holding means 42 is positioned immediately below 5, and the pair of container grippers 22a and 22b are in an open state. When the elevating frame 6 is slightly lowered from this state, the caps 4 are relatively inserted into the capping heads 5. At this time,
Cap holding means 42 in which the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4 is in an expanded state
Since the cap 4 is held by the cap holding means 42, the cap 4 is centered on the cap holding means 42, so that the cap 4 can be smoothly inserted into the capping head 5. When the cap 4 is inserted into the capping head 5, each capping head 5
Compressed air is supplied to the
Each capping head 5 holds the cap 4. When each capping head 5 holds the cap 4, the elevating frame 6 is slightly raised to forcibly take out the cap 4 from each cap holding means 42 in the expanded state, and in this state, the movable plate is moved by the cylinder device 44. 41 is retracted, each cap holding means 42 is retracted from the position directly below the capping head 5, and the rotation of each capping head 5 is started. Next, when five consecutive containers 3 are carried in between each pair of container grippers 22a and 22b, at the same time, the moving frame 9 is advanced at the same speed in synchronization with the containers 3, and thus the elevating frame 6 and The container grippers 22a and 22b are also advanced at the same speed as the container 3.
Further, the pair of container grippers 22a, 22
b comes close to each other to hold each container 3. Further, when the elevating frame 6 and the capping head 5 are lowered, the cap 4 of each capping head 5 is tightened to the container 3 by the rotation of the capping head 5. When the tightening of the cap 4 is completed, the rotation of each capping head 5 is stopped and the supply of compressed air is stopped, whereby each capping head 5 releases the holding of the cap 4.
Then, each capping head 5 is raised together with the elevating frame 6, and when the pair of container grippers 22a and 22b release the holding of the container 3, the moving frame 9 is retracted to the original position at a high speed. On the other hand, when each cap holding means 42 supplies the cap 4 to the capping head 5 and retracts from the position directly below it, each cap holding means 4
2 is moved to the retracted end on the right side of FIG. 1 by a cylinder device (not shown). At this time, since the movable cam 54 is located at the rising end, each cap holding means 42 moves the chute 5
The cap 4 is moved to the retracted end without coming into contact with the cap 4. When each of the cap holding means 42 is moved to the retracted end, the movable cam 5 is moved by the cylinder device 59.
4 is lowered to the falling end. When the cap holding means 42 is advanced in this state, the cam follower 53 of each cap holding means 42 engages with the movable cam 54 and the arm 50 is swung, whereby each cap holding means 42 is raised. Therefore, each cap holding means 42 engages with the cap 4 at the tip of the chute 52, and the cap 4 is sequentially taken out from the chute 52. At this time, as described above, the movable members 61 of the cap holding means 42 are lowered by the magnet 63 against the repulsive force between them, so that the outer diameter of each movable member 61 becomes smaller than the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4. Since it is in a small contraction state, the upper end portion of each cap holding means 42 can smoothly enter the inside of the cap 4 and take out the cap 4 from the chute 52. Then, after the cap holding means 42 takes out the cap 4 from the chute 52, when the cap holding means 42 passes above the magnet 63, the movable members 61 are separated from each other by the repulsive force between them and expanded. Since it is in the open state, the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4 is held by the cap holding means 42, whereby the cap 4
Is centered on the cap holding means 42. After that, when each cap holding means 42 is advanced to the forward end, the movable plate 41 is projected to the side of the conveyor 1 by the cylinder device 44, and in this state, the capping head 5 is retracted at the upper end. When the capping heads 5 are retracted to the positions, the capping heads 5 are positioned directly above the cap holding means 42, and the above-described operation is repeated thereafter, and capping is sequentially performed on every five containers. 10 and 11 show another embodiment of the cap holding means, and the cap holding means 142 of this embodiment is configured such that the movable member 161 is expanded and contracted by a cam mechanism instead of a magnet. In the present embodiment, the cap holding means 142 is provided with four movable members 161 which are manufactured by equally dividing a cylindrical member having a flange-shaped slide portion 161a in the lower portion into four in the circumferential direction, and each movable member 161. Slide part 161a of arm 1
It is slidably mounted on a fixed plate 165 provided on the stepped portion of the stepped hole 150a formed in 50. At this time, a ring-shaped guide plate 166 is placed on the upper surface of the fixed plate 165, and as shown in FIG. 11, the ring-shaped guide plates 166 project inwardly at four equal positions on the inner peripheral surface of the guide plate 166. Thus, the triangular guide portion 166a is formed. Each movable member 16 is attached to the guide portion 166a.
By abutting the corners of the first slide portion 161a, each movable member 161 is guided by the guide portion 166a such that it can be displaced forward and backward in the radial direction. The fixed plate 165 and the guide plate 166 are shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the ring-shaped lid 167 fixed to the upper surface of the arm 150 is fixed to the arm 150, and the upper surface of the slide portion 161a of each movable member 161 is slidably covered by the lid 167. By so doing, each movable member 161 is prevented from separating upward from the arm 150. A ring-shaped spring 168 is wound around the lower part of the shaft portion 161b of each movable member 161 in common, and in the state where the shaft portions 161b of each movable member 161 are gathered together by the elastic force of the spring 168. The outer diameter of each shaft portion 161b is smaller than the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4 in a reduced state. On the other hand, when the movable members 161 are pushed outward in the radial direction against the spring 168, the outer diameter of the shaft portions 161b can be made larger than the inner peripheral surface of the cap. Therefore, the conical cam member 169 is vertically inserted into the stepped hole 150a by penetrating the fixing plate 165, and the outer peripheral surface of the cam member 169 is formed. Further, the cam surface 161c formed on the inner surface of the lower portion of each movable member 161 is elastically contacted. At the lower part of the cam member 169, there is integrally attached a disc-shaped stopper plate 170 which is fitted in the stepped hole 150a so as to be able to move up and down and always holds the center of the cam member 169 at a fixed position. The stopper plate 170 and the arm 150
By mounting a spring 171 having a greater repulsive force than the spring 168, between the spring 168 and
The cam member 169 is urged and held at the rising end position against the resilience of the cap 4, so that the outer diameter of the movable member 161 becomes larger than the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4 in an expanded and expanded state. Further, a rod 175 is attached to the lower portion of a cam member 169 for expanding and contracting the movable member 161, and a pin 176 attached to the rod is attached to the triangular cam lever 1.
It is engaged with an elongated hole 177a formed at the tip of 77. The cam lever 177 has an intermediate portion at the pin 17 on the rear side in the forward direction of the arm 150 with respect to the rod 175.
8 is swingably connected to the arm 150, and the end portion of the cam lever 177 extends from the pin 178 toward the rear side in the forward direction and is provided with the slit 150b formed in the arm 150.
Extends obliquely downward and projects to the outside of the arm 150. The spring 1 for urging the cam member 169 upwards.
A plurality of 71 are mounted between the bottom of the stepped hole 150a and the cam member 169 at a position avoiding the slit 150b and the cam lever 177. And the cam member 169
In the state in which the movable member 161 is held at the rising end, the movable member 161 is moved outward in the radial direction by the cam member 169, and the outer diameter of the movable member 161 is larger than that of the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4 in the open / expanded state. In the present embodiment, instead of providing the magnet, a cam member 179 engaging with the cam lever 177 is fixedly provided at the position where the magnet is provided. The cam member 179 is moved by the forward movement of the arm 150.
77 by engaging the lower end of the cam lever 177 with the pin 1
It is adapted to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 10 about 78. As a result, the cam member 169 is integrally lowered via the rod 175, so that the movable members 161 are gathered together by the spring 168, and the outer diameter of the shaft portion 161b of each movable member 161 is adjusted to the inner peripheral surface of the cap 4. Can be smaller than. In the above embodiment, the displacement mechanism for relatively displacing the cap holding means 42 and the chute 52 moves the cap holding means 42 side with respect to the chute 52.
It is possible to displace the tip portion of the chute 52 with respect to 2 and prevent the cap holding means from contacting the cap at the tip portion position of the chute. In addition to this, the reciprocating member 37, the movable plate 41, and the arm 50 are integrally formed in a direction intersecting the conveyor 1.
That is, in FIG. 7, the cap holding means 42 can be provided directly on the reciprocating member 37 by allowing the cap holding means 42 to move back and forth in parallel with the plane of the drawing and in the vertical direction thereof. .. Further, although the movable member of the cap holding means is expanded and contracted by the magnet or the cam mechanism in the above embodiment, the invention is not limited to this. Even if the magnet and the cam mechanism are omitted, the cap can be pressed into the cap holding means, and the cap can be pulled out from the cap holding means by the capping head.

As described above, according to the present invention, by expanding the cap holding means, the cap can be centered on the cap holding means even if the inner diameters of the caps are different. The cap can be smoothly inserted from the cap holding means into the insertion hole of the capping head.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. 1 showing a partial cross section.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of container grippers 22a and 22b.

FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG.

5 is a right side view of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a cap transport device 35.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a cap holding means 61.

9 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a plan view in which a lid 167 of FIG. 10 is omitted.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... Container 4 ... Cap 5 ... Capping Head 35 ... Cap Conveying Device 37 ... Reciprocating Actuating Member 42, 142 ... Cap Holding Means 52 ... Chute (Cap Supply Device) 50 ... Arms 61, 161, ... Movable Member 63 ... Magnets 169, 179 ... Cam member 177 ... Cam lever

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Toshiyuki Omori 1-25-5 Nakashizu, Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A reciprocating member provided to move back and forth, and a cap holding means provided on the reciprocating member to hold an inner peripheral surface of the cap, wherein the cap supplied from a cap supply device is the cap. In the cap transfer device, wherein the cap is received by the holding means, and the cap received by the cap holding means is transferred to a line-type capping head that caps the container on a straight line. The cap holding means is located at a small position so that the outer diameter of the cap holding means is smaller than the inner peripheral surface of the cap, and the outer diameter of the cap holding means is located at the expanded position so that the outer diameter of the cap holding means is smaller than the inner peripheral surface of the cap. A cap transporting device comprising a movable member that is in an expanded state larger than that.