JPH0569923A - Centering device for pallet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To safely and assuredly center a pallet loaded with baggages on a conveyer. CONSTITUTION:A pallet 15 on a conveyer 11 is lifted by a lifter mechanism 18. When the pallet 15 is lifted by the lifter mechanism 18 and is released from the conveyer 11, a centering roller 37 of a centering mechanism 31 is abutted on both side surfaces of the pallet 15 so that the pallet 15 is sandwiched therebetween, and set to the center part of the conveyer 11. The pallet 15 thus centered is lowered by the lifter mechanism 18, and is returned on the conveyer 11 while it is in the centered condition.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a centering device for positioning a pallet at the center of a conveyor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an automatic warehouse or the like, a pallet is sometimes used to convey goods by a conveyor. That is, the parcel is transferred onto a conveyor by a forklift or the like while being carried on a pallet and conveyed. At this time, if the pallet is displaced from the center position with respect to the conveyor, when the load is placed on the shelf by the stacker crane fork or the like in the next process, the load on the pallet collides with the shelf and the transfer work is smooth. No longer done. For this reason, the pallet must be placed exactly at the center of the conveyor.

[0003]

However, the work of accurately transferring the pallet to the central position of the conveyor by the forklift is difficult and requires skill. The present invention is
The purpose of the present invention is to enable safe and reliable centering of a pallet on which a load is placed on a conveyor and to simplify the transfer operation to the conveyor by a forklift or the like.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pallet centering device according to the present invention is a lifting mechanism for raising a pallet on a conveyor to release it from the conveyor and for lowering the raised pallet so as to return to the conveyor. And a positioning mechanism that abuts on both sides of the lifted pallet and determines the pallet at the center position of the conveyor.

[0005]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the chain conveyor 11
Is formed by winding an endless roller chain 13 around each of a pair of frame 12 made of channel steel provided in parallel with each other. These roller chains 13 are synchronously driven by a drive source (not shown), and the pallet 15 and the load 1 are loaded.
6 is conveyed.

Between the frames 12 of the chain conveyor 11, an elevating mechanism 18 for elevating the pallet 15 on which the luggage 16 is placed is provided. The elevating mechanism 18 actually elevates and lowers the operating part 22 in which a plurality of free rollers 21 are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor in the box-shaped frame, and the operating part 22, and thus the pallet 15 (luggage 16) thereon. And a drive unit (not shown). The drive unit is composed of a pneumatic cylinder, a known guide mechanism, and the like.

A link mechanism 25 for driving a positioning mechanism 31, which will be described later, is provided below the elevating mechanism 18.
The link mechanism 25 includes a disc 27 that is horizontally supported rotatably about its center as a rotation axis, a pneumatic cylinder 28 that rotationally drives the disc 27, and 180 in the diameter direction on the disc.
A pair of connecting rods 29, one end of each of which is connected by a universal joint or the like, are provided at positions facing each other.

The positioning mechanism 31 is used for the chain conveyor 1
Brackets 3 attached to both sides of the frame 12
3 has a pair of dogleg shaped link members 35 rotatably supported at the centers thereof. The other ends of the connecting rods 29 of the link mechanism 25 are connected to the lower portions of both link members 35, respectively. On the other hand, a pair of centering rollers 37 extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor 11 are provided on the upper portions of both link members 35.

On both sides of the frame 12 of the chain conveyor 11, pallets 15 conveyed by the conveyor 11 are provided.
Guide rollers 40 for guiding both sides of the roller are arranged at predetermined intervals. In these guide rollers 40, the centering roller 37 is in the non-operating position (the retracted position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2).
When the pallet 15 is in the centering roller 37
It also has the function of preventing collision with.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment having the above construction will be described with reference to FIG. The pallet 15 on which the luggage 16 is placed is placed on the chain conveyor 11 by a not shown forklift or the like. In this case, the pallet 15 does not have to be accurately placed at the central position on the chain conveyor 11 as in the conventional case. Now, when the pallet 15 is conveyed to a predetermined position on the chain conveyor 11,
A sensor (not shown) detects this and the chain conveyor 1
1 stops ((a) in the figure).

Then, the operating portion 22 of the elevating mechanism 18 is raised to raise the pallet 15 and the load 16.
As a result, the pallet 15 is transferred from the top of the chain conveyor 11 onto the rollers 21 of the operating section 22 ((b) in the figure).

Then, the disc 27 is rotationally driven by a predetermined angle by the pneumatic cylinder 28 (FIG. 1) of the link mechanism 25, and the connecting rods 29 having one end connected to the disc 27 are pushed outward. As a result, the connecting rod 29
The link members 35 connected to the other ends of the two are rotationally driven so that the centering rollers 37 of their upper side parts approach each other. As a result, each centering roller 37
Contacts the side surfaces of the pallet 15 located above the conveyor 11 and sandwiches the pallet 15 between them.
Is set to the center position (FIG. 7 (c)).

Since the pallet 15 is supported by a plurality of free rollers 21 of the elevating mechanism 18, and the pallet 15 on which these rollers 21 are positioned is rotated toward the moving side, the pallet 15 is centered smoothly. Done.

Then, the operating portion 22 of the elevating mechanism 18 descends, so that the pallet 15 on the rollers 21 descends together. At this time, the centering rollers 37 sandwiching both sides of the pallet 15 rotate around the axis thereof, so that the pallet 15 descends smoothly while being centered. When the operating portion 22 of the elevating mechanism 18 returns below the frame 12, the pallet 15 is released from the operating portion 22 and transfers onto the chain conveyor 11 ((d) in the figure).

When the pallet 15 is returned to the conveyor 11, the centering rollers 37 on both sides are spread outward and retracted to the standby position. Then, the pallet 15 on the appropriately centered conveyor 11 is transported to the downstream side by the conveyor 11 whose operation is restarted.

As described above, in this embodiment, the pallet 15 is centered on both sides above the chain conveyor 11 without difficulty, and the centered pallet 15 is lowered as it is and returned to the conveyor 11. Is configured to get. Therefore, pallet 1
Even if 5 is not placed exactly in the center position on the chain conveyor 11, this pallet 15 is safe and reliable,
Then, since it is accurately centered and returned onto the conveyor 11, a situation in which it is caught by another device or the like does not occur in the subsequent transfer process. That is, according to the present embodiment, the transfer work onto the conveyor 15 by a forklift or the like is simplified and the work efficiency is improved.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to center a pallet on which a load is placed safely and reliably on the conveyor, and to easily transfer the pallet to the conveyor by a forklift or the like. It becomes possible to do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a pallet centering device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment apparatus seen from the longitudinal direction of the conveyor along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation of the embodiment apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Chain Conveyor 15 Pallet 16 Luggage 18 Lifting Mechanism 21 Roller 31 Positioning Mechanism 37 Centering Roller 40 Guide Roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A lifting mechanism for raising a pallet on a conveyor to release it from the conveyor and lowering the raised pallet so as to return to the conveyor, and abutting both sides of the raised pallet. hand,
A pallet centering device, comprising: a positioning mechanism for positioning the pallet at the center position of the conveyor.