JPH0585619A - Article accumulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an article accumulation device of which the article entry time length is greatly shorter than that of a conventional device. CONSTITUTION:The article accumulation device comprises a belt conveyor 30 which extends substantially in parallel with an article conveyance member 20 and in adjoining relation to an article reception section 26 of the device, and a pusher 32 which, when a specified number of articles are supplied to and arranged on the belt conveyor, pushes the article onto the article conveyance member 20 via the article reception section 26. When the pusher 32 is returned from its position where it pushes out the article to its original position, the pusher 32 is permitted to pass over the belt conveyor to such an extent that it is not engaged with the article on the belt conveyor. By this, since the pusher 32 is caused to pass the mentioned path when the pusher 32 is returned, it is possible to cause another article to be carried onto the belt conveyor at the time when the pusher has pushed out the preceding article. This makes it possible to greatly shorten the article entry time length.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to, for example, a product set in a production line for accumulating or discharging a product flowing in the line without stopping the flow of the line. The present invention relates to an article storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-32362 discloses such an article storage device, which has a configuration generally shown in FIGS. That is, the apparatus is mounted on a frame 10, a plurality of fixed sprockets 12 rotatably mounted at predetermined positions on the left and right frame portions of the frame (in the example shown, mounted on a movable plate 14 which is vertically movable). ) Multiple movable sprockets 16
And a pair of endless chains 18 that are respectively hung on the left and right fixed and movable sprockets and driven in a substantially vertical plane, and a plurality of articles that are set substantially horizontally with a predetermined interval between the endless chains. The conveying member 20 and a driving unit that rotationally drives the sprocket (in the illustrated example,
A first motor 22 and a second motor 24), an article receiving portion 26 that receives the article A from the outside onto the article conveying member 20 that is moved in the frame, and the article conveying member that is moved in the frame. And an article ejecting section 28 for ejecting an article to the outside.

In this apparatus, if the first motor 22 is driven with the second motor 24 stopped and the sprocket 12 connected to the motor is rotated clockwise (as viewed in FIG. 1), The length of the lower chain portion 18 'between the two sprockets connected to the first and second motors is reduced, whereas the length of the upper chain portion 18''between the sprockets is increased. Therefore, a large number of articles are stored and accumulated in this upper portion.

On the contrary, if the second motor 24 is driven while the first motor 22 is stopped, the upper portion 18 '' of the chain is moved toward the lower portion 18 'and accumulated. The article A is sent to the article discharge unit 28.

As an apparatus for supplying the article A onto the article conveying member 20 of such an apparatus, the article receiving section 2
6 and a belt conveyor 30 set to extend substantially parallel to the article conveying member 20, and when a predetermined number of articles are supplied and arranged on the belt conveyor, the articles are passed through the article receiving section. Some include a pusher 32 that pushes out onto the article conveying member 20.

Since the pusher in such an apparatus pushes out the article A on its outward path and returns to the original position through the reverse path on the same path as the outward path, the pusher reciprocates. Until completed, stoppers prevent new articles from being conveyed on the portion of the belt conveyor corresponding to the article receiving section 26.

Therefore, it is desirable from the standpoint of improving the article loading speed that the stopper prevents the article loading from being stopped as soon as possible.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide an article accumulating device capable of significantly shortening the stopping time of articles by a stopper as compared with the conventional one.

[0009]

That is, the device according to the present invention comprises a frame, a plurality of fixed sprockets rotatably mounted at predetermined positions on the frame, and a movable sprocket movably mounted on the frame, and the fixed and movable sprockets. An endless chain that is hung and driven in a substantially vertical plane, a plurality of article conveying members that are set substantially horizontally to each other at a predetermined distance from each other, drive means that rotationally drives the sprocket, An article receiving section that receives articles from the outside on the article transporting member that is moved in the frame, a belt conveyor that is adjacent to the article receiving section and is set to extend substantially parallel to the article transporting member, and the belt. When a predetermined number of articles are fed and arranged on the portion of the conveyor corresponding to the article receiving section, the articles are passed through the article receiving section. A pusher for pushing the article on the belt conveyer through the article receiving section onto the article conveying member, and a pusher on the opposite side of the article receiving section of the belt conveyor. An article accumulating device having a pusher movable between two positions and an article discharging section for discharging an article from the article conveying member moved in the frame to the outside, wherein the pusher comprises: , So that when it returns from the first position to the second position, it is adapted to be passed above the conveyor to such an extent that it does not engage the article on the belt conveyor.

[0010]

The apparatus according to the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, and when the pusher returns from the first position to the second position, it passes through a path which does not engage the article on the belt conveyor. Therefore, when the pusher pushes the article from the belt conveyor onto the article conveying member, the stop of the article due to the stopper of the article supply to the conveyor can be released, and therefore the article accumulating device in comparison with the conventional device. It is possible to significantly reduce the carrying-in speed of the article into the container.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

The article storage device according to the present invention is basically similar to the general article storage device described above, and includes a frame 10, a plurality of fixed sprockets 12 rotatably mounted at predetermined positions of the frame, and a movable body. A plurality of movable sprockets 16 mounted on the endless chain, an endless chain 18 hung on the fixed and movable sprockets and driven in a substantially vertical plane, and set substantially horizontally along the endless chain at predetermined intervals. Plurality of article transport members 20
And drive means 22 and 2 for rotating the sprocket.
4, an article receiving section 26 that receives an article from the outside on the article conveying member that is moved in the frame, and a belt that is adjacent to the article receiving section and extends substantially parallel to the article conveying member. A pusher that pushes out the articles through the article receiving section and onto the article conveying member when a predetermined number of articles A are supplied and arranged on the conveyor 30 and a portion of the belt conveyor corresponding to the article receiving section 26. The article receiving section 2
And a pusher 32 movable between a first position pushed out onto the article conveying member 20 through 6 and a second position on the opposite side of the article receiving portion of the belt conveyor, and moved in the frame 10. And an article ejecting section 28 for ejecting the article A from the article conveying member 20 to the outside.

In such an apparatus, according to the present invention, when the pusher returns from the first position to the second position, the pusher passes over the belt conveyor 30 to the extent that it does not engage with the article. It is characterized in that it is done as is done.

That is, in the illustrated embodiment, the pusher 32 is fixed to the slider 36, which is attached to the fixed frame 34 so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction, and the pusher 32 is fixed to the frame 34. Part 2
6, a piston-cylinder device 38 for pushing back toward the slider 6, a pusher body 40 pivotally attached to the tip of the slider, and a tip of the slider for pivoting the pusher body with respect to the slider. And a piston cylinder device 42 set between the portion and the pusher body.

In this apparatus, in order to push out the article A on the belt conveyor 30 onto the article conveying member 20,
The pusher body 40 in the position of Fig. 3a is moved by the piston cylinder device 38 to the position in Fig. 3b. At the moment of pushing out, the piston cylinder device 42 is actuated, the pusher body is pivoted upward on the slider, and at the same time, the piston cylinder device 38 is actuated to return the pusher body to its original position (Fig. 3c).

Therefore, in this apparatus, when the pusher main body pushes the article A onto the article conveying member 20, a new article is supplied on the part of the belt conveyor corresponding to the article receiving section 26 until then. The stopper that has been blocked is removed, and the article A can be carried into the same portion.

In the above embodiment, the pusher body is pivoted by the piston cylinder device 42 so that the pusher body is passed over the article on the belt conveyor when the body is pulled back. It is not always necessary to use the piston-cylinder device as described above in order to pass such a path, and for example, cam mechanisms are provided on both sides of the pusher body so that the pusher body can be moved by the mechanism. You can

As is clear from the above description, in the apparatus according to the present invention, the pusher pushes the article onto the article conveying member and at the same time, a new article can be carried onto the belt conveyor. The article carry-in speed to the storage device can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional one.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the article storage device according to the present invention showing the basic configuration thereof.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the article storage device as viewed from the article receiving section side.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the main part of the article supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing the operation of the main part when viewed from the side thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 --- Article storage device, 20 --- Article transport member, 26
--- Article receiving part, 30 --- Belt conveyor, 32
--- Pusher.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A frame (10), a plurality of fixed sprockets (12) rotatably mounted at predetermined positions on the frame, and a plurality of movable sprocket (16) movably mounted, and these fixed and movable. An endless chain (18) which is hung on a sprocket and driven in a substantially vertical plane, and a plurality of article conveying members (2) which are set substantially horizontally along the endless chain at predetermined intervals.
0) and a drive means (2) for rotationally driving the sprocket.
2, 24), an article receiving section (26) for externally receiving an article on the article conveying member moved in the frame, and an article conveying member (2) adjacent to the article receiving section.
0) and a belt conveyor (30) set to extend substantially parallel to the belt conveyor and a portion corresponding to the article receiving portion of the belt conveyor, when a predetermined number of articles are fed and arranged, A pusher (32) for pushing the article onto the article conveying member through the article receiving section (26), wherein the article on the belt conveyor (30) is received by the article receiving section (26).
A pusher (32) that is movable between a first position that is pushed out onto the article conveying member (20) through the and a second position on the opposite side of the article receiving portion of the belt conveyor;
The article conveying member (20) moved in the frame
An article accumulating device (28) for ejecting an article from the article to the outside, wherein the pusher includes an article on the belt conveyor when the pusher returns from the first position to the second position. To the extent that it does not engage
An article accumulating device which is adapted to be passed over the belt conveyor.