JPH0699922A - Rubber band feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To offer a rubber band feeder capable of certainly performing transfer of rubber bands one by one and delivery of them to an expander. CONSTITUTION:A rubber band feeder is provided with a path 101 corresponding to the cross section of a piece of rubber band and a vibrator 201 which impose vibrations to the path 101 to transfer the rubber bands. A rotary device 301 with a rotary plate is mounted at the front end of the path 101, and the rubber bands discharged from the path 101 are put on the rotary plate. The rubber bands fall down on a specified position as the rotary plate rotates. An expander is installed at the falling position, so that time rubber bands are certainly taken over to the expander.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rubber band supply device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Rubber bands are widely used as a simple binding means for articles, but a device capable of automating the binding has not been sufficiently improved. For example, as a method of enlarging the diameter of a rubber band, it is sufficient to support the rubber band at a plurality of points and move it in the radial direction, but the rubber bands are automatically attached to the supporting means one by one. Was difficult. This is because it is highly flexible, its shape is unstable, and the rubber bands tend to get entangled with each other, making it extremely difficult to place the rubber bands one at a time in a fixed position. I couldn't install it properly. Therefore, it was necessary to manually hold each rubber band and attach it to the support means.

Therefore, the inventor of the present application has disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-233.
In No. 315, a device capable of supplying rubber bands one by one to a fixed position was proposed. As shown in FIG. 4, this device includes a rubber band dropping device 1 arranged on a pedestal, a transfer device 2 for supplying the rubber bands dropped by the dropping device one by one, and the supplied rubber bands to a fixed position. Receiving placement device 3
And the expansion device 4 that receives the rubber band from the arranging device and expands its diameter.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drop device 1 is composed of a cylindrical rotary drum 11 and a supporting / rotating means thereof. The rotary drum 11 is arranged such that its central axis is substantially horizontal, and includes two rollers 12 and 12 arranged below one end of the rotary drum 11 and two rollers 12 arranged below the other end thereof. Supported by 12 and. These rollers 12 are rotated by the electric motor 13 and the rotating shaft 14, whereby the rotating drum 11 rotates. Grooves 15 are formed on both ends of the rotary drum 11 in correspondence with the rollers 12.
Are installed around.

The rotary drum 11 has a substantially central inner peripheral surface,
A plurality of locking protrusions 16 are arranged at equal intervals. More specifically, the locking protrusion 16 is formed by screwing a screw 17 through the inside and outside of the rotary drum 11. When a large number of rubber bands are put under the inner circumference of the rotating drum 11 of the dropping device 1, the rubber bands are rotated as the rotating drum 11 rotates.
One by one is caught by the locking projections 16 and lifted upward. Then, when the rubber band is carried up to the vicinity of the uppermost portion, it is disengaged from the locking projection 16 and naturally drops onto the conveyor 21 of the transfer device described next. In the figure, reference numeral 18a denotes a guide plate for guiding the rubber band to the conveyor 21, and
Reference numerals 19 and 20 denote closing plates provided at the front and rear of the drum in order to prevent the rubber band from jumping out of the drum.

Next, the transfer device has the conveyor 21 inserted into the drum 11. This conveyor 21
Is an improved version of the belt conveyor.
A belt having a hole of the size of one rubber band is designed to run on a sliding plate. As a result, the rubber band that naturally falls and enters the storage hole 21 slides on the sliding plate and moves.

Therefore, the timing of the fall and the position of the storage hole are adjusted so that the rubber band can enter the hole by the natural fall from the dropping device, and the rubber band that did not enter the hole at the time of the drop enters the storage hole during the transfer. An obstacle is also used above the belt of the conveyor 21. This obstacle is arranged so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the conveyor belt to prevent a rubber band not correctly placed in the storage hole from being carried toward the end of the conveyor, and to enter the next storage hole. Nevertheless, the rubber band is elastic and easily twisted, so that the rubber band may be fed toward the terminal end under the obstacle. Therefore, the vicinity of the end of the conveyor is covered with a hood 26, and its bottom is extended from below the conveyor into the rotary drum 11,
The return path 27 for the rubber band is used. Then, by arranging an air nozzle in the hood 26 and injecting air into the conveyor belt, a rubber band that does not correctly enter the storage hole and moves on the transfer surface of the belt is blown out of the conveyor, The blown rubber band is returned from the hood 26 through the return path 27 into the rotary drum 11.

The rubber band supplied by the transfer device 2 is
Head to the placement device 3. The arrangement device 3 has a chute whose upper end faces the conveyor 21, and the rubber band falls inside the chute to the lower end thereof and waits for the expansion by the expansion device 4. Although not shown, an air nozzle is arranged behind the lower end of the chute so that the rubber band is blown toward the expansion device 4.

The expansion device 4 includes a plurality of expansion arms 41.
With the expansion arms 41 closed, a rubber band is inserted into the distal end of the expansion arms 41, and the expansion arms 41 expand to expand the diameter of the rubber bands. The expansion device 4 is supported by a support column 81, and the lower end of the support column 81 is guided by a rail 82, as shown in FIG.
It is slidable in the left-right direction and is moved in the same direction by the cylinder 83. Further, the support column 81 is rotatable, and is rotated by 90 degrees by the cylinder 83, so that its tip can be directed toward the chuck 5 supporting the object to be bound.

The operation of binding the objects to be bound with a rubber band will be described. First, the expanding device 4 is moved forward by the cylinder 83. Next, the rubber band is blown off toward the expansion device by the air from the air nozzle, and the rubber band is hooked on the tip of the expansion arm. While retreating by the cylinder 83, the expanding arm 41 expands to expand the diameter of the rubber band. After the expansion, the expansion device 4 is rotated by 90 degrees by the cylinder 84, and its tip is directed toward the chuck 5.
The chuck 5 moves, the object bound by the rubber band is inserted into the expanded rubber band, and the rubber band expands.
By removing from 1, the binding of the objects to be bound is completed.

[0011]

However, in the above-mentioned device, since the belt conveyor is used as the transfer device as described above, the rubber bands must be inserted one by one into the holes provided in the belt. First, it was difficult to adjust and it was necessary to use various devices in order to eliminate the rubber bands that did not fit into the holes. In addition, the expanding device receives the rubber band that has fallen substantially vertically to the lower end of the chute, but at the time of delivery, the rubber band is blown toward the expanding device and the rubber band is attached to the tip of the expanding arm. Need to be hooked. However, unless fine adjustment of air pressure or the like at the time of blowing is surely performed, the rubber band is not caught at a good position, and the rubber band cannot be sufficiently expanded. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rubber band supply device capable of more reliably transferring the rubber bands one by one and delivering the rubber bands to the expanding device.

[0012]

The present invention solves the above problems by providing a rubber band feeder having the following features. The rubber band supply device of the present invention is
A passage 101 corresponding to the cross section of one rubber band, a vibrating device 201 for transferring the rubber band by vibrating the passage, and a rotary plate 302 for mounting the rubber band provided at the tip of the passage and discharged from the passage. And rotating means 3 for dropping the rubber band to a predetermined position by rotating the rotating plate.
And 10 are provided. further,
In the second invention of the present application, a rubber band temporary stop device 401 is provided near the tip of the passage 101 in the rubber band supply device described above, and the protruding piece 106 is extended from the bottom end of the passage to rotate. A rubber band supply device is provided, in which a notch 305 for receiving the protruding piece is formed in the plate 302.

[0013]

In the present invention, since the rubber band is transferred by vibrating the passage, it is not necessary to form a hole in the belt of the conveyor as in the conventional case, and the rubber band which does not enter the hole is processed. There is no need. Moreover, the rubber band is transferred to the rotary plate 302 on which the rubber band discharged from the passage is placed, and the rubber band is rotated to drop the rubber band, so that the rubber band can be reliably placed at a predetermined position, for example, the expansion arm of the expansion device. A rubber band can be coordinated to the outside of the. further,
A rubber band temporary stop device 401 is provided near the tip of the passage 101.
By providing the above, it is possible to prevent the next rubber band from being discharged from the passage during the rotation of the rotary plate. Furthermore, the protruding piece 106 is extended from the tip of the bottom of the passage, and the notch 305 for receiving the protruding piece on the rotating plate 302.
By forming the above, the rubber band a can enter the rotating plate 302 while being fed by the vibrating protruding piece 106, and a good transfer from the passage to the rotating plate can be realized.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, this rubber band supply device includes a passage 101 which serves as a rubber rubber transfer passage, and a passage 101.
A vibration device 201 for transferring the rubber band by applying a vibration to 1.
The rotating device 301 is provided at the tip of this passage. The dropping device 1 is arranged at the base end (the left end in FIG. 1) of the passage 101. This drop device 1
This is the same as the above-mentioned conventional device, and the base end of the passage 101 is inserted into the rotary drum 11. A person may drop the rubber band into the passage 101 by hand without using the dropping device 1. Alternatively, the rubber band may be replaced with a dropping device having another configuration.

First, the passage 101 will be described in detail. The passage 101 has a hopper 102 on the base end side. This hopper 102 has a large opening at the upper end,
The width thereof becomes smaller as it goes downward, and the rubber bands successively falling from the upper part of the inner circumference of the rotating drum 11 of the dropping device 1 are received and guided into the passage 101. The tip side of this passage 101 (the right side of the rotating drum 11 in FIG. 1)
Corresponds to the cross section of one rubber band, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. More specifically, this passage 1
Reference numeral 01 has a bottom portion 103 and side walls 104, 104 extending upward from both sides thereof, and the distance between the both side walls is set to be substantially equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the rubber band a. Further, in this embodiment, the passage 101 is covered by the transparent plate 105, and the gap between the transparent plate 105 and the bottom portion 103 is set to be substantially equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of the rubber band a. This transparent plate 105 is
It may be provided over an appropriate range from the hopper 102 portion to the tip side, and it is not always necessary to provide it. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a protruding piece 106 extends from the tip of the bottom portion 103 of the passage 101.

Next, the vibration device 201 is provided with a support portion 202 for supporting the lower center part of the passage 101 and a vibration motor 203, and the vibration of the vibration motor 203 applies vibration to the passage 101 via the support portion 202. Due to this vibration, the rubber band a in the passage 101 moves in the tip direction (rightward in FIG. 1).

Next, the rotating device 301 is provided with a rotating plate 302 provided at the tip of the passage 101 and on which a rubber band discharged from the passage is placed, and a rotating means for rotating and transferring the rubber band by rotating the rotating plate 302. As an air cylinder 310. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotating plate 302 includes a bottom portion 303 and side walls 304 and 304 extending upward from both sides of the bottom portion. The bottom 303 has a cutout 305 for receiving the protruding piece 106 of the passage.
And the side wall 304 is provided on an extension of the side wall 104 of the passage. Further, a stopper plate 306 for stopping the rubber band a at a fixed position is provided at the tip of the rotary plate 302.

From both ends of the rotary plate 302, the rotary shaft 3
07 is projected and is rotatably supported by a bearing 308, and at one end of the rotating shaft 307, the rotating arm 30 is attached.
9 is provided. The rotating arm 309 is connected to the piston rod 311 of the air cylinder 310 via a hinge 312. As shown in FIG. 1, the base end of the air cylinder 310 is connected to a support arm 322 extending from the support column 321 via a hinge 313. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the rotary plate 302 rotates about the rotary shaft 307 by the extension of the piston rod 311.
Since 8 makes an arcuate movement, both hinges 312,
By 313, it is possible to easily cope with this movement. Of course, instead of the air cylinder 310, another drive source such as an electric motor may be adopted.
The bearing 308 is also supported by the support column 321.

Due to this rotation, the rubber band a placed on the rotary plate 302 drops downward. As shown in FIG. 2, the expanding arm 501 of the expanding device is arranged at this drop position. The expanding arm 501 is provided with the above-described conventional expanding device facing upward, but is different from the conventional one in that a receiving plate 502 is provided in order to reliably receive the falling rubber band a. Different from The expansion device is not limited to the conventional one, and can be appropriately modified and implemented as long as it can receive a falling rubber band and can increase its diameter.

In the following, the supply of the rubber band in this embodiment will be described in order and a more preferable control configuration will be described. From the rotary drum 11 of the dropping device 1, the rubber bands are sequentially dropped onto the hopper 102 and guided into the passage 101. This passage 101 has a vibration device 2
01 vibrates, and the rubber band a is 1
They are sent side by side one by one. The rubber band a reaching the tip of the passage 101 is transferred to the rotating plate 302 and stopped by the stopper plate 306. Then, the air cylinder 310
Is activated and the stopper plate 306 rotates,
The rubber band a is dropped to the position of the expanding arm 501 in the closed state of the expanding device, and thereafter, appropriate articles are bound by the same operation as the conventional one.

In the above steps, the passage 101 is vibrated by the vibrating device 201, but the rotating plate 30
2 is a separate body from the passage and does not vibrate. Therefore, the rubber band may not be able to transfer from the passage to the rotating plate 302 in a good manner. Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, the projection piece 106 is extended from the tip of the bottom portion 103 of the passage 101, and the bottom portion 3 of the rotary plate 302 is provided.
A cutout portion 305 for receiving the projecting piece 106 is formed in 03. As a result, the rubber band a is oscillated by the protruding piece 1.
It is possible to enter on the rotary plate 302 while receiving the feed by 06, and it is possible to realize a good transfer.

Further, in order to prevent the next rubber band from dropping from the tip of the passage 101 during the rotation operation of the rubber band, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. A stop device 401 for temporarily stopping the rubber band and a sensing sensor 402 such as a photoelectric tube are provided in the. Then, when the sensor 402 detects passage of the rubber band a, the rubber band a is temporarily stopped until the rotating plate returns to its original state after a predetermined time, when the stop device 401 operates. Taking an example of the stop device 401, an air cylinder can be adopted, and its piston rod is oriented downward. Then, by extending the piston rod and inserting the piston rod into the rubber band, the progress of the rubber band can be stopped without stopping the vibration of the passage. Further, the above-mentioned predetermined time is the time during which the rubber band moves due to vibration from the detection position of the detection sensor 402 to the position where the piston rod can be inserted.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, another sensor 403 such as a photoelectric tube is provided near the base end of the passage. This sensing sensor 403 is
When the rubber band stays in the passage and the detection sensor 403 continues to detect the rubber band a for a relatively long time, the rotation of the rotary drum 11 of the dropping device 1 is stopped to prevent an excessive supply of the dropping device 1. It is a thing.

[0024]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention can provide a rubber band supply device capable of more reliably transferring the rubber bands one by one and delivering the rubber bands to the expanding device. Is. The second invention of the present application is to prevent the next rubber band from being discharged from the passage during the rotation operation of the rotary plate, and at the same time, realize a good transfer from the passage to the rotary plate.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the relevant part.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the relevant part.

FIG. 4 is an overall side view of a conventional device.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the apparatus.

[Description of Reference Signs] 101 Passage 106 Projecting Piece 201 Vibrating Device 302 Rotating Plate 305 Notch 310 Rotating Means (Air Cylinder) 401 Stopping Device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A passage (101) corresponding to the cross section of one rubber band.
And a vibration device that transfers the rubber bands by applying vibration to this passage
(201), a rotating plate (302) provided at the tip of this passage and for mounting the rubber band discharged from the passage, and a rotating means (310) for rotating the rotating plate to drop the rubber band to a predetermined position. And a rubber band supply device. 2. A rubber band temporary stop device (401) is provided near the tip of the passage (101), and a projecting piece (106) is extended from the bottom end of the passage so that the rotating plate (302) is provided. The rubber band supply device according to claim 1, wherein a notch (305) for receiving the protruding piece is formed.