JPH0724335Y2 - Free flow conveyor - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial field of application) The present invention consists of a free-flow conveyor, more specifically, a conveyor line in which conveyor units of a length convenient for handling are connected, and has excellent adaptability as a conveyor system.
Further, the present invention relates to a free-flow conveyor that can facilitate on-site construction such as transportation, assembly, installation or modification, relocation, and dismantling.

(Prior Art) Generally, it is indispensable for a production line of an equipment manufacturing factory to have a conveyor facility for placing works such as assembled parts, semi-finished products or finished products under processing on pallets and sequentially conveying them according to the process. In particular, free-flow conveyors are often used as conveyor equipment in manufacturing lines that handle relatively lightweight and small-sized works such as office machines, home appliances, and communication devices. Further, such a free-flow conveyor not only conveys the work in the order of the steps but also can stop the work at a predetermined position on the conveyor by a stopper or the like, and further, the drive source of the conveyor can be used. The work can be manually stopped at an arbitrary position as needed without stopping.

As a conventional free-flow conveyor of this type, there is known a chain drive type in which a plurality of rows of chains are extended in the conveying direction of the conveyor and driven by a sprocket wheel on the conveyor head. In this type of conveyor chain, a large number of supporting rollers are attached at equal intervals along the moving direction of the chain, and the pallet is supported by the chain along with the work through the supporting rollers, and The work is transported. In addition, the conveyor is provided with a stopper that stops the moving pallet while the drive motor of the chain is operating. Then, such a stopper has a function of engaging with a pallet and stopping at a predetermined position for work such as assembling, working, or inspecting a work, and a shock is provided in order to mitigate an impact at a normal stop. The absorber type is used. The support roller that supports the pallet is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft that is fixed to the chain. When the pallet stops, the pallet is driven by the chain to rotate and sequentially rotate to support the pallet in the vertical direction. It is like this. Furthermore, a control panel that controls the operation of equipment such as chain drive motors and other accessory drive cylinders is provided independently near the conveyor body, between the control panel and each equipment, and between each equipment. Are connected by power cables, control cables and pneumatic piping. Of these, cables are housed in a cable duct and installed by a method such as aerial installation, on the floor, or buried in the floor, and compressed air piping is also installed by the same method.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, in such a conventional free flow conveyor, the work is conveyed by a chain,
Since the stopper for stopping the work is a shock absorber type and the control panel is provided independently of the conveyor main body, there are problems as described in the following items [I] to [V].

[I] The adaptability at the time of modifying the conveyor system such as changing the length of the conveyor and changing the layout and maintenance of the equipment is poor.

In other words, since the chain is used, if the length of the conveyor is changed due to the modification of the conveyor system, the length of the chain must be changed and the tension must be changed again. Must be re-installed for the modified conveyor system. On the other hand, adjustments when the chain is stretched during operation of the conveyor, or judgments when the drive motor is overloaded must be assisted by specialized maintenance personnel each time, and the judgment is made by mistake. If the motor burns out, the line must be stopped for a long time.

[II] Vibration and noise occur and the working environment is reduced. That is, since the chain is usually metallic, a metallic noise is generated when the chain is moved, and a large vibration is generated due to the meshing of the sprocket wheel and the chain at the conveyor head. Is added to the pallet via the support rollers to adversely affect the work being conveyed, and when the conveyor is used in a process such as an inspection line in which the vibration of the work is extremely disturbed, it is unavoidable. You have to stop. Also, since the stopper is just a shock absorber type, it cannot absorb the impact when the pallet is stopped, and the impact is transmitted not only to the pallet but also to the entire conveyor, which adversely affects the precisely configured work and the conveyor itself. Exert. Further, the compressed air is directly discharged from the drive cylinder, and an abnormal exhaust noise is generated each time the cylinder operates, which lowers the working environment together with the metal noise of the chain. Furthermore, since a large-sized control panel is provided separately from the conveyor body, the space around the conveyor line cannot be effectively used, further deteriorating the working environment.

[III] Chain lubrication splashes, metal powder on the friction parts of the chain, dust from exhaust compressed air, etc., contaminates the work and deteriorates the product quality.

[IV] Since the driving part is exposed, safety is reduced.
In other words, because a large number of supporting rollers are attached to the chain, it is not possible to provide a safety cover that covers the entire running part of the chain, and work is performed on the exposed part of the chain, especially on the part that meshes with the sprocket wheel on the head. If your hands are caught, small parts of assembly parts between the chain and the sliding rail,
For example, a screw or the like may be caught, and in the worst case, the conveyor may stop. For this reason, not only the safety is lowered, but also a problem occurs in driving.

[V] Equipment cost and on-site construction cost increase, which leads to an increase in the cost of the conveyor device. That is, since the chain itself is heavy, the drive motor also becomes large, and the strength of the transmission mechanism also increases, which increases the cost of the equipment, and wiring and piping work is performed after the conveyor body is installed. A lot of workers are required for a long construction period for on-site construction such as new installation or remodeling, and an increase in equipment cost is inevitable.

(Purpose of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is excellent in adaptability at the time of modification and maintenance, improves the working environment and safety, and eliminates the contamination of the work to be transported to improve product quality. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a low-cost free flow conveyor that improves

(Construction of the Invention) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a free flow system capable of transporting a work placed on a pallet from one predetermined position to the other predetermined position and stopping the work midway. A conveyor, which comprises one of a conveyor line composed of a conveyor unit having a predetermined length in the transfer direction and a conveyor line in which a plurality of the conveyor units are sequentially connected, and a head in the transfer direction orthogonal to each other and A plurality of conveyor lines whose tails are sequentially connected are provided, and a conveyor unit of the conveyor line is rotatably driven by a motor provided in the conveyor unit via a transmission belt, respectively, and the conveyor units are arranged in two rows in the left and right direction along the conveying direction. A large number of rotating shafts that are disposed and contact parts that are fitted into and contact the rotating shafts, respectively. And a conveying mechanism that is driven to rotate by a rotating shaft by a frictional force between the outer peripheral upper surface of the pallet and a roller that conveys the pallet together with the work, and the pallet is engaged to supply and discharge the pressure fluid. Stopper that stops the pallet at a predetermined position while gradually decelerating the pallet, a control panel that controls the operation of the motor and stopper of the transport mechanism, the transport mechanism, the stopper,
And a frame for supporting the control panel, and the frame of the conveyor unit has a pair of left and right shaped members extending in the carrying direction, and the shaped members pivotally support the rotation shaft of the carrying mechanism to form rollers. The rotating shaft and rollers are stored except for the contacting part that contacts the pallet, and the conveyor unit is connected with a duct that stores the passage for the pressure fluid supplied to and discharged from the stopper and the cable connected to the control panel. Occasionally, the supply and discharge holes of the shaped member and the cables in the duct are connected by connectors, respectively, and the pressure fluid from the through hole of the shaped member of the conveyor unit is controlled by the control panel at the head in the conveying direction of the conveyor line. Driven by the drive cylinder that is supplied and discharged to operate, it moves the pallet slightly upward from the transport mechanism and controls it by the control panel. Perpendicular the conveying direction by the drive mechanism that,
The present invention is characterized in that a transfer lifter for moving the pallet in the horizontal direction is provided, and the transfer lifter enables the pallet to successively transfer the workpiece and the conveyor line together.

Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given based on an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 13 are views showing an embodiment of the present invention. First, the configuration will be described.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a work placed on a pallet 2, and the work 1 is moved by a free flow conveyor 3 in the present embodiment from a predetermined position A in the drawing through a U-shaped path to the other predetermined work. It is transported to position B. The free-flow conveyor 3 is composed of a single conveyor unit 4 having a predetermined length, for example, 2.3 m in the conveying direction, and a conveyor line 5 and a plurality of conveyor units 4 shown in FIG. A plurality of conveyor lines 5 or 6 consisting of either one of the conveyor lines 6 shown in FIG. 2B is provided, and the conveyor lines 5 composing the free flow conveyor 3, the conveyor line 5 and the conveyor line 6 are provided. The conveyor lines 6 are orthogonal to each other, and heads and tails in the transport direction are sequentially connected. Here, the above-mentioned conveyor line 5 or 6
An example of the connection of is shown in FIG. In FIG. 3 (a), the head 6a of the first conveyor line 6 is connected to the tail 5b of the conveyor line 5, and the head 5a of the conveyor line 5 is further connected to the tail 6b of the second conveyor line 6. In the example shown in the U-shape, the work 1 placed on the pallet 2 is conveyed from one predetermined position A to the other predetermined position B. This example has the same arrangement as that shown in FIG. on the other hand,
FIG. 3 (b) shows the head 6a of the first conveyor line 6 in the second position.
An example is shown in which the tail portion 6b of the second conveyor line 6 is connected to the tail portion 6b of the second conveyor line 6, and the head portion 6a of the second conveyor line 6 is connected to the tail portion 6b of the second conveyor line 6. And
The connection between the first conveyor line 6 and the conveyor line 5 shown in FIG. 3 (a) and the connection between the first conveyor line 6 and the second conveyor line 6 shown in FIG. However, it does not matter, and the same applies to the connection between the conveyor line 5 and the second conveyor line 6 shown in FIG. 3 (a) and the connection between the second conveyor line 6 and the third conveyor line 6 shown in FIG. 3 (b). Is. For this reason,
Conveyor unit 4 By combining a single conveyor line 5 and a conveyor line 6 in which an appropriate number of conveyor units 4 are connected, the free flow conveyor 3 can be laid out in accordance with the various conditions of the installation site. 3 (c), the lifter 7 is provided on the head 5a of the conveyor line 5 or the head 6a of the conveyor line 6, and the work 1 is lifted together with the pallet 2 by the lifter 7 and the tail 5b of the conveyor line 5 above. Or conveyor line 6
This is an example in which the tail portion 6b of the free flow conveyor 3 is connected, and the three-dimensional layout of the free flow conveyor 3 is possible by combining the conveyor line 5 or the conveyor line 6 and the lifter 7.

FIG. 4 shows a single conveyor unit 4 constituting the conveyor line 5 or the conveyor line 6 as described above. In FIG. 4, the conveyor unit 4 has a pair of left and right shaped members 8 and 9 extending in the conveying direction, that is, the arrow C direction in the figure, and a bar shape connecting the shaped members 8 and 9 to each other at both ends of the conveyor unit 4. Legs 13 and 14 for supporting the connecting members 10 and 11 and the shaping members 8 and 9 on the floor, respectively.
It has a frame 14 consisting of. In addition, frame 14
The leg portions 12 and 13 of the columns are columns 15 and 16 having upper ends fixed to the connecting members 10 and 11, bar-shaped bases 17 and 18 having lower ends of the columns 15 and 16, and both ends of the bases 17 and 18, respectively. Provided with screw members 19a, 19b and 20a, 20b to be screwed to the portion, and the frame is formed by appropriately rotating the screw members 19a, 19b and 20a, 20b.
14 The level of the whole can be adjusted. Reference numeral 21 is a cover plate extending between the shaped members 8 and 9, and the upper portions of the shaped members 8 and 9 are connected to increase the rigidity of the frame 14 and members and devices provided in the lower portion. It is provided to protect the.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 22 is a motor provided at the tail portion of the conveyor unit 4, and the motor 22 is a integrally formed reduction gear portion 22a and a pair of output shafts 22b, 22c protruding left and right from the reduction gear portion 22a. And the connecting member 10 of the frame 14,
It is supported and fixed to. On the other hand, reference numeral 23 denotes a large number of rotary shafts which are axially supported by the shaped member 9 on the right side of the frame 14 in a row along the transport direction C at equal intervals. The rotary shaft 23a passes through the shaped member 9 and the motor 2
Projecting towards 2, couplings 24, 25 and intermediate shaft 2
It is connected to the output shaft 22c of the motor 22 via 6. Further, the rotary shaft 23 including the rotary shaft 23a of the tail end is provided with a roller 27 and a pulley 28 in the shaped member 9, the roller 27 is fitted on the rotary shaft 23, and the pulley 28 is mounted on the rotary shaft 23.
Is stuck to. A single transmission belt 29 is wound around the pulley 28, and the output shaft 22 is rotated by the motor 22.
When the rotary shaft 23a of the terminal rotates via the c, the couplings 24 and 25, and the intermediate shaft 26, the pulley 28 is rotationally driven via the transmission belt 29, and at the same time, the rotary shafts 23 are also rotationally driven. The transmission belt 29 is a toothed belt mainly made of synthetic resin such as polyurethane. Therefore, the pulleys 28 are toothed pulleys each having a tooth profile on the outer periphery that meshes with the tooth profile of the transmission belt 29. With the transmission belt 29 and the pulley 28, the rotary shaft 23 is not slipped on the output shaft of the motor 22.
It can be rotationally driven in synchronization with 22c. Also, the code 3
Reference numeral 0 denotes a tension pulley provided at every two pitches of the pulley 28, which is supported by the shaped member 9 via a spring (not shown), and the transmission belt 29 is urged by the urging force of the spring.
It is provided such that the pulling side of the pulley 28 is pressed almost vertically to give an appropriate tension to the transmission belt 29, and the winding angle of the pulley 28 becomes a predetermined value or more. Further, reference numeral 31 denotes a pair of guide pulleys provided at both ends of the shaped member 9 (however, the guide pulley 31 on the front side in the transport direction is not shown), and the loose side of the transmission belt 29 is provided on the pulley 28. It is possible to drive in a straight line apart from.

The inner circumference of the roller 27 fitted on the rotary shaft 23 is the rotary shaft.
23 is in contact with the outer circumference, and is driven to rotate by the rotary shaft 23 by the frictional force between the inner circumference of the roller 27 and the outer circumference of the rotary shaft 23.
The outer peripheral upper surface 27a comes into contact with the bottom surface of the pallet 2 shown in FIG. 1 to convey the pallet 2 along with the work 1 in the conveying direction C. Then, a large number of rotating shafts are respectively driven to rotate by the motor 22 via the transmission belt 29 and the pulley 28.
23 and the rotary shaft 23, respectively
The roller 27, which is driven to rotate by 23, constitutes the right transport mechanism 32b in the transport direction C. Although not shown, a left side transport mechanism 32a having the same configuration and function is provided symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane passing through the central axis of the conveyor unit 4 in the transport direction C, and these left and right transport mechanisms are provided. 32a
And 32b, a plurality of rotary shafts 23 arranged in two rows on the left and right, and a transport mechanism 32 including two rows of rollers 27, which are inserted into the rotary shafts 23 and transport the pallet 2 and the work 1, respectively.
Is configured. Further, in the present embodiment, the transport mechanism
The roller 27 of at least 32 and at least the contact portion of the rotary shaft 23 with the roller 27 is made of synthetic resin, such as polyethylene or polyacetal, and together with the transmission belt 29 mainly made of synthetic resin, the weight of the transportation mechanism 32 and the transportation mechanism 32 are reduced. Care has been taken to prevent contact between constituent members, contact between sliding parts and metal, and friction. Therefore, the transfer mechanism 32 driven by the motor 22 is a chain drive type of metal driven by the contact and friction between the metal shown in the conventional example.
Noise can be eliminated, and the physical properties of the synthetic resin forming the contact portion between the roller 27 and the rotary shaft 23, for example, hardness, etc., can be selected as an oil-free sliding portion, oil-filled droplets, and metal powder. It is possible to eliminate the occurrence of such as. at the same time,
When the pallet 2 is placed on the roller 27, the load applied to the roller 27 in the range in which it comes into contact with the pallet 2 is at least based on the weight of the pallet 2 itself and the roller 27 and the rotary shaft 23.
The frictional force of the pallet 2 is sufficient to convey the pallet 2, and even while the pallet 2 is being conveyed, the pallet 2 and the work 1 are not separated from each other by a force applied to the pallet 2 by the manual force. The frictional force between the roller 27 and the rotary shaft 23 is set so that it can be stopped.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 33 is a stopper for stopping the pallet 2 provided at the substantially central portion of the conveyor unit 4 at a predetermined position of the conveyor unit 4, and the constitution of the stopper 33 is shown in FIGS. In FIGS. 5 to 7, reference numeral 34
Is a double-acting cylinder of stopper 33, and double-acting cylinder 34
Is slidably inserted into the cylinder 35 and the cylinder 35,
It comprises a piston 36 that can move forward and backward in the axial direction of the cylinder 35. The piston 36 defines the cylinder 35 into a first cylinder chamber 35a and a second cylinder chamber 35b, and
It has a piston rod 36a penetrating the cylinder 35 from 5a and protruding in the axial direction of the cylinder 35. The protruding end of the piston rod 36a is connected to a slide plate 38 via a universal joint 37.
A sliding portion 38b having a guide groove 38a formed in the axial direction of a, a plate portion 38c and a plate portion 38 fixed on the sliding portion 38b.
It is composed of an L-shaped joint portion 38d provided on the double-acting cylinder 34 side of c and connected to the universal joint 37. Then, in the guide groove 38a of the slide plate 38, the guide rail 40, which extends in the axial direction of the piston rod 36a and is fixed to the base plate 39, is fitted and inserted, and the piston 36 of the double-acting cylinder 34 operates to perform double-acting. When the slide plate 38 moves along the axis of the cylinder 34, the slide plate 38 is guided by the guide rail 40 and moves in the left-right direction in FIGS. 5 and 6. Reference numeral 41a is a bracket that supports the double-acting cylinder 34.
Is fixed to the base plate 39 via a bracket 41a. Reference numeral 41b is a liner plate interposed between the bracket 41a and the base plate 39, and is provided to adjust the axial height of the piston rod 36a with respect to the joint portion 38d of the slide plate 38.

Reference numeral 42 indicates the bracket 4 on the sliding portion 38b of the slide plate 38.
Is a fixed limit switch, supported through 3.
The limit switch 42 is a main body 42a having a built-in switch (not shown), one end rotatably supported by the main body 42a, and an arm 42b and an arm 42 connected to the switch of the main body 42a.
A roller 42c is rotatably supported on the other end of b. When the pallet 2 is transported from the left end of the conveyor unit 4 in the transport direction indicated by the arrow C by the transport mechanism 32 in FIG. 4, the roller 42c abuts and engages with the pallet 2 and the arm 42b rotates. The switch of the main body 42a is operated to detect the pallet 2 and output a signal. That is, the limit switch 42 has a function as a detection unit that engages with the conveyed pallet 2 and detects the pallet 2. On the other hand, in FIGS. 5 to 7, reference numeral 44 indicates a pair of support plates 4
The cushion roller is supported by the plate portion 38c of the slide plate 38 via the rollers 5, 46.
Is driven in the vertical direction by a small drive cylinder 48 via a series of link devices 47 as shown in FIG. In addition,
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a double-acting cylinder 34, a slide plate 38, a limit switch 42, a cushion roller 44, a link device 47, a drive cylinder 48, and a mechanical valve 64, which will be described later, mainly showing the function of the stopper 33.

In FIG. 8, a link device 47 has a base end rotatably supported by support plates 45 and 46 via a pin 49, a pin 50 in the middle, and a right angle upward from a mounting position of the pin 50. A first link 52 that bends in the direction and rotatably supports the cushion roller 44 via a pin 51 at the tip, and a pin 50 at one end.
Piston rod 48 that is connected to the first link 52 via the pin and the other end projects from the tip of the drive cylinder 48 via the pin 53.
The second link 54 connected to the protruding end of a and the pin 5 at one end
It is connected to the other end of the second link 54 via 3 and the other end is a pin 5
The third link 56 is rotatably supported by the support plates 45 and 46 via the fifth link 5. The base end portion of the drive cylinder 48 is rotatably supported by the support plates 45 and 46 via the pin 57, and the drive cylinder 48 is actuated to operate the piston rod 48.
When a is retracted, the second link 54 and the third link 56 rotate inwardly about the pin 53, the pin 50 and the pin 55 come close to each other, and the cushion roller 44 is shown by a virtual line from the position shown by a solid line in the figure. Driven to the lower position. When the drive cylinder 48 operates in the opposite direction, the piston rod 48a projects, and the cushion roller 44 is driven to the upper position shown by the solid line in the reverse order of the above procedure. At this time, the lower position of the cushion roller 44 indicated by the phantom line is lower than the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of the roller 27 of the transport mechanism 32 in FIG. 4, and the upper position indicated by the solid line is the cushion roller 44 of the roller 27. This is a position protruding above the outer peripheral upper surface 27a. On the other hand, although not shown in the figure, the drive cylinder 48 is connected to the compressed air source 68 through a switching valve, and when the limit switch 42 does not detect the pallet 2, that is, when the pallet 2 is not conveyed at all times. The switching valve supplies compressed air to the driving cylinder 48 so as to retract the piston rod 48a, and when the limit switch 42 detects the pallet 2, it is switched by receiving the signal of the limit switch 42, and the piston rod 48
Supply compressed air so that a is projected. Therefore, the double-acting cylinder 3 via the link device 47, the support plates 45 and 46, the slide plate 38 and the piston rod 36a.
The cushion roller 44 connected to the piston 36 of 4 is normally positioned below the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of the roller 27, and when the pallet 2 is detected, the cushion roller 44 projects upward from the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of the roller 27 and is conveyed. The roller 42c of the limit switch 42 is subsequently brought into contact with and engaged with the pallet 2 to be pallet. The fifth
The connecting shafts 58, 59 and 60 for connecting the support plates 45 and 46 shown in FIGS.
Configure pins 49, 55 and pin 57 attached to 47. Further, in FIGS. 5 to 7, the pair of L-shaped plate members 61 and 62 interposed between the support plates 45 and 46 and the cushion roller 44 are pierced to be rotatably supported by the support plates 45 and 46. The supporting shafts 63 constitute the first link 52 and the pin 51 shown in FIG. 8, respectively.

5 to 7, reference numeral 64 is a mechanical valve that is supported and fixed to the plate portion 38c of the slide plate 38 via the bracket 65 so as to face the limit switch 42. The mechanical valve 64 is fixed to the bracket 65. The valve body 64a includes an arm 64b whose one end is rotatably supported by the valve body 64a, and a roller 64c which is rotatably supported by the other end of the arm 64b. As shown in FIG. 8, one end of the arm 64b is supported by the valve body 64a via a pin 64d,
Further, the intermediate portion is connected to the spool 66 of the 2-position 5-port built in the valve body 64a via the pin 64e. The arm 64b is urged by the spring 67 built in the valve body 64a via the spool 66, and the pin 64d is used as a shaft for the sixth arm.
In the drawings and FIG. 8, the roller 64c is rotated in the clockwise direction and is held substantially vertically. Therefore, as shown by the solid line in the drawing, the roller 64c is projected from the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of the roller 27 of the transport mechanism 32. Held in. At the same time, the spool 66 is in the position I, and the pressurized fluid, for example, the compressed air from the compressed air source 68 described above is supplied to the cylinder 35a of the double-acting cylinder 34, and the compressed air in the second cylinder chamber 35b is discharged to the atmosphere. For this reason, in FIG. 5 and FIG.
Contrary to the arrow C direction, the piston 36 of 34 is retracted to the rightmost position of the cylinder 35, and accordingly, the cushion roller 44 supported by the slide plate 38 via the link device 47 and the support plates 45, 46 is moved. The limit switch 42 and the mechanical valve 64 are retracted to a predetermined retracted position indicated by the solid line in the figure. At this time, the cushion roller 44
Is located below the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of the roller 27.
5 and 6 show a state in which the cushion roller 44 is retracted to a predetermined retracted position at the rightmost end, and arrows C shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 are pallets transported by the transport mechanism 32, respectively. 2 shows the transport direction.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the conveying direction C of the pallet 2, the cushion roller 44 and the mechanical valve
The roller 64c of 64 is sequentially arranged downstream of the roller 42c of the limit switch 42, and in the state where the cushion roller 44, the limit switch 42, and the mechanical valve 64 are retracted to a predetermined retracted position as described above, When the pallet 2 is conveyed from the upstream side in the conveying direction C, the pallet 2 comes into contact with the cushion roller 44 and the roller 64c before the roller 4
Abut and engage 2c. At the same time, as mentioned above, the arm 42
When b is rotated, the limit switch 42 outputs a signal, and the cushion roller 44 moves the outer peripheral upper surface 27 of the roller 27 based on the signal.
The pallet 2 protrudes above a and the cushion roller 4
Abut and engage 4 Following the cushion roller 44, the pallet 2 abuts and engages with the roller 64c of the mechanical valve 64, and as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 66 is switched to position II. When the spool 66 is switched to the position II, compressed air is supplied from the compressed air source 68 to the second cylinder chamber 35b of the double-acting cylinder 34, and at the same time, the compressed air in the cylinder 35a is discharged into the atmosphere through the variable orifice 69. . Then, the piston 36 of the double-acting cylinder 34 advances in the carrying direction C, and at the same time, as shown in FIG.
In FIG. 6, the cushion roller 44 advances together with the limit switch 42 and the mechanical valve 64 via the piston rod 36a, the universal joint 37 and the slide plate 38. At this time, the cushion roller 44 is advanced by the piston 36 while being still engaged with the pallet 2. However, since the variable orifice 69 gradually increases the drawing rate, the forward speed of the piston 36, that is, the forward speed of the cushion roller 44 is At the same time as the forward speed is gradually reduced to almost zero, the slide plate 38 comes into contact with the stop member 70 provided at the end of the base plate 39 opposite to the double-acting cylinder 34, and the sixth
It stops at the position indicated by the virtual line in the figure. Along with this, the pallet 2 is gradually decelerated by the cushion roller 44 and stopped at a predetermined position of the conveyor unit 4 shown by SS in FIG. That is, the mechanical valve 64 is a limit switch.
At all times when the pallet 2 is not detected by 42, compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 35a of the double-acting cylinder 34 and compressed air is discharged from the second cylinder chamber 35b to retract the cushion roller 44 to a predetermined retracted position. Retreat. Also, the limit switch 42 detects the pallet 2 and the cushion roller 44 moves the pallet 2
Then, the pallet 2 is engaged to supply compressed air to the second cylinder chamber 35b of the double-acting cylinder 34, the compressed air is discharged from the cylinder 35a through the variable orifice 69, and the forward piston 36 cushions it. It has a function as a switching valve in the present invention for advancing the roller 44 to a predetermined position SS of the conveyor unit 4. Further, as described above, the double-acting cylinder 34, the slide plate 3
8, a stopper 33 provided with a limit switch 42, a cushion roller 44, a mechanical valve 64 and a variable orifice 69 supplies compressed air to the double acting cylinder 34 while the compressed air is supplied to and discharged from the double acting cylinder 34 while the cushion roller 44 is engaged with the pallet 2 to be conveyed. It has a function of moving forward and gradually decelerating the pallet 2 and stopping it at a predetermined position SS of the conveyor unit 4.

At this time, among the rollers 27 of the transport mechanism 32 shown in FIG. 4, the roller 27 that supports the pallet 2 overcomes the frictional force between the roller 27 and the rotary shaft 23, slips, and stops rotating. . Further, the cushion roller 44 is made of an elastic member such as rubber or the like, and is configured to absorb the impact when it comes into contact with the pallet 2 transported by the transport mechanism 32. Further, in FIGS. 5 and 6, a cushion plate 70a made of an elastic member such as rubber is provided on the stop member 70 so as to face the slide plate 38, and the slide plate 38 is in a state of insufficient deceleration. Even when the slide plate 38 comes into contact with, the impact when the slide plate 38 is stopped, that is, when the cushion roller 44 and the pallet 2 are stopped is taken into consideration. Furthermore, in FIGS. 6 and 7, reference numerals 71 and 72 are a pair of side blocks, which are fixed to the left and right sides of the sliding portion 38b of the slide plate 38 and are mounted on the bracket 43 of the limit switch 42 and the bracket of the mechanical valve 64. 65 are respectively supported and fixed together with the plate portion 38c. Further, reference numeral 73 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is a pair of supports composed of angle members for supporting the front and rear portions of the stopper 33, and plates 73a and 73b provided at both ends of the support 73 are shown in FIG. The stoppers 33 are fixed to the shape members 8 and 9 of the conveyor unit 4, respectively, so that the stopper 33 is fixed to substantially the center of the conveyor unit 4.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 74 is a control board supported by the shape members 8 and 9 of the frame 14, and the control board 74 has a function of controlling the operation of the motor 22 for driving the transport mechanism 32 and the stopper 33. That is, the control board 74 is connected to the first control unit 75 to which the motor 22 is connected and the operation of the motor 22 is controlled, and the limit switch 42 of the stopper 33, and supplies the drive cylinder 48 based on the detection signal of the limit switch 42. Although the switching valve for compressed air to be electrically switched is not shown, neither is shown in the figure, but a controller for controlling the throttling ratio of the variable orifice 69 and the mechanical valve 64 are provided on the supply side for supplying compressed air from the compressed air source 68. A second control panel unit 76 having built-in parts is provided, and these control panel units 75 and 76 are both box-shaped and have the same size and are compactly configured. Then, the frame-shaped support bracket 77 fixed to the shape members 8 and 9 is detachably accommodated in a state of being overlapped with each other, and the front panels 75a and 76a are provided with a pair of handles 75b and 76b so that they can be easily removed. Can be removed. In addition, the first control panel unit 75 is a motor
It is installed in close proximity to the 22.In addition, if the motor 22 is built-in and the motor 22 should be overloaded, it will automatically stop and at the same time be confirmed to anyone by the lamp display. You can do it.

On the other hand, the frame 14 of the conveyor unit 4 has a transport mechanism 32,
The members that support the stopper 33 and the control panel 74 and that constitute the frame 14, that is, the shape members 8 and 9, the connecting members 10 and 11 and the legs 12 and 13 are extruded to reduce the weight of the conveyor unit 4. Made of an aluminum alloy member, and each member has sufficient strength not only for supporting the above-mentioned transfer mechanism 32, stopper 33 and control board 74 but also for transferring the work 1 together with the pallet 2. . Among the constituent members of the frame 14 as described above, the shaping member 9 on the right side in the conveying direction C in FIG.
A cross section of is shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, a storage chamber 78 having a rectangular cross section is provided in the central portion of the shaping member 9 along the longitudinal direction of the shaping member 9, and the storage chamber 78 has a large number of the transport mechanisms 32b already described. The rotary shaft 23, the roller 27, the pulley 28, and the tension pulley 30 are housed, and both ends of the rotary shaft 23 are recesses 78a, 78b formed in the shape member 9 on both side surfaces of the housing chamber 78.
It is rotatably supported by the shaped member 9 via bearings 23a, 23b which are fitted in. As described above, the rotary shaft 23, the roller 27, and the pulley 28 are provided at equal intervals in the transport direction C and are rotationally driven by the motor 22 via the transmission belt 29. On the other hand, an elongated plate 79 is fixed to the upper surface of the shaped member 9 along the transport direction C, and an opening 79a is formed at the position of each roller 27 in the plate 79, and the outer peripheral upper surface 27a is formed.
The arcuate contact portion 27b of the roller 27 centered on the
The roller 27 is supported in a state of protruding from the pallet 2 so that the pallet 2 comes into contact with the shaping member 9 and is separated so as not to hinder the conveyance. That is, the shaping member 9 pivotally supports the rotary shaft 23 of the transport mechanism 32b, and houses the rotary shaft 23 and the roller 27 except for the contact portion 27b of the roller 27 which comes into contact with the pallet 2. The shape member 8 on the left side in FIG. 4 also has a vertical plane that passes through the central axis of the conveyor unit 4 in the transport direction C, that is, a symmetrical and similar cross-section with respect to the plane of symmetry of the conveyor unit 4, and the transport mechanism 32a Of course, each member is stored in the same manner as described above.

FIG. 10 shows a cross section of the shaped members 8, 9 symmetrically with respect to the plane of symmetry YY of the conveyor unit 4 described above,
As shown in FIG. 10, the shape members 8 and 9 respectively have circular through holes 80a, 8a symmetrically extending along the plane of symmetry YY.
0b and rectangular ducts 81a and 81b are formed. The through holes 80a, 80b are provided inside the shaped members 8 and 9, respectively, and through the through holes 80a of the through holes 80a, 80b, for example, the compressed air source 68 shown in FIG. Compressed air is supplied to the drive cylinder 48 that drives the cushion roller 44 via the second control panel unit 76 of the control panel 74 described above, and is also discharged through the through hole 80b. Similarly, the ducts 81a and 81b are provided below the shape members 8 and 9, respectively, and although not shown,
The power connected to the control panel unit 75 from the motor 22 that drives the transfer mechanism 32, the limit switch 42 of the control cable and stopper 33, the switching valve of the drive cylinder 48, the controller of the variable orifice 69, and the second control panel unit, respectively. Holds the control cable, etc. connected to the 76. The conveyor units 4 are sequentially connected to form a conveyor line 6 as shown in FIG. 2B, and the conveyor lines 5 and 6 are connected to each other as shown in FIG. When forming the flow conveyor 3, the shape members 8 and 9 forming the tail portion of the one conveyor unit 4 connected to each other and the shape members 8 and 9 forming the head portion of the other conveyor unit 4 and FIG. , A plurality of bolts 84 and 85 are connected via eye plates 82 and 83. At this time, a pair of upper and lower strip-shaped openings 86 and 87 formed inwardly of the shaped members 8 and 9 respectively.
Insert and fix the head of the bolt 84 into the
The heads of the bolts 85 are inserted and fixed in the strip-shaped openings 88 respectively formed on the outer sides of the. Further, both ends of the through holes 80a of the one shaped member 8 and the other shaped member 8 are sealed by plugs (not shown), and terminal portions facing each other are connected through a connector hose 89 as a connector of the through holes 80a. . Similarly, the aforementioned power cable and control cable housed in the duct 81a of the one shape member 8 and the other shape member 8 are connected via the terminal boxes 90, 91 and the connector cables 92, 93 as connectors of these cables. Each is connected. Although illustration is omitted, the cables housed in the through holes 80b of the one shaped member 9 and the other shaped member 9 and the duct 81b connected to each other have the same configuration. A pair of strip-shaped openings 94 and 95 formed on the lower surfaces of the shape members 8 and 9 in FIG. 10 respectively include a support bracket 77 for supporting the control panel 74 shown in FIG.
It is used for fixing the support 73 of the stopper 33 shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 5 to the shape members 8 and 9. Also, when the head of one conveyor unit 4 and the head of the other conveyor unit 4 are connected at a right angle as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the above-mentioned eye plate 82, As for 83, L-shaped ones bent at right angles are used.

A single conveyor unit 4 having the shaping members 8 and 9 configured as described above is provided, and the conveyor line 5 shown in FIG. 2 (a) or a plurality of conveyor units 4 are sequentially connected to each other to form the structure shown in FIG. 2 (b). The conveyor line 6 shown in FIG. 3 is configured, and further, the conveyor line 5 and the conveyor line 6 or the conveyor lines 6 are connected to each other. For example, FIG.
When the free flow conveyor 3 as shown in (b) is constructed, the intermediate conveyor unit 4 and the shaped members 8 and 9 of each other are formed.
The through holes 80a and 80b of the connector hose are as described above.
Although not shown in FIG. 3, the compressed air source 68 shown in FIG. 8 of the conveyor unit 4 located at one end of the free flow conveyor 3 is connected by 89.
For example, the compressed air is connected to the through hole 80a of the shaped member 8 and the compressed air is passed through the through hole 8a.
0a, and is sequentially introduced into the through hole 80a of each conveyor unit 4 connected by the connector hose 89. Then, the compressed air is a double-acting cylinder of each conveyor unit 4.
34 and the drive cylinder 48, the through hole 80 of the shaped member 9
It is introduced into b and is further discharged into the through hole 80b of the forming member 9 of the conveyor unit 4. Further, since the through holes 80b of the shaped member 9 are sequentially connected by the connector hose 89, the discharged compressed air is collectively discharged through the through holes 80b of the shaped member 9 of the conveyor unit 4 located at the other end. . Further, the through hole 80 of the conveyor unit 4 located at the other terminal
A silencer (not shown) is provided on the discharge side of b, and the compressed air is collectively discharged to the atmosphere through the silencer. Therefore, the compressed air discharge places of the free flow conveyor 3 can be concentrated in one place, and noise can be significantly reduced by strengthening the silencer.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 is a transfer lifter provided on the head portion 5a or 6a of the conveyor line 5 or 6 in the conveying direction.
The pallet 2 conveyed by the conveyor line 6 shown in the upper part of the figure is transferred together with the work 1 from the conveyor line 6 to the conveyor line 5 at a right angle and in the horizontal direction, and further from the conveyor line 5 to the conveyor line 6 shown in the lower part of the figure. You can transfer at right angles and horizontally. 12 and 13 show a transfer lifter 10 having such a function.
The structure of 1 is shown. In FIGS. 12 and 13, reference numeral 102 is a rectangular frame of a transfer lifter 101 provided between the shaping members 8 and 9 of the conveyor unit 4, and a drive mechanism 103 for conveying the pallet 2 on the frame 102. Is provided. The shape members 8 and 9 in FIGS. 12 and 13 are the heads 5a or 6a in the conveying direction of the conveyor line 5 or 6 shown in FIG. 3, that is, the heads of the conveyor units 4 constituting the conveyor line 5. Section or the head of the conveyor unit 4 provided at the end of the conveyor line 6 in the conveying direction. The drive mechanism 103 is
A pair of left and right first driving rollers 104a, 104b in FIG. 12 whose rotation direction is provided on the shape member 9 side in a direction perpendicular to the shape member 9, and a pair of left and right second drive rollers also provided on the shape member 8 side. Rollers 105a, 105b, first driving roller 104a, second driving roller 105a, first driving roller 104b, second driving roller
A pair of left and right guide rollers provided between 105b
106a, 106b, a first driving roller 104a and 104b, and a second driving roller 105a and 105b, which are integrally driven to rotate. The first driving rollers 104a and 104b are fixed to both ends of the first shaft 108.
08 is supported by the frame 102 via bearings 109a and 109b. Similarly, the second drive rollers 105a and 105b are
The second shaft 110 is fixed to both ends of the shaft 110.
Is axially supported by the frame 102 via bearings 111a and 111b. Reference numerals 112 and 113 are driven pulleys provided on the bearings 109a and 111a sides of the first shaft 108 and the second shaft 110, respectively, and reference numerals 114 and 115 are driven pulleys 11 respectively.
Drive-side pulleys provided on the output shaft 107a of the drive motor 107 so as to face 2 and 113, respectively. Then, the driven pulley 112, the driving pulley 114, and the driven pulley 113
And the drive side pulley 115 between the transmission belts 116 and 117.
When the drive motor 107 is operated, the first drive rollers 104a and 104b move the drive side pulley 11
4, the transmission belt 116, the driven pulley 112, and the first shaft 108, and the second driving rollers 105a and 105b are the driving pulley 115, the transmission belt 117, and the driving pulley 113.
And they are rotationally driven in the same direction in synchronism with each other via the second shaft 110. The first driving roller 104a,
The transmission belts 116 and 1 enable the 104b and the second driving rollers 105a and 105b to rotate in synchronization without slip.
Reference numeral 17 denotes a toothed belt, so that the driven side pulley 112 and the drive side pulley 113 are made up of toothed pulleys having the same number of teeth, and the drive side pulleys 114 and 115 are also made up of toothed pulleys having the same number of teeth. Has been done. Further, the transmission belt 116 and the transmission belt 117 are composed of toothed belts mainly made of synthetic resin like the transmission belt 29 of the transport mechanism 32 described above, and therefore noise and vibration are generated when the drive mechanism 103 is in operation. Is significantly less.

On the other hand, reference numeral 118 is a drive cylinder of the transfer lifter 101, and one end of the drive cylinder 118 is rotatably supported by the base plate 120 via a bracket 119. The protruding end of the piston rod 118a protruding from the other end of the drive cylinder 118 is rotatably connected to one end of the first arm 122 via a connecting member 121, and the other end of the first arm 122 is the center of the third shaft 123. It is fixed to the part. The third shaft 123 is provided orthogonally to the shape members 8 and 9, and is rotatably supported by the base plate 120 via a pair of bearings 124a and 124b provided at both ends. Furthermore, the third shaft 123
12, one end of a pair of upper and lower second arms 125a and 125b is fixed to the outside of the bearings 124a and 124b, respectively, and the other ends of the second arms 125a and 125b are paired with a pair of connecting pins 126.
It is rotatably connected to the inside of the frame 102 via a and 126b. Then, these drive cylinder 118 and the third
Since the base plate 120 that supports the shaft 123 is supported by the pair of support members 126 and 127, and both ends of the support members 126 and 127 are fixed to the shape members 8 and 9, respectively,
When the drive cylinder 118 is operated and the piston rod 118a projects from the drive cylinder 118, the frame 102 moves to the first arm.
It moves upwards via the 122, the third shaft 123, and the second arms 125a and 125b. Therefore, in FIG. 1, for example, the pallet 2 conveyed by the conveyor line 6 is the work 1
When it reaches the transfer lifter 101 of the head 6a together with it, the drive cylinder 118 of the transfer lifter 101 is operated to move the frame 102 upward and the pallet 2 moves to the first position of the drive mechanism 103 in FIGS. First driving rollers 104a, 104b, second driving rollers 105a, 105b and guide rollers 106a, 10
Backed by 6b. At the same time, the pallet 2 is conveyed downward in FIG. 12 by the first drive rollers 104a and 104b and the second drive rollers 105a and 105b which are driven by the drive motor 107 to rotate, and in FIG. Work 1
At the same time, it is possible to transfer from the head 6a of the conveyor line 6 to the tail 5b of the conveyor line 5. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the conveyor line 5 and the conveyor line 5, the conveyor line 6 and the conveyor line 6 are orthogonal to each other, and the head portion 5a or the head portion 6a and the tail portion 5b in the conveying direction.
Alternatively, the pallet 2 can successively transfer the work 1 and the free flow conveyor 3 to which the tail portions 6b are sequentially connected. It should be noted that the amount by which the frame 102 is raised is such that the upper surfaces of the first driving rollers 104a and 104b, the second driving rollers 105a and 105b, and the guide rollers 106a and 106b are the transport mechanism 32 in FIG.
Is slightly separated from the horizontal line X-X connecting the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of each roller 27, and when the pallet 2 is connected, the drop is large and unnecessary impact is generated, so that the work 1 of the pallet 2 and the transfer destination The transport mechanism 32 is not provided. Further, in FIG. 13, reference numeral 128 is a guide shaft provided at at least four corners of the frame 102, and the guide shaft 128 is projected below the frame 102 and fixed to the shape members 8 and 9 via the bracket 129. The frame 102 is slidably inserted into the guide bush 130.
Has a function to guide the user to always move vertically.

Although illustration of the drive cylinder 118 of the above-mentioned transfer lifter 101 is omitted, the shape of the conveyor unit 4 described above is passed through a switching valve provided in the second control panel unit 76 of the control panel 74 shown in FIG. It is connected to the through hole 80a on the supply side of the member 8 and the through hole 80b on the discharge side of the shaped member 9, and the compressed air is supplied from the through hole 80a and the compressed air is discharged to the through hole 80b to move the frame 102 up and down. Moving. Similarly, the drive mechanism 103
The driving motor 107 is connected to the second control panel unit 76, driven, and stopped. A detection mechanism (not shown) is provided on the head 6a, 5b of the conveyor line 6 or the conveyor line 5 in FIG. 1, and the pallet 2 conveyed to the head 6a, 5b is detected by the detection mechanism, Second
The control circuit of the control panel unit 76 controls the operation of the drive cylinder 118 and the drive motor 107. Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a cover plate 131 is provided to cover the upper surface of the transfer lifter 101,
Similar to the rollers 27 of the transport mechanism 32 of the conveyor unit 4, the first driving rollers 104a, 104b and the second driving rollers 105a, 10b.
All the constituent mechanisms and members of the transfer lifter 101 are covered except for the contact portions of the 5b and the guide rollers 106a, 106b with the pallet 2.

Next, the operation will be described.

In FIG. 4, the motor 22 of the conveyor unit 4 constituting each of the conveyor line 5 and the conveyor line 6 shown in FIG. 1 is operated by the control panel unit 75 of the control panel 74, and the rotary shafts 23a of the transport mechanisms 32a and 32b are moved. It is driven to rotate. At the same time, each plate via the transmission belt 29
28 and the rotary shaft 23 are rotationally driven, and a large number of rollers 27 are synchronously rotated by a frictional force between the rotary shaft 23 and the rotary shaft 23. Then, in FIG. 1, all the rollers 27 of the conveyor units 4 of the conveyor line 5 and the conveyor line 6 rotate, and the pallet 2 on which the work 1 is placed is one of the tails 6b of the conveyor line 6 shown in the upper part of the drawing. The head 5a is conveyed from a predetermined position A and transfers from the head 6a to the tail 5b of the conveyor line 5 which is connected orthogonally to the conveyor line 6 and further head 5a.
Is transferred to the other predetermined position B by the conveyor line 6 by connecting to the tail portion 6b of the conveyor line 6 shown in the lower part of the drawing which is also connected to the conveyor line 5 at right angles.
At this time, since the roller 27 and the roller 27 of the rotary shaft 23, which make up the transport mechanism 32 of each conveyor unit 4, and the contact portion are made of synthetic resin, and the transmission belt 29 is mainly made of synthetic resin, the transport mechanism is formed. Since there are no metal contacts or frictions between the 32 contact and sliding parts, each conveyor unit 4 can be operated silently with almost no vibration or noise. At the same time, since these sliding parts can be operated without lubrication, it is possible to prevent the work 1 from being contaminated by the metal powder generated when oil is splashed or when the sliding parts are worn. The free flow conveyor 3 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to (a) in FIG. 3 showing various aspects of the free flow conveyor 3, and various other aspects of the free flow conveyor 3 are conceivable. The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

As described above, the pallet 2 is conveyed to the conveyor line 6 shown in the upper part of FIG. 1 and the transfer lifter 101 for the head 6a is transferred.
When reaching, the pallet 2 is detected by a detection mechanism (not shown) provided on the head 6a, and the transfer lifter 101 is driven by the second control panel unit 76 of the control panel 74 shown in FIG. That is, in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the driving motor 107 of the driving mechanism 103 is driven, and the first driving roller 104a is driven via the driving pulley 114, the transmission belt 116, the driven pulley 112, and the first shaft 108. , 104
b rotates, and drive side pulley 115 and transmission belt 11 similarly.
The second driving rollers 105a and 105b rotate via the driving pulley 113 and the second shaft 110. At the same time, compressed air is supplied to and discharged from the drive cylinder 118, the piston rod 118a projects from the drive cylinder 118, and the frame 102 passes through the connecting member 121, the first arm 122, the third shaft 123, and the second arms 125a and 125b. The transfer mechanism 32 moves upward and supports the pallet 2 while the upper surfaces of the first drive rollers 104a and 104b, the second drive rollers 105a and 105b, and the guide rollers 106a and 106b contact the pallet 2 and support the pallet 2.
The rollers 27 are spaced slightly above the horizontal line XX connecting the outer peripheral upper surfaces 27a of the rollers 27. Therefore, the pallet 2 is a roller
When the pallet 2 is released from the pallet 2 as described above, the drive mechanism 103 of the transfer lifter 101 conveys the pallet 2 at a right angle.
Can be smoothly transferred together with the work 1 from the head 6a of the conveyor line 6 shown in the upper part of FIG. 1 to the tail 5b of the conveyor line 5 without impact. Next, the pallet 2 and the work 1 conveyed by the rollers 27 of the conveyor unit 4 of the conveyor line 5 are the heads 5a of the conveyor line 5.
The transfer lifter 101 provided in the same section can be used to transfer to the tail portion 6b of the conveyor line 6 shown below in a similar procedure.

Here, for example, it is necessary for the conveyor unit 4 constituting the lower conveyor line 6 in FIG. 1, that is, the work 1 placed with the pallet 2 stopped at a predetermined position S-S of the conveyor unit 4 shown in FIG. Processing shall be performed. In FIG. 4, the pallet 2 on which the work 1 is placed
Is transported in the transport direction C by the transport mechanism 32, and the predetermined position S
When it reaches the vicinity of -S, it engages with the stopper 33. That is, in FIG. 8, the pallet 2 is conveyed to the roller 27 and moves along the conveying direction C, and sequentially contacts the roller 42c of the limit switch 42 of the stopper 33, the cushion roller 44, and the roller 64c of the mechanical valve 64, Engage. Before engaging the roller 42c of the limit switch 42 to detect the pallet 2, the slide plate 38 is retracted to the rightmost end in the figure by the double-acting cylinder 34, and therefore the cushion roller 44 is retracted to the rightmost end by a predetermined amount. Is in a state of retracting to the position, while the piston rod 48a of the drive cylinder 48 is retracting and the link device 47 is in a state indicated by a virtual line, and the cushion roller 44 is located below the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of the roller 27. . First, the pallet 2 comes into contact with the roller 42c of the limit switch 42 before coming into contact with the cushion roller 44 and the valve body 64a, and the arm 42b moves into contact with the roller 42c.
At the same time, the switch in the main body 42a is actuated by rotating as shown by a virtual line, and the limit switch 42 detects the pallet 2 and outputs a signal to the second control panel unit 76 of the control panel 74 shown in FIG. . The second control panel unit 76 switches a switching valve (not shown) based on the signal from the limit switch 42 to supply the compressed air from the compressed air source 68 to the drive cylinder 48, and the piston rod 48a projects. Along with this, the link device 47 is driven from the state shown by the phantom line to the state shown by the solid line, and the cushion roller 44 projects from the outer peripheral upper surface 27a of the roller 27. Then, the pallet 2 in which the arm 42b is rotated by contacting the roller 42c of the limit switch 42 contacts the cushion roller 44, and subsequently, the roller 64 of the mechanical valve 64.
The arm 64b is brought into contact with c to rotate the arm 64b together with the roller 64c as shown by an imaginary line, and the spool 66 is switched to the position II. When the spool 66 is switched to the position II, compressed air is supplied from the compressed air source 68 to the second cylinder chamber 35b of the double-acting cylinder 34, and at the same time, the compressed air in the cylinder 35a is discharged into the atmosphere through the variable orifice 69. . Then, the piston 36 of the double-acting cylinder 34 advances along the conveying direction C, and at the same time, the piston rod 36 is
The cushion roller 44 advances together with the limit switch 42 and the mechanical valve 64 via the a, the universal joint 37 and the slide plate 38. At this time, the cushion roller 44
While being engaged with the pallet 2, the piston moves forward by the piston 36, but the variable orifice 69 is operated by the second control panel unit 76, and the throttle ratio is gradually increased. Therefore, the forward speed of the piston 36, that is, the forward speed of the cushion roller 44 is gradually decelerated to almost zero, and at the same time, the slide plate 38 abuts the stop member 70 and is virtually shown in FIGS. Stop at the position indicated by the line. Along with this, the pallet 2 is gradually decelerated by the cushion roller 44 and stopped at a predetermined position of the conveyor unit 4 shown by SS in FIG. Therefore, the pallet 2 on which the work 1 is placed
Is extremely smoothly stopped by the stopper 33 at the predetermined position S-S, the impact at the time of stop is eliminated, and the work 1 and the free flow conveyor 3 which are precisely configured are not adversely affected. Work 1 placed after pallet 2 is stopped
When the necessary processing of the above is completed, the second control panel unit 76 is operated, the detection signal of the limit switch 42 is released and the drive cylinder 48 is driven, and the cushion roller 44 causes the cushion roller 44 to pass through the link device 47 and the outer peripheral upper surface of the roller 27. It moves below 27a to release the stopped state of the pallet 2. Then, the pallet 2 is again transported by the transport mechanism 32 toward the other predetermined position B in FIG. On the other hand, in the stopper 33, the engagement between the roller 64c of the mechanical valve 64 and the pallet 2 is released as the pallet 2 passes, and the spool 66 is switched to the position I by the urging force of the spring 67. At the same time, the compressed air from the compressed air source 68 is transferred to the double-acting cylinder 34.
When the compressed air in the second cylinder chamber 35b is discharged, the slide plate 38 is retracted to the predetermined retracted position together with the limit switch 42, the cushion roller 44 and the mechanical valve 64, and is then conveyed. The pallet 2 is kept in a standby state.

On the other hand, when it is necessary to stop the work 1 at an arbitrary position on the free-flow conveyor 3, the worker may use the pallet 2
By holding, the roller 27 of the transport mechanism 32 and the rotary shaft 23 slip and the pallet 2 can be stopped. Also,
At this time, as shown in FIG.
The conveyor mechanism 32 of each conveyor unit 4 that constitutes the
Frame 1 except for the contact part 27b that contacts the pallet 2 of 27
Since it is accommodated in the shape members 8 and 9 of 4 and the cover plate 21 is provided between the shape members 8 and 9, the operator's hand is not accidentally caught in the transport mechanism 32. It is extremely excellent in terms of safety. In addition, transfer lifters
Also for 101, the drive mechanism 103, the drive cylinder 118, and their attached members are all covered by the cover plate 131 except for the contact portions of the rotating first drive rollers 104a and 104b and the second drive rollers 105a and 105b with the pallet 2. Therefore, even if the above-mentioned stop position by the operator is near the transfer lifter 101, there is no safety problem at all.

Here, the effects of the free-flow conveyor in this embodiment will be listed in each item of [I] to [V] below. The following items [I] to [V] respectively correspond to the problems [I] to [V] presented as the problems of the present invention.

[I] The conveyor unit 4 has the transfer mechanism 32 for independently transferring the pallet 2 and the work 1, the control panel 74, the through holes 80a, 80b for the pressure fluid, and the ducts 81a, 81b for storing the cables. 4 frame 14 connection,
The conveyor line 6 can be assembled only by connecting the pressure fluid through holes 80a and 80b with the connector hose 89 and connecting the cables with the connector cables 92 and 93. Further, a transfer lifter 101 is attached to the head 6a of the conveyor line 6.
Since the above is provided, not only the length of the free flow conveyor 3 can be changed, but also the conveyor system can be easily modified such as the layout. Even in the case of new construction work, the length of the conveyor line 6 and the layout of the combination of the conveyor lines 5 and 6 can be determined to easily cope with the situation at the site.
Can be installed. Therefore, in the free-flow conveyor 3 according to the present invention, as shown in the conventional example, re-chaining at the time of remodeling, re-laying of cables and compression pipes, etc. are eliminated, and it is only necessary to connect the connectors. It is possible to connect and install easily without a specialized plumbing worker. On the other hand, for maintenance during operation of the free-flow conveyor 3, the transfer mechanism 32 of the conveyor unit 4 has a relatively short transmission belt.
Since it is driven via 29, and the proper tension is automatically applied by the tension pulley 30 via the spring at all times, adjustment by a specialized worker is required like the chain drive type shown in the conventional example. Not. Also,
Even if the motor 22 that drives the transport mechanism 32 is overloaded for some reason, the control panel provided in each conveyor unit 4 can easily determine which motor is overloaded and respond accordingly. Is. Even if the motor 22 burns out, the single conveyor unit 4 only stops, and since the length of the conveyor unit 4 is short, for example, 2.3 m, the pallet 2 and the work 1 can be manually transferred. It is possible to prevent the conveyor lines 5 and 6 themselves from being stopped for a long period of time. That is, as described above, the free-flow conveyor 3 of this embodiment is remarkably excellent in adaptability not only during maintenance but also during remodeling and new installation.

[II] Since the transport mechanism 32 is driven via the transmission belt 29 mainly composed of synthetic resin, no metallic noise is generated during operation, and the transmission belt 29 and the pulley 28 are toothed belts and toothed wheels. Since the pulley is used, its transmission is accurate and smooth, and there is no meshing between the sprocket and the chain unlike the chain drive type shown in the conventional example, so that vibration and noise are significantly reduced. Also, the stopper
Since 33 is a type that gradually decelerates and stops the pallet 2 by using pressurized air, the impact when the pallet 2 is stopped is eliminated and the adverse effect on the work 1 and the free flow conveyor 3 itself is prevented. be able to. Further, a stopper 33 provided for each conveyor unit 4
The compressed air discharged from the double-acting cylinder 34, the drive cylinder 48, and the drive cylinder 118 of the transfer lifter 101 is discharged into the through hole 80b of the shaped member 9, and the through holes 80b are sequentially provided by the connector hose 89. 3 is connected to the conveyor unit 4 located at the other end of the conveyor unit 3, and a silencer is provided on the discharge side of the through hole 80b of the conveyor unit 4 so that compressed air can be intensively discharged from one place. Therefore, it is possible to remarkably reduce noise due to the discharged compressed air by separating the discharge place from the work place and by strengthening the silencer. Furthermore, a control board 74 is provided for each conveyor unit 4, and the control board 74 is connected to the cables housed in the ducts 81a and 81b of the shape members 8 and 9, and these cables are connected by the connector cables 92 and 93. Since they are connected in sequence, there is no need for a large control panel separate from the free flow conveyor 3, so that the space around the free flow conveyor 3 can be effectively used, and the working environment can be improved. it can. That is, in the free flow conveyor 3 of the present embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the generation of vibration and noise, expand the space, and significantly improve the working environment.

[III] As described above, the roller 27 of the transport mechanism 32 and the rotary shaft 2
Since the contact portion between the roller 3 and the roller 27 is both made of synthetic resin and can be operated without lubrication, the contamination of the work 1 due to the metal powder generated at the time of splash of lubrication or abrasion of the sliding portion can be dealt with. The quality of the product can be improved.

[IV] As described above, since the rotating or operating portion is not exposed to the outside except the minimum necessary portion, it is possible to remarkably improve work safety.

[V] Each member constituting the transport mechanism 32 of the conveyor unit 4, that is, the roller 27, the pulley 28, and the transmission belt 29.
Is lighter than the chain, the motor 22
Also, the members that make up the frame 14 are
Since the aluminum alloy is sufficient, the weight of the free flow conveyor 3 itself is reduced, and the equipment cost of the free flow conveyor 3 becomes low. Further, the conveyor lines 6 are assembled by sequentially connecting the conveyor units 4, and the conveyor units 4 incorporating the transfer lifters 101 are simply arranged at the ends of the conveyor lines 6 to provide free lengths and layouts. The flow conveyor 3 can be installed. Furthermore, since wiring and piping work is not required separately from the free flow conveyor 3, the period of on-site work for new installation or remodeling is significantly shortened, and the equipment cost and the apparatus cost can be made extremely low.

In the present embodiment, an example of 2.3 m is disclosed as the predetermined length of the conveyor unit 4 in the carrying direction, but this value has been disclosed by the applicant to the OA equipment manufacturing factory, especially in the free flow conveyor 3 When is applied, it can be handled efficiently. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to this value, and when it is applied to a manufacturing plant of other types, the conveyor unit 4 having the length most suitable for the factory.
Of course, it can be configured. Further, in the present embodiment, the case where compressed air is used as the pressure fluid for driving the cylinders has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and in the case where pressure hydraulic oil or explosion proof is required, an explosion proof type motor is used. It is needless to say that the compressed inert gas can be applied while using

(Effects) As described above, according to the present invention, all of the problems [I] to [V] of the conventional example presented as a problem are solved, and the objective of the present invention is to improve and maintain. It is possible to provide a low-flow free-flow conveyor that has excellent adaptability, improves the working environment and safety, eliminates contamination of conveyed works, improves the quality of products to be handled, and is low in cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 13 are views showing an embodiment of the free flow conveyor according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure thereof, and FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are respectively the same. The top view which shows the structure of a conveyor line, FIG. 3 (a), (b),
(C) is a plan view and an elevation view showing the aspect of the configuration, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the conveyor unit, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the stopper, and FIG. 6 is a VI of FIG. -VI partial cross sectional view, FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 5, FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram for explaining the function of the stopper, and FIG. 9 is one of them. Sectional view of shaped member,
10 is a sectional view of the pair of shaped members, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the connecting member and the connector, FIG. 12 is a plan view of the transfer lifter, and FIG. 13 is XIII-XIII of FIG. FIG. 1 ... Workpiece, 2 ... Pallet, 3 ... Free-flow conveyor, 4 ... Conveyor unit, 5, 6 ... Conveyor line (plural conveyor lines), 5a, 6a ... Head, 5
b, 6b ... Tail, 8,9 ... Shaped member, 14 ... Frame, 2
2 …… Motor, 23 …… Rotary shaft, 27 …… Roller, 27a …… Outer peripheral upper surface, 27b …… Contact part, 29 …… Transmission belt, 32 ……
Transport mechanism, 33 …… Stopper, 74 …… Control panel, 80a, 80b
... through hole, 81a, 81b ... duct, 89 ... connector hose (connector), 92, 93 ... connector cable (connector), 101 ... transit lifter, 103 ... drive mechanism, 118 ... drive Cylinder, A ... One predetermined position, B
...... The other predetermined position.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Mashiro Yamada 1160-9 Nakagamicho, Akishima-shi, Tokyo Corp. Mizumi 102

Claims (6)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A free-flow conveyor capable of transporting a work placed on a pallet from one predetermined position to the other predetermined position and stopping the work in the middle of the transport, having a predetermined length in the transport direction. Conveyor line having a plurality of conveyor units, and a plurality of conveyor lines in which a plurality of the conveyor units are sequentially connected, and a plurality of conveyor lines in which heads and tails in the conveying direction are sequentially connected to each other at right angles to each other. And a conveyor unit of the conveyor line is rotationally driven by a motor provided in the conveyor unit via a transmission belt, and a large number of rotary shafts arranged in two rows on the left and right along the transport direction and the rotation. The shafts are fitted into and contact with each other, and the frictional force between the shaft and the contact part of the shaft causes the shaft to rotate. A conveying mechanism including rollers that convey the pallet together with the work by contacting the upper surface of the outer periphery with the pallet, and a predetermined fluid of the conveyor unit while engaging with the pallet and gradually supplying and discharging the pressure fluid to gradually decelerate the pallet. It is equipped with a stopper that stops at a position, a control panel that controls the operation of the motor and stopper of the transfer mechanism, and a frame that supports the transfer mechanism, stopper, and control panel, and the frame of the conveyor unit extends in the transfer direction. And a pair of left and right shaped members, which store the rotary shaft and the rollers, except for the contact portion that pivotally supports the rotary shaft of the transport mechanism and come into contact with the roller pallet, and are supplied to and discharged from the stopper. The conveyor unit is connected with a duct for accommodating a pressure fluid passage and a cable connected to the control panel. The cables for supplying and discharging the shaped members and the cables in the ducts are respectively connected by connectors, and the pressure fluid is supplied from the through holes of the shaped members of the conveyor unit to the head of the conveyor line in the conveying direction by the control panel. The pallet is driven by a drive cylinder that is supplied and discharged to operate, moves the pallet slightly upward from the transport mechanism, and moves the pallet at right angles to the transport direction and horizontally by the drive mechanism controlled by the control panel. A free-flow conveyor characterized by being provided with a transfer lifter so that a pallet can be transferred to a conveyor line sequentially with a work by the transfer lifter. 2. The free flow conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion of the roller of the transport mechanism and at least the rotary shaft is made of synthetic resin. 3. The free-flow conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the transmission belt of the conveying mechanism is a toothed belt mainly made of synthetic resin. 4. The stopper is slidably inserted into the cylinder and the cylinder to define the inside of the cylinder into a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber and to move forward in the axial direction,
A double-acting cylinder consisting of a retractable piston, a detection unit that engages the conveyed pallet in advance to detect the pallet, and a piston of the double-acting cylinder that is not detected by the detection unit. A cushion roller made of an elastic member that is located below the outer peripheral upper surface of the mechanism mechanism and that protrudes above the outer peripheral upper surface of the roller to engage with the pallet when the pallet is detected, and a cushion roller that follows the cushion roller. To the pallet to supply the pressure fluid to the second cylinder chamber of the double-acting cylinder and to discharge the pressure fluid from the first cylinder chamber through the variable orifice to advance the cushion roller to the predetermined position of the conveyor unit. And always supply the pressurized fluid to the first cylinder chamber and A switching valve for discharging the pressurized fluid from the binder chamber and retracting the cushion roller to a predetermined retracted position by means of a retracting piston, and moving forward while the cushion roller is engaged with the pallet and gradually decelerating the pallet. The free flow conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor unit is stopped at a predetermined position. 5. A plurality of conveyors in which the plurality of conveyor units are sequentially connected, and through holes for supplying and discharging compressed fluid provided in the frame-shaped members are connected through a connector. The compressed fluid is supplied to the supply hole of the conveyor unit located at one end of the unit, and the compressed fluid is discharged from the discharge hole of the conveyor unit located at the other end. The free flow conveyor according to claim 1. 6. The free flow conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the frame of said conveyor unit is made of an aluminum alloy member formed by extrusion molding.