JPH07299422A - Separating and supplying device for long-sized articles - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a device capable of separating long-sized articles mingled with plural kinds by each kind, adjusting their postures and supplying these articles to the ensuing stage. CONSTITUTION:While tableware appliances mingled with three kinds; spoons S, knives K and forks F, are longitudinally transported by means of a small- width belt conveyor 31, their images are picked up by a CCD camera 35 and their kinds and directions are discriminated by an image processor 36. While these appliances are transported by a broad belt conveyor 41, the appliances are distributed to transfer lines varying with every kind by a sorting channel 55 and are further introduced to an inverting channel, where, for example, the spoons S having the normal direction are passed as they are and the spoons S facing backward are adjusted to the normal directions by meshing a pinion gear having a revolving shaft commonly with the inverting channel with a rack gear extruded when the direction is reverse, thereby inverting the inversion channel 180 deg..

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for selecting and feeding long-shaped articles, and more specifically, it selects a plurality of types of long-shaped articles that are mixed and sorts them by type, and adjusts their postures in the next step. It relates to a device for supplying to.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case where a plurality of types of long-sized articles are mixed, the work of selecting these by type and adjusting their postures is often done manually. For example, in a catering facility for aircraft that serves in-flight meals of 5000 to 10000 meals a day, three types of eating utensils, that is, spoons, knives, and forks are washed and then put together in a mixed state. . These must be sorted by type, aligned in the longitudinal direction, and handed over to the next step. Conventionally, the work is performed manually, and it is desired to save labor.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to sort longitudinal articles in which a plurality of types are mixed for each type, adjust their postures, and supply them to the next step. An object is to provide a sorting and supplying device for articles.

[0004]

The above object is to provide an article supply device, a belt conveyor arranged in the vicinity of the article supply device, and a side or upper side of the belt conveyor. An image pickup camera, an image processing device that receives an image pickup signal of the image pickup camera, a sorting device arranged in the vicinity of the downstream end of the belt conveyor, and a long-shaped article sorted by the sorting device. Each of the receiving means and a direction reversing means arranged in the vicinity of each of the conveying means, the longitudinal direction of the article feeding device is directed to the feeding direction, the articles are fed to the belt conveyor, and the image pickup camera is used. The orientation is imaged and supplied to the image processing apparatus as an imaging signal, and compared with the longitudinal component having the correct orientation stored in the image processing apparatus. Crab shake When the posture of the longitudinal article is reversed according to the posture discrimination signal in the image processing device, the direction reversing means is driven to reverse the direction by 180 degrees, and then supplied to the next step. The present invention is achieved by a device for selecting and supplying a longitudinal article.

[0005]

The type and orientation of the longitudinal articles supplied to the belt conveyor with the longitudinal direction oriented in the transfer direction are imaged by the imaging camera disposed on the side or above the belt conveyor, and the imaging signal is input. Based on the memory of the image processing apparatus, the sorting apparatus sorts and conveys the sheets according to type, and when the posture of the longitudinal article is reversed, the longitudinal articles are inverted by 180 degrees and supplied to the next step. . Since everything is automated, labor costs are reduced, and reliable classification and supply of a predetermined posture are performed.

[0006]

EXAMPLES The following is a description of the apparatus for selecting and feeding elongated articles according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an eating utensil selecting and supplying apparatus of the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the apparatus. 1 and 2
The food utensil sorting and feeding device shown in FIG. 1 generally has a feeding section mainly including a torsional vibration part feeder 11 and a CCD camera 3.
5, a determination unit having the image processing device 36, and the distribution mechanism 5
1, a sorting unit having a reversing mechanism 71, which sorts the eating utensils in which three types of spoon S, knife K, and fork F are mixed and sorts them in the longitudinal direction and supplies them to the next process. It is a device.

1 and 2, the torsional vibration parts feeder 11 has a known structure, and a track 13 that spirally rises from the bottom surface is formed on the inner surface of the side wall of the bowl-shaped bowl 12.
Is provided. The eating utensil receives the torsional vibration, rides on the truck 13, and is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow a. An end plate 14 is connected to the uppermost portion of the truck 13 so as to have a downwardly sloping surface radially outward so that the eating utensil can be slid onto the external truck 15. 14E is the end plate 14
The food utensils that have not slipped to the external truck 15 at the end of are dropped onto the truck 13 below.

External track 1 covering about 1/4 circumference
A pocket 16 is provided in 5 to narrow the track width, and the eating utensils can be passed only in a single row. Then, the excessively transported food utensils are dropped into the pockets 16 and then returned to the tracks 13 in the bowl 12.

At the downstream end of the external truck 15, there is provided a stopper 17 of a type in which a stop plate protrudes from a slit provided on the bottom surface thereof at a right angle to the transfer direction, and its opening and closing is connected by a control line 19. Process computer 3
Controlled by 7 and tact operation is performed as described later.

Further, a chute 18 which is inclined downward in the transfer direction is arranged at the downstream end of the external truck 15.
It connects to the downstream determination unit.

In order to explain the drive system for applying the torsional vibration to the bowl 12, the movable block 21 which also serves as a movable core is integrally fixed to the bottom surface of the bowl 12 with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 21 is connected to a fixed block 23 by inclined leaf springs 22 arranged at equal angular intervals. Further, an electromagnet 25 around which a coil 24 is wound is fixed to the fixed block 23 so as to face the movable block 21 with a gap therebetween, and a drive unit configured in this way is covered with a soundproof cover 26. The entire torsional vibration parts feeder 11 is fixed to the floor via height adjusting bolts 27 and vibration-proof rubbers 28.

The spoon S, the knife K, and the fork F are composed of a handle portion and respective functional portions, that is, a spoon portion, a blade portion, or a fork portion. The type and direction of these food utensils transferred are discriminated. The discriminating unit is located on the gantry 38, is wound around the roll 32 and the roll 33, and is driven by the drive motor 34 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow b and convey the food utensil. , A CCD camera 35 provided above the downstream portion thereof for capturing an image of a food utensil being conveyed, and an image pickup signal thereof is a signal line 29.
And an image processing device 36 input by

A sorting unit downstream of the discriminating unit that sorts the food utensils by type and aligns their orientations is wound around a roll 42 and a roll 43, and an ascending portion is supported by an idler 45 to drive a drive motor. A wide belt conveyor 41 made of rubber that rotates in a direction indicated by an arrow c by 44, a distribution mechanism 51 that is provided close to the upper side of the upstream side thereof and distributes the eating utensils to the transport position for each type thereof. It is composed of a reversing mechanism 71 for reversing the food utensil in the opposite direction which is located downstream. The wide belt conveyor 41 is arranged by a frame 48 so that its conveying surface is close to the upstream narrow belt conveyor 31 at the same height, and a bridge 39 is provided between both belts as described later.

Above the wide belt conveyor 41, a first fixing plate 46 for fixing the sorting mechanism 51 and a second fixing plate 47 for fixing the reversing mechanism 71 are supported and fixed parallel to the surface of the wide belt conveyor 41. ing.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the distribution mechanism 51, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line [4]-[4] in FIG. 3.
With reference to these, a bridge 39 is provided between the narrow belt conveyor 31 and the wide belt conveyor 41 to prevent the food utensils from falling, and the first fixing plate 46 above the belt conveyors 31 and 41 is provided. The distribution mechanism 51 is fixed together with the CCD camera 35 described above.

To explain the distribution mechanism 51 in detail, referring to FIG. 3, a three-position pneumatic cylinder 58 which is operated by being controlled by the process computer 37 connected by a control line 49 is provided on the upper surface of the fixed plate 46. A link member 56 having a long hole 57 is attached to the tip of the rod 59. The long hole 57 has a crank 52 whose one end is fixed to a rotary shaft 53 which is pivotally supported by a fixed plate 46.
The pin 54 at the other end of the crank 52 is loosely fitted, and the crank 52 is expanded and contracted in the direction shown by the arrow d so that the crank 52 is rotated.
It can be rotated around.

Further, referring to FIG. 4, below the first fixed plate 46, a distribution channel 55 having a section of П shape is fixed to the lower end of the rotary shaft 53 at its one end in the longitudinal direction, and a wide belt conveyor is provided. There is a gap from the ascending surface of 41, and the other end is directed in the same direction as the crank 52 above the fixed plate 46. Then, referring to FIG. 3, the distribution channel 55 is moved in the same direction at the same time as the rotation of the crank 52, that is, the arrow e.
The three-position pneumatic cylinder 58 is rotatable in the direction shown by
Either of the positions P, Q or R is taken according to the operation of.

Furthermore, the wide belt conveyor 41 is provided at a position connected to the distribution channel 55 having the position P.
A stationary guide channel 61p having a П-shaped cross section is provided with its upper part fixed to the fixing plate 46 with a gap from the ascending surface. Similarly, the stationary guide channel 6 is provided at a position connected to the distribution channel 55 having the position R.
1r is provided, but nothing is provided for position Q.

That is, the position P is determined as the distribution position of the spoon S, the position Q is determined as the distribution position of the knife K, and the position R is determined as the distribution position of the fork F, and the eating utensils conveyed by the narrow belt conveyor 31 are CCD. When the image is captured by the camera 35 and the image processing device 36 discriminates it as the spoon S based on the imaging signal, the process computer 37 linked with the image processing device 36 operates the three-position pneumatic cylinder 58 by the discrimination. , The distribution channel 55 is set to the position P and is connected to the stationary guide channel 61p. Therefore, the spoon S is guided by the distribution channel 55 and the stationary guide channel 61p and slanted on the wide belt conveyor 41 in the direction indicated by the arrow f,
The spoons S are distributed to the conveying position on the wide belt conveyor 41. When it is determined that the eating tool is the knife K, the knife K is introduced into the distribution channel 55 having the position Q, passes through the distribution channel 55, and is conveyed on the wide belt 41 as it is, and the position is set as the conveyance position of the knife K. It When the eating utensil is the fork F, the fork F travels from the distribution channel 55 having the position R through the stationary guide channel 61r while the wide belt conveyor 41
The wide belt conveyor 4 is slanted upward in the direction indicated by the arrow g.
1 is distributed to the transport position of the fork F. In this way, thereafter, the spoon S, the knife K, and the fork F are carried on their respective carrying lines.

Returning to FIG. 1, the reversing mechanism 71s is arranged on the conveyor line of the spoon S of the wide belt conveyor 41, the reversing mechanism 71k is arranged on the conveying line of the knife K, and the reversing mechanism is arranged on the conveying line of the fork F. 71f is provided. In FIG. 1, the running direction of the rubber belt 75, which will be described later, of the reversing mechanism 71f is different from that of the other reversing mechanisms 71s and 71k.
All of them have the same structure and operate in the same manner except that they are the same as the rubber belt 75 of No.
Only the reversing mechanism 71s will be described, and the other description will be omitted.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the reversing mechanism 71s, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line [6]-[6] in FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line [7]-[7] in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line [8]-[8] in FIG.

5 to 8, the drive roll 73 keyed to the shaft of the motor 72 on the second fixing plate 47 and the second
A rubber belt 75 is wound around a driven roll 74 axially supported by a fixed plate 47 via bearings 74B, and the rubber belt 75 intermittently rotates in the direction indicated by arrow h. This intermittent running will be described later, but at the time of running, it runs at the same speed as the lower wide belt conveyor 41. Further, four shaft cases 81 are fixed to the outer periphery of the rubber belt 75 at regular intervals by screws 78.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a rotary shaft 83 is penetratingly supported inside the shaft case 81 through bearings 82 at upper and lower ends, and a pinion gear 84 is fixed to an upper end of the rotary shaft 83. The reverse channel 86 having a П-shaped cross section is fixed to the lower end with a gap from the upper surface of the wide belt conveyor 41 immediately below. That is, when the pinion gear 84 rotates, the reversing channel 86 also rotates at the same time. Further, sensors 85 are provided at both ends of the top plate of the reversing channel 86 for detecting the entrance and exit of the eating utensil, and the signal thereof is input to the process computer 37, but its signal line is omitted in the drawing. Has been done.

A click mechanism 64 is attached to the rotary shaft 83 to make the stop position after rotation accurate, and the details thereof are shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rotating shaft 83. In the outer periphery of the central portion of the rotating shaft 83, hemispherical depressions 65a and 65b are smoothly introduced at two opposing positions in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the reversing channel 86. It is formed together with the portion and the lead-out portion. On the other hand, in the enclosing case 68 fixed to the shaft case 81 with screws 69, the spring 67 locked at one end dents the small ball 66 at the other end 65.
The outer periphery of the rotary shaft 83 including a and 65b is pressed.

Further referring to FIGS. 5-8, the reversing mechanism 71
On the inner surface of the side wall 76 of s, two rails 77 are vertically laid out in parallel, and the free wheel 8 attached to the upper and lower ends of the shaft case 81 via bearings 88.
7 rolls on the rail 77.
Therefore, the running of the rubber belt 75 with the shaft case 81 fixed is extremely smooth.

As shown in FIG. 5 and as described above, the four shaft cases 81 are fixed to the outer periphery of the rubber belt 75 at equal intervals, and the pinion gears 84 are respectively attached to the four shaft cases 81.
And the inversion channel 86 are provided, the four inversion channels 86 are denoted by inversion channels 86-1, 86-2, 86-3, 86-4 as shown in FIG. Further, the position where the reversal channel 86-1 exists is referred to as position A, the position where the reversal channel 86-2 exists is referred to as position B, and in the following, position C and position D. Then, the positions A and B are present on the above-mentioned spoon S transport line. Therefore, the spoon S conveyed on the wide belt conveyor 41 is in the position A.
To the inversion channel 86-1.

When the sensor 85 detects that the spoon S has entered in the inversion channel 86-1, the process computer 37 to which the signal is inputted drives the motor 72 via the control lines 79 to 79s to drive the rubber belt. When the reverse channel 86-1 reaches position B, the motor 72 is stopped and the rubber belt 75
Is also stopped. That is, intermittent operation is performed. In the meantime, the reversing channel 86-4 in the position D is moving to the position A, and the other reversing channels 86-2 and 86-3 are also advancing the positions.

Even if the next spoon S enters the reversal channel 86-4 at the position A, the rubber belt 75 runs and stops in the same manner, and thereafter, every time the spoon S enters the reversal channel at the position A. The running and stopping of the rubber belt 75 are repeated. However, spoons S ₁ tableware is conveyed, even if contiguous with spoon S _2, which contains the spoon S ₁ in the inversion channel 86-1 in the position B, at the same time inverted in position A The stopper 17 on the upstream side is controlled by the process computer 37 to perform tact operation so that the spoon S ₂ does not enter the channel 86-4. Because inversion channel 86-4 in position A
When the spoon S ₂ enters the inside, the motor 72 is activated and the rubber belt 75 starts traveling, so that the reversal channel 86-1 at the position B is inside the spoon S 2.
_{This is because the 1} moves into the next position C in a curved manner with the ₁ still contained, and the spoon S ₁ comes off the carrying line.

Furthermore, a mechanism is provided for reversing the reversing channel 86-1 when the conveyed spoon S is in the reverse direction. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and also referring to FIG. 8, at the intermediate position between the driving roll 73 and the driven roll 74, the control line is attached to the frame 95 attached to the lower surface of the second fixing plate 47. A two-position pneumatic cylinder 91, which is controlled and operated by the process computer 37 connected by 89, is provided, and a rack gear 94 fixed to the tip of a rod 92 of the two-position pneumatic cylinder 91 is formed on a rail 93 formed on a frame 95 by an arrow. It expands and contracts in the direction indicated by j. The rack gear 94 is adapted to mesh with the moving pinion gear 84 when the rod 92 is extended. Further, the rack gear 94 is engraved with the number of teeth enough for the meshing pinion gear 84 to rotate exactly half, that is, 180 degrees.

Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wide belt conveyor 4
An exchangeable stock container 99 is provided at the downstream end of 1, and the stock container 99 defines a spoon section 99s, a knife section 99k, and a fork section 99f. Incidentally, the apparatus of this embodiment shown in the plan view of FIG. 1 is compact with a width of 1.1 m or more and a length of 3 m or more, and there are few restrictions on the installation space.

The present embodiment is constructed as described above, and its operation will be described below.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, on the bottom surface of the bowl 12 of the torsional vibration parts feeder 11, the washed utensil,
That is, the spoons S, knives K, and forks F are randomly and densely housed. Coil 24 of drive unit
When a current is applied to the bowl 12, torsional vibration is applied to the bowl 12, so that the eating utensil is moved to the periphery of the bowl 12 and rides on the spirally rising track 13 along the side wall of the bowl 12, that is, the eating utensil is in the longitudinal direction. Is transferred in the direction of arrow a toward the transfer direction.

In the end plate 14 provided at the uppermost portion of the truck 13, the eating utensil slides down to the external truck 15 due to the radially outward component of the transfer force due to the torsional vibration and the radially outwardly inclined surface. It is transported along the outer wall of the external truck 15. Since the track width is narrowed by the pocket 16 provided in the external truck 15, only a single row of eating utensils along the outer wall passes through, and the other eating utensils are in the pocket 1.
It falls to 6 and is returned to the track 13 in the bowl 12.
The stopper 17 provided at the downstream end of the external truck 15 and controlled by the process computer 37 and operating in a tact mode causes the eating utensil to operate at a timing according to the processing capacity of the downstream sorting mechanism 51, particularly the reversing mechanism 71. It is sent to the chute 18. Therefore, the eating utensil is the stopper 17
If it becomes excessive in front of, it will fall into the pocket 16.

The eating utensils slide down on the running narrow belt conveyor 31 from the chute 18 at intervals.
At this point, although the eating utensil has its longitudinal direction aligned with the conveying direction of the narrow belt conveyor 31, its direction is not constant, and the spoon S, knife K, and fork F are also in a completely random order. It is conveyed in the direction of arrow b.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the eating utensil conveyed by the narrow belt conveyor 31 is the CCD above the downstream end.
An image is picked up by the camera 35, and the image pickup signal is input to the image processing device 36. Then, the image processing device 36 compares and collates the image pickup signal with the stored image, and whether the eating utensil imaged by the CCD camera 35 is the spoon S, the knife K, or the fork F, and It is determined that the spoon S is the spoon portion or the handle portion at the beginning.

Subsequently, the eating utensil is transferred from the narrow belt conveyor 31 via the bridge 39 to the wide belt conveyor 41 which is installed in close proximity, and is conveyed in the direction of arrow c. On this wide belt conveyor 41, the eating utensil first enters the distribution channel 55. Whether the eating utensil is the spoon S, the knife K, or the fork F is determined by the CCD camera 35 and the image processing device 36. Since it has already been determined, the three-position pneumatic cylinder 58 is operated by the process computer 37 linked with the image processing device 36, and the distribution channel 55 selects one of the positions P, Q, and R depending on the type of eating utensil. To take.
Now, assuming that the spoon S has been conveyed, the distribution channel 55 is moved to the position P and is connected to the stationary guide channel 61p. In the case of the knife K, there is no stationary guide channel connected to the position Q, and in the case of the fork F, the distribution channel 55 is set to the position R and connected to the stationary guide channel 61r.

That is, the spoon S on the wide belt conveyor 41 is guided by the distribution channel 55 and the stationary guide channel 61p located at the position P and obliquely moves on the wide belt conveyor 41 in the direction of arrow f, and the spoon S of the wide belt conveyor 41 is moved. It is distributed to the left side toward the downstream side. Similarly, the fork F is guided by the distribution channel 55 and the stationary guide channel 66r at the position R to be slanted on the wide belt conveyor 41 in the direction of arrow g and distributed to the right side portion toward the downstream side of the wide belt conveyor 41. To be done. Then, the knife K is conveyed straight from the sorting channel 55 at the position Q, and its position is set as the conveying position on the wide belt conveyor 41.

Spoon S distributed in this way,
The knife K and the fork F are transported downstream at their respective transport positions on the wide belt conveyor 41, and reach the respective reversing mechanisms 71s, 71k, or 71f on the transport line. Since these reversing mechanisms 71s, 71k, and 71f operate similarly, only the spoon S and its reversing mechanism 71s will be described below, and the other description will be omitted.

In the reversing mechanism 71s for spoons, as shown in FIG. 5, the reversing channel 86-1 is at position A and the reversing channels 86-2, 86-3, 86-4 are at positions B, C and D, respectively. There is. Then, the spoon S conveyed on the wide belt conveyor 41 enters into the inversion channel 86-1 and the entry is detected by the sensor 85 provided on the top plate of the inversion channel 86-1. Since the detection signal is input to the process computer 37, the process computer 37 activates the motor 72 to start traveling of the rubber belt 75. Since the rubber belt 75 travels at the same speed as the wide belt conveyor 41 below, the reversing channel 86-1 will not be earlier or later than the spoon S. Then, when the reversing channel 86-1 reaches the position B, the motor 72 is stopped, so that the rubber belt 75 stops traveling and the reversing channel 86-1 also stops.

When the spoon S that has been conveyed is conveyed with the spoon portion at the beginning (hereinafter, this is the normal direction), this is already discriminated by the CCD camera 35 and the image processing device 36. Therefore, the process computer 37 does not issue a command to invert the inversion channel 86-1 while the spoon S moves from the position A to the position B together with the inversion channel 86-1. Therefore, when the reversing channel 86-1 is stopped at the position B, the spoon S on the wide belt conveyor 41 exits from this and is conveyed as it is to the downstream side.

Even when the spoon S enters the reversing channel 86-1 in the reverse direction with the handle portion at the top, when the sensor 85 detects that the spoon S has entered, the motor 72 is activated and the reversing channel 86-1 is in the position. Although the movement from A to the position B is started, the fact that the spoon S is in the opposite direction has already been determined by the CCD camera 35 and the image processing device 36. The two-position pneumatic cylinder 91 is operated by the operating process computer 37, and the rack gear 94 is pushed out to a position where it meshes with the pinion gear 84.

Referring to FIG. 10 showing the reversing action of the reversing channel 86-1, the pinion gear 84 on the same rotating shaft 83 as the reversing channel 86-1 is in the middle of the movement of the reversing channel 86-1 from the position A to the position B.
Engages with the rack gear 94 already in the pushed-out position, so that the pinion gear 84 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow k. For the rack gear 94, the pinion gear 84 is exactly 180
Since the number of teeth for rotating the pinion gear 84
Is rotated 180 degrees while passing through the rack gear 94, and the reversal channel 86-1 fixed to the same rotation shaft 83 as the pinion gear 84 also reverses 180 degrees with one end 86e drawing a locus indicated by an arrow m during this time. To be done. Therefore,
The reverse spoon S contained in the reverse channel 86-1 also reaches the position B while being reversed in direction on the wide belt conveyor 41, and when the reverse channel 86-1 is stopped at the position B, the spoon S becomes It comes out from the reversing channel 86-1 in the normal direction and is conveyed to the downstream side. The reversal of the reversal channel 86-1 is 180 degrees with high precision by the click mechanism 64 provided on the rotary shaft 83.

In this way, the wide belt conveyor 41
At the downstream end of the, the spoon S, the knife K, and the fork F have their respective transport lines oriented in the proper direction, that is,
The spoon section 99s, the knife section 99k, and the fork in the stock container 99, which is transported with the spoon portion, the blade portion, or the fork portion at the head and is provided in the vicinity of the downstream end, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Each of the storage compartments 99f is housed, and when a predetermined amount is filled, it is replaced with a new stock container 99 'for supply to the next process.

As described above, since the spoon S, the knife K, and the fork F automatically have their predetermined postures and are completely automated and supplied without requiring any manpower in the next step. The human cost can be greatly reduced compared with the conventional one, and the installation area of the device can be reduced compared to the case where the sorting workers sort, and the equipment cost can also be greatly increased. Can be lowered.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the reversing mechanism 71s of this embodiment, the reversing channel at position A and the position B
Since the spoon S cannot exist at the same time with the reversing channel at, the processing capacity is limited. For example, two reversing mechanisms 71s and 71s' are provided for the spoon S, and the spoon S has two transfer lines. As a result, the processing capacity is doubled, and it becomes possible to process even if the spoon S is continuously conveyed. In this case, as a matter of course, since the knife K and the fork F also have two reversing mechanisms and two transfer lines, the distribution channel 55 has, for example, P, P ′, Q, Q ′, R, and R ′. It will be distributed to 6 positions.

Further, in this embodiment, the rubber belt 75
The shaft case 81 is fixed to the shaft case 81 with screws 78 on both sides of the rotary shaft 83 (see FIG. 10).
You may make it screw-fasten only on one side of the rotating shaft 83. By doing so, even if the diameters of the driving roll 73 and the driven roll 74 are small, the rubber belt 75 can smoothly travel.

Further, in this embodiment, the sensors 85 are provided at both ends of the top plate of the reversing channel 86, but they correspond to both ends of the reversing channel 86 at the positions A and B on the lower surface of the second fixing plate 47. It may be provided at a position where the signal lines are provided, which simplifies the arrangement of the signal lines.

Further, in this embodiment, pneumatic cylinders such as the three-position pneumatic cylinder 58 and the two-position pneumatic cylinder 91 are adopted, but for example, the distribution positions P, Q and R are required to have high precision. In this case, a hydraulic cylinder may be used instead of the pneumatic cylinder.

Further, in the above embodiments, the spoon, the fork and the knife are distributed so as to be supplied to the common wide conveyor, but of course, these may be separate conveyors.

Further, in the above embodiments, as the elongated article,
Although a knife, a fork, and a spoon have been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to sorting and sorting of long articles such as pencils, ballpoint pens, and combs.

[0053]

As described above, according to the apparatus for selecting and feeding long-length articles of the present invention, the long-length articles in which a plurality of types are mixed are selected for each type and the posture is adjusted to the next step. Since it can be supplied, it is possible to significantly reduce the cost by labor saving of the work. In addition, the entire device is compact and there are few restrictions on the installation space.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an eating utensil selecting and supplying apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the device.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a distribution mechanism in the same device.

4 is a sectional view taken along line [4]-[4] in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a reversing mechanism in the apparatus of the embodiment.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line [6]-[6] in FIG.

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line [7]-[7] in FIG.

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line [8]-[8] in FIG.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rotating shaft of the reversing channel in the apparatus of the embodiment, showing a click mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an inversion action of an inversion channel in the same device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Torsional Vibration Parts Feeder 13 Track 16 Pocket 17 Stopper 31 Narrow Belt Conveyor 35 CCD Camera 36 Image Processor 37 Process Computer 41 Wide Belt Conveyor 51 Sorting Mechanism 55 Sorting Channel 58 Three Position Pneumatic Cylinder 61 Stationary Guide Channel 71 Inversion Mechanism 75 Rubber Belt 81 Shaft Case 83 Rotating Shaft 84 Pinion Gear 86 Inverting Channel 91 Two Position Pneumatic Cylinder 94 Rack Gear 99 Stock Container A Position B Position C Position D Position F Fork K Knife P Position Q Position R Position S Spoon

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An article supply apparatus, a belt conveyor arranged in the vicinity of the article supply apparatus, an image pickup camera arranged on a side or above the belt conveyor, and an image pickup signal of the image pickup camera. An image processing device for receiving, a sorting device disposed in the vicinity of the downstream end of the belt conveyor, transporting means for receiving the longitudinal articles sorted by the sorting device, and transporting means. And a direction reversing means arranged in proximity to the article conveyor, the longitudinal direction of the article is directed to the transfer direction, the article is supplied to the belt conveyor, and the image is captured by the image capturing camera, and the image processing is performed. It is supplied to the device as an image pickup signal, and compared with the longitudinal part in the correct posture stored in the image signal, and is distributed to any one of the transporting means according to the type by the distribution device, and then to the image processing device. Oh In the case where the posture of the longitudinal article is reversed by the posture determination signal, the direction reversing means is driven to invert 180 degrees, and then the longitudinal article is supplied to each subsequent step. Sorting and supplying equipment for goods.