JPH08215643A - Apparatus for supplying ornamental plant in flower selector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To arrange the positions of flowers beautifully by installing at least a mechanism for arranging the positions of flowers in ornamental plants and constituting the mechanism from a flower pushing member and a reciprocating means which transfers the pushing member in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the ornamental plant transportation direction. CONSTITUTION: A flower selector is composed of a selection part A for discriminating ornamental plants 1 by weight and a supply part B for supplying the plants 1 to the selection part A one by one. In the selection part A, numbers of arms 4, which are supports for the plants 1, are attached to a transportation conveyer 2, and a leaf removing part 5 for removing leaves of the plants 1 and measuring parts 6a-6c for measuring the weight of the plant 1 are installed in sequence in the running part on the upside of the conveyer 2. Besides, in the supply part B, a mechanism 20 for arranging the positions of flowers is installed on a conveyer 11. The mechanism 20 is composed of a rotary belt 21 which is a flower pushing member, a motor which is a reciprocating means for reciprocating the rotary belt 21 in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the plant 1 transportation direction, etc.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flower feeder for a flower selector which automatically selects flowers such as chrysanthemums, roses and carnations by weight or length.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various types of flower selectors for selecting flowers such as chrysanthemums according to weight, length, etc. have already been proposed and implemented (for example, Sankaihei 3-19582).
No. 4, Sankaihei 4-37578, No. 53481, and Sankaikai 6-24778). In this type of flower selector, the weight and length of the flowers are measured by the weight measuring unit and the length measuring unit while the flowers are being transported along the transport path, and the flowers are sorted by weight or length. Prior to the above, the flowers are arranged in the same position, and the tip of the stem is cut with a cutter to make the flowers have the same length.

As a flower selector equipped with means for aligning the positions of the flowers of the flowers, the method shown in FIG. 4 of Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-10833 is generally used. In this case, the operator holds the flowers one by one in his hand, and hits the flowers against the tip position adjusting plate to align the flowers. In this way, the flowers are positioned. Then, the tip of the stem is cut with a cutter to make the length of the flowers uniform, and then the flowers are sorted by weight, length, etc.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, the operator must carefully handle the flower while placing it on the support by gently pressing the flower against the tip position adjusting plate 20. There was a problem that the labor burden was heavy. Furthermore, due to the variation in the force with which the worker presses the flower against the tip position adjusting plate 20, the length of the flower is 1-2 c.
There was a problem that it was easy to get around m. Therefore, the present invention provides a flower supplying device in a flower selecting machine that is easy to align the flower positions of a flower and that has a aligning mechanism that allows the flower positions to be neatly aligned even if the flowers are placed on the conveyor in a somewhat disorderly manner. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

To this end, the present invention comprises a conveyor for laterally transporting flowers toward the measuring section, and a flower flower alignment mechanism arranged on the conveyor. The alignment mechanism is composed of a pressing member having a pressing surface for pressing the flower of the flower and a reciprocating means for reciprocating the pressing member in the longitudinal direction of the flower which is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the flower. It was done. Further preferably, the pressing member is a rotating body, and a motor for rotating the rotating body in the transportation direction of the flower is provided. Further, the flower alignment mechanism is composed of a rotating body having a running surface for pressing against the flower and a motor for rotating the rotating body in the direction of conveying the flowers. Also preferably,
A reciprocating means for reciprocating the rotating body in the longitudinal direction of the flower was provided.

[0006]

According to the above construction, the flowers of the flowers placed on the conveyer of the supply unit and conveyed toward the measuring unit are aligned with the pressing surface of the pressing member. In this case, by reciprocating the pressing surface in the longitudinal direction of the flower arrangement, it is possible to reliably press the flower and align the flower positions. Further, preferably, the pressing member is a rotating body, and by rotating the rotating body, the pressing surface (traveling surface) travels in the same direction as the conveyor, so the flower is rubbed on the traveling surface and the flower is damaged, The flowers do not rattle, so that the flowers can be neatly aligned, after which the tip of the stem is cut with a cutter. As described above, according to the flower supply device having the above-described configuration, prior to selecting the flower in the measuring section,
The flower positions can be arranged neatly.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a flower selector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This flower selector comprises a sorting section A for sorting the flowers 1 by weight and a supply section B for supplying the flowers 1 to the sorting section A one by one. First, the sorting unit A will be described. Reference numeral 2 denotes a transfer conveyor composed of an endless chain, which is attached to a sprocket 3. A large number of arms 4 as supports are attached to the conveyor 2 at a pitch. In the upper traveling part of the conveyor 2,
From the downstream to the upstream, the leaf drop part 5, the measurement parts 6a, 6
b and 6c are provided in order. Each measuring unit 6a, 6b,
The set weight of 6c is set to be smaller in order.

The leaf drop unit 5 drops the leaves of the stem of the flower 1 which is laid across the arm 4. The measuring units 6a, 6b, 6c measure the weight of the flower 1 horizontally mounted on the arm 4. When the flower 1 has a weight set by each measuring unit 6a, 6b, 6c, the arm 4 rotates downward and the flower 1 supported by this arm 4 is rotated.
Are dropped downwards (see arm 4 indicated by chain line). Below the measuring units 6a, 6b, 6c, a carry-out conveyor 7 is provided.
a, 7b, 7c are provided to carry out the flower 1 dropped from the arm 4 to the outside of the flower selecting machine.

Next, the supply section B will be described. Supply section B
A flower alignment mechanism 20 is provided on the conveyor 11. 2 is a front view of the flower alignment mechanism 20 provided in the supply unit B, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the conveyor 11.
The conveyor 11 is arranged in an upward slope toward the sorting section A. The conveyor 11 is composed of a pair of left and right endless chains 12 aligned with a sprocket 13. The endless chain 12 is provided with a set of five elongated plates 14, and a rear plate 15 is erected on the rearmost elongated plate 14. The flower 1 is horizontally placed on the elongated plate 14 and conveyed. The back plate 15 is a stopper that prevents the flower 1 from sliding down.

A table 16 is provided on the side of the conveyor 11 (see also FIG. 1), and many flowers 1 are placed on the table 16. The worker stands by the base 16 and stands on the base 1.
The flowers 1 on 6 are placed one by one on the elongated plate 14 (see arrow N4 in FIG. 1). In FIG. 3, reference numeral 17 denotes an alignment plate provided between the base 16 and the conveyor 11, which is formed by bending the plate into a dogleg shape. The operator lightly presses the flower 1a at the tip of the flower 1 against the alignment plate 17 to roughly regulate the position of the flower 1 in the longitudinal direction, and then supplies the flower 1a onto the conveyor 11. In addition, this alignment plate 17
Is optional. Further, in the present embodiment, the operator manually supplies the flower 1 on the base 16 to the conveyor 11, but the operator may automatically supply the flower 1 to the conveyor 11 without the manual operation of the operator. is there.

Next, the alignment mechanism 20 for aligning the positions of the flowers 1a of the flower 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the alignment mechanism 20 is provided on one side of the conveyor 11. Reference numeral 21 denotes a rotating belt as a pressing member, which is banded by the roller 22 and has a lower surface close to the upper surface of the elongated plate 14 (see FIG. 4). Figure 2
Further, in FIG. 4, 23 is a frame provided above the rotating belt 21, and the rotation shaft 24 of the roller 22 is supported by the frame 23.

In FIG. 4, a holder 25 is connected to the back surface of the frame 23, and a motor 26 is mounted on the holder 25.
Is installed. The rotation of the motor 26 is transmitted to the sprocket 28 via the chain 27. 2 and 3
In, the sprocket 28 is mounted on the rotating shaft 29. In FIG. 2, a bevel gear 30 is provided at the tip of the rotary shaft 29. This bevel gear 30 has a rotating shaft 24.
Is engaged with a bevel gear 31 mounted on the. Therefore, when the motor 26 is driven, the sprocket 28 and the rotary shaft 29 rotate, and the rotary shaft 24 also rotates, so that the rotary belt 21 moves along the roller 22 in the arrow N1 direction, that is, in the same direction as the conveyor direction N1 of the conveyor 11. Turn to. Reference numeral 37 denotes a bearing of the rotating shaft 29, which is fixed to the frame 23.

Next, the reciprocating means for reciprocating the rotating belt 21 in the longitudinal direction of the flower 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 32 denotes a shaft, one end of which is axially mounted on the fixed frame 33, and the other end of which is axially mounted on the end surface of the roller 34. The roller 34 is mounted on the same rotary shaft 29 as the sprocket 28 (see also FIG. 3). When the motor 26 is driven, the roller 34 rotates with the sprocket 28. Then, the shaft 32 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction N3, but since the one end of the shaft 32 is fixed to the fixed frame 33, the rotating belt 21, the frame 23, the motor 26, etc. are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the flower 1 (flower 1 reciprocates in N2 (direction orthogonal to the transport direction N1).

In FIGS. 1 and 3, a rotary cutter 35 is provided on the upper side of the conveyor 11.
The cutter 35 is driven by a motor 36 to rotate and cuts the tip of the stem of the flower 1 (the end opposite to the flower 1a) to make the flower 1 uniform in length.

This flower selector has the above-mentioned structure, and the operation of the flower selector will be described below. In FIG. 1, a base 1
The flower 1 on 6 is placed on the elongated plate 14 which rotates the upstream portion (lower end portion) of the conveyor 11 (see arrow N4), and is conveyed obliquely upward by the conveyor 11. At this time, the flowers 1a are lightly applied to the alignment plate 17 to roughly align the positions of the flowers 1a. Next, the flower 1 is sent obliquely upward in FIGS. 2 and 3, and at this time, the rotating belt 21 moves in the same direction N1 as the conveying direction of the flower 1 at the same or almost the same speed as the conveying speed of the flower 1. It is rotating and therefore flower 1a
Then, there is no or little speed difference on the running surface (pressing surface) a on which the flower 1a is pressed, and the flower 1a is not scratched by being scratched by the running surface a.

As described with reference to FIG. 4, the rotating belt 21 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction N2 of the flower 1, so that the running surface (pressing surface) a of the flower 1a surely contacts the tip of the flower 1a. Push against. Therefore, even if the position of the flower 1 placed on the conveyor 11 in the longitudinal direction N2 varies, the traveling surface a
Surely pressed against the flower 1a, and all the flowers 1a 1a
The positions of can be aligned. The flower 1 in which the positions of the flowers 1a are aligned in this way is further conveyed upward, and the tip of the stem is cut by the cutter 35, and the lengths of the flower 1 are aligned.

Next, in FIG. 1, the flower 1 is placed from the supply section B on the arm 4 of the sorting section A (see arrow N5) and conveyed rightward. In the middle of the process, first, leaves near the tip of the stem are dropped by the leaf drop section 5, and then the measurement section 6a-
6c, sorted by weight and carried out conveyors 7a to 7c
It drops up and is carried out of the flower selector.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the flower selector of the second embodiment of the present invention. The sorting unit A ′ has a plurality of collection spaces S1, S2.
A box 53 as a recovery unit including S3, and a selection conveyor 52 provided above the recovery spaces S1, S2, S3
a, 52b, 52c, and a load cell 50 as a measuring section provided between the conveyor 11 of the supply section B and the sorting conveyor 52a. The load cell 50 is provided with a conveyor 51. Sorting conveyors 52a, 52b,
52c is rotatable in the up-down direction around a fulcrum on the downstream side (in FIG. 5, the sorting conveyor 5 shown by a chain line).
2b). The configuration of the supply unit B is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the leaf drop unit 5 is provided on the conveyor 11.

In the above structure, the flower 1 in which the flower positions are aligned by the flower alignment mechanism 20 while being conveyed by the conveyer 11 has the tip of the stem cut by the cutter 35, and then the load cell 50. Onto the conveyor 51 (arrow N5). Then, the weight is measured while being conveyed by the conveyor 51, is transferred to the most upstream sorting conveyor 52a, and is conveyed rightward (arrow N6). The measurement result of the load cell 50 is input to a control unit (not shown) such as a microcomputer, and one of the sorting conveyors 52a, 52b, 52c is selectively rotated upward according to the measurement result, and the conveyor path is moved. open. The selection conveyor 52b indicated by a chain line is in a state in which it is rotated upward and the conveyance path is opened. When the transport path is opened in this way, the flower 1 is placed in the lower collection space S1, S2, S.
Drop to 3 by weight.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the conveyor of the supply section of the flower selector of the third embodiment of the present invention. In this third embodiment,
Instead of the rotating belt 21 of the first embodiment, a long plate 60 as a pressing member and this long plate 60 are arranged in the longitudinal direction N2 of the flower 1.
A cylinder 61 that reciprocates is provided. The long plate 60 is long in the conveying direction N1 of the flower 1, and is connected to the rod 62 of the cylinder 61. Therefore, when the rod 62 of the cylinder 61 projects and retracts, the long plate 60 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction N2, and the pressing surface a presses the flower 1a to align the flowers 1a.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the conveyor of the feeding section of the flower selector of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this fourth embodiment,
Instead of the rotating belt 21 of the first embodiment, a large number of rotating rollers 71 arranged in parallel are provided as a pressing member. The rotation roller 71 is driven by the motor 72 to rotate in the same direction N1 as the conveyance direction N1 of the flower 1 and the flower 1a of the flower 1 conveyed to the conveyor 11 is pressed against the peripheral surface a thereof. Are aligned. That is, in this embodiment, the peripheral surface a of the rotating roller 71 is
Is the pressing surface. 75 is a transmission chain. Further, the frame 70 of the rotating roller 71 is connected to the rod 74 of the cylinder 73, and when the rod 74 projects and retracts, the rotating roller 71 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction N2. Therefore, also in the fourth embodiment, the same operational effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. As described above, various concrete configurations of the pressing member can be considered.

In the present invention, various design changes can be considered. For example, in the above embodiment, the flower 1 is measured by the measuring unit 6.
The case of sorting by weight with a to 6c and 50 has been described as an example, but the flower 1 may also be sorted by length or a combination of weight and length. Further, as described above, there are various types of flower selectors, such as those in which the conveyor of the supply unit and the conveyor of the sorting unit are integrated, and the present invention can also be applied to flower selectors of other systems. .

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the pressing member is surely pressed against the flower by reciprocating the pressing member with respect to the flower carried by the conveyor.
Since the flowers can be cut with a cutter after aligning the positions of the flowers, it is possible to select all flowers with the same length. Further, in this case, the pressing member is a rotating body such as a rotating belt or a rotating roller, and the traveling surface of this rotating body is rotated in the same direction as the conveying direction of the flower, so that the flowers are rubbed against the traveling surface. You can select flowers while carefully handling them without damaging the flowers.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1] Side view of flower selector

FIG. 2 is a front view of a flower alignment mechanism.

[Figure 3] Plan view of the conveyor

FIG. 4 is a side view of the reciprocating means of the rotating belt.

[Figure 5] Side view of flower selector

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the conveyor

[Figure 7] Plan view of the conveyor

[Explanation of symbols]

 A, A'sorting section B supply section 1 flower 1a flower 2 conveyor 4 arm (support) 6a, 6b, 6c, 50 measuring section 11 conveyor 20 flower alignment mechanism 21 rotating belt (pushing member, rotating body) 26 Motor 28 Sprocket 32 Shaft 34 Roller 35 Cutter 60 Long Plate (Pushing Member) 61,73 Cylinder (Reciprocating Means) 71 Rotating Roller (Pushing Member, Rotating Body) 72 Motor a Traveling Surface (Pushing Surface)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A flower supply device in a flower selecting machine for supplying one flower at a time to a measuring section of the flower, wherein a conveyor for horizontally transporting the flower toward the measuring section and a conveyor on this conveyor. An arrangement mechanism for arranging the flowers of the arranged flowers is provided, and the arrangement mechanism has a pressing member having a pressing surface for pressing the flowers of the flowers, and a flower arrangement in which the pressing members are orthogonal to the conveying direction of the flowers. And a reciprocating means for reciprocating in the longitudinal direction of the flower arrangement device. 2. The device for supplying a flower arrangement in a flower selecting machine according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a rotating body, and a motor for rotating the rotating body in a conveying direction of the flower arrangement is provided. . 3. A flower supplying device in a flower selecting machine for supplying the flowers one by one to the measuring part, and a conveyor for laterally conveying the flowers toward the measuring part, and a conveyor on the conveyor. An arrangement mechanism for arranging the flower of the flower, which is provided with a rotating body having a traveling surface for pressing the flower of the flower, and a motor for rotating the rotating body in the conveying direction of the flower. A device for supplying a flower in a flower selector, comprising: 4. The flower supply apparatus for a flower selecting machine according to claim 3, further comprising reciprocating means for reciprocating the rotating body in a longitudinal direction of the flower, which is orthogonal to a flower conveying direction.