JPH08290828A - Box push-up/stacking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To load boxes correctly in stages regardless of the dimension, shape, and the like of the boxes by providing a push-up base having width narrower than the width of the boxes so as to push up the boxes conveyed by carry-in conveyor mechanism, and a pair of shutter plates provided above the carry-in conveyor mechanism and moved horizontally to open/close. CONSTITUTION: A box conveyed by carry-in conveyor mechanism is pushed up by push-up mechanism 20 provided with a push-up base 21, and supported by shutter plates 31. When a following box is conveyed in by the carry-in conveyor mechanism, the shutter plates 31 are opened, so that the supported box is dropped, and the boxes are loaded in stages. These boxes loaded in stages are pushed up by the push-up mechanism 20, supported by the shutter plates, 31 and transferred to carry-out conveyor mechanism 50 by transfer mechanism 40. Accordingly, even in the case of box shape not being a correct rectangular solid, the boxes can be positively loaded in stages.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stacking device for stacking a plurality of boxes such as cardboard boxes containing foods and other products. More specifically, the present invention is capable of quickly stacking a large number of boxes irrespective of their outer shapes and dimensions, and in a stacking device capable of reliably preventing damage to the boxes during stacking, pushes these boxes up. The present invention relates to a stacking device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, food products such as instant noodles or other products are finally packed in boxes such as cardboard boxes and shipped from the factory. On the production line of the factory, these boxes are sealed one by one by taping or gluing.
These boxes are stacked in multiple layers for the convenience of transportation from the factory to the store.
That is, they are often stacked and then packed in a band before being shipped. This stacking work was performed manually by the workers, but the efficiency was low and the cost was high.

In order to improve the above problems, a device for automatically stacking boxes as described above has been developed. As such an automatic stacking device, for example, there is one in which a push-up mechanism is provided at the end of the belt conveyor and a holding mechanism is provided above the push-up mechanism. In such a device, boxes such as a cardboard box sent from a production line of a factory are sent one by one by the belt conveyor, and the boxes are pushed up by the pushing mechanism. The holding mechanism is provided with a ratchet member, and the pushed-up box is pushed upward while rotating the ratchet member, and the ratchet member is pushed up by engaging with the lower edge of the box. Held in position. Then, when the next box is sent, this box is also pushed up by the pushing-up mechanism, and this box is pushed up while rotating the ratchet member. In this way, the boxes are sequentially stacked on the ratchet member from below, and the boxes are stacked.

However, in such a stacking device, it is necessary to accurately adjust the position of the ratchet member and the like according to the size of the box, and the adjustment work when the type of box is changed. Was troublesome. In addition, this box is not only a box of perfect rectangular parallelepiped, but a product such as instant noodles is contained in a tray-shaped cardboard box and is wrapped with a heat-shrinkable plastic film from above to prevent moisture and dust. There is also a box where you can see the products inside. In such a case, the outer shape of the box is not a perfect rectangular parallelepiped, engagement with the ratchet member is not reliable, and the ratchet member may break the plastic film.

As described above, in such a stacking device for boxes, a mechanism for stacking the boxes, that is, a stacking mechanism is important, and the construction of the part of this mechanism is effective for the performance of such stacking device. decide.

[0006]

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and it is possible to stack these boxes accurately regardless of the size and shape of the boxes. It provides a stacking device that is free from damage, and when the product is housed in a tray-like box and wrapped with plastic film, the plastic film or the like that wraps this box is not likely to be torn. is there.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a carry-in conveyor mechanism for carrying in boxes to be stacked, and a box having a width narrower than the width of the above-mentioned boxes and conveyed by the carry-in conveyor mechanism are upwards. A push-up base that pushes up and a pair of shutter plates that are provided above the carry-in conveyor mechanism and that move horizontally and open and close are provided. Further, it is equipped with an elevating mechanism for elevating the above-mentioned push-up table, and this elevating mechanism has a lower position where the upper surface of the above-mentioned push-up table is located below the transport surface of the above-mentioned carry-in conveyor mechanism and its upper surface is above the shutter. The plate is lifted up and down to a position above the upper surface of the plate. Further, an opening / closing mechanism for synchronously moving the shutter plates in opposite directions to open / close the shutter plates is provided, and the opening / closing mechanism has a distance between them that is larger than the width of the box. Opening and closing operations are performed in an open state having a space and a closed state in which a space between them is narrower than the width of the box.

[0008]

With the push-up base in the lowered position, the box is conveyed above the push-up base by the carry-in conveyor mechanism. Then, with the shutter plate open, the box on the carry-in conveyor mechanism is pushed up to above the shutter plate by the push-up base. Next, the shutter plate is closed and the push-up base is lowered, and the pushed up box is supported by the shutter plate. In this case, since the upper surface of the push-up base is raised above these shutter plates, they do not come into contact with the bottom surface of the box when these shutter plates are closed. Next, when the next box is conveyed below the box supported by the shutter plate by the carry-in conveyor mechanism, the shutter plate is opened. As a result, the boxes supported on the shutter plate fall onto the boxes on the carry-in conveyor mechanism and are stacked on top of them. Next, the stacked boxes are pushed up by the push-up mechanism, the shutter plate is then closed, and the stacked boxes are supported by the shutter plates. By such an operation, the boxes are stacked on the shutter plate. The boxes stacked on the shutter plate are transferred to a carry-out conveyor mechanism or the like as they are by a transfer mechanism or the like and carried out.

In this device, basically, the box and the shutter plate do not slide or engage with each other, and the position of the shutter plate corresponds to the size of the box unlike the conventional device. Does not need to be adjusted accurately. Also, even if the shape of these boxes is not an exact rectangular parallelepiped, these boxes can be stacked reliably,
Highly reliable. Further, since these shutter plates do not engage with or slide on the box, the shutter plates do not damage the packaging film of the box.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is an apparatus for arranging boxes in a plurality of rows and stacking the boxes in a plurality of rows in a plurality of stages, for example, two stages. In addition, the device of this embodiment accommodates products such as instant noodles in a tray-shaped cardboard box having only a bottom half of the bottom surface and side surfaces, as well as a box such as a completely rectangular cardboard box, and the whole is heat-shrinkable. This is a device that can reliably stack even boxes packed with plastic films, that is, containers that do not form a complete rectangular parallelepiped and in which the plastic films being packaged cannot be damaged.

First, an outline of the stacking apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a plan view of a main part, FIG. 2 is a side view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and FIG.
3 is a schematic sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

This stacking device comprises a main body 1,
The main body 1 has a frame-like shape in which mold materials are combined. The apparatus is provided with a carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10, a push-up mechanism 20, a shutter mechanism 30, a transfer mechanism 40, and a carry-out conveyor mechanism 50. Further, this device is provided with a control device 3 for controlling the operation of each of the above mechanisms. Further, a transport mechanism 2 is provided for sending boxes stacked by this apparatus to the next step.

The above-mentioned loading and arranging conveyor mechanism 10 is arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, and its end portion is arranged in the main body 1. The carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10 includes a pair of narrow belt conveyors 11, and the belt conveyors 11 are arranged in parallel with each other with a predetermined interval. Also, these belt conveyors 11
Are driven synchronously by the drive mechanism such as the motor 12 and the chain 13 at the same speed.

On the belt conveyor 11, the boxes C are conveyed one by one from the previous step, for example, the step of packing the products. The boxes C thus conveyed one by one are conveyed one by one on the belt conveyor 11 at predetermined intervals. A stopper is provided at the end of the belt conveyor 11, and the transported box C abuts on this stopper and stops, and the next transported box abuts on this stopped box. Then, the plurality of boxes are aligned on the belt conveyor 11 in such a manner that they are in contact with each other.

The belt of the belt conveyor 11 is formed by connecting a plurality of shoes made of a relatively hard synthetic resin and having a smooth surface, and the box C is stopped on the shoe as described above. Even if it does, the bottom surface of the stopped box and these shoes slide smoothly, and the bottom surface of the box is not damaged.

Further, elongated plate-shaped guide members 14 are provided on both sides of the transport alignment conveyor mechanism 10 to guide the boxes to be transported and the boxes that are stopped. The guide members 14 are configured to be moved left and right by a plurality of position adjusting mechanisms 15 such as a screw nut mechanism, and these position adjusting mechanisms 15 are moved left and right in synchronization by a handle 16 and a chain 17. Is configured to. Therefore, when the handle 16 is rotated, the position adjusting mechanism 1 described above is rotated.
5, these guide members 14 move to the left and right in synchronization, and the interval between these guide members 14 can be adjusted according to the width of the box C being conveyed.

The above-mentioned push-up mechanism 20 is provided below the above-mentioned carry-in and alignment conveyor mechanism 10. The push-up mechanism 20 includes a push-up base 21 and a cylinder 22 that moves the push-up base 21 up and down. Push-up table 21 above
Has a box-like shape composed of an upper surface and a side surface, and its width is configured to be slightly narrower than the distance between the pair of belt conveyors 11 of the above-mentioned loading and arranging conveyor mechanism. It is configured to move up and down through between the belt conveyors 11. Further, the length of the lift table 21 is set to a length on which a plurality of boxes C can be placed. In addition, the above cylinder 2
Two 2 are provided, and these cylinders 22 are configured to extend and contract in synchronization with each other so as to raise and lower the elevating table 21 in a horizontal posture. The upper surface of the elevating table 21 is located slightly below the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 11 in the lowered state, and the lifting stroke when rising is higher than the height of the box C to be conveyed. The box is pushed up to a position higher than the height of a shutter plate 31 of the shutter mechanism 30 described later.

The above-mentioned shutter mechanism 30 is provided above the above-mentioned carry-in and alignment conveyor mechanism 10.
The shutter mechanism 30 is provided with a pair of shutter plates 31, and these shutter plates 31 are configured to move in synchronization with the horizontal direction in the horizontal direction by the opening / closing mechanism 32 to open / close in the left / right direction. These shutter plates 31 are in the shape of a flat plate, and the length thereof is slightly longer than the length of the push-up base 21, so that the plurality of boxes C pushed up by the push-up base 21 can be supported. Further, the height position of these shutter plates 31 is arranged at a position slightly lower than the raised position of the upper surface of the push-up base 21. Therefore, when these shutter plates 31 are opened and closed, the bottom surface of the box C pushed up by the push-up base 21 is not contacted.

Further, these shutter plates 31 are set so that the space between them is larger than the width of the box C to be transported in the fully opened state. Further, the stroke of the opening / closing mechanism 32 is set such that the shutter plate 31 is in the two closed states, the first closed state and the second closed state. In the first closed state, the distance between the shutter plates 31 is slightly wider than the width of the push-up base 21, and thus the push-up base 21 passes through between the shutter plates 31 in the first closed state. The upper surface can be raised to a position higher than these shutter plates 31. Further, in the second closed state, the space between these shutter plates 31 is set so that the boxes C stacked on the shutter plates 31 in the second closed state move laterally as described later. In addition, the edge of the box is configured so as not to fall into the gap between the shutter plates 31. This second
The distance between the pair of shutter plates 31 in the closed state is not more than 1/2 of the width of the box C in order to prevent the transferred box C from falling or getting caught in the gap between them. However, if the gap between the front edges of the shutter plates 31 is not more than ⅓ of the width of the box C in practice, the above-mentioned problems can be reliably prevented, and these shutters can be reliably prevented. It is possible to shorten the opening / closing stroke of the plate 31 and shorten the time required for the opening / closing operation.

The carry-out conveyor mechanism 50 is provided laterally of the carry-in aligning conveyor mechanism 10 in parallel with the carry-in aligning conveyor mechanism 10.
Is provided. The carry-out conveyor mechanism 50 is provided with a wide belt conveyor 51, and the belt conveyor 51 is driven and driven by a drive mechanism such as a motor 52. The upper surface of the belt conveyor 51 is arranged at a position slightly lower than the upper surface of the shutter plate 31.
A transfer slide plate 56 is provided between the belt conveyor 51 and the one shutter plate 31, and one edge of the transfer slide plate 56 is located above the edge of the belt conveyor 51. And the sliding plate 56 for transfer.
The other edge is located slightly below the edge of the one shutter plate 31, and the shutter plate 31 is configured to open and close along the upper surface of the transfer sliding plate 56.

Further, above the other edge of the belt conveyor 51, a substantially vertical guide plate 53 is arranged along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 51.
The position of the guide plate 53 can be adjusted in the width direction of the belt conveyor 51 by a position adjusting mechanism 54 such as a screw nut mechanism and a handle 55.

The above-mentioned transfer mechanism 40 is provided above the shutter mechanism 30. The transfer mechanism 40 includes a transfer plate 41 arranged on the side of the shutter mechanism 30. The transfer plate 41 is arranged substantially parallel to the carrying direction of the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10 and is configured to move horizontally in parallel by a pair of rodless cylinders 42. Therefore, when the transfer plate 41 moves horizontally to the position shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3, the stacked boxes C supported on the shutter plate 31 are moved to the shutter plate 31 and the shutter plate 31. It is configured to slide laterally on the transfer slide plate 56, and transfer onto the carry-out conveyor 51 in this stacked state. It should be noted that the box C moved in the lateral direction has the above-mentioned guide plate 53 as shown in FIG.
And is stopped, and in this state, the transfer plate 41 is pinched and properly aligned.

The boxes C transferred onto the carry-out conveyor mechanism 50 in the stacked state as described above are carried by the carry-out conveyor mechanism 50 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. It is sent to the next step through the above-mentioned transport mechanism 2 arranged at the end of the.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG.
The boxes C are conveyed one by one on the belt conveyor 11 of the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, these boxes C are brought into contact with stoppers, and a plurality of boxes C are aligned in a line on the belt conveyor 11 of the transport alignment conveyor mechanism. It should be noted that in an actual device, there are 2
Although about 10 to about box C are aligned, these figures show a state in which three boxes C are aligned for ease of explanation. Then, when a predetermined number of boxes are aligned on the belt conveyor 11, the shutter plate 31 of the shutter mechanism is opened left and right to be in an open state. In this case, the distance between the shutter plates 31 is wider than the width of the box C.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the push-up table 21 of the push-up mechanism is raised, and the boxes C arranged on the belt conveyor 11 are placed between the shutter plates 31 by the push-up table 21. It is pushed up to above the shutter plate 31 through.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the shutter plate 31 of the above shutter mechanism is closed to the first closed state. In the first closed state, the gap between the shutter plates 31 is slightly wider than the width of the push-up base 21, so that the edges of the shutter plates 31 interfere with the side faces of the push-up base 21. There is nothing to do. Moreover, since the upper surface of the push-up base 21 is pushed up to a position higher than the shutter plates 31, these shutter plates 31 do not come into contact with the bottom surface of the box C pushed up by the push-up base 21. , Below the bottom edge of these boxes C.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the push-up base 21 described above is used.
Descends. As a result, the boxes C are also lowered, but since the shutter plates 31 in the first closed state are moved below the bottom edges of these boxes C, these boxes C remain in the aligned state. It is supported on these shutter plates 31. Then, the belt conveyor 1 of the above-mentioned carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism.
1 travels again, and the next boxes C are conveyed one by one.
Then, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of boxes C are arranged in a line on the belt conveyor 11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the shutter plate 31 is opened to the open state. In this state, the space between the shutter plates 31 is larger than the width of the box C, so the boxes C that are aligned and supported on the shutter plates 31 are supported.
Falls. In this case, the shutter plates 31 open while sliding on the bottom surfaces of these boxes.
Move in the opposite direction in synchronization with each other and open, so that the sliding resistance of the left and right shutter plates 31 with respect to the bottom surfaces of these boxes C is symmetrical, and the sliding with these shutter plates 31 causes these box C to slide. The positions of the boxes C do not shift, and the boxes C drop almost directly below. In this case, the shutter plate 31
Between the upper box C that was supported by the upper box C and the lower box C that was aligned on the belt conveyor 11, that is, the upper box C
The fall distance is set to about 5 to 30 mm. Therefore, the upper box C falls on the lower box C with almost no displacement, and these boxes are stacked in two stages.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the above-mentioned push-up base 21.
Rises, and the boxes C stacked in two stages on the belt conveyor 11 are pushed upward. When the boxes C are pushed up, the shutter plate 31 is closed again in the first closed state. Also in this case, these shutter plates 31 do not come into contact with the bottom surface of the box C on the lower stage.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the push-up base 2 described above is used.
The boxes C, which are stacked one by one, are supported on the shutter plate 31. Then, from this state, the shutter plates 31 are further closed to the second closed state. In this case, these shutter plates 31 slide on the bottom surface of the supported box C, but since the movement of these shutter plates 31 is performed in synchronization with the left and right, these left and right shutter plates 31 and the bottom surface of the box C. The sliding resistance is symmetrical, and the stacked boxes C do not shift. The interval between the shutter plates 31 in the second closed state is a narrow interval as described above.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the transfer plate 41 of the transfer mechanism 40 is laterally moved by the rodless cylinder 42. Due to the movement of the transfer plates 41, the transfer plates 41 come into contact with the side surfaces of the boxes C stacked in the aligned state, and the boxes C are kept in the stacked state and the shutter plates 31 and the transfer slide plates 56 are transferred. While being slid in the horizontal direction, it is transferred to above the belt conveyor 51 of the carry-out conveyor. In this case, since the intervals between the shutter plates 31 are narrow, when the boxes C slide laterally on the shutter plates 31, the bottom edges of the boxes C move toward the shutter plates 31. It does not fall between 31 and the seam or the like at the bottom of the box does not get caught on the edges of these shutter plates 31.

The box C transferred onto the belt conveyor 51 of the carry-out conveyor comes into contact with the guide plate 53 and stops, and the box C is transferred between the box C and the transfer plate 41. It is pinched. Therefore, even if the aligned and stacked boxes C are slightly deviated during the stacking and transferring operation as described above, these boxes will eventually be separated from the guide plate 53 and the transfer plate 41. Pinched by,
Accurately aligned.

The boxes arranged and stacked in this way are transferred to another transport mechanism 2 by the belt conveyor 51 of the carry-out conveyor mechanism in the state as they are, and the next step, for example, the string hooking step. And sent to the pallet loading process.

The operation sequence, operation timing, etc. of each of the above-mentioned mechanisms are controlled by the control device 3 described above. The control device 3 is composed of a relay, a timer, and other control circuits, and is programmed to control the operation of the device of the embodiment of the present invention as described above. The device itself is similar to the conventional control device, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

Next, the detailed construction and operation of each part of the apparatus of the above embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of parts such as the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10, the push-up mechanism 20 and the shutter mechanism 30. The pair of left and right belt conveyors 11 of the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10 are stretched over a pair of pulleys attached to the same shaft 19 at predetermined intervals, and are driven at the same running speed in synchronization with each other. Is configured.

The pair of left and right guide members 14 are also provided.
Are configured to move to the left and right by position adjusting mechanisms 15 such as two screw nuts, respectively. These two left and right position adjusting mechanisms 15 have a common shaft 18 to which a handle 16 is attached and a left and right chain. By 17,
Left and right are moved in synchronism, and the carry-in and alignment conveyor mechanism 1 described above is used.
These guide members 14 move symmetrically with respect to the center of 0.
It is configured so that the interval of can be adjusted.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the push-up base 21 of the push-up mechanism 20 has a box-like shape with an open bottom surface, and as described above, has a horizontal posture by the two cylinders 22. It is configured to go up and down.

Further, a fixed stopper 23 fixed to the main body 1 of the apparatus is provided at the end of the belt conveyor 11 of the above-mentioned carry-in arrangement conveyor mechanism 10, and the box conveyed by the belt conveyor 11 is provided. The C contacts the fixed stopper 23 and stops, and a plurality of boxes C are arranged on the belt conveyor 11. The push-up table 21 has a length sufficient to mount the plurality of boxes C arranged on the belt conveyor 11.

At the end of the belt conveyor,
A movable stopper 24 is provided, and the movable stopper 24 is arranged on the front side of the fixed stopper 23. The movable stopper 24 is provided with a guide 25.
When it is moved up and down by the cylinder 26 and rises, it passes through the hole 27 formed in the upper surface of the push-up base 21 and projects upward from the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 11 above the belt conveyor 11. Box C
Is configured to stop at the position of the movable stopper 24.

In the normal case, the movable stopper 24 described above is used.
Is descending as shown in FIG. 15, and the belt conveyor 1
The box C conveyed on the 1 is brought into contact with the fixed stopper 23 and stopped, and is aligned on the belt conveyor 11. However, depending on the size of the box C, as shown in FIG. 15, the approximate center of the last box C may correspond to the rear end of the push-up base 21. When the push-up base 21 rises in such a state, the rearmost box C rides on the push-up base 21 by half, and the support of the box C becomes unstable.

In such a case, as shown in FIG. 16, the movable stopper 24 is raised and the box C conveyed on the belt conveyor 11 comes into contact with the movable stopper 24 and is stopped. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the stop positions of these boxes C are changed, and the last box C is changed.
Is stopped at a position where almost the whole of the above is placed on the push-up base 21. Therefore, when the push-up base 21 rises in this state, the rearmost box C is also stably pushed up. In this case, it goes without saying that the number of boxes C placed on the push-up base 21 is reduced by one.

Further, FIG. 17 shows the shutter mechanism 30 described above.
Indicates the part. The shutter mechanism 30 includes a pair of shutter plates 31 as described above, and these shutter plates 31 are made of a plate material such as a stainless steel plate. Guide support portions 33 bent upward are formed at both front and rear ends of these shutter plates 31, and these guide support portions 33 are horizontally guided and moved by the opening / closing mechanism 32, so that these shutters are released. The plate 31 is opened and closed.

The opening / closing mechanism 32 is provided with a pair of upper and lower guide members 34, and the guide support portion 33 is guided by these guide members 34 and moves left and right. Also,
The shutter plates 31 are opened and closed by the cylinders 34 in synchronization with each other.

The cylinder 34 is of a dual stroke type and has a structure as shown in FIG.
That is, in the body 61 of the cylinder 34, the first chamber 62 and the second chamber 63 are formed,
The stroke of the chamber 63 is longer than the stroke of the first chamber 62. Then, in the first chamber 62, the first piston 64 and the rod 6
5 is slidably accommodated. Also, the second piston 66 and the rod 67 are housed in the second chamber 63, and the first piston 64 and the rod 65 of these are accommodated.
And the second piston 66 and the rod 67 are formed separately. In addition, the second rod 67 is the main body 6
1, the tip end portion of the second rod 67 is connected to the guide support portion 33 of the shutter plate 31.

In such a cylinder 34, when air pressure or the like is supplied from the first port 68 into the first chamber 62, the first rod 62 and the second rod 67 extend together, and The stroke is the stroke of this first chamber. In this case, the shutter plates 31 are closed in the above-described first closed state, that is, the distance between the shutter plates 31 becomes slightly wider than the width of the push-up base 21. Further, when air pressure or the like is supplied from the second port 69 into the second chamber 63, only the second rod 67 extends, and the stroke in that case is the stroke of the second chamber 63. In this case, the shutter plate 31 is closed in the second closed state, that is, the state in which the gap between the shutter plates 31 is about 10 to 60 mm. When air pressure is supplied from the third port 70, the rods 62 and 63 are shortened, and in this case, the shutter plate 31 is opened.

By using the dual stroke type cylinder 34 as described above, the shutter plate 31 described above can be obtained.
Can be accurately controlled so as to have three states of the open state and the first and second closed states. The use of the cylinder 34 as described above simplifies the structure as compared with the case of controlling the closing position of the shutter plate 31 in combination with a position detector such as an optical sensor or a limit switch. Further, by using such a cylinder 34, it is possible to regulate the two-step closed position of the shutter plate 31 by utilizing the stroke end of this cylinder, so that the shutter plate 31 is stopped at an accurate position. The shutter plate 31 can be operated at a high speed, and the reliability of the operation can be improved.

FIG. 19 shows a schematic plan view of the second embodiment of the present invention. This one is provided with a plurality of carry-in alignment conveyor mechanisms, and a plurality of boxes transported on these conveyor mechanisms are aligned and stacked in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

That is, in the second embodiment, a plurality of rows, for example, three rows, of the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10 similar to that described above are arranged in parallel with each other. And
Each of the belt conveyors 1 of the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 10
The push-up bases 21 similar to those described above are provided at the end portions of the push-up bases 1, and these push-up bases 21 are formed so that the length in the transport direction is shorter than the box C. Then, each box C conveyed on each belt conveyor 11 is stopped at a predetermined position by a stopper (not shown), and these three boxes C are arranged in a line in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the belt conveyor 11. Are aligned to.

Further, this embodiment is provided with a shutter mechanism similar to that described above, but the shutter plate 31 of this shutter mechanism is configured to open and close horizontally in the front-back direction, that is, in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 11. Has been done. The shutter plate 31 of this shutter mechanism is set such that the interval between them is wider than the length of the box C when fully opened. In addition, these shutter plates 31 are narrower than the length of the box C in the first closed state and slightly wider than the length of the push-up base 21, and in the second closed state, for example, 10 mm to 6 mm.
The intervals are set to about 0 mm.

In this embodiment, the shutter plate 3 described above is used.
1 has the same construction as that of the first embodiment except that the opening / closing means 1 opens and closes in the carrying direction. Then, the boxes C stacked in a horizontal row on the shutter plates 31 are transferred onto the carry-out conveyor mechanism 50 by the transfer plate 41 of the transfer mechanism, and transferred to the next step. Since this one is equipped with a plurality of loading and arranging conveyor mechanisms 10, the boxes C transported from a plurality of lines can be stacked and the efficiency is high.

20 and 21 show a third embodiment of the present invention. This is the same as that of the first embodiment in that the shutter plate of the shutter mechanism opens and closes in the left and right direction, that is, in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, but the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism is arranged in a plurality of rows, for example, two rows. Placed,
A plurality of boxes, for example, two boxes are arranged on each of the carry-in arrangement conveyor mechanisms, and two boxes in two rows, that is, a total of four boxes are stacked.

The third embodiment is provided with a two-row loading and arranging conveyor mechanism 10 similar to that of the first embodiment, and push-up bases 21a are provided at the ends of the belt conveyors 11, respectively. Has been. Then, in order to support the two rows of boxes C pushed up by the two rows of push-up bases 21a, the push-up bases 21a and the shutter plate 31a of the shutter mechanism are configured as shown in FIG.

That is, these shutter plates 31a are
A plurality of finger portions 62 are provided so as to protrude in a comb-like shape at their opposite edges. Then, these shutter plates 31a are opened at intervals wider than the total width of the boxes C in two rows,
Further, the above-mentioned finger portion 62 crosses the push-up base 21a and is 10 to 60 mm at the central position between the push-up bases 21a of these two rows.
Close to the opposite closed position with a certain distance. Further, a plurality of recesses 63 are formed on the upper surface of the push-up base 21a corresponding to the finger portions 62 of these shutter plates 31a.

The operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment except that two rows of boxes C are stacked together. In this embodiment, the shutter plate 31a
Since the two rows of boxes C are separated from each other with these shutter plates when the shutter plate is opened, a guide plate 61 is provided so as to face the transfer plate 41, and the guide plates 61 are provided when the shutter plate 31a is opened. The two rows of boxes C are guided so as to be sandwiched by 61 and the transfer plate 41, and these boxes C are maintained in a predetermined alignment state. When the boxes C stacked on the shutter plate 31a are transferred to the carry-out conveyor mechanism 51, the guide plate 61 moves upward, for example.

This embodiment is efficient since it is possible to stack a plurality of boxes in a plurality of rows. Also, push-up base 2
When the box C pushed up by the la 1a is supported by the shutter plate 31a, the finger portion 62 of the shutter plate 31a is inserted between the bottom surface of the box C and the recess 63 of the push-up base 21a. There is no interference between 31a and the push-up base 21a. Therefore, as in the first embodiment described above, the first closed state in which the spacing is wider than the width of the push-up base,
It is not necessary to be in the two-stage closed state of the two closed positions of the second closed position with a spacing narrower than the width of the push-up platform, and the finger portion 62 of the pair of shutter plates 31a described above does not have to be in the push-up platform 21a.
It suffices that the shutter plate 31a pass through the concave portion 63 and face each other with a gap of about 10 mm, so that the shutter plate 31a can be simply opened and closed.

FIG. 22 shows a push-up base and a shutter plate according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the first embodiment described above, this one has one row of loading and arranging conveyor mechanism, one push-up base, and a pair of shutter plates that open and close left and right. Similar to the embodiment, a plurality of finger portions 62 are provided on the shutter plate 31b so as to protrude in a comb shape, and the finger portions 6 are provided on the upper surface of the push-up base 21b.
A plurality of recesses 63 are formed in correspondence with No. 2.

The operation of the fourth embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, but like the third embodiment, the shutter plate 31b has finger portions thereof. It is sufficient that the tip end of 62 enters into the recess 53 of the push-up base 21b and becomes a closed state of one stage facing each other at an interval of about 10 mm at the substantially central portion of the push-up base 21b. It is simplified.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the boxes are stacked in two stages, but by repeating the above operation,
It is also possible to stack boxes in three or more stages. Further, it is not necessary to align a plurality of boxes on the carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism, and the boxes conveyed by the carry-in conveyor mechanism may be stacked one by one.

[0060]

As described above, in the apparatus of the present invention, the box is pushed up above the shutter plate by the push-up base, and the box pushed up by closing the shutter plate is supported by the shutter plate. Next, when the next box is conveyed below the box supported by the shutter plate by the carry-in conveyor mechanism, the shutter plate is opened, and the box supported on the shutter plate is It drops onto a box on the carry-in conveyor mechanism and is stacked on it. Then, the stacked boxes are pushed up by the push-up mechanism, the shutter plate is then closed, and the stacked boxes are supported by the shutter plates.

As described above, the device of the present invention basically does not slide or engage with the box and the shutter plate, and the size and the like of the box are different from those of the ratchet of the conventional device. Correspondingly, it is not necessary to accurately adjust the position of the shutter plate, and the present invention does not need to accurately adjust the stop position of the shutter plate, etc. even if the size of the box is changed. Even if they are not rectangular parallelepipeds with a correct shape, these boxes can be stacked in a reliable manner and are highly reliable. Further, since these shutter plates do not engage with or slide on the box, there is an effect that the shutter plate does not damage the packaging film of the box.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view taken along arrow 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an essential part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an essential part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an essential part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the first embodiment.

15 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG.

16 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a main part of the shutter mechanism according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a vertical sectional view of a cylinder of the shutter mechanism of the first embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view of the third embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an essential part of the third embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an essential part of the fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body 3 ... Control device 10 ... Carry-in alignment conveyor mechanism 11 ... Belt conveyor 20 ... Push-up mechanism 21 ... Push-up platform 30 ... Shutter mechanism 31 ... Shutter plate 32 ... Opening / closing mechanism 40 ... Transfer mechanism 41 ... Transfer plate 50 ... Carry-out conveyor mechanism 53 ... Guide plate C ... Box

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for stacking a plurality of boxes in a plurality of stages, which has a carry-in conveyor mechanism for carrying in the boxes to be stacked and a carry-in conveyor mechanism having a width narrower than the width of the boxes. It is equipped with a push-up table that pushes the box up, and a pair of shutter plates that are provided above the carry-in conveyor mechanism and that move horizontally to open and close, and an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the push-up table. In this elevating mechanism, the above-mentioned push-up base is placed in a descending position in which its upper surface is located below the conveying surface of the above-mentioned carry-in conveyor mechanism, and in an ascending position in which its upper surface is located above the upper surface of the shutter plate. And an opening / closing mechanism for synchronously moving the shutter plates in opposite directions to open / close the shutter plates. A box characterized by being opened and closed in an open state in which the space between the boxes is larger than the width of the box, and a closed state in which at least the space between them is narrower than the width of the box. Push-up stacking device. 2. The shutter plate opening / closing mechanism is configured such that the shutter plate is in an open state in which an interval between them is larger than a width of the box, and an interval between them is the width of the box. The opening and closing operations are performed in a first closed state in which the interval is narrower and wider than the width of the push-up base, and in a second closed state in which the interval therebetween is narrower than the width of the push-up base. The box push-up stacking device according to claim 1. 3. The push-up base has a length sufficient to place a plurality of boxes arranged in the carrying direction on the carry-in conveyor. Box push-up stacking device.